In the east corner, wearing the royal and baby blue of St. George's, please welcome the challengers led by the inimitable Louis (Red) DeSilva . . . DeSilva.

In the west corner, sporting the red and blue of Somerset, witness the champions and El Presidente Colin Smith . . . Smith.

Cup Match presents itself as a clash of the Island's cricketing heavyweights and club presidents DeSilva and Smith were this week talking up their teams' chances of seizing what stands as the `Holy Grail' of local cricket.

As challengers, St. George's have to win if they are to reclaim the trophy snatched from their grasp a year ago.

Not so for Somerset, who as the holders need only a draw to ensure the prized piece of silverware makes the 21-mile trek back west next Friday afternoon.

However, Smith sees little honour in playing for a draw, and has encouraged the prospective members of his squad to seek the clear cut result.

"`The guys are hungry and want to make sure that they retain the trophy, and not just by going out there and holding on with a draw, we want an outright win," said Smith, who as Chairman of Cricket also is part of Somerset's five-man selection committee.

"I've expressed to them my feelings and they feel the same way. We're not going down there to sit back and hope we can retain the trophy by drawing . . . we're not doing that, we're going there to win the game."

Asked if the club possessed the players to carry out the task, Smith responded with a confident "Yes".

Alluding somewhat to the recent flap over whether Clay Smith should be allowed back into the reckoning or not, Smith expressed hope that his eastern counterparts would choose their best possible side so as not to leave room for excuses.

"We're very much capable of beating St. George's," said Smith. "They can express how they would like to have included certain players that would make them stronger, and by all means I support that, so that there will not be any talk afterwards of whether they had their best team or not.

"I have no real concerns (about St. George's), not the wicket, nor the players. On that day these guys have to account for themselves, they have to show up and play the game, and it's important that they do that, because I nor anyone else can make them be the best player, they have to do that themselves.

"You can claim to be the best player, but if you don't show up on that day then you can't make that claim."

Not surprisingly DeSilva sounded as an echo to Smith, except for the fact that his picture painted St. George's in the celebratory mode once the sun set on the annual classic.

"There's no doubt that we can and will beat Somerset," said DeSilva, who's club will host the affair. "We just have to cut our mistakes down to a minimum, take the catches when they're available, play heads up cricket and guys have to go out there and bat to their abilities, and score runs at a quick pace.

"We expect nothing less than a victory and we're going all out for that, that you can be assured."

Reminded of the hiding given them last year at Somerset Cricket Club, DeSilva merely shrugged, explaining the loss to have been as a result of St. George's' carelessness while batting than anything Somerset did.

"If you remember that game correctly, we gave it away . . . our batsmen gave it away," said DeSilva. "We won't do that this year, they will apply themselves this year.

"I think it's going to be over about 5.30 the second day."

Mystery surrounds what type of wicket is being prepared by the ground staff and DeSilva was not about to offer any insight to the media or next week's opponents.

"Mansfield Smith, Bull Swan and Gregory Smith have all contributed to that wicket, therefore Somerset should be getting a spanking," said DeSilva.