The final Cup Match trials take place on Saturday and by Sunday morning the 22 cricketers who will represent St George's and Somerset at next week's Cup Match will be the discussion at every breakfast table on the Island.

Of the two clubs, St George's seemingly have the harder task in selecting a team with a possible eight players unavailable for a variety of reasons.

Charlie Marshall has retired, Lionel Cann has so far missed all of the previous trial games and Glenn Blakeney only played his first league game of the season last weekend. Fast bowling trio George O'Brien (arm), Stefan Kelly (knee), and Greg Foggo (hamstring) are all out injured, while Landro Minors and Detroy Smith are currently enjoying Her Majesty's hospitality in the West End.

However, St George's do have one major advantage, they don't have to win the game, they only have to avoid losing and as such can load their team with batsmen should they chose to do so.

Certainly that appears to be the direction Clay Smith is taking his team in. "Somerset have to bring the game to us," said Smith, "so I think we will pick up wickets. My main concern is to solidify our batting."

Given that approach, the loss of three frontline bowlers is not as fatal as it might otherwise have been.

If selected, Jason Anderson, Chris Foggo and OJ Pitcher will give the batting line-up a dangerous look. However, the possible supporting cast made up of the likes of Fiqre Crockwell, Mishael Paynter and Oronde Bascome, still looks a little bit thin and it would be no surprise if Cann or Blakeney, or both, appeared in the final XI.

That, and the fact that Bermuda bowler Justin Pitcher is available and is quite handy with the bat as well, while St George's bowler Rudell Pitcher has been taking wickets for fun in the First Division this season, means the holders should still be more than capable of mouting a serious defence of their title.

The biggest unknown for St George's is their first-time captain Bascome, how will he deal with the pressure of leading his side?

Somerset skipper Jacobi Robinson appears to think he is a weak link and has questioned whether he would be in the team if he wasn't captain. Scores of four and a duck against Flatts and Social Club for Bascome in recent weeks might suggest that Robinson has a point.

However, a player with as much invested emotionally in a team as Bascome is with his club should never be underestimated.

Robinson, too, has his own problems when it comes to team selection, and while the challengers could pick a team that wouldn't look out of place representing Bermuda, balance will be everything.

Somerset's job is a simple one, they have to win and while St George's can stack their side with batsmen, the West End club need enough bowlers to take 20 wickets.

Fortunately for them they're spoilt for choice in that department with Robinson, Malachi Jones, Kevin Tucker, Jordan DeSilva, Kevin Hurdle, Dwayne Leverock and Joshua Gilbert all pushing for selection. With Dean Stephens also handy with the ball, as well as the bat, their options won't be limited.

It would seem sensible to suggest that given their situation, Somerset might opt for a team that has four seam bowlers, a spinner, a wicketkeeper and then five specialist batsman.

And while Dion Stovell's loss is a blow, the availability of the likes of Terryn Fray, Azeem Pitcher, Chris Douglas, Stephen Outerbridge, Janeiro Tucker, Stephens, Shannon Rayner, and Derek Brangman more than make up for it.

In terms of colts, Kevin Tucker would seem to stand as good a chance as any to play his first game for Somerset, while St George's could possibly include as many as four, with Paynter, Richard Todd, Alan Douglas Jnr, and David Bedard all pushing for a place.

The two clubs are expected to announce their final teams for the trials tomorrow, and then the serious business begins on Saturday morning. Games will begin at 10 a.m. at Wellington Oval and Somerset, and then it will be up to the selectors to grant dreams or break hearts.

Possible teams:

Somerset: A Pitcher, C Douglas, S Outerbridge, J Tucker, D Stephens, M Jones, J Edness, J Robinson, K Tucker, D Leverock, J Gilbert. Reserves: J DeSilva, S Rayner.

St George's: J Anderson, C Foggo, R Todd, G Blakeney, M Paynter, O Bascome, OJ Pitcher, D Borden, J Pitcher, R Trott, R Pitcher. Reserves: A Douglas jr, D Bedard.