January 30, 2013 at 5:54 p.m.
Cup Match/St. George's
Team looking to three-peat with vets and youth
Team looking to three-peat with vets and youth
Here, with comments from Cann, we profile every member of the St George's team.
We've included a spot for you to fill in this year's Cup Match stats.
Lionel Cann
Season Stats: 346runs, 207HS, 49.43AVG
Cup Match stats: 658 runs, 80 HS, 36.55 AVG; Bowling 9 wickets, 50.88 average
After retaining the Cup in fine style at Somerset last year, all-rounder Cann was unsurprisingly retained as skipper.
He's been in great form with the bat, memorably spanking a superlative 207 against Flatts a few weeks ago and comes into this year's classic targeting a three-peat.
He has more experience as a skipper now after returning to St David's in that role this season.
"I have a lot of faith in the players we have. I can tell you we won't lose and if I was a betting man I'd say we'll have the three-peat on Friday night."
Cann's '07 scores:
OJ Pitcher
Season Stats: 271runs, 84HS, 38.71AVG/Four wickets at 35 AVG
Cup Match stats: 171 runs, 98 HS, 24.23 AVG
One of the few young players in Bermuda who has been able to consistently turn potential into results. Pitcher played a match-winning innings at last year's Cup Match and went on to be one of the success stories of Bermuda's World Cup campaign.
He's vice-captain again this year and will be a steadying influence in a batting line-up packed full of explosive talents.
"He's the most consistent player in Bermuda right now and the best young player that we have. He's the next Clay Smith in the St. George's team."
Pitcher's '07 scores:
Oronde Bascome
Season Stats: 130 runs, 71HS, 26AVG
Cup Match stats: 23 runs, 18 HS, 11.50 AVG
Considered one of Bermuda's most promising young talents Bascome, a colt in 2006, has been retained as an opener this time around, despite a run of indifferent form with the bat.
Son of former skipper and assistant national team coach, Herbie Bascome, he is viewed as a long-term option for St. George's.
Cann said: "He's someone we have a lot of faith in and someone who I believe could go on to open for St. George's for the next ten years. He's not had his best season this year but hopefully Cup Match could be his day to fire."
Bascome's '07 scores:
Chris Foggo
Season Stats: 240 runs, 64 HS, 40 AVG
Cup Match stats: 120 runs, 54 HS, 20 AVG
Wicketkeeper
MVP at the 2005 classic, Foggo is back behind the stumps following Dean Minors' decision to sit it out. He's been in good form with the bat for St. David's and is expected to open alongside Bascome.
"He's a classy player and the perfect replacement for Dean. His glove-work has always been tidy but keepers tend to get better as they get older and he's starting to mature into a fine gloveman."
Foggo's '07scores:
Delyone Borden
Season Stats: 12 wickets at 17.25AVG/ 98runs, 55HS, 19.6AVG
Cup Match stats: 79 runs, 22 HS, 13.16 AVG/14 wickets, 24.40 average
A top-class spinner who just loves to bowl, Borden is a pivotal player in the St. George's attack.
Cann hinted that he could even use him as an opening bowler this time around. His ability with the bat adds an extra dimension to the St George's side and he could feature anywhere in the order from one-to-ten.
"Since his debut he's probably bowled more overs than anyone in Cup Match. He's a great spinner and he's capable of bowling marathon spells," said Cann.
Borden's '07 scores:
Arthur Pitcher
Season Stats: 14 wickets at 15.21AVG/ 102runs, 45*HS, 25.5AVG
Cup Match stats: 42 runs, 34*, inf AVG/4 wickets, 8.25 average
Consistent and economical, Pitcher may not be the most explosive bowler in Bermuda, but what he lacks in pace he makes up for with swing.
He should relish the overcast conditions predicted for Thursday and Friday and could cause all sorts of problems for the Somerset bats. He's also a decent lower order bat.
Cann said: "He has a great cricket brain and as a captain he's the sort of guy you want on your side."
Pitcher's '07 scores:
George O'Brien
Season Stats: 6 wickets at 27.5AVG
Cup Match stats: 0 runs, 1*HS, inf AVG/18 wickets, 12.88 average
A record of 18 wickets in two Cup Match's speaks for itself. If O'Brien continues at this rate throughout his career he'll be challenging Clarence Parfitt as the Classic's top wicket-taker.
And Parfitt is the only bowler since 1950 who has a better Cup Match bowling average than Big George.
O'Brien is, simply put, the fastest bowler in Bermuda. He mixes ferocious bouncers with toe-crunching yorkers to deadly affect and will be the key ingredient, once again, in St. George's bid to claim the 20 wickets required to win the game.
Cann said: "He's the guy the Somerset batsmen really fear. He has a pretty amazing record so far. Put it this way - I'm glad he's on my side."
O'Brien's '07 scores:
Clay Smith
Season Stats: 382 runs, 128*HS, 63.6AVG
Cup Match stats: 986 runs, 124 HS, 32.84 AVG/2 wickets, 93.00 average
Just 16 runs short of becoming the third player in history to pass the 1,000 run mark in Cup Match, Smith will be determined to go out with a bang in what looks certain to be his last classic.
He's hit a rich vein of form with three centuries in the last three weeks and, though he had has his critics, is still revered as one of the best batsmen this country has ever produced.
Cann said: "There's certain people that seem to love to hate Clay but he always answers them with big runs. I really hope people continue to have negative stuff to say about him before Cup Match because all that stuff just makes him perform even better."
Smith's '07 scores:
Charlie Marshall
Season Stats: 294 runs, 115HS, 49AVG
Cup Match stats: 1,252 runs, 134 HS, 35.77 AVG/3 wickets, 23.00 average
Cup Match's all-time leading run scorer comes into this game with the usual doubts being voiced over his age. But the veteran, who belted another century for Social Club on Sunday, remains a prodigious run-scorer.
His ability to play the turning ball has thwarted Somerset's biggest weapon - spin twins Hasan Durham and Dwayne Leverock - on numerous occasions and Cann believes he can do it again this year.
"He's been a thorn in Somerset's sides since he scored a century on debut in 1979. He's been playing Cup Match for nearly 30 years and he's still as hungry as any youngster. He brings a threat whenever he enters the fray.
"Charlie Marshall, Clay Smith... these are people that will be talked about as Cup Match legends when they retire."
Marshall's '07 scores:
Rodney Trott
Season Stats: 16 wickets at 11.38 AVG/ 112 runs, 55*HS, 18.6AVG
Cup Match stats: 11 runs, 9 HS, 11 AVG/1 wicket, 112 average
The Bermuda under-19 skipper is developing into a genuinely dangerous, attacking spin bowler and potentially the long-term successor to Dwayne Leverock for the national team.
He's caused problems for every batting line-up in the Premier League this year claiming an impressive 16 wickets so far.
He gives the ball a lot of loop and a real rip and boasts an impressively varied armoury.
"He bowls an excellent arm ball, he can bowl leg spin when he wants to - he's got the lot. Expect great things from him in the future."
Trott's '07 scores:
James Celestine
Season Stats: 333runs, 102HS, 111Avg
Colt
The one and only colt in the St George's team Celestine practically picked himself with his swashbuckling form this season. He averages over 100 in league cricket (stats that would be even better if the BCB's records were fully up to date) but really gave the selectors no choice but to pick him with his superb knock of 78 - scored at a strike rate of over 200 in the final trial game on Saturday.
Perhaps the ultimate accolade comes from skipper Cann who says: "He's more explosive than me. I won't even try to keep up with him. He's my dream number three."
Celestine's '07 scores:
All player photos are by Ras Mykkal. Season stats from Bermuda Cricket Board. Cup Match stats by Lorenzo Tucker.[[In-content Ad]]
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