Somerset Bridge skipper Kirk Simons won't be using any guest players in the final round of the Western Counties competition this weekend.

That is some gamble for a struggling First Division side who are facing Premier Division side PHC at Southampton Oval on Saturday.

PHC are Belco Cup winners, have beaten league champions Southampton Rangers three times this season, and are undefeated in the competition after giving Warwick a serious hammering last time out.

In that instance other captains in Simons' position might be tempted to stack their team with top-flight ringers, but the Bridge skipper is sticking with his club players who he believes deserve their day in the sun.

"I'm really trying to carry all Bridge players," said Simons. 'We've been playing pretty good cricket this season, I might carry one guest player, but I'm not really 100 percent sure yet. I'll make up my mind after our last training session (on Thursday).

"Guys who play for their club, deserve the chance to play county, especially if they have been playing all season. Some guys have been playing for years and never get a chance because a guest player comes in and takes their spot.

"It's only fair, even for other clubs, a lot of guys don't get the opportunity to play that top-flight cricket, like Cup Matches, or county or something like that."

Bridge have had an up and down season in the First Division so far, beating Western Stars at the beginning of the season, before suffering narrow defeats against the likes of Cleveland and Flatts.

A mid-season dip followed, but according to Simons, Bridge are starting to perform like their old selves, and he is confident they can give the holders a run for their money.

"Training has been going great, and we've had a good season," said Simons.

"We dropped off a little bit, but we've picked it back up, and we're getting back to where we were at the beginning of the season.

"Any given day my guys can play, we just need to find more consistency, that's all I need. And if everybody shows up on Saturday then we're going to give it a good go."

While results might not seem to back up Simons' assertion, the Bridge skipper knows that there is something about county matches that always bring out the best in his players. For them, Saturday will be the biggest game of the season.

As Simons puts it, 'it's our Cup Match'.

"One thing I know, when county time comes, my team, we step up. And it's so amazing, I tell the guys 'through the season you're just cruising, but as soon as county comes it's like you're different players'.

"I must admit guys really look forward to county. That's our big game. For Somerset guys it's Cup Match, but for us it is Western County. We're up for it, and hopefully come Saturday I'll be raising the trophy at the end of the day."