classic, and whether a victory can be achieved with the extra hour each day only time will tell.

Recognising a need for wins on a more regular basis, the two clubs have agreed to two changes to the playing conditions of Cup Match in the last couple of years.

The year about came into effect last year and now an additional hour of play each day will be adopted in a bid to end the sequence of boring draws.

Champions St. George's have shown their willingness to go for a win by dropping two batsmen and bringing in an extra bowler. Somerset, for their part, have picked a more balanced team with young allrounders Janeiro Tucker and Corey Hill coming in to strengthen both their batting and bowling.

Two of the players coming in are sons are former captains, with Tucker, who made his debut in 1992, being the son of John Tucker and Gregg Foggo the son of former St. George's leader Gregory Foggo.

Both current captains have promised they will play for victories and with Cup Match returning to St. George's next year regardless, Somerset clearly have less to lose than St. George's. The team that doesn't have the cup is the one that usually takes the most chances.

Over the years the matches have usually promised much on the first day, only to fade towards a draw on the second. Two years ago St. George's pulled off an exciting -- and unlikely -- victory against the clock and captain Clay Smith has promised the champions will be looking to wrap up victory again on the second day, especially if they have a target to chase.

The six wins that have come in the last 15 matches have all been achieved by the team batting second, with St. George's winning four of them and Somerset two.

Both captains think the match will start with plenty of excitement, for whichever team bats first there are plenty of strokemakers at the top of the order in both teams to delight the crowd.

Somerset have colt Treadwell Gibbons, Albert Steede, Roger Trott, captain Dexter Basden and Jeff Richardson while St. George's will look to openers Wendell and Glenn Smith to lay the foundation for Clay Smith, Charlie Marshall, Clevie Wade and Dean Minors.

"What's going to be really exciting is the start of the match with Wendell and Glenn,'' said Smith. "That's an excellent balance.'' It is not the big scores that will win the match but the ability of one team to bowl the other out twice. The fact that over 500 runs were scored in Saturday's final trial at Somerset only serves to suggest that this could be a high scoring match.

Both teams have bowlers who will play a big part, from Clarkie Trott, Clevie Wade, Lionel Cann, Eugene Foggo and David Adams of St. George's to Roger Blades, Janeiro Tucker, Corey Hill, Hasan Durham and Kevin Fubler of Somerset.

Basden thinks it will be a team effort on Somerset's part rather than one bowler doing it alone.

More Cup Match, Page 32 RIVALS -- Bailey's Bay team-mates Charlie Marshall (left) and Roger Trott will be battling it out over the next two days, along with St. George's Lionel Cann (below).