some six-plus hours, St. George's made a resounding statement to their opponents -- and their selectors -- as to what is needed to pry the cup away from the east end.

And while Somerset skipper Perry Maybury openly questioned the leadership capabilities of rival captain Graham Fox prior to the match, it was Maybury left cowering in the shadows as his team battled for survival during the second innings.

"I think he (Fox) did a better job of skippering out team than Maybury did of skippering Somerset,'' said former St. George's captain Wendell Smith, sitting out this year through injury. "One of the weaknesses was the field placing that Somerset employed.

"And before the match what I thought was funny was that Perry Maybury was saying that when the pressures on Graham would turn to Arnold. But when Somerset got in trouble it looked like (vice-captain) Albert Steede running the team, so it was the exact opposite of what was figured.'' St. George's team manager Allan Douglas meanwhile decried Somerset's selection process that saw the line-up stocked heavy with batsmen, a point emphasized over the two days.

Their lack of penetrative opening bowlers and only one specialist spinner signalled their doom as the St. George's openers Dexter Smith and Arnold Manders encountered few problems on their way to 88 for the first wicket.

"Sometimes you have to really wonder what is going on,'' said Douglas, himself a past participant in the annual classic. "It must be politics or something ... they just don't seem to know what they're doing.

"They have to know about the obligation to the country to put the best forward. You have millions of dollars out there and the people deserve better.

"If you're going for the win you have to understand the need to take bowlers.

It's ridiculous and they should know better.'' This year marked the 10th time St. George's have retained the trophy, but it was the manner of ease by which they achieved this result that should have the west end selectors devising a new plan for next year.

In dropping three bowlers and adding just two they were under the gun from the outset. Moreover, their vaunted batting failed miserably on a placid pitch in the first innings and were forced to struggle to stave off defeat during the second.

Maybury also came in for a bit of sledging by radio commentators regarding his deployment of personnel and leadership while in the field, but he shot back at his critics.

"I think one thing has to be noted is that the commentators, particularly Randy (Horton) and Colin (Blades) between them have one victory each after maybe playing 10-15 years of Cup Match,'' Maybury informed. "These guys can maybe go around and reap about their single victory or not, but nobody actually talks about the times when these guys did bad ... I was there with them and know that they're not perfect individuals ... that they're playing off the beat.

"They're dwelling on their ... I wouldn't say accomplishments, but accomplishment in Cup Match and they can say what they want.

"Randy was lunatic as a captain ... and he's going to stay up there and second guess somebody else? "But so be it. They're there to do a job and keep the fans excited and give them something to say. My feeling is that they come to a point in the game where they run out of ideas. Personally I think those two are bad for the game.''