Onias Bascome says he is both excited and honoured to be appointed as the captain of St George’s Cup Match team and is confident he can be equal to the task.

“It’s an exciting moment in my career,” the 26-year-old all-rounder told The Royal Gazette. “St George’s have a good programme going right now and I am the head of that ship.

“I just feel that at the end of the day the club has installed trust in me and I feel as though I’m the right man to take this job right now and take St George’s to the next level.

“I just feel that is my time to step up and bring something to the table.”

Challengers and this year’s hosts St George’s was forced to look for a new captain after all-rounder Lionel Cann retired from top-flight cricket last year.

Bascome now joins a line of family members who have captained St George’s in Cup Match, including older brother Oronde, father Herbie Bascome, uncle Gregg Foggo and grandfather Gregory “Brutus” Foggo.

“It’s always been something that was in mind from young growing up playing cricket watching my daddy and brother captain,” Bascome added.

“It’s definitely an honour to be a Cup Match captain and probably one of the biggest honours you can have as a cricketer in Bermuda, leading either Somerset or St George’s in the field over those two days because of what the game means to the country.”

Asked will the role alter his approach to the game, Bascome said: “I don’t want to look at it as being different, but of course it’s going to be added responsibilities on you as being the captain.

“But you can’t take all that on to the field. You still have to play the game as it is and still have to do what you have to do.

“It’s a big step but I feel that I am in the position that I am in because I can handle it, and that’s why they have trusted me and gone with me to do this job.”

Bascome will make his debut as St George’s captain in front of his own fans at Wellington Oval next Thursday and Friday.

“It’s no better feeling to do it in front of all the people I grew up with in front of my home crowd,” he said. “I feel it gives me that much more confidence going into the game.”

As for his team’s preparations in the lead-up to the two-day classic, Bascome said: “Preparations are actually going good. We have a lot of youngsters out training now along with the experienced players.

“It’s been good numbers and I am excited having seen a lot of good things throughout training and even the trial matches.”

The challengers’ preparations have not gone without setbacks, having lost the services of former captain Macai Simmons, while opening batsman Treadwell Gibbons Jr remains doubtful.

Simmons fractured his hand playing against St David’s in the Twenty20 Premier League at Wellington Oval last Sunday and has been ruled out of Cup Match.

Gibbons suffered a hand injury in the same match, required stitches and has not been selected to play in today’s final trial match.

“It’s always going to be a hurt, especially with them being league players as well, so it’s not just impacting us for Cup Match but is also impacting our league team as well,” Bascome said.

“Hopefully they can recover as soon as possible and come back because they are players that give 100 per cent. Those players are always going to be a miss.”