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Cann's young guns eye cricket Treble

Lionel Cann: Looking to add the Twenty/20 title to the 50-Over and Eastern County crowns.

St. David's will complete cricket's version of the Treble this weekend if they can win the Twenty/20 final on Sunday.

The dominant force in domestic cricket this season, the Islanders have already won the 50-Over competition, are Easten Counties champions and are favourites to take the Twenty/20 title and re-enforce their position as the best team in Bermuda.

And veteran batsman Lionel Cann has a sombre warning for teams hoping that the dominance won't last, insisting the young team 'aren't even at their best yet'.

Aside from the 37-year-old Cann, St. David's have a team that includes the likes of skipper Delyone Borden (24), OJ Pitcher (24), Justin Pitcher (22) and Chris Dougals (20). And all of them have represented Bermuda.

"Even if we don't take this Twenty/20 trophy I think we are dominant now," said Cann. "We have been right up there the last couple of years, but the national programme is the next step and everybody has been involved with the national programme over the last couple of years and we haven't been together.

"And this is the first year we have been back together and we have dominated, so I believe we are already a dominant squad and definitely the team for the future. We are the dominant team and can be as long as we stay together.

"But you know Bermuda starts travelling again next year, so we'll be missing a few players, but we have a pretty big squad so as long as we have a strong nucleus I think we are definitely the team for the future."

Cann believes that the experience of winning the 50-Over league this year will only make the side hungry for more success.

"Right now guys are playing off the experience of being part of the national programme and natural talent, they're not even at their best yet, that's the scary thing about it," he said. "And once they sacrifice, and make the ultimate commitment, which I don't think they have yet, this year they wanted to win the league title, and they were committed to winning that, but if they had been committed week in, week out to bettering themselves then nobody could touch them.

"They (the young players) are an amazing talent, and if they want to sacrifice and take the programme forward, they will dominate for years to come."

Despite the talent in the side, Cann insisted that the Islanders were taking nothing for granted and would treat tomorrow's semi-final opponents Bailey's Bay with respect and prepare as they would for any other side.

"We're taking it one game at a time. It's been a month since the league finished and we've been in Twenty/20 mode now for almost a month," he said. "Guys have been taking one game at a time, picking up the valuable experience that they need to play the Twenty/20 game. We're just looking at the opposition and seeing where their strengths are, and weaknesses and go from there.

"Bay are a top-four team, the teams left are the best," said Cann. "Bailey's Bay have a lot of experience, they have a couple of good players who have a lot of national programme experience. They are a very good unit, and with the Twenty/20 game anybody can win on any day you know. Any three good overs batting or bowling can change a match, so they definitely have players who can win the tournament."

If St. David's successfully get past Bay then either Southampton Rangers or Police will await them in the final. And for Cann of the four teams left in the competition, all have the quality to claim the trophy.

"I think even Police (pose a threat) as a Twenty/20 team. They have a lot of older guys, but they can bowl well and bat well. Any one of the four teams can lift the trophy on the day," he said.