The two teams, Southampton Rangers and Warwick, were present and ready to play. But a court injunction prevented Saturday's Western Counties final at White Hill Field from going ahead.

And now, as directed by Charles-Etta Simmons after a session in her court chambers on Saturday, the Western Counties will make a third attempt to settle the dispute which has tarnished this year's competition.

PHC beat Rangers in the last round and, despite a protest by Rangers that PHC captain James Pace was ineligible, were confirmed as champions. But the Counties then overturned that ruling, and named Rangers as Warwick's opponents in the final.

However, the sorry saga took another twist on Saturday when PHC halted the match by taking out a court injunction.

It was at Saturday's hearing, which ended at 2.30, that the directive was given that the Western Counties attempt to resolve the dispute themselves this week.

PHC had countered that the vote at the last meeting -- 4-2 with two abstentions in favour of Rangers -- was unconstitutional as PHC did not participate in the voting process.

When they next meet all the affiliates must be present and the Western Counties executives cannot vote.

"Our grounds for taking it to court is that we were surprised that Rangers didn't accept the first vote, when the game was awarded to PHC,'' said the man in the middle of the controversy, Pace.

"My feeling is Rangers forced the hand of PHC, we had no other choice.'' Pace was initially told by Western Counties officials, including president Reginald Outerbridge, that he was eligible to play, only for Outerbridge to reverse that decision on the morning of the match.

Pace played anyway and was instrumental in helping PHC inflict defeat on the champions who then lodged a protest which they lost on the grounds that PHC had been misled by poor decisions.

"We're standing on the same grounds as before, that PHC got the result on the field after I was given permission to play,'' said Pace.

The confusion will have to be settled before this weekend if the Western Counties are to have a representative in the Champion of Champions tournament against St. David's and Western Stars.

This weekend is the only available time to play the Counties final, though PHC are in the semi-finals of the Knockout Cup on Saturday. Apparently, they are prepared to forfeit that match against Western Stars so as to play in the Counties final if they are confirmed as champions again.