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St George’s have eye on keepers

Temiko Wilson is hoping to gain selection to the St George's team after today's final trial match. At right is Jekon Edness who will be the Somerset Cup Match wicketkeeper. (Photograph by Lawrence Trott)

St George’s will run the rule over three wicketkeepers in today’s final trial match at Wellington Oval before selecting a team tonight that could have several changes for next week’s Cup Match.

Sinclair Smith, who currently holds down the spot, will share the wicketkeeping duties for the challengers, with Okera Bascome in the same President’s team. Temiko Wilson will keep wicket for a Vice-President’s team captained by veteran Lionel Cann, one of a few players battling to hold on to his spot.

Bascome, the Bermuda wicketkeeper, has been playing his cricket in Britain with Coventry & North Warwickshire in the Second Division of the Birmingham & District Premier League. This is his second season with them as a first team player.

Wilson, who joined the St George’s league team this season in hopes of boosting his chances of being selected, has been one of the team’s most consistent batsmen this season and could get selected as a specialist batsman.

Two changes are already forced upon St George’s with Rodney Trott and George O’Brien not selected after failing to attend training sessions over the last few weeks. That opens the door for at least two changes, with an added twist being added to the discussion with Stefan Kelly and Okera Bascome back from England in time to feature in the final trial.

Kelly, with his ten wickets in the 2011 Cup Match, was the MVP that year at Wellington Oval and he, along with wicketkeeper Bascome, will stake a claim if he performs well today.

St George’s made four changes to last year’s team, recalling seam bowlers Kyle Hodsoll and Zeko Burgess of Bailey’s Bay, while six changes were made in each of the four years prior to that.

Charles Trott, the Southampton Rangers seam bowler, is back making another bid after missing out last year. He brings something extra to the bowling attack as a left-armer and is also a useful late-order batsman.

Two players whose places are under threat are the oldest and youngest members of last year’s team, Cann and Nzari Paynter. Both had late starts to the season, Cann because he was coming off a knee injury while Paynter was away in school. Paynter’s best score was 32 against Western Stars earlier this month while Cann only just returned to action three weeks ago.

• Cousins Isaiah Richardson and Alje Richardson will be captain and vice captain of holders Somerset in tomorrow’s Colts Cup Match at Somerset. Somerset, who have held the cup since 2013, will be without batsman Alex Dore, who scored a century last year in the high-scoring draw.

Somerset team: Isaiah Richardson (captain), Alje Richardson (vice-captain), Jade Morrissey, Solomon Burrows, Dalin Richardson, Azar Morrissey, Micah Simons, Sheldon Caesar, Nirobi Mills, Joseph Basden, Jerez Eve, Tai Carrera, Jermal Proctor, Logan Jones, Tayo Smith.