Somerset Cup Match stalwart Janeiro Tucker yesterday accepted a sporting challenge from St. George's hopeful David (Chick) Adams and has now invited the veteran wrist spinner "to bring it on".

Adams, who has 33 Cup Match wickets to his credit, is now expected to return to the champions' line-up following a seven-year hiatus where he could form a formidable combination with off-break spinner Delyone Borden.

Earlier this week the outspoken slow bowler declared himself as "the best" spinner on the Island and challenged all-rounder Tucker to a duel at the crease.

"I'm bowling better now than I ever have," said Adams. "I know his daddy (John Tucker) used to have him on the porch bowling off-breaks, leg breaks saying this is how David Adams to going to bowl to you.

"I saw him (Janeiro) a few weeks ago and said 'you better go back on the porch, you're going to need the practice.'"

Tucker, who is only 40 runs shy of becomming the first Somerset batsman to score 1,000 runs in Cup Match, says he's up for the challenge.

"I don't have any problem with that (Adams' challenge) . . . but he better not come wrong or else he's going to go long. Bring it on," Tucker declared. "I will respect the good bowling, but don't come wrong because once he comes in my slot that's it. I hope he knows that."

Tucker and Adams wil be involved in today's final Cup Match trials at Wellington Oval and Somerset Cricket Club where both sets of selectors will have their hands full trying to fill gaping holes caused by the unavailability of several players due to national team duty to ICC Twenty/20 World Cup qualifiers in Ireland next week.

The last time the two players met face-to-face in Cup Match Tucker came out on top, ploughing a record 186 at Wellington Oval on the way to breaking Lloyd James' previous best of 173 in the annual mid-summer classic that had stood for 39 years.

Tucker, who is also bidding to become the first Somerset batsman to score centuries at both ends of the Island, is now keen to pick up where he left off against Adams seven years ago ¿ should the St. George's' selectors show faith in the 45-year-old charismatic bowler.

"Personally, I know exactly when Chick is going to bowl the off and leg break, my father taught me that in 1992 when I played my first Cup Match against him," he continued. "I actually told him what he was going to bowl when he was running in. So I have already done my homework on him and I'm sure there's not going to be much difference.

"Chick is probably a bit more wiser now and bowls a more round arm leg break these days. But after a couple of overs facing him I will adjust. And I will be on the porch next week getting refreshed and will be ready to roll when he comes rolling in."

Tucker, though, did acknowledge that a bowler of Adams' calibre coud be a threat for some of Somerset's batsmen who are not accustomed to facing a leg spinner. However, with the right mental approach and patience the veteran all-rounder believes he and his team-mates can see off the threat.

"The younger guys have never played against him before and so it's a new challenge for them. They can't afford to just skip down the wicket and try and put him outside because once they do that they could get hurt," he said.

"Mentally they have to prepare themselves for Chick because we already know what Delyone (Borden) bowls. These guys have never faced an off-break bowler and a leg- break bowler like Chick who bowls really slow and so will get the ball to turn.

"They just have to apply themselves and hang in there instead of going deep because he is going to bowl the bad balls. Chick is going to bowl bad balls and when he does, that's when you have to take full advantage.

"But Chick has always been a good bowler and St.George's will take him. I can't see them taking no other spinner because really Delyone and Chick are the only two genuine spinners they have."