Warwick coach Lorenzo Tucker is wary of the threat posed by holders Somerset Bridge in the Western Counties Cup final at White Hill Field today (11am start).

Tucker witnessed Bridge overcome Willow Cuts by 38 runs in the second round on July 12, and the man in charge of formulating Warwick’s game plan acknowledged that their opponents will not be easy prey.

“We watched the previous round where Somerset Bridge upset Willow Cuts and fully recognise the challenge Bridge will bring,” Tucker told The Royal Gazette.

“They have many experienced players and the inclusion of Allan Douglas Jr makes them very dangerous.”

The Warwick coach believes that they have selected a team capable of delivering the cup to 42 Cobbs Hill. His side, which already has veteran player Malachi Jones, have been bolstered by the experienced guest duo of Delray Rawlins and Tre Manders.

Also back on time for Warwick are the Bermuda Under-19 trio of Luke Horan, Zeri Tomlinson and Luke Fulton. Tomlinson has been picked for his batting, with Ajani Lee selected as the wicketkeeper.

“We have selected a team we think can compete and bring the cup to Warwick,” the coach said.

“Delray Rawlins and Tre Manders will return as our guest players. We are also excited with the inclusion of Torleair Caines, who has been playing in the UK and is in good form with the bat.

“We have decided to take the burden of keeping wicket from Zeri Tomlinson. He's played a lot of cricket in the last month and will most likely bat early, so that will help us as wicketkeeping is a very strenuous job.”

While appreciating their opponents may hold the edge, Bridge coach Shane Hollis is optimistic of retaining the cup.

“We feel confident,” he said. “We know that what Warwick comes with, they’ll probably be the favourites for the competition because of the guest players in their side.

“Their team is solid with a good mixture of youth and experience. But cricket is played on the day. We have a lot of quality as well; we're a never-say-die team.

“We always fight and that’s probably one of our strongest points. We’re always underdogs every time we step on the field, but that doesn't mean much. We’ll just go out with a game plan and see where we are at the end of the day.”

Guest player Allan Douglas Jr made a huge difference for Bridge against Cuts with a polished all-round display. The seasoned player scored 44 and took four wickets to secure the win.

“We have quality guest players as well,” Hollis said.

“Allan Douglas brings good energy to the team, a lot of quality with the bat and ball. We’ll be banking on him to do what he does every week.

“Jermal Proctor is off island, so we have brought in Steven Bremar as the second guest player. We’ll be counting on him to bring the same thing that Allan brings to the team; that is experience and quality.”

As they seek county glory, Warwick are also keeping an eye on their crucial Premier Division 50 Overs fixture tomorrow.

“This is a big weekend for the club, with a must-win match against Cleveland the following day to meet one of our goals to remain in the 50-over competition,” Tucker said.

“Since the return of our overseas-based players from school, we have posted some results, beating Somerset and Bailey's Bay. We expect tough opposition in both matches and hope to have a successful weekend.”