St George’s’ Cup Match preparations have been given a major boost with the news that Stefan Kelly will be available to play for the first time in three years.

The Bermuda seam bowler has been noticeably absent since his heroics in 2011, the last time St George’s won the cup, when he took ten wickets over the course of the two days.

Kelly flew back to Bermuda on Monday evening from the UK, trained with the St George’s team last night, and will feature in the final trial match at Wellington Oval on Saturday.

Ryan Steede, the St George’s coach, welcomed the bowler’s return and said his mere presence would give the team a lift.

“Stefan is a class act, he demonstrated his quality in previous Cup Matches and it will be good to have him back,” Steede said. “He does add something to our attack, if selected, and his presence alone does lift the team a bit.”

Despite the obvious threat that Kelly would bring to a bowling attack that could also include George O’Brien and Kyle Hodsoll, there are no guarantees that he will be included in the final team.

The bowler said he had not heard from any St George’s official since Charlie Marshall contacted him at the start of the summer, and that his main motivation in coming home was to see his family for the first time in two years.

“The club itself hasn’t reached out to me,” Kelly said. “I have been in contact with OJ {Pitcher, the captain], but if I am picked I am more than happy to play and represent St George’s again.”

Kelly’s main concern over past several years have been in completing his Master’s degree in sports coaching in Cardiff, while playing cricket in a local league and working for his university as a sports therapist for the football teams.

Being away at school since the age of 14 has given Kelly a different view of Cup Match, and while he plans to enjoy the holiday no matter what happens, he views the classic as “just another game of cricket.”

The bowler believes his biggest challenge this week and next will be acclimatising to the heat and seeing how his body reacts to be being back on the Island.

“You get used to being away, it’s just dealing with the difference in temperature,” Kelly said.

Playing cricket abroad does mean that Kelly is not in the selectors’ thoughts every week, but he believes the trial will be no different to what he does week in, week out at league level in Wales.

“The trial match for me, it depends on how people look at the outcomes,” Kelly said. “But, for me, its more about the process, it’s just sort of continuing the grove that I was in while I was away playing, and adapting to see how I need to change my pregame preparations in terms of coping with the heat and the humidity.

“If I am picked for Cup Match again it’s the process, and letting the results and outcomes deal with themselves.”