In one of the most stunning turn of events of the summer, teenaged off spinner Rodney (Picnic) Trott has parted company with Somerset Cricket Club and will instead play in St. George?s Cricket Club?s final Cup Match trial at Wellington Oval on Saturday.

The champions selected their final 22 players for Saturday?s final trial match after an intense workout at the Oval on Tuesday evening, among them Trott who had been following in the footsteps of cousins Mark and Roger Trott at the West End prior to venturing off to Barbados earlier this month to represent Bermuda?s Under 19 national team in the Sir Gary Sobers Tournament.

The Bailey?s Bay cricketer has been named in St.George?s? Vice President?s XI along with long-time friend Oronde Bascome ? another youngster anticipated to make the big breakthrough in the champion?s XI this year.

?Rodney has had a change of heart and informed the club that he wishes to play in the final trial match with us,? confirmed Ritchie Foggo, chairman of St.George?s Cup Match selectors.

?Rodney is a member of St.George?s Cricket Club, and, as such, has the same privileges as any other member. And in my sight I am happy he (Trott) went to Somerset to play in the trial matches to see what he can do against them. They (Somerset) are the enemy when it comes to Cup Match and so with Trott playing in the trials at Somerset and getting wickets (14 in three matches) up there bodes really well for us now that he is coming back to play for us.?

When contacted in Barbados yesterday, Trott told : ?I will be playing the last Cup Match trial at St.George?s because I feel more comfortable there.?

Trott has represented St.George?s in the annual Colt?s Cup Match and in football and has been in sparkling form with the ball of late after recovering from a troublesome knee injury earlier in the year.

The youngster claimed 22 wickets during the the recently concluded Sir Gary Sobers Tournament in Barbados and scored 137 runs in six visits to the crease at an average of 22.8 runs per innings.

Trott, who returns home today with the Island?s Under 19 youth squad following a highly creditable showing in the Caribbean where the local boys finished joint-runner?s up in Zone A, was due to receive an award yesterday for claiming the most wickets in the annual tournament.

Trott added: ?I just feel more comfortable playing cricket in St.George?s because that is where all of my family and friends are. And I also look forward to Saturday?s final trial match.?

Though obviously disappointed to see a talent such as Trott?s slip through their grasp, Somerset Cricket Club president Richard Scott praised the youngster for the manner in which he handled a very sensitive issue.

?I give the young man a lot of respect for someone his age for calling us and at least giving us that courtesy,? Scott said.

?Cup match is all about choices and each player has the right to chose whomever they want to represent.?

Meanwhile, St.George?s Cup Match skipper Lionel Cann and former star all rounder Noel Gibbons are among those delighted to see the youngster return to his roots in the East End.

?Obviously he is a player for the future and has a lot to offer as a spinner. And it is nice to have him back in St.George?s,? Cann said.

?St.George?s have always had good spinners in their team such as Maxwell Curtis and David (Chick) Adams over the years. And so it?s nice to have another young spinner coming onboard to be a part of the programme.?

Gibbons said he wasn?t surprised when informed of Trott?s latest decision.

?He?s had strong ties with St.George?s all of his life and so I am not surprised in the least,? he said. ?But I am definitely pleased to see him return to St.George?s where he has spent many years playing.

?It?s always nice to have a young talent such as Rodney coming to St.George?s.?

Trott is a former Under 15 national team skipper and only last August was a member of Bermuda?s ICC Intercontinental Cup senior national team squad that clinched the Americas group in Toronto following back-to-back victories over hosts Canada and Cayman Islands.

And now Gibbons reckons the time is ripe for the teenaged cricketer to make his presence felt in the classic.

?He is definitely ready,? he insisted. ?And any team carrying a good spinner generally does good domestically because most batsmen don?t like to face spin.?