Cup Match clubs Somerset and St. George's are understood to be baulking at a request to switch their final trial matches prior to the mid-summer classic in order to accommodate an incoming tour that will feature prominent former West Indian Test players.

The visitors, who will include Sir Viv Richards, Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, Courtney Walsh, Phil Simmons and Jeffrey Dujon, are scheduled to play two games here against local opponents on Saturday, July 27 and Sunday, July 28.

The team is being brought to the Island by the Bermuda Cricket Board of Control who have agreed to have them participate in the annual Testimonial celebrations.

The Testimonial committee and the West Indies Association, who are supervising the event this year, are spearheading a campaign to have the Cup Match clubs to change the date of their trials.

Neither officials of the two clubs or the Board were willing to discuss the dispute yesterday, but Testimonial spokesman Custerfield Crockwell said the tour was far from being placed in jeopardy and predicted that it would go on not least because it was the only time the visitors were available as a team to come to the Island.

"I don't want to jump the gun right now and say anything about the discussions that are taking place, but we should have it sorted out over the next few days one way or the other and the tour will go on," he said. "One thing I would like the public to know is that they will have a great opportunity of seeing some of the great names in West Indies cricket this summer. It's something to look forward to and we are extremely excited to be a part of it."

Realising that holding the first tour game on the Saturday clashed with the final trial matches the suggestion to have the clubs adjust their schedule was put forward several weeks ago.

However, their response was to turn down the request to play their trials on Thursday, July 25, the clubs claiming such a move from the customary Saturday trials would hurt their revenue.

An alternative incentive offered to the clubs was to have the two Testimonial matches played on the respective Cup Match grounds on Saturday, July 27 and Sunday, July 28, if they in turn brought the final trials forward by two days, giving the clubs a great opportunity to make revenue from the event.

But even this sweetened offer has so far proved to be insufficient to influenced a change of heart by the clubs.

So the battle continues on with no resolution apparently in sight, though hope still remains that it will be sorted out to the satisfaction of all parties.

One individual involved in the talks, who wished to remain anonymous, reckoned that the clubs should be more considerate since the tour was a one-off.

"I can't understand the position of the Cup Match clubs," he said. "The truth of the matter is that nobody watches the trial matches anyway. "They turn out at the clubs during the evenings when the Cup Match sides are picked, but the truth of the matter is that attendances at the two trials have grown smaller and smaller over the years and I don't understand it when the clubs say they risk losing revenue.

"The offer extended to have the two matches scheduled at the grounds of Somerset and St. George's on the Saturday and Sunday is an excellent one. It will give fans throughout the Island a choice of grounds to watch these players and some of our own past greats in action at the Cup Match venues.''

If the Cup Match clubs refuse to budge from their position the tour matches will be played at Lord's on July 27 and July 28, despite the obvious clash with the July 27 Cup Match trials.