The 2004 cricket season has been one of ups and downs for Willow Cuts.

For starters, they were relegated from the Limited Overs Premier Division and barely managed to hold their place in the Two-Day Division.

And as fate would have it, the West End club's season would plummet even further last month when they were dethroned as Western Counties champions following a second round upset loss to PHC.

However, the Gods appear to be smiling again upon Cuts as Richard Basden's team now find themselves in position to salvage some silverware and pride this weekend when they take on newly-crowned Two-Day champions St.George's in the Premier Division Knockout Final at Southampton Oval tomorrow.

The occasion will mark Cuts' ? last season's KO Cup runners-up ? second straight appearance in the season finale. And apart from the omission of injured off-spinner Kevin Fubler, they will be at full strength.

"Willow Cuts are a team where one minute we could be on a high and then the next on a low. That's how it's been for us this season . . . we haven't been consistent enough," conceded Dexter Basden.

"But we always seem to step our game up whenever we play against one of the bigger teams. We beat Western Stars this season and St.David's twice. We consider St.George's as another of the top teams and I think we let them slip away in a limited overs match earlier this season. So I really think we stand a good chance of winning this trophy."

Cuts lost to St. David's in last season's final at Somerset Cricket Club.

This time the West Enders will be relying on opener Dwight Basden, skipper Richard Basden, Reggie Tucker Jr and Dexter Basden to produce with the bat while right-arm medium pacers Charles Swan and Bergon Spencer, leg-spinner Sidney Simmons, Tucker and off-spinner Richard Basden are expected to shoulder much of the bowling duties.

However, Basden was quick to admit that the omission of his uncle, Fubler, was a severe blow.

"In all of the games he's (Fubler) played in this season we've managed to come through. So it is a setback not to have him in the team for Sunday," he added.

"But we're pretty confident heading into the match and if our batsmen can stay to the crease and our bowlers bowl a steady line and length, then we should come away with the result we're looking for."

Meanwhile, a Janeiro Tucker-less Southampton Rangers are heavily favoured to retain the Western Counties Cup against challengers Warwick in today's final of that competition at Southampton Oval, while Devonshire Recreation Club play host to the inaugural McDonald (Bull) Swan Memorial Match. Both matches begin at 11 a.m.

Rangers skipper Tucker is currently off the Island, leaving veteran Keith Wainwright to take over the helm in his absence.

Elsewhere tomorrow, Police and PHC will do battle in the First Division KO Cup Final at Lords.

Like Cuts, both teams will seek to end the season on a high note, particularly Police who struggled to field a team at the start of season.

"We had so many problems at the start of the season, there are many who felt we wouldn't be able to field a team but we fought hard and now we are happy to make it to the KO Cup final," said team spokesman Richard Austin.

"We almost folded before the season started. But we have come a long way thanks to a tremendous effort by everybody involved including the new players who have all contributed well.

"We had a lot of behind-the-scenes help this season that made sure we didn't fold, both within the Police organisation and within the community, and we were able to stay alive. And as a result the team will be striving to reward everybody who has been behind us with a victory."