Match XI at Wellington Oval without their three most senior players.

However, that does not mean that they will be taking their hosts lightly as they will remember how close they came to defeat against the same opponents in the opening match of their 1991 tour, before finally pulling off a narrow 18-run victory.

In that match captain and vice captain Allan Border and Geoff Marsh, as well as David Boon, Merv Hughes and Craig McDermott, sat out.

The plan for this tour, like the last one four years ago, is to have each of the 15 members of the squad play two of the three games. So, while captain Mark Taylor, veteran batsman David Boon and allrounder Steve Waugh sit out the opening match, players like Ricky Ponting, Damien Fleming, Tim May and Justin Langer and Carl Rackemann will welcome playing again after few opportunities in the West Indies.

"Obviously this is not the Frank Worrell up for grabs but we don't like to get beaten either,'' said skipper Taylor who can't comprehend losing on Bermuda soil after becoming the first captain to win in the Caribbean in 22 years.

Taylor admitted most of the players were looking forward to playing plenty of golf while in Bermuda, "with three good games of cricket in between.'' Each of the three matches have sponsorship from major companies, with today's match being called the Coca-Cola/Evian Cup Match.

Except for Rackemann and Mark Waugh, who will be playing county cricket for Surrey and Essex and Paul Reiffel who will be playing league cricket in England, most of the players will take a much needed rest upon returning home.

"We've got no cricket on until October,'' explained Taylor. "We've got a good break first which is good. We have about eight or nine months a year when we play and three or four months when we don't play so that's generally how it works out for us.'' In the absence of Taylor, today the team will be led by vice captain Ian Healy, rated as the top wicket-batsman in the world. In '91 Healy led the Australian batting with 39 not out in the Australia total of 147 against St.

George's and then took four important catches as the local team was dismissed for 129.

"The decision to come here was the players' decision actually,'' explained coach Bob Simpson who is on his third trip to our shores, one as captain of the Australians in 1978 and twice as coach. He likes it here so much that after the last visit the Bermuda Cricket Board of Control nearly got him here for a coaching stint before his responsibilities with the Australian team took priority.

Even after such a demanding tour of the Caribbean the Australian players were keen to include a stopover in Bermuda. As a result the weloming parties planned back in Australia will have to be put on hold for a few more days while Bermudians enjoy the company of the Aussies.

"The invitation was offered to the Australian Cricket Board and before they accepted they wanted to know if we would like to go to Bermuda and the players said yes,'' said Simpson.

"From the point of view of going to the West Indies we would see Bermuda as an ongoing thing. It's two-fold, we enjoy it and the awareness that the lesser (cricketing) countries must be encouraged.

"I think Allan Border was asked what was his favourite tour and he said Bermuda and the very fact that I thought about coming to coach here certainly wasn't for the money. The demand on the Australian team was so much I couldn't do it.'' One of the biggest attractions in the Australian tour party is spin bowler Shane Warne, the world's best, though he is by no means the only potential match winners amongst the bowlers. Glenn McGrath was the outstanding bowler in the recent Caribbean series and along with Carl Rackemann, Brendan Julian and Paul Reiffel there is plenty there to make it a challenging exercise for the St. George's batsmen.

In the batting there is Michael Slater, Greg Blewett, Justin Langer, Ponting and Mark Waugh who won't have to contend with a pace quartet but more the medium and spin variety after Dale Fox and Anthony Braithwaite take the shine off the new ball.

The medium pace will come from Clevie Wade and Ricky Hodsoll while the spinners are Arnold Manders, David Adams and Eugene Foggo, one an off-spinner and the other two left and right arm leg spinners.

St. George's, already without the likes of Clay Smith, Dean Minors, Dexter Smith, Charlie Marshall and Kenny Phillip, also had to replace allrounder Lionel Cann because of an injury. Gregory Sampson is the replacement and will open the batting with Eugene Foggo. Clarkie Trott is also unavailable because of work commitments.

The match starts at noon and will be 50 overs per side.

St. George's XI: Graham Fox, Ricky Hodsoll, Arnold Manders, Eugene Foggo, Clevie Wade, Cleon Scotland, Gregory Sampson, Lewis Foggo, David Adams, Anthony Braithwaite, Dale Fox. Reserves: Jason Anderson, Ryan Steede.

Australia: (from) Ian Healy, Greg Blewett, Michael Slater, Mark Waugh, Damien Fleming, Justin Langer, Ricky Ponting, Tim May, Shane Warne, Carl Rackemann, Brendan Julian, Glenn McGrath.

Spinner Adams replaces Cann The starting teams for the two representative matches against the Australians on Saturday and Sunday have been confirmed, with one change made to the Bermuda team since Lionel Cann is injured.

Spinner David Adams, who was originally named in the President's XI for Saturday's match, is now included in the Bermuda team in place of Cann. Dexter Basden of Willow Cuts will lead the President's XI while Albert Steede is the captain of the Bermuda team.

President's XI (in batting order): Dexter Basden (captain), Curtis Jackson, Jason Lewis, Jeff Richardson, Richie Foggo, Shannon Warner, Jermaine Outerbridge, Kwame Tucker, Roger Blades, Del Hollis, Gary Williams. Reserves: Daniel Caines, Cleon Scotland.

Bermuda (in batting order:) Albert Steede (captain), Ricky Hill, Olin Jones, Richard Basden, Graham Fox (vice captain), Arnold Manders, Anthony Manders, Roger Blades, Bruce Perinchief, Clarkie Trott, David Adams. Reserves: Hasan Durham, Shannon Warner.

KEY SPINNER -- Graham Fox, left, will look to David Adams, right, to tie up the Aussies with his wrist spinners.

IN DISGUISE -- Vice captain Ian Healy, left, will take over the Australian team in the absence of Mark Taylor in today's opening match against St.

George's at Wellington Oval.