North Village will use their strong link with Bailey’s Bay to boost their team for the Central Counties final against Western Stars at St John’s Field on Saturday.

Village, who play in the Evening Cricket League, will take advantage of the recently introduced guest-player rule — the only county competition that did not previously allow guest players — by calling up a couple of Bay players.

A few of Bay’s players play for Village’s football side, namely Terryn Fray, Pierre Smith and Azende Furbert, while Irving Romaine, the Bay coach, is also the assistant coach of Village’s football team.

There has been some confusion of whether Romaine, who has not played for Bay this season, can be selected as a Village player or will have to be one of the two allocated guest players.

Romaine, a former Bermuda captain, confirmed he is registered to play with Village in the Evening Cricket League.

“Because they don’t have a formal registration he can’t be considered as a North Village player,” said Dennis Williams of the Central Counties. “He has to play as a guest player. There are two guest players allowed, providing they are members of your club.”

Last weekend both Stars and Tuff Dogs included guest players with Treadwell Gibbons, of Cleveland County, returning to the Stars line-up and justifying his selection by hitting the season’s highest individual score of 166 not out as Stars posted 323 for eight in their 55 overs.

Dion Stovell was the other guest player for Stars, scoring 31. Tuff Dogs, containing guest pair Jordan DeSilva and Derrick Brangman, were dismissed for 147 in 30.2 overs.

Romaine came close to playing for Bay against Stars because of his team’s slow start to the season.

“It was just an option, in case of an emergency,” Romaine said. “As a coach you don’t want to lose and I can still add something to the batting line-up.

“It was just a case of if I was needed, I was there to play. But they bounced back well and there was no need. I also don’t want to take the place of a youngster.

“We have been struggling in the runs department, nobody was putting up a score. I’m coming to training again this week, just in case. It also adds a little pressure to the players who are in the team, to know there are other options available.

“We have a lot of youngsters coming through but the majority of them are bowlers. Bowling isn’t our problem, it’s runs!”

Romaine added: “I’m scheduled to play for North Village in the Evening League but I haven’t had the chance to play. I was going to help them out in the Central Counties.”

The first round of the Western Counties is also scheduled for this weekend, when champions Southampton Rangers play Willow Cuts at White Hill Field.