Sinclair Smith insists a maiden Cup Match victory in his first year of captaincy would fulfil a lifelong dream.

Smith, who made his Cup Match debut in 2016, is now charged with masterminding St George’s attempt to wrestle the trophy from Somerset and change the fortunes of everyone associated with the East End.

It is an honour he cherishes deeply as he longs to be the man raising the trophy after the game is settled.

“I’ve never won Cup Match and hopefully that changes this year,” he said.

“My promise to the people down the East is that they’ll see a committed team on Thursday and Friday. They will see a team in harmony with everyone on the same page, seeking to represent the community well with performance, as well as behaviour on and off the field.

“We want to bring some joy to St George’s as it’s been a long time for the community. If all goes well, we’ll have something to celebrate on Friday evening.”

The 33-year-old is back in the St George’s side after missing the Annual Classic a year ago with a hamstring injury and he says his time on the sidelines allowed him to think deeper about the game.

“Not being part of the team last year helped me to get a different perspective,” Smith said.

“I'm looking to put a few things that I picked up last year into implementation and I’m confident in the team that’s been picked this year.

“We've added some youth and talent in Luke Horan and Isaiah O’Brien, who are two of the most talented youngsters I’ve seen come up in the last decade.

“I would like to think there’s balance with Delray Rawlins, Onias Bascome, Macai Simmons and myself. The team has options as far as bowling goes, so we’ll look to utilise everybody to the best of their ability.

Vice-captain Macai Simmons has also expressed his desire to bring an end to Somerset’s dominance. The 2017 captain, who led the rearguard with 80 for St George’s in the second innings a year ago, conceded that his side’s 2024 performance was unpleasant to watch.

“Last year was embarrassing,” the 32-year-old said. “Even though I made 80, it was still embarrassing as a team and we have to push on from where we were last year.

“We can’t do the same things we did last year and expect the same results. Somerset are not going to give it to us, so we have to fight and take it from them.

“I want us to come with a better attitude and a killer instinct. We have the talent but that alone is not going to win us Cup Match; hard work and the fight will. There is a lot that you deal with when you play in Cup Match and if you’re not mentally tough, you’ll fail.

“I feel confident in the team that I’m going to war with. It’s going to take a lot but we’re up for the challenge.”

Simmons is keen to convert the half-century he scored in 2024 into a century this year.

“I want to outdo what I did last year by getting a hundred,” he said.

“I feel like I’m in a better space than I was last year. I feel a lot fitter, so I’m definitely going to perform a lot better this time.“