Shamar Gomes, the teenaged seam bowler, will make his Western Counties debut for champions Willow Cuts who will defend their title against Warwick in today’s final round of the competition at Southampton Oval.

Gomes is the only change to the Cuts team from the one that beat Somerset Bridge by 173 runs in the previous round two weeks ago.

The 15-year old bowler has replaced Azar Morrissey who is in England with the Bermuda Under-16s development squad.

Dexter Basden, the Cuts coach, has all the confidence in the world that the young colt will rise to the occasion.

“I am confident that Shamar will be equal to the task and it’s good to see him coming through,” Basden said.

“Playing in this Western Counties will be a good experience for him.”

Gomes is one of three promising youngsters in the Cuts team, the others being Sergio Raynor — grandson of former St George’s Cup Match star Lee Raynor — and Micah Simons who represented Bermuda in ICC Americas Under-19 World Cup qualifiers this summer.

The champions team also boasts some of the best players in domestic cricket in club stalwart Deunte Darrell and guest players Chris Douglas and Malachi Jones.

Early-order batsman Darrell has hit form and was unfortunate not to have scored a century in the previous round against Bridge when he was dismissed for 85.

He also featured in a fourth-wicket stand of 78 with Jones, who scored 32, that laid the foundation for Cuts’s formidable total of 267.

Cuts, who will again be led by Dwight Basden, will enter the match as firm favourites against Warwick who have an average age of about 17.

n Ricardo Brangman of Devonshire Rec has been banned for one game after pleading guilty to a Level 2 offence of showing serious dissent at an umpire’s decision during last weekend’s match against Western Stars.

Brangman has been suspended from all cricket until August 31, meaning he will his side’s crucial First Division game against St George’s tomorrow.