A Southampton Scrabble supremo will engage in a high-stakes war of words today when he thrashes it out for the title of champion of the board game.

Contestants Wayne Kelly and Gary Oliver, from Shirley, will go head-to-head in the National Scrabble Championship final after months of heats contested by more than 300 players.

Organisers predict a tense showdown as both players battle it out for the high word scores needed to win them the trophy - and the £2,000 cash prize that comes with it.

For both competitors, reaching the national final is a first.

Mr Kelly, a 37-year-old financial adviser from Orford in Cheshire, is said to be the favourite, having already won two major Scrabble Matchplay titles.

Mr Oliver, 39, meanwhile, is described as the unknown entity, having entered relatively few tournaments in the past.

But a spokeswoman for games company Mattel said: ''(Mr Oliver) impressed throughout the heats, knocking out some of the country's top-rated Scrabble players, so should definitely not be under-estimated.''

Mr Oliver was optimistic about his chances.

''In Scrabble, you don't have to be the best player in order to do well,'' he said. ''You can still win a game against the odds. I'm definitely the underdog but if I can get a good share of decent tiles, I know that on my day I can give anyone a problem or two.''

The final, staged at a conference centre in central London, will be open to the public.

The contestants will play the best of five matches, with the whole event expected to last up to six hours.