for their Eastern Counties Cup first round tie against champions St. David's at Sea Breeze Oval next Saturday.

Sports chairman Nolan Walker stopped short of guaranteeing the all-rounder a place in Bay's starting eleven, but he admitted the club were looking forward to discussing the player's availability for selection when he returned home early next week.

Gibbons, who is now in England, had expressed concern that he would be overlooked after hearing reports of a move to leave him out of the team because he has not played regularly with Bay this season.

He had said that he wanted this county year to be his "swan song'', claiming that he had no intention of playing again because he had no more goals, having already broken most records in the competition.

"It's true that there has been those sort of rumours circulating around the club about Noel, but if team skipper Charlie Marshall and the rest of the committee feel that we want to play Noel, then that's what we will do,'' said Walker.

"Noel has always been a part of our club, the team and our plans ... we have always looked at his situation this way and it hasn't changed. These rumours certainly haven't been initiated by our committee.'' Gibbons, who has been in England for two weeks since returning from a tour of Africa and the Middle East with a World Select that he skippered, said that he planned to return home and play in the Eastern Counties where he would "bow out gracefully''.

After finishing a playing career which has spanned 32 years, Gibbons said he was looking forward to taking up a coaching job with Napilia Cricket Club in Soweto, South Africa next June.

Noel Gibbons