THE domestic season comes to a close this weekend with the two knockout finals at the National Sports Centre, played under lights as day/night contests starting at 2 p.m. And after that the island's top players will be involved in four matches against a touring team from Trinidad ? Chico Preysal Sports Club ? which involves a 20/20 match against a BCB XI, a 50-over contest against Cup Match champions St. George's and a two-day match against Bermuda.

Many of the national team players will be involved in this weekend's finals, with Clay Smith expected to turn out for Cleveland in the First Division final against Leg Trappers on Saturday. The Harris Bay team will be aiming to complete the double, having already clinched one of the two limited overs promotion spots.

On Sunday, Southampton Rangers, containing the likes of Janeiro Tucker, Lionel Cann, Dwayne Leverock, Olin Jones, Keith Wainwright, Kwame Tucker and Malachi Jones, should be favoured over Flatts in the Premier Division final. National team wicketkeeper Dean Minors is expected to turn out for Flatts who boast the likes of Gary Brangman, Lloyd Fray, Vernon Eve, Philip Burgess and Rahji Edness.

After this weekend attention will then switch to the national squad as the task to select the strongest possible team for the World Cup continues. Opening batting spots are still up for grabs, though Kwame Tucker and Stephen Outerbridge boosted their chances for consideration during the recent ICC Americas success in Canada. The soon-to-qualify David Hemp of English County side Glamorgan is also in the reckoning for a top three batting position and his experience will go a long way to solving that problem area.

With three players of West Indies experience in the Chico Preysal squad ? namely fast bowler Ravi Rampaul, spinner Ryan Hurley and wicketkeeper-batsman Denesh Ramdin ? the Trinidadian club team should be a stern test for their local opponents ahead of two more major tours by the Bermuda team in November and January.

The November trip will take the national team to Kenya for three one-day internationals against Kenya (scheduled for November 14, 16 and 18) before travelling to South Africa a week later for a tri-series against Canada and the Netherlands from November 26 to December 2. Two matches each against Canada and the Netherlands are tentatively scheduled.

Then in January, the national team will return to Kenya for the ICC World Cricket League Divison 1 competition involving the five World Cup qualifying countries plus Kenya in a series of round robin matches ahead of the World Cup. That demanding tour calls for the teams playing five matches in seven days before the top two teams meet in the final on January 28. It is also planned to have Bermuda, Bangladesh and Canada play a tri-series in the West Indies in late February prior to the World Cup. Bangladesh are in Bermuda's group in the World Cup along with India and Sri Lanka.