Sinclair Smith, the St George’s wicketkeeper, is among those seeking to retain their place in the challengers’ team for the 2022 Cup Match classic.

The 30-year-old has been named in the Vice-President’s XI that will take on the President’s XI in the final trial match at Wellington Oval today.

Smith made his debut in 2016 and was recalled last year when St George’s made six changes in a vain attempt to wrest back the cup from Somerset.

He hopes to retain his place and has added incentive to put his best foot forward this year, having rejoined the club where his career was hatched after several years at Bailey’s Bay.

“Cup Match is something that has always been big to me since a youth, especially being back playing for St George’s this year,” he told The Royal Gazette.

“It just has that extra meaning for the community, especially with everything that’s happened in the last few months.”

The St George’s community has been reeling from the deaths of club footballers Osagi Bascome and Freddy Hall in the past year.

“The transition to St George’s has been smooth,” he said. “I was born and raised in St George’s up until I was 16, 17, and then went to Bay, so it’s kind of like me going back home in a sense.”

The decision to leave Bay was a difficult one to make.

“It’s always a tough club call,” Smith added. “Bay came for me, I was 15, 16, and kind of raised me and showed me what it was like to be a cricketer in Bermuda at a high level — especially with Irving Romaine and Stephen Outerbridge and guys who were kind of the pinnacle of Bermuda at the time. So it was definitely a tough call to leave, being I put about 15 years in at the club.

“I am still involved in other ways with [Bay], but as far as the cricket goes, it was just a good call for me to go back home being 30 years old going towards the back half of my cricket career.”

A Bermuda player as recently as 2019, Smith emphasised the desire to uplift the St George’s community.

“I just want to give some time back, especially with the community and everything that has been going on in St George’s the past few months,” Smith added. “I just felt it was a good move for me at the time.”