Champions Young Men's Social Club will rest their Central Counties crown on the line when they take on challengers Police in today's opening round of the competition at Devonshire Recreation Club.

The cup holders have not enjoyed the best of starts to the season having been crushed by ten wickets in last month's Belco Cup final at the hands of Southampton Rangers.

Social Club also got the defence of their Premier Division Limited Overs crown off to inauspicious start last weekend when they suffered back-to-back losses against Somerset and St.David's on home turf and will be looking to bounce back in today's crucial cup match with rivals Police.

"We have been going through a difficult patch lately, but I'm confident we can turn things around," one team source acknowledged.

Social Club have dominated the Central Counties for the past two seasons and despite their poor form of late cannot be taken lightly as heavy hitters Kenny Phillips and Charlie Marshall and seamers Kevin Hurdle and Kani Darrell are all proven match winners.

Player/coach Marshall blasted 90 off just 68 deliveries in a losing cause against Somerset last weekend and along with all-rounder Jeffrey Tyrell, who chipped in with 54, added 106 for the sixth wicket to carry their team to a challenging total of 282.

Skipper Hurdle claimed three for 58 against Somerset to suggest he is nearing match fitness while fellow seamer Darrell has been one of his team's most consistent bowlers.

Belco Cup semi-finalists Police, who defeated Bailey's Bay by 17 runs in their previous outing, are without fast bowler Traddie Simpson for today's clash with Social Club while strike partner George O'Brien jr has yet to recover from knee injury.

The eventual winner of this first round Central Counties clash will face Western Stars in the second round a week from today.

Also scheduled today are two Premier Division Limited Overs matches involving Bermuda's Under-19 national squad and Cleveland at the National Sports Centre and St. David's and PHC at Lords.

There are also three First Division matches on tap today with Somerset Bridge hosting Western Stars at White Hill Field, St.George's taking on a Leg Trappers at Wellington Oval and Warwick doing battle with Willow Cuts at St.John's Field.

Today's match involving Devonshire and Flatts originally slated for Devonshire Rec. is to be rescheduled, Bermuda Cricket Board have confirmed.

Meanwhile, tomorrow's Premier Division Limited Overs play sees PHC hosting Police at White Hill Field, Cleveland locking horns with Social Club at Sea Breeze Oval, Southampton Rangers and Somerset doing battle at Southampton Oval and St. David's taking on Eastern Counties rivals Bailey's Bay at Lords.

First Division Limited Overs play also resumes tomorrow with Devonshire taking on Somerset Bridge at Devonshire Rec., Leg Trappers will face off with Willow Cuts at Police Field, St.George's tackle Western Stars at Wellington Oval while Warwick have been pitted against Flatts at St.John's Field.