The ICC has announced the remaining fixtures in the inaugural Intercontinental Shield, the second tier first-class competition for Associates.

The one remaining match this year sees Namibia host UAE from December 8, and then UAE have a home tie against Uganda starting on January 20. In April Namibia take on Bermuda, in June Bermuda host UAE and next September Uganda are at home to Namibia in the final round-robin match. The final will be played in Dubai between November 25 and 28, 2010.

However, there is little at stake as the ICC has decided that there will be no promotion between the Intercontinental Shield and the senior Intercontinental Cup.

Uganda opener Roger Mukasa's maiden century gave the visitors their second successive win over Bermuda in Hamilton.

A hurricane threat over the weekend forced the home board to cancel the two scheduled 50-over games and convert the Twenty20 to be played on Monday into a 50-over affair - the last national fixture for coach Gus Logie, whose contract with Bermuda will run out shortly.

Click here for the full report.

David Hemp has been named Bermuda captain for this month's series against Uganda. He was widely expected to take over from Irving Romaine, who led the side during the dismal campaign in the World Cup qualifiers in April. Steven Outerbridge, 26, was made vice-captain of the 13-man squad announced on Sunday.

Full story here

The summer season of Associate cricket continues to take shape with various announcements about games being arranged.

Afghanistan's first foray into mainstream competition starts in the rather unlikely setting of Mutare where they take on Zimbabwe in a four-day Intercontinental Cup tie starting on August 16. From there the Afghans head to Europe where they meet Netherlands in the same competition starting on August 24 and follow that with their first two stand-alone ODIs on August 30 and September 1.

Kenya, meanwhile, head to Toronto where their Intercontinental Cup tie against Canada starts on August 7 and is followed by three ODIs on August 12, 14 and 16.

On August 17 Scotland's game with Ireland starts, and that is followed by an ODI weekend as two matches are held on August 22 and 23 ahead of Ireland's ODI against England on August 27 and Scotland's against Australia on August 28.

In the new Intercontinental Shield, Bermuda host Uganda in a four-day match starting on August 17 and the two then play a brace of one-day games on August 22 and 23 with a one-off Twenty20 clash on August 24

The Bermuda Cricket Board have received 12 applicants for the post of national coach, ahead of Gus Logie's departure in September.

Logie announced in April he would not be renewing his contract with the board, following his side's desperately disappointing performance in the ICC World Cup Qualifiers in South Africa, where Bermuda lost their international standing as an ODI nation.

Read the full story here

Bermuda's already poor international reputation took another hit at the weekend with reports that several domestic matches were blighted by scenes of ill-discipline. The Royal Gazette reported that two first division games finished early while another was marred by unpleasant scenes.

The worst scenes came in a match between Leg Trappers and Western Stars when a disputed catch triggered a series of rows which culminated in a changing room allegedly being trashed. Trouble flared when a batsman refused to walk, leading to a confrontation with fielders which continued despite attempts by umpires to intervene. Eventually, the players left the field and that is when equipment was damaged.

The game between Devonshire and Willow Cuts was also abandoned after a family row at the ground which led to a fight between two related Devonshire players. Again, the umpires scrapped the match in the interests of players' safety.

In another fixture between Southampton Rangers and Social Club, a group of Rangers' players are believed to have pressured an umpire into changing a run-out decision after he was surrounded by angry fielders. The newspaper reported that a Social Club player "showed his contempt for the decision by walking on to the field without proper attire, removing the bails and pulling the stumps out of the ground".

It’s not been a good year or two for Bermudan cricket, with poor on-field performances and lurid off-field tales dogging the side. Hopes that the only way was up after the recent failure to qualify for the 2011 World Cup were dashed with news that fast bowler George O’Brien had been charged with using a Taser stun-gun against what local papers described as a “love rival”.

O’Brien pleased not guilty when he appeared in court, his lawyer claiming the incident was related to “matters of the heart”. The magistrate was duly unimpressed and expressed concern that O’Brien actually owned a Taser in the first place. He will stand trial in August.

O’Brien has a chequered record. In 2005 he was handed a two-year suspended ban after reportedly punching an opponent during Bermuda's Cup Match, the biggest game of the year. In 2006 he was dropped from the national side after he missed a number of training sessions and failed to impress at the ones he did attend. That led to him being excluded from the 2007 World Cup squad, and days after being left out he broke his leg playing football.

Over the last couple of years Cricinfo has carried a number of articles criticising the approach of a number of the Bermuda players. These have been endorsed publicly by individuals within the country’s cricket fraternity and privately by many across the Associate world.

One of those criticisms has been the refusal of many involved to acknowledge their own responsibilities. An article by Clay Smith in the Royal Gazette sums that attitude up perfectly.

At the recent ICC World Cup Qualifiers, Bermuda not only failed to qualify for the 2011 World Cup, they also lost their ODI status. So who’s fault was that? Well, according to Smith, the blame lies with the ICC and Cricinfo.

The ICC? Well, Smith argues that the entire process of selecting teams for ODIs and the Intercontinental Cup was devised to ensure that Bermuda did not meet the grade. The fact they finished ninth is immaterial. “In my opinion the new system was set up to make sure that we as a small country did not qualify again,” he claimed. The reality is that the process now is more transparent than ever. Bermuda failed to qualify because they were not good enough on the field.

And Cricinfo? Well, Smith insists that “Cricinfo have been awaiting our demise”. If he cares to read what has been written, Bermuda were seen as a breath of fresh air when they qualified for the 2007 World Cup. However, the on-field performances have been poor. More importantly, off the field, some of the activities have been nothing short of appalling for a team hoping to sit at cricket’s top table. We reported what we saw and did so honestly.

For the record, Bermuda have some excellent youngsters. If they can be brought on without adopting the attitude of some of their seniors, if the country’s infrastructure can be made robust, if the board can be purged of deadwood and populated by enthusiastic and forward-looking people, Bermuda can bounce back.

But until the likes of Smith sit back and admit to the real reasons Bermuda failed so badly in South Africa – and before – then nothing will change. Too many people are looking to blame anyone other than themselves. To accuse the ICC and the media of a conspiracy is daft. The reasons are there for all to see – just look in the mirror.

	© Getty Images

“I can always hold my head up and know that I gave Bemuda everything I have,” Leverock said after the win over Uganda which secured Bermuda ninth place in the ICC World Cup Qualifiers. “I'm speechless right now. I shed a few tears early this morning and late on after the game when we won. It's hard for me. This is what I love to do. It's all in my heart, but this is the right time."

Continue reading "Sluggo announces his retirement "

As the dust settles on the ICC World Cup Qualifiers – aside from Sunday’s rather pointless play-offs – we highlight what each team comes away from South Africa with.

Qualification for the 2011 World Cup
Canada, Ireland, Kenya, Netherlands

ODI status for four years
Afghanistan, Canada, Ireland, Kenya, Netherlands, Scotland

Intercontinental Cup 2009-10
Afghanistan, Canada, Ireland, Kenya, Namibia, Netherlands, Scotland, UAE

ICC World Cricket League Division 1
Afghanistan, Canada, Ireland, Kenya, Netherlands, Scotland

ICC World Cricket League Division 2
Bermuda, Namibia, Uganda, UAE

ICC World Cricket League Division 3
Denmark, Oman

ICC High Performance Programme grant funding 2009 and 2010
Afghanistan, Bermuda, Canada, Ireland, Kenya, Namibia, Netherlands, Scotland, UAE, Uganda

Kevin Hurdle and Delyone Borden are the surprise absentees from Bermuda's squad to the ICC World Cup Qualifiers in South Africa next month.

Borden has been punished for refusing to play after a pay dispute on a recent Caribbean tour, while Hurdles has failed to recover from a groin injury.

Irving Romaine, who led the side to the 2007 World Cup, is retained as captain, and the former Glamorgan batsman David Hemp is his vice-captain.

Squad Irving Romaine (capt), David Hemp (vice-capt), Chris Douglas, Fiqre Crockwell, Lionel Cann, Stephen Outerbridge, Jekon Edness, Janiero Tucker, Stefan Kelly, Kyle Hodsoll, George O'Brien, Glenn Blakeney, Dwayne Leverock, Rodney Trott, Tamauri Tucker.

Adrian Robson has been following Bermuda's progress during their warm-up tour of West Indies. The results, he says, are encouraging.

But a side almost unrecognisable from that which competed in the World Cup in Trinidad in 2007 has suddenly grown in stature.

What has been most encouraging in the last few weeks is the improvement in so many areas, notably the top order.

For years Logie has struggled to find an opening partnership, to build a foundation which would allow the rest of the batsmen to get into a comfort zone and play their normal game. Too often the middle order have been forced to play off the back foot, playing with caution just to ensure some kind of respectable total.

Now with the likes of Chris Douglas, Stephen Outerbridge, Fiqre Crockwell, even the swashbuckling Lionel Cann, all relishing the prospect of dismantling the opponents' bowling attack, the rest of the bats are being given a chance to play with more freedom.

The Royal Gazette has the full piece.

St Lucia’s club champions South Castries beat Bermuda a 50-run defeat in a one-day practice match at Beausejour Stadium.

Twenty-three year-old Xavier Gabriel top-scored with 59 as South Castries scored 234 in 46.1 overs and then restricted Bermuda to 184 in 43.5 overs. Gabriel also took four wickets.

It was the first match on a four-leg Caribbean tour for Bermuda, who are preparing for the ICC World Cup Qualifiers in April.

Bermuda are currently in Trinidad on a tour, in preparation for the World Cup Qualifiers in South Africa. But for Lionel Cann, their batsman, the trip has felt more like a boot camp.

e always link up with a guy called Jeremiah, who does fitness training for the army, when we're down in Trinidad. When the boys hear his name we know we're in for a tough time. He's brutal.

The week started on Saturday with a seven-mile hike to the top of a mountain near Port of Spain.

It was a team building exercise with the army fitness instructors and they had us doing push-ups and sit-ups on the way up.

The idea was that everybody helped each other get to the top. It was a four-and-a-half hour trek and I think everybody was busted by the time we got back to the cricket academy in Couva.

Sunday we were in the nets early. Everybody got a hit and then we split into groups and switched between the nets and the weight room.

The Bermuda Sun has his diary.

Colin Croft, the former West Indies fast bowler, has offered his services as a bowling coach to Bermuda.

According to the Royal Gazette, Croft asked the newspaper to pass on his details to the Bermuda Cricket Board (BCB)'s vice president, Allen Richardson. "This guy should be coaching England or the West Indies!" Richardson told The Gazette. "His resume is impressive, but at the moment I don't know what the Board's plans are."

The bulk of Bermuda's squad have been handed professional full-time contracts by the board as the team begins to prepare for the World Cup Qualifiers.

Kevin Hurdle, the fast bowler still recovering from injury, makes the 19-man squad as does George O'Brien, and there are no major surprises. Gus Logie, the Bermuda coach, will be gathering the players together over the next few weeks as their training regime intensifies, and Logie is determined to right the wrongs of 2008.

The full story is at Cricinfo.

There was a soggy end to the tour of Argentina by Bermuda’s development side, but a 12-run victory over an Argentina President’s XI at the Hurlingham Club was enough to ensure they won the Baimax Cup by three games to one.

Heavy rain meant there was never really any hope of play starting in the fifth game at the Belgrano Athletic Club but the series was decided the day before as fifties from Irving Romaine and Glenn Blakeney sealed the win despite Argentina posting 269 for 9, their best score of the rubber.

The BCB announced that the Executive Committee for 2008-09 would be made up of:

1st Vice President: Mr. Allen Richardson (until 2009) 2nd Vice President: Mr. Lloyd Fray (4 year position) Assistant Treasurer/Secretary: Mr. McNeil McGowan (4 year position) Club Representative: Mr. Calvin Waldron (1 year position) Club Representative: Mr. James Pace (1 year position) Club Representative: Ms. Terry-Lynn Paynter (1 year position).

The baord announced that Glenn Blakeney was the latest player to join the BCB's High Performance Programme (HPP). He will join Irving Romaine, Rodney Trott, Tamauri Tucker, Kyle Hodsoll, Oronde Bascome and Christopher Douglas who recently returned from a seven-week start at the Cricket Academy in Brisbane, Australia.

Results went according to the script on the second day of the ICC Americas Division 1 tournament as USA, Bermuda and Canada registered comfortable victories

At Brian Piccolo Park another fine innings from Hamish Barton steered Argentina to a respectable 200 for 9 against USA, but that was put into perspective by Sushil Nadkarni, who struck his second century in two days. Nadkarni hit 109 off 116 balls as USA cantered home with 12 overs to spare. Argentina's day didn't improve when Barton picked up an ankle injury and he is in doubt for the next match against Cayman Islands.

"We played well against determined opposition and did the job we set out to do," Imran Khan, the USA manager, said. "While our batting - and especially Sushil - is looking good, we have work to do on being more disciplined in the field, and especially not gifting the opposition with bowling extras."

Canada had a less stressful match than yesterday, when they almost slipped up against Argentina, easing to a 206-run victory against Cayman Islands. At Central Broward Regional Park, they racked up an impressive 298 for 9. Opener Sandeep Jyoti top-scored with a stylish 88 off 129 balls, while further half-centuries came from Zubin Surkari and Qaiser Ali.

Cayman Islands' chase began poorly when they lost a wicket first ball and the innings never recovered, eventually folding for 92 in under 33 overs. Khurram Chohan took 3 for 34 and Zahid Hussain claimed 3 for 11

"We set ourselves goals today and I believe we achieved almost all of them," Canada captain, Umar Bhatti, said. "The team performed tremendously well today, all three departments were up to scratch, and it was a huge improvement from yesterday."

On the main stadium field at Central Broward Regional Park, Bermuda were predictably too strong for Suriname and notched a commanding 224-run win. Lionel Cann's 97-ball 101 led Bermuda to 290 for 3 and he was helped by Stephen Outerbridge's 62, plus a half century from captain Irving Romaine.

In reply, left-arm spinner Delyone Borden proved too much the Suriname batsmen, taking 6 for 17 from his 10 overs as the minnows were bundled out for 66, having been skittled for 60 in their opening match.

Bermuda's coach, Gus Logie, was pleased with how his team are progressing. "Today was all about building on yesterday's effort, and we did that strongly," he said. "It was also good to continue building confidence for the tough games ahead. We are constantly looking for self-improvement and today we got that, also our attitude and approach towards the game was very business-like, which was important."

Although matches between any of the six leading Associates are officially classified as full ODIs and included in career and team records, the ICC has ruled that the game between Bermuda and Canada during the ICC Americas Division 1 event in Florida starting on November 24 will not be counted as such.

The reason for the decision is that the venue has not been approved by the ICC to stage full ODIs, although it is hoped that an inspection in the near future could enable it to become the USA's first accredited international ground.

The flag at Somerset Cricket Club in Bermuda is flying at half-mast this week in honour of tge late all-rounder, Winton (Timmy) Edwards, whose "legacy will live on forever through his extraordinary exploits in Cup Match". Edwards died earlier this week following a bout with illness, aged 79.

The left-arm fast bowler and right-handed opening batsman represented Somerset in Cup Match between 1948 and 1962 and is best remembered for his unbeaten 170 achieved in the West End in 1950 that surpassed the previous highest individual score in the classic set by team-mate Lloyd Simmons (146) the year before at the newly opened Somerset Cricket Club ground.

The Royal Gazette has the story in full.

The ICC Americas Division One tournament will be staged in Florida from November 24 to December 1, with the new Broward County stadium hosting some of the matches.

Argentina, Bermuda, Canada, Cayman Islands, Suriname and USA will take part.

In the last competition in 2006 in Canada, Bermuda beat USA in the final.

The Americas Region Division I is now confirmed to take place in Florida, November 24
December 1. Five matches will be played in the new stadium built for cricket in Broward County.
–
Six countries, Argentina, Bermuda, Canada, Cayman Islands, Suriname and the USA will
compete for the title. For Suriname, an affiliate, it will be their first appearance in Division I. The team earned the right to compete having won Division 2.

A little more than a week after the postponement of the Champions Trophy, Cricinfo can reveal that the ICC will have to either move or postpone its next high-profile event, the World Cup Qualifiers.

The tournament, which involves the leading Associates, is due to be staged in the UAE next April, with the top four countries winning a place at the 2011 World Cup. The event will also be used to establish which six Associates will be granted one-day status for the next four years.

Read the full story here and leave your comments below.

Bermuda are their worst enemies, and unless they drastically alter their approach to the game, their future at the highest level appears limited at best. That is the damning verdict of their West Indian coach, Gus Logie, as Bermuda were swept aside in the tri-series against Canada and West Indies.

Click here to read the full story, and leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Bermuda are to host Namibia for their next Intercontinental Cup fixture on September 3 at their National Sports Centre (NSC). Click here for the full story.

Canada have won the Under-15 Americas Cricket Championship in Bermuda after completing the tournament with an unbeaten record.

Canada were run closest by Bermuda who reduced them to 85 for 6 chasing 168 in their penultimate match, but an unbeaten 44 from Bryan Henry ensured they squeezed home with three balls in hand.

“Grassroots development through talent identification and development programs instituted in the winter of 2007-2008, helped put together a strong team which has taken Canada to this pinnacle and promises to be an indicator of things to come for Canadian cricket,” Atul Ahuja, Cricket Canada’s chief executive, told Cricinfo.

“Cricket Canada has a stated goal to win the Under-19 World Cup that Canada will host in 2012. Many players that were part of the winning team today could well be part of that squad. Programs are being put in place to develop this talent pool to help Canada achieve this goal.”

The World Twenty20 Qualifers get underway at Belfast tomorrow. Have a read of our preview of this important event.

The ICC has announced a revised schedule for the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier in Belfast next month.

The tournament, involving the six leading Associate teams - Bermuda, Canada, Ireland, Kenya, the Netherlands and Scotland - will now take place from August 2 to 5, with a fourth day included to allow room for a third and fourth-place play-off.

Click here for the full story

Scotland will have little time to prepare for their Intercontinental Cup clash with Canada after they were stranded in Bermuda by the after-effects of Hurricane Bertha.

The storm had been expected to disrupt their game with Bermuda but as it happened the match was unaffected. But it hit the region afterwards, leaving the Scottish players stranded in their hotel rooms.

“The airport in Hamilton was shut down and the squad were unable to make their connection to Toronto,” Cricket Scotland chief executive Roddy Smith said. “The guys were confined to their rooms all day to escape the worst of the wind and heavy rain.

"We were given the option of delaying the start of the Canada match by 24 hours, but we decided against that because of the tight schedule next week when the lads go to Belfast for the European Championships."

Scotland will have less than a day to acclimitise to conditions which are far removed from those experienced in Bermuda as the match in Toronto starts on July 16.

Fraser Watts has denied Bermuda with a courageous 93 on the first day of Scotland's Intercontinental Cup match at Hamilton. Click here for the report.

Bermuda’s executive director, Neil Speight, has been elected to the ICC's executive board for a two-year term. The board is responsible for managing the affairs of the ICC, with the prime aim of advancing the objectives of the ICC.

The board is made up of a representative of each Full Member country and three representatives elected by the Associate Members - Samir Inamder (Kenya), Imran Khwaja (Singapore), and Neil Speight (Bermuda).

Speight said: "It is a great responsibility and humbling honour to be elected to the Executive Board. It is not often that in one day a person gets 38 new bosses, but today I join Samir and Imran irepresenting the 33 Associate and 58 Affiliate countries on the Executive Board.

“I believe that this elevation is in part a reflection of the esteem that Bermuda is now held in world cricket. We participated at the World Cup, the Under-19s got to the World Cup, the ladies qualified for the World Cup qualifier and the BCB were just awarded the Global Best Overall Development Program.

“I feel the honour for this appointment should be placed at the grounds of the men that have brought Bermuda cricket to where it is today - Alma Champ Hunt, Edward P Bailey, Hon. Elvin G James and Reginald Pearman. These men are the true leaders and visionaries in our sport and I am privileged to have had the opportunity to work with the three of them."

This news first appeared in the ICC Americas Newsflash

Samir Inamdar, the chairman of Cricket Kenya, was elected as the chairman of the Associate and Affiliate members of the ICC at the annual conference in Dubai.

Inamdar, who was already one of the three representatives of the non Test-playing countries on the ICC executive board, replaces H.H. Tunku Imran who stood down because of his commitments with the IOC.

Inamdar, who polled 26 votes, is joined on the ICC executive board, by Imran Khwaja (Singapore, 22 votes) and Neil Speight (Bermuda, 21). Rene van Iashort from the Netherlands received 18 votes while Israel’s Stanley Pearman, who was a sitting representative, finished bottom of the pile with 16 votes.

Next week's ICC annual get-together promises to have more than its fair share of politicking, posturing and controversy. But, unless there is a major about-turn, it should also be a watershed for the Associates and Affiliates.

In 2009, income from the ICC's six-year media deal with ESPN-Star, worth over US$1 billion, kicks in, and while the game's big boys will still keep the lion's share, the rest will see substantial increases in their incomes.

Continue reading "Future bright beyond the Test world"

Changing rooms littered by used syringes; poor behaviour from players and a lack of respect. Those are just three of the criticisms that umpires have reported during Bermuda's domestic season this year. The Royal Gazette reports on all the grizzly details:

Umpires have also reported continued poor time-keeping when it comes to the toss, meaning games often start and finish late, and there has also been a failure by many clubs to provide replacement balls.

The situation has got so bad that the BCB are now considering what sanctions they can take against the worst offenders.

"We will be writing to the clubs to remind them of the standards of behaviour that we expect in the game," said vice president Allen Richardson.

"If that doesn't work then we will publicly name and shame the clubs involved, telling the public exactly what has gone on.

Ireland will host the inaugural World Twenty20 Qualifiers between August 2 and 4, with the top six Associates vying for the two places available to them in next year's ICC World Twenty20 in England.

Click here for more and the itinerary.

Lionel Cann has revealed in his Bermuda Sun column that Bermuda has a serious problem.

If we could stop people smoking weed we would have triple the amount of players available. If you can't give up marijuana to play for your country and reach the pinnacle of your sport then you have a serious, serious problem.

Click here to read the full column.

Michael Young, Australia's fielding coach, is spending time with Bermuda and Canada to lend his extensive experience to the two Associate countries. But, in an in-depth interview for The Royal Gazette, he reveals how he doesn't think he could work with amateurs on a full-time basis.

"Justin Langer was not the most talented player, but he was committed to perfect practice, and that's one of the things I have talked to these guys about.

"Practice doesn't make perfect, but perfect practice makes perfect. And those are the things that they need to understand. There needs to be an accountability, every job is the same. You can do it half-arsed, and you're going to get half-arsed results. Or you can do the extra and try to get more, that's how you get to the other levels."

Getting the extra has been problematic in recent weeks, and while Young is happy to contribute some of his time, he doubts he could do it on a regualr basis.

"These guys all have jobs, so the mentality is different, there is a different approach," he said. "I don't know how long I could do this (working with teams such as Bermuda). I'll be honest, I don't know how long I could do it because I believe in commitment and it would be hard for me to work with amateur players."

Read the full story at the Royal Gazette.

Rodney Trott and Tamauri Tucker are the first two players to be selected for Bermuda's new high performance development programme, primarily aimed at some of the younger players in the national squad.

The first stage of the programme will run from April to September, after which, the Board will consider renewing their contracts. The BCB is actively considering offering additional contracts to players as recommended by the national coach.

The Bermuda Sun has the full story

Bermuda will host their first international match in four years when they play Scotland in the Intercontinental Cup after the National Sports Centre ground received ICC approval.

Click here for the full story.

Eleven women players from Argentina, Bermuda and Canada will depart for Trinidad this month as part of an ICC Americas development programme. The academy will take place at the Sir Frank Worrell Development Centre in Trinidad and Tobago from May 18-29. The program will be run by Ann Browne-John – the ICC Women’s Committee Representative, former West Indies Captain and Level 2 WICB Coach – who is assisted by former international players and qualified coaches Stephanie Power and Jasmine Sammy. The girls will have 10 days of intensive training, education, game situations and will be trying out for the WICB tournament to be held in Jamaica in July.

Bermuda could be set to stage their first major international match, proving the ICC decides that pitches at the National Sports Centre have improved sufficiently since an inspection last year.

Click here for the full story.

Bermuda's unpopular two-day cricket league has been scrapped. Instead the season will kick off with a new Twenty20 tournament, which will culminate with a Stanford-style final under lights at the National Centre.

Continue reading "Bermuda ditch two-day league"

Gus Logie, the Bermuda coach, says he knows "what the problems are, now we are interested in finding solutions" to his side's constant bickering and sniping, and their consistently poor form on the field.

In an extensive interview with the Royal Gazette Logie bluntly accepts that a change is mindset will be vital if Bermuda are ever to seriously challenge the upper echelons of cricket's established order. But he also offers an explanation to their continually poor results.

Click here to read the full story

Hot on the heels of their new Twenty20 competition, Bermuda have launched a new tournament: Five-Five.

The six-a-side tournament is modelled on the famous Hong Kong sixes and will feature eight teams - St. David's, St. George's, Flatt's, Bailey's Bay, Cleveland, PHC, Devonshire Rec and Social Club.

There will be two groups of four competing in a round robin format, semi-finals and a final all played in a single day - April 19.

"This is the ultimate in entertainment," said Cann who hopes to make the tournament an annual event, with every team in Bermuda ultimately involved.

But he said it was starting off on a small scale, with a handful of sponsors including Barritts and Esso Tigermart.

"I want to build it up gradually. You couldn't have a better facility than the home of cricket at St. David's and it's going to be a real entertaining day.

"It's non-stop cricket from 9am until 6pm at night."

The Bermuda Sun has the full story.

The Bermuda Cricket Board is to launch a new Twenty20 competition, with the island divided into four zones consisting of four teams each. The winners in each area will then proceed into semi-finals.

"We're looking to start the Twenty20 on April 26, with the semi-finals on May 4, and final and plate final on May 10," BCB vice-president Allen Richardson told the Royal Gazette.

Greg Maybury, a promising 14-year-old swing bowler, has become the second young Bermuda player to enrol at Oakham School near Peterborough in England, and is to further his cricketing career by attending a University Centre of Cricketing Excellence (UCCE).

"I am really looking for to this challenge," Maybury told The Royal Gazette. "They [Oakham] have great coaches with good philosophies and excellent facilities. I can only get better in the sport as well as in academics, so there is no better place to do these two than in England."

Click here for the full story.

The Bermuda Cricket Board are holding trials for Bermuda's first women's Under-16 and Under-12 squads this Sunday. The teams will train regularly under the guidance of qualified coaches and compete in the BCB youth leagues.

The programme for the day has been designed by Gus Logie, the national coach, and Bermuda's Cricket Development Director, Arnold Manders.

Trials will take place at Berkeley Institute Field. The Under-12s will try out from 10am - 12pm and the Under-16s from 1-3pm.

Some of Bermuda's most talented young cricketers will compete for an Americas XI in a mini World Cup to be held in the West Indies next month. Click here to read the story in full.

As widely expected, the ICC executive board approved proposals to reduce the number of Associates participating at the 2011 World Cup from six to four.

This was done, so the ICC claimed, to reduce the length of an event which many considered to be too bloated in 2007 from 47 days to 38.

The ICC's 10 Full Members automatically qualify and they will be joined by the top four teams from next years World Cup Qualifiers in Dubai. As thing stands, this means that Ireland have to qualify for a tournament they reached the Super Sixes at last time, while Zimbabwe, who are below them in the official ICC One-Day Rankings, do not.

Alternative proposals, including one which would have involved a pre-qualifying tournament featuring the top six Associates as well as Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, were earlier rejected by the ICC's chief executives committee.

Associate Member Bermuda picked up two prizes in the ICC Development Program Annual awards, making them the winners in this year’s competition. They were awarded the Best Overall Cricket Development Program and the Photo of the year titled “It’s a Catch”.

Continue reading "Bermuda's development recognised by the ICC"

The number of people actively participating in cricket outside the Test-playing countries increased 17% in 2007, according to the ICC.

The research, carried out by the ICC's development program, was collated from 33 Associate and 58 Affiliate members. It showed that there were 338,051 male and female players in those countries in 2007, an increase of 49,158 on the previous year. Since 2002, when there were 144,047 participants, there has been a 135% rise.

Click here for the full story.

As revealed by Cricinfo last month, the 2011 World Cup will be shortened and the main victims of the change will be the Associate countries who will have their numbers cut from six to four.

"It is a move we both feared and expected and it's not great news for the Associates," Warren Deutrom, the chief executive of the Irish Cricket Union, told Cricinfo. "Neither is it a great vote of confidence in the ICC's own High Performance Programme.

Click here to tell us what you think of this? Is it the start of the gradual elimination of smaller countries from the World Cup or a necessary and welcome move?

Bermuda's women carved an unwanted niche in the international record books with one of the most abject performances in the game's history. In their opening match of the World Cup Qualifiers at Stellenbosch University, they were bowled out for 13 and then South Africa took only four balls to sweep to a ten-wicket win.

Read the full report at Cricinfo.

Three of Bermuda's squad who should have appeared in their side's Stanford 20/20 campaign are facing lengthy bans after failing a drugs test.

"If any athlete has tested positive with us we then send a portion of the specimen to the government lab for confirmation," Cathy Belvedere, a spokesman for the Bermuda Council for Drug Free Sports, told The Royal Gazette newspaper. "And if it is confirmed positive they then get a one year infraction.

"They can apply for the domestic application whereas they won't be able to represent Bermuda during that year but can go back to playing gymnastics, football, cricket or whatever sport they are involved in," Belvedere added. "They would also have to agree to some counselling, but that's only if there's a positive find."

Although the identity of the players is not yet known, it was confirmed that two of the trio represented Somerset - one of Bermuda's domestic teams - while the other is "a prominent member" of St George's, the domestic champions.

"All of the players [in the national team] were tested, but unfortunately not everyone cleared the process which has policies in place that all national bodies must adhere to.," Reggie Pearman, president of the Bermuda Cricket Board, said. "All of the players knew what was required of them and what the consequences were."

McLaren Smith, the Bermuda allrounder, has been drafted in as Lamar Richardson's replacement for next month's Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia.

Smith's late call-up means he will represent Bermuda at both the Under-19 World Cup as well as the Stanford 20/20 tournament in Antigua with the senior squad.

"McLaren will be coming from the Twenty20 tournament, where he will be on national team duty, so he won't be going to India with us," Andre Manders, the Bermuda Under-19 coach, said. "He's a tall medium-fast bowler and batsman. He was already in the [Stanford 20/20] squad and we didn't want to take him out. I guess he's quite lucky as he will be going on both trips, but we know he's up to the task."

Richardson was ruled out of the World Cup last week after breaking his wrist in training, joining Stefan Kelly on the sidelines, though Kelly's omission is due to his school commitments.

	'Obviously the catch was one of my highlights and the two wickets I took against England' © Getty Images

Dwayne Leverock has won Bermuda's Male Sports Personality of the Year award for the second year running.

The Bermuda Sun has interviewed him, including:

Has 2007 been a particularly memorable year for you?

It has been a memorable year. Obviously there was the World Cup, but also travelling with the national team since then has been an eye opener. A lot of people do recognize me now, which surprised me. I noticed it most coming through Heathrow on our tour of Europe. English people, Indians, Sri Lankans, anyone who knew cricket seemed to recognize me.

Quite a few came up and asked for a picture or an autograph, which is a nice feeling.

What were your personal highlights?

Obviously the catch was one of my highlights and the two wickets I took against England. To be bowling to players of the calibre of Flintoff, Pietersen and Collingwood and to get figures of that nature was eye opening.

Read more at their site.

Bermuda are to have an open forum for members of the public to offer their thoughts on the state of cricket in the country. In addition, the board are proposing a domestic Twenty20 league.

The Board's beleaguered Two-Day and 50-over Leagues will also be key topics for discussion as local cricket's governing body continue their efforts to encourage fans to come out in throngs in support of local cricket. BCB technical committee chairman Allen Richardson, national coach Gus Logie, top umpire Roger Dill, national team skipper Irving Romaine and former national team skippers Gladstone (Sad) Brown and Clay Smith will all be present to facilitate the meeting.

Read the full story at The Royal Gazette.

Tony Cozier is, rightly, one of the most respected journalists in the game. His work to cover and promote cricket in the Caribbean has been unstinting for almost four decades. And yet even the best writers have off days, and his attack on the way that the ICC funds the Intercontinental Cup, the first-class competition for the Associates, is one of those.

Continue reading "ICC must go on funding cricket's expansion"

Tony Cozier, the veteran Caribbean journalist and broadcaster, has launched a scathing attack on the way the ICC funds global cricket outside the Test-playing countries.

Writing in his column which is syndicated throughout the Caribbean, Cozier was angry at the way that established regions, such as West Indies, were not allocated more money instead of so much being spent by the ICC on Associate competitions.

“Certainly there is no ICC venture more illogical or costly than the one dubbed the Inter-Continental Cup,” he wrote. “It is an annual tournament, described by the ICC as its ‘flagship first-class competition’, comprising round-robin, four-day matches between its second tier members, those one below Test status. These are countries where the game has always been based on amateur, weekend, one-day club cricket. They play no four-day domestic matches and almost certainly never will.

“Yet the ICC doles out heaven knows how much cash every year to fly them, and their own entourage of officials, across the world and to house and feed them at venues as scattered as Aberdeen, Dublin, Namibia, Toronto, Sharjah and Windhoek.

“Canada were unable to raise their strongest team for the African tour because many of their best players simply could not get time off from their jobs. The same problem affects others, rendering the tournament even less relevant.”

The ICC maintains that the competition enables players from Associate countries to gain more experience in the longer form of the game.

Bermuda have lost again, this time by 138 runs at the hands of UAE. Read the bulletin and, in the same piece, offer your thoughts on what went wrong.

Kenya inflicted yet another thumping defeat on Bermuda, this time by eight wickets. Bermuda have won just a single match - against Uganda at the start of their tour of Kenya - and now travel to Sharjah to face UAE in another Intercontinental Cup match.

Where has their tour gone wrong? Leave your comments on their performance below.

Bermuda batsman Lionel Cann has been sent home from the tour of Africa and the Middle East after the Bermuda Cricket Board chose to increase his suspension for showing dissent when he was given out lbw against Kenya on Saturday.

Cann took his time leaving the crease after being given out for a golden duck then hit a trash can with his bat as he left the field. The ICC has already dealt with the offence - handing him a two-match suspension from one-day-internationals after finding him guilty of showing "serious dissent at an umpire's decision". That ruling had meant Cann would have been eligible for the two four-day Intercontinental Cup games against Kenya and the UAE.

But the BCB announced that they had upped his suspension. In a short statement the executive voard announced its decision that Cann should play no further part in the tour and revealed it was making arrangements for him to fly home as soon as possible.

Click here for the full story.

	Trinidad and Tobago's explosive talent, Amanda Samaroo © ICC

Canada’s women have given their country some joy, with victory in the first ICC Americas Women’s Championship, held in Canada. They overhauled Bermuda by five wickets in the deciding victory.

Bermuda, though, have the consolation of a place at the World Cup qualifiers in Lahore in November. Argentina sank to three defeats in three, but will take some positives – and have two players competing for a place in the ICC Americas XI who take on Trinidad & Tobago Under-17 on Friday.

T&T have been the outstanding side of this tournament – their latest victory a huge victory against Argentina – but they were not eligible for the title. Nevertheless, it has been excellent experience for them. And they appear to have a rising star in their ranks – the batsman Amanda Samaroo, whose highlight was a superb unbeaten 128, off only 125 balls.

Click here for more.

	Ramon Sealy receives his Man of the Tournament award © Getty Images

After being asked to bat on a bright sunny day in Toronto, Bermuda got off to a solid start before Kevin James (3 for 23) and Arsalan Qadir (3 for 24) began to make inroads. From 35 without loss, Bermuda slumped to 57 for 4, and it was a fifth-wicket partnership of 46 between Khiry Furbert, the wicketkeeper, and Malachi Jones (33 from 49) which began their recovery.

The real rescue hero though was Stefan Kelly, the allrounder, who ended unbeaten on 52 from 55, adding a crucial 79 for the seventh wicket with Furbert. With Canada boasting a powerful batting lineup, 195 was most gettable. Ruvindu Gunasekera began in sublime fashion with 31 off 42 balls, including five fours, and he was given good support by Chris Manohar (40 off 70), with whom he put on 55 in 13 overs.

Canada and Bermuda lived up to their pre-tournament favourites' tag by scoring convincing victories in their Americas Under-19 Qualifiers in Toronto on Tuesday. Canada beat Argentina by nine wickets while Bermuda won their second match in a row by beating Cayman Islands by seven wickets.

Click here for the full report ...

Bermuda and the Cayman Islands notched victories on the opening day of the Americas Under-19 Qualifiers, as Bermuda eased past the Bahamas by 195 runs while the Cayman Islands powered to a ten-wicket win over Argentina.

Click here for the full report ...

Canada face a stiff challenge from Bermuda in their bid to return to the Under-19 World Cup when the five-team round-robin Americas U-19 Qualifier begins at Mapleleaf CC, King City in Toronto on Monday (August 13).

Argentina, Caymans Islands and debutants Bahamas are the other teams taking part in the week-long competition. The winner will join the ICC’s 10 Full Members, hosts Malaysia, Papua New Guinea and Ireland (who recently qualified from the East-Asia Pacific and European Regions respectively) at the 16-team U-19 World Cup to be played in Malaysia next February. Canada missed the 2006 event in Sri Lanka but participated in the 2002 and 2004 tournaments.

Continue reading "Hosts Canada start as firm favourites"

Bermuda's confidence has been hit by the absence of their leading batsman, David Hemp © Getty Images

Their squad is severely depleted and inexperienced and they have just been humiliated in two warm-up one-dayers against Denmark. But according to Gus Logie, the Bermuda coach, his side are embarking on a new era with confidence.

Logie's men take on Netherlands in their Intercontinental Cup match on Monday with only four surviving players from their disastrous World Cup campaign in the Caribbean earlier this year: Irvine Romaine, Stephen Outerbridge, Dwayne Leverock, the crowds' favourite, and Lionel Cann.

Continue reading "Bermuda embark on new era"

Denmark 114 for 5 (Klokker 43, Leverock 2-19) beat Bermuda 113 (Hansen 7-13) by five wickets

Bermuda's problems continued to grow as they started their European tour with a five-wicket loss to Denmark at Brondby's Svanholm Park.

Although Bermuda were missing several players because of business commitments while others in the World Cup squad had retired, a side ranked as one of the leading Associates should still have been too good for the Danes.

Bermuda won the toss and batted, but they had no answer to the medium pace of Thomas Hansen who was almost unplayable. The first four overs were maidens and the batsmen appeared unable to cope with the swinging ball.

As had been so apparent at the World Cup, few had the technique or the patience and Bermuda slid to 39 for 7, with Hansen returning remarkable figures of 7 for 13 from his ten overs. Lionel Cann engineered a recovery of sorts with 35, which included three sixes, but by then the innings was in tatters and they did well to post 113.

Denmark lost two early wickets but Freddie Klokker and Max Overgaard steered them to 79 for 2 with a third-wicket stand of 42. Although Dwayne Leverock removed Klokker for 43 and Overgaard followed soon after, the middle order held their nerve and fittingly it was Hansen who hit the winning runs.

James Whittaker

Bermuda's national coach Gus Logie has a threadbare squad of just 12 players at his disposal as Bermuda prepares to begin the post World Cup era against Denmark.

Practically everyone that travelled to Europe this week is guaranteed a game over the next few weeks with Bermuda's thin resources stretched to the limit. Just four of the World Cup squad - skipper Irving Romaine, new vice-captain Stephen Outerbridge, big hitter Lionel Cann and spinner Dwayne Leverock - boarded the plane on Monday night with a host of new faces being asked to fill the enormous void left by the likes of Janeiro Tucker, Clay Smith, OJ Pitcher and Kevin Hurdle.

Continue reading "Danish test for Bermuda's new boys"

Andy Atkinson, the ICC's pitch consultant, has slammed those who argue against importing soil to try to improve the poor quality of the pitches at the National Sports Centre.

Atkinson is of the opinion that the only way the surface can be raised to a standard to allow full ODIs to be played is for soil to be brought in from overseas, but that idea has been attacked by the United Bermuda Party and local farmers, who maintain the government would be recklessly endangering the environment if they allowed such a plan.

"If you want pitches that last longer than a day and are capable of hosting international games in the future, then importing high-quality soil is the only answer and all the controversy being stirred up at the moment seems like a bunch of political claptrap to me," Atkinson, who has been reviewing the square at the venue since 2004, told The Royal Gazette.

"The square at the Sports Centre is good enough for club cricket, but when you're talking about ODIs or longer games then I'm afraid it's a no-go."

Click here for the full story

Bermuda are set to announce a new squad in the next 10 days, as well as a new director of cricket, as they try to rebuild following their disastrous performance in the World Cup.

The team are set for a long tour in August, with games scheduled against Denmark, Ireland and Netherlands. However, since the World Cup their coach, Gus Logie, has made no secret of his disappointment at his senior players' apathy; several have failed to turn up to training sessions, raising questions about their commitment, and a greater concern of how to rebuild their team.

"I've said it before but the turn-out at training from many of the players who were involved in the World Cup has been pretty poor," Logie told The Royal Gazette. "They are obviously no longer under contract with the Board and are free to do as they choose, and a lot of them have said that they want to spend more time with their families.

"Even still their attendance overall has been a little bit disappointing, but on the plus side the attendance from many players who didn't make it into the World Cup squad has been very good and there are a core group of players showing up every week who have been working very hard and are knocking on the door for selection."

In addition to the squad announcement, Neil Speight - Bermuda's chief executive who is currently in London for the ICC's annual meeting - is expected to reveal at the end of this week who is to take up the position of director of cricket development.

A very rare high for Bermuda at the World Cup © Getty Images

A year or so ago, Bermudan cricket looked to be heading for great things. Despite the restrictions of a tiny population, the game, which has strong roots on the island, was thriving.

Continue reading "Another Caribbean crisis"

Bermuda's Royal Gazette has reported that the indiscipline of the national team, which was of concern for some time before the World Cup, has grown worse in the two months.

In the four weeks since training restarted for the national side, only three players - Irving Romaine, Kevin Hurdle and Lionel Cann - have bothered to attend, with another, Dwayne Leverock, absent because he is recovering from a tonsillectomy. A further three players - Dean Minors Saleem Mukuddem and Clay Smith - have retired.

Click here for full story

As preparations for a World Cup go, this is one of the more unusual ones - entering an Under-16 boys' league. But that's what Bermuda women have done, as they aim to succeed in the qualifying tournament in Pakistan this November.

The Bermuda board has entered the side into a men's evening league alongside the national under-16 boys' league ahead of the qualifiers for the 2009 World Cup in Australia. There are two spots up for grabs among eight teams, including South Africa and Pakistan.

Continue reading "Taking on the boys"

Bermuda could lose its ODI status if it can't get their main ground up to international standard. Richard Done, the ICC's head of development, has been on the island this week and says he's seen very little improvement since his last visit.

Andy Atkinson, the ICC's pitch expert, described Bermuda's soil as "only suitable for growing carrots" © AFP

The main concern surrounds the quality of the soil which was last year described by Andy Atkinson, the ICC's pitch expert, as "only suitable for growing carrots". His solution is to import better quality foreign soil, an idea supported by Bermuda's sports minister, Randy Horton, but roundly condemned by the acting Environment Minister, John Barritt who called it a "reckless" proposal.

"The United Bermuda Party disagrees in the strongest possible terms with Sports Minister Randy Horton's plan to change long-standing regulations against the
importation of soil," he said on Sunday. "Most Bermudians understand the dangers of introducing alien species to this country. The cedar blight that hit our shores in the late 1940s was caused by an imported scale insect that dramatically and speedily altered the look of the island, killing off forests of our national tree."

Continue reading "Government at loggerheads over Bermuda's pitches"

We've long known of the poor state of Bermuda's pitches, and the situation doesn't appear to be improving.

There is light at the end of this soily tunnel, though: Randy Horton, the Bermuda's Sports Minister, is attempting to push through a proposal to allow all groundsmen in the country to import the type of soil "deemed by experts as necessary to prepare a first-class wicket," as reported in today's Royal Gazette:

The problem of perfecting a first-class wicket at the NSC has been with us for more than three years. We’re no closer to finding a solution than we were before qualifying for the World Cup.

Why the debate continues to drag on, and why it’s taking so long to find an answer that will please everyone, nobody seems able to explain. It really shouldn’t be that difficult, or even controversial.

But at this point, the last thing cricket needs is another drawn-out public feud over what’s best, when the future of the sport hinges crucially on our ability to host international matches.

Even if Horton gets his way, he’s suggested this summer might still be too soon to complete a new square and have it ready for incoming tours.

It seems only the national team’s appearance at the recent World Cup, when their lack of international experience was so cruelly exposed to millions of TV viewers around the globe, proved sufficient to ignite some kind of action on an issue that nobody appeared willing to tackle throughout the entire build-up to the tournament.

Since 2003, we’ve known what was required. We’ve had experts from overseas tell us exactly what was wrong with the current pitch and how the problem could be rectified.

The crux of the piece revolves around Bermuda's inability to host an international. And on that basis, it looks like they'll be waiting a little while longer too.

The fixtures for the first half of the 2007-08 Intercontinental Cup have been released by the ICC.

The tournament undergoes a change of format once again, with the group stages scrapped and a round-robin system introduced. This will mean that the eight participants play seven matches after the two-year span of the competition.

The event kicks off on June 28 when Canada, who meet Ireland in the final of the 2006-07 tournament at Leicester between May 22 and 25, meet Netherlands in Toronto.

Scotland play back-to-back matches against Ireland and Netherlands at the start of August, while Bermuda will be in Europe to take on the same opponents at the end of the month.

The schedule shows that Bermuda are the busiest country in 2007 with four matches, all away from home. In addition to their European trip, they play Kenya in Nairobi at the start of November and from there go straight to the meet UAE.

Namibia, on the other hand, have only one game inked in, while Kenya have two.

Martin Williamson has written an article which highlights the pressures players for Associate countries face as they compete with the budgets of the Full Members.

In expanding the game, the ICC has, rightly, offered more matches to the Associates. On top of any ODIs they can persuade Full Member countries to give them, as well as tournaments they arrange among themselves, they participate in the Intercontinental Cup, the World Cricket League and the four-yearly ICC Trophy. But that expansion has not taken into account that the players remain amateur.

The flaw in the ICC's plan is that the increased demands have not been backed by additional funding. In the year ending April 30, 2007, Scotland were scheduled to play 46 days of cricket (including warm-ups for tournaments) as a national side; the numbers for the other Associates are similar - Bermuda 45, Canada 43, Ireland 42, Kenya 37, Netherlands 24. That does include time spent preparing, travelling and acclimatising.

The direct funding they receive for that from the ICC amounts to US$215,000, of which $125,000 is not actually handed over to the boards but is retained by the ICC and used to offset other costs, such as paying for coaches and hosting training camps. Compare that with the lowest-ranked Full Member, Zimbabwe, who will receive around US$10 million with no requirement to account for how it is spent. In the same period, they had 37 days cricket scheduled. That really puts into perspective Ireland's achievement in Jamaica.

The 2007 edition of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack was published this week, and in it Tony Munro takes a look at life beyond the Test world.

Four new countries – Bhutan, Kazakhstan, Tonga and Swaziland – are included in this year’s Cricket Round the World section. This takes the total of countries, regions and territories featured since the feature began in Wisden 1993 to 107.

	Going easy on the minnows? © Getty Images

Robert Craddock, writing in The Australian, thinks he knows why.

It is understood commentators have been told by Global Cricket Corp producers that it frowns on them denigrating the minnows. However, it is deemed acceptable for commentators to call an event a mismatch but not to say some of the nations do not deserve to be in the tournament.

Some commentators who agree with the directive and feel the minnows are a necessary part of global expansion are happy to abide by it. Others, who feel the tournament has been devalued by their presence, would rather speak their mind.

And Craddock concluded by saying that some of the players themselves are aware of the real picture.

The widespread feeling that the minnows are enjoying every moment of their matches against the big boys is wide of the mark. Several Dutch players privately conceded they feel embarrassed by their team's efforts.

Keep your eyes and ears open and see if what you are watching tallies with what you are being told.

Bermuda will be subject to arguably the most fiercely enforced Code of Conduct ever imposed on a national team over the next month, as reported by today's Royal Gazette:

A curfew of 11 p.m. the night before a game and midnight for all other days is set to be strictly enforced.

Any player who breaks the curfew will automatically be banned for two One-Day Internationals and receive a hefty fine of $1,000.

Any player who breaks the curfew for a second time will be sent home immediately.

Any player not found in the hotel room to which they have been assigned by the team manager will be fined $1,000.

Any player who misses a training session without the coach’s express permission will be fined $200, while a second missed session will result in a $500 fine and a one-match ban.

Late attendance at any training session will be punished by a $50 fine for each offence

On previous tours, the players were subjected to a Code of Conduct, but it is understood that any disciplinary issues were usually only dealt with after the team had returned to the Island.

On-the-spot fines of up to $1,000 are certainly unprecedented, but Board president Reggie Pearman insisted yesterday that they had both a duty and a right to insist on the highest standards of behaviour.

Ryan Steede, who was never considered for inclusion in Bermuda’s World Cup squad because of medical reports which indicated he was unfit to compete at that level, has insisted he never received a “fair” opportunity to prove himself fit for team selection.

But Gus Logie, the coach, said the decision was made in the best interests of the team and Bermuda’s World Cup cause. “We have medical reports that suggest that he is not 100% fit ... and we go by the medical reports. So we are well aware of his injury and we are just not going to take the risks. It’s as simple as that.”

Steede alleged on Monday he had never been assessed or tested to determine whether or not he was fit enough to be selected for the World Cup.

More in the Royal Gazette

Scotland have underlined their position at the top of the ICC Associate ODI rankings after good performances in the World Cricket League in Nairobi. Kenya, who beat Scotland in the final, are not included as they are part of the main rankings until 2009.

Scotland beta Netherlands, Canada and Ireland in the tournament, giving them a 69% win rate against other Associates, well clear of Netherlands in second place. Ireland ate third after a disappointing event, Canada are fourth and Bermuda fifth.

It won't get many column inches in the mainstream cricket press, but the World Cricket League, which started in Nairobi yesterday and continues into next week, features the best of the rest, the six sides just under the ten Test-playing countries. For the two finalists, the rewards are bountiful - a place among the big boys in the inaugural Twenty20 World Championship in South Africa this September, along with $250,000. For countries used to surviving on annual handouts from the ICC of less than $200,000, that's big money.

Continue reading "A long way from home"

Time is running out for Bermuda’s under-fire players to prove to the national selectors that they are the men to take the side into the World Cup.

Back-to-back defeats in warm-up matches in Trinidad has added to deepening concerns following a poor tour of Africa at the end of last year, but Irving Romaine, their captain, remains upbeat … in public at least.

“It’s all up to us because we have the talent and can match our opponents talent-wise … it’s just that they are more disciplined than we are at the moment. But if we can get control of our discipline and play to our full ability then we should win because we do go into games definitely looking to win.”

Read the full interview in The Royal Gazette

Bermuda's very soggy tour of Trinidad finally got under way yesterday...but they crashed to a 47-run defeat to a local club side, W Connection Wanderers.

Batting first at the Gilbert Park Ground, Wanderers scored 243 for 9 in their 50 overs with Jason Samuel top-scoring with 68. Clifton Hall (43) and Kenroy Williams (41) - the former Barbados youth captain - also contributing useful knocks. Dwayne Leverock took 3 for 46.

Clay Smith, the opening batsman, made 37 for Bermuda - and David Hemp 35 - but their innings fell away in the middle order, losing their last three batsmen for ducks.

Martin Williamson looks at what message is being sent to the Associates by the ICC deciding to appoint Darrell Hair to officiate in their tournament ... and do the ICC even know where they stand.

Continue reading "Mixed messages from Dubai"

Larry Gomes, the former West Indies batsman, has been helping Bermuda train for the forthcoming World Cricket League.

"Larry is there to help with the technical areas and give feedback on cricket specifics and let them know the demands of playing at the top level.

"He's Trinidadian, he knows the conditions, he knows what is required mentally to succeed. We also have Tony Gray, Bernard Julien and Raphick Jumadeen to work with the bowlers.

Continue reading "Bermuda benefit from Gomes's experience"

Ryan Steede, the medium-pacer and Kwame Tucker, the wicketkeeper, are the two notable omissions of Bermuda's squad for the World Cricket League to be held in Kenya later this month.

Read the full story.

Bermuda are currently in Trinidad for a week’s training ahead of the World Cricket League, but they’ve been severely hampered by torrential rain over the last few days. Both their matches on Wednesday and Thursday were washed out, and today they’re off to the Frank Worrell Cricket Development Centre in Balmain, until Monday, for practice sessions.

They have back-to-back one-dayers against a Connection Wanderers side on Tuesday and Wednesday at Gilbert Park and Inshan Ali Park respectively. Bermuda return home from Trinidad on January 19.

Lionel Cann, the Bermuda allrounder, is writing for The Bermuda Sun. In his column he says: "Since [Bermuda] qualified for the World Cup in 2005, my life has changed. I became an instant celebrity, along with my teammates. Everybody in our whole circle wants to be a part of that success".

And in spite of widespread criticism of the team's fitness, Cann insists has has "to watch what I eat when I'm out because people will question what I'm eating".

Continue reading "Lionel Cann proud of 'celebrity' status"

Bermuda are in Trinidad to prepare for the World Cricket League which gets underway at the end of this month. Three club sides - Clico Preysal (who won all five of their matches on a tour to Bermuda last September), Wanderers Cricket Club and Clarke Road United have all been lined up.

“Trinidad really is a good fit for us,” Logie said of his homeland yesterday.

“It’s obviously where we are going to be playing our World Cup matches so it’s important we give the players as much time as possible to get used to the conditions there. And we’ve got everything we need in terms of practice facilities and support.

“Traditionally we’ve always done quite well after a training camp down there and with the World Cricket League tournament coming up at the end of January (in Nairobi, Kenya), we saw it as a perfect opportunity to get the guys away from everything again and prepare thoroughly.

“We always try and play some practice matches while we’re down there and we’re going to play three teams who we’ve come up against before, who’ve got some good players and who are steeped in the art of swing and spin.

“It’s just the sort of challenge we need ahead of Kenya.”

Read more at the Royal Gazette, and leave your thoughts on Bermuda's preparations below.

Dwayne Leverock, Bermuda’s supersized spinner, and Teresa Perozzi - the boxer who defended her world title twice while running a business and raising her son - are the Bermuda Sun's sports personalities of the year for 2006.

Both have faced public and media scrutiny away from the sports arena, but have proved their critics wrong where it counts - on the pitch and in the ring. Leverock's battle with his weight and Perozzi's ability to juggle work, family and intense periods of training have endeared them to the public.

Bermuda have delayed naming their squad for the World Cup, citing " a number of factors" leading to the board waiting until February 11, just before the ICC's deadline, to name the final 15.

Continue reading "Bermuda delay picking World Cup squad"

Clarence Parfitt, the former Bermuda batsman, has said his country needs to undergo a radical “shake-up” before next January’s World Cricket League in Kenya.

“I think half the team should go because they’re not strong enough mentally and physically to play cricket at this level consistently where you have to be mentally tough,” the legendary figure argued.

“There are a few boys in there that are pulling their weight, but I think the rest of them are just going through the motions. And it just doesn’t look good and they should be feeling embarrassed because if I was in that squad I would be.”

Read the full report at the Royal Gazette

Bermuda's recent performances have been the subject of some intense media criticism in the wake of a poor African tour where they were whitewashed by Kenya and also beaten by Netherlands and Canada. Now Richard Done, the ICC's High Performance Manager, has questioned the side's fitness levels.

Continue reading "Concerns grow as Bermuda struggle"

	David Hemp is bowled by Henry Osinde during another Bermudan defeat ... this time by Canada © ICC

A year ago, Bermuda cricket was on a high and expectations were high - possibly unrealistically so, but there was a general expectation that the country was about to be elevated from the middle of the also-runs of the ICC Associates to the brink of the top flight. And yet, despite a massive financial investment by the government, less than three months before the jamboree in the Caribbean kicks off, the side is in turmoil are facing possible humiliation.

Continue reading "Face reality and bite the bullet"

Bermuda's assistant coach Herbie Bascome believes that unless the players become mentally tougher then success will continue to elude them.

In a wide-ranging, no-punches-pulled interview with the Royal Gazette, the veteran St. George’s paceman, who was appointed to assist head coach Gus Logie earlier this year, also called on the Bermuda public to show more patience, reminding them that their country was the smallest ever to qualify for a World Cup.

Continue reading "Bascome calls for Bermuda to be given time"

Martin Williamson reviews the Kenya-Bermuda one-day series and looks at what the games mean for both sides

Although the three-match one-day series between Kenya and Bermuda hardly registered on world cricket's Richter scale, in the battle for supremacy among the game's second string it had greater significance. And with the World Cup less than four months away, it provided a much-needed fillip to the Kenyans but left Bermuda with many more questions than answers.

The 3-0 scoreline does not flatter Kenya who outbatted and outbowled Bermuda, and who certainly looked the far more professional and fitter side in the field

Continue reading "Associates heading in opposite directions"

The Royal Gazette carries a report about the troubles the Bermuda players have had in Kenya which include a man being gunned down outside their hotel in Nairobi, an umpire vomiting on the pitch in Mombasa and some cautionary tales about driving in the country’s second city.

Driving in this coastal city means risking your life everytime you get behind the wheel. Buses, taxis and private cars all weave from one side of the road to the other at breakneck speed, attempting to avoid gaping holes in the tarmac, made worse by the recent rain. Courtesy on the road? Forget it. At night, everybody drives with their headlights on full beam, regardless of oncoming traffic, and those unfortunate to break down aren’t likely to get much sympathy. Stranded vehicles on the roadside are regularly stripped of their wing mirrors and hub caps.

Bermuda will be back in Nairobi for the World Cricket League in January, as will one of our young staff members who suddenly feels less thrilled about the trip than he did before reading the article!

After months of bitter wrangling, contract negotiations between the national team and the Bermuda Cricket Board have concluded in a long-awaited agreement on the eve of the team’s departure for a tour of Kenya and South Africa.

The BCB released a statement suggesting an agreement had been reached which was "satisfactory" to both sides – though when pressed the board was unwilling to divulge specifically how much they had agreed to pay the players with a little over five months to go before the World Cup.

Click here for the full story in the Royal Gazette

Less than a week before the national team depart for their tour of Africa, the Bermuda Cricket Board is still refusing to comment on the ongoing contractual wrangling which has cast a large shadow over the team’s preparations.

It is also still not clear if the BCB’s investigation into “discrepancies” in the salary compensation claim made by allrounder Lionel Cann is likely to reach a conclusion before the squad fly to Kenya next Tuesday. Cann, still recovering from surgery, wasn’t expected to make the trip to Kenya but had been pencilled into join the squad for later matches in South Africa.

Click here to read more in the Royal Gazette

Former Bermuda captain Charlie Marshall wants to be reinstated to the national cricket programme and is willing to settle his differences with Bermuda Cricket Board.

Marshall, who topped the Premier Division in run scoring last season, met with national cricket coach Gus Logie and informed the former West Indies vice-captain of his willingness to rejoin the national programme.

Click here for more from the Rayal Gazette

Bermuda is on stand-by as a possible World Cup host nation if any one of the seven venues which have been allocated matches fail to sign onto the Sunset Legislation by November 1.

Chris Dehring, chief executive officer and managing director of the tournament, said countries that failed to approve the legislation - which also covers the sale and distribution of tickets and the broadcast of tournament play - would risk losing their matches to stand-by islands such as Bermuda.

Hasan Durham’s World Cup dream is still alive after it was revealed that in-depth tests of his bowling action passed his action as being within the ICC regulations.

Durham, a veteran left arm spinner who is seen as a key element in Bermuda’s spin attack along with Dwayne Leverock and Delyone Borden, was reported to the ICC in August after Bermuda’s opening Americas Championship game against Canada in Toronto, when umpires Ian Gould from England and Bermuda’s Roger Dill had suspicions that all was not right.

As a result, Durham flew to fly to the UK last month, where ICC-sanctioned bio-mechanics experts filmed his action from a variety of angles to determine whether he straightened his arm beyond the 15 degrees of flex allowed under the law.

A statement released by the BCB said the testing had shown Durham’s action to be “within the ICC level of tolerance”, allowing him to “resume bowling in international cricket immediately”.

Click here for the full story

Bermuda’s government could be forced to intervene to help resolve the nearly month-long contract dispute involving Bermuda Cricket Board and national team cricketers, according to The Royal Gazette.

Hours after the players rejected the Board's latest contract proposal, Sports Minister Dale Butler said his ministry was now prepared to put its foot down and resolve the ongoing dispute which threatens to put a damper on the Island's 2007 World Cup plans.

"I am extremely disappointed to learn about this impasse and our ministry stands ready to resolve the issue. There is a great deal at stake and we want our players to do well," Butler said.

Click here for the full story

Controversial pace bowler George O'Brien has been axed from Bermuda's cricket squad because of "poor effort". Although O'Brien is one of the most naturally gifted bowlers on the island, he was given the chop by the BCB because of concerns about his attitude and commitment.

National coach Gus Logie described the situation as 'unfortunate' but he said there was only so much leeway that could be given to any player - regardless of talent.

Click here for more from the Bermuda Sun.

The much-maligned square at the National Sports Centre in Bermuda hosted its first game yesterday since the country qualified for the World Cup. The once crumbling pitch has been given a new lease of life after using PVA glue – a technique in common use by groundsmen in England.

Madeiros proved reluctant to go on the record yesterday, but he did confirm that the PVA formula had been employed and that they would look to continue using it if it proved effective.

National coach Gus Logie was certainly impressed with what he saw, and has requested that tomorrow’s second match be played on the turf rather than the artificial wicket as planned. The Bermuda Cricket Board have been adamant for some time that the Island needs a facility to host ODI cricket if it is make the most of the unprecedented levels of investment.

And while there appears to have been some progress on the pitch, the North Field still lacks the surrounding infrastructure required for ODI accreditation, which the Trustees have previously stated will only become available once the long-awaited Centre Core is built.

Full story at the Royal Gazette

Two Somerset cricketers have been suspended after incidents in their club’s match against Bailey's Bay at Sea Breeze Oval.

Reid Jones was originally alleged to have physically assaulted umpire Richard (Red) Burrows after the ill-tempered match, while David Gibbs was alleged to have knocked down the stumps with his bat after being dismissed.

Click here for more.

Bermuda won the World Cricket League Americas Division 1 Championship for the first time. Canada has two previous wins and the USA won once. Bermuda took the title thank's to Canada's ten-wicket win over the USA last Saturday. The Cayman Islands beat Argentina on Saturday and this ensured they qualify for the Global Division 3 section of the World Cricket League in 2007.

Bermuda and Canada had already qualified for the Global World Cricket League (WCL) Division 1 as a result of their rankings in the 2005 ICC Trophy in Ireland. WCL Division 1 is in Kenya in January 2007. The USA will be in WCL Global Division 3.

Bermuda ended the Americas championship with three wins and one no-result for a total of 14 points. USA were second (two wins, one loss, one no result for 10 points). Canada came third edging out Cayman Islands on net run-rate (difference betwen rate of a team scoring runs when batting, and conceding runs when bowling). Both teams had two wins and two losses. Argentina came last with five losses.

The player of the tournament was US captain Steve Massiah, who also won the batting award for his 283 runs in 4 matches. Ronald Ebanks (Cayman) took the bowling award for 10 wickets. Bermuda took the fielding prizes with Stephen Outerbridge (fielder) and Kwame Tucker (wicketkeeper) getting the honours. Regular Bermuda wicketkeeper Dean Minors had to return home due to an illness in the family.

	© AP

“The tournament is actually being played in one of Broward County’s big public parks and whether we will be able to play at all this week depends to a large extent on not just the weather but also if the parks are re-opened after the storm has passed.

“We’re talking to the tournament organisers and also to the Bermuda Cricket Board all the time and we’re trying to see whether it might be possible to extend our stay for a few days to play the matches once the storm has passed. But it is all up in the air at the moment.

Continue reading "Bermuda beaten...by Ernesto"

The United States cruised to a comfortable seven-wicket win over Argentina on the third day of the Americas Championship at Maple Leaf CC in Toronto, Canada, and in doing so set up a potential championship decider with Bermuda on Friday.

Continue reading "USA set up Bermuda showdown"

	Bermuda's Lionel Cann slams one of his five sixes during his undefeated 139 © Eddie Norfolk

Continue reading "Canada sink to a new low"

Bermuda's batsmen can expect a touch examination of their technique in the first game of their tour of Canada, in tomorrow's ICC Intercontinental Cup match in Toronto.

After observing the pitch for himself, Bermuda skipper Irving Romaine said he believed the pitch would be fast.

“The groundsman (Lewis) said it would be very fast and I think Canada’s plan will be to attack us with pace,” Romaine said.

Tomorrow will mark the Island’s first-time involvement in an international four-day match. And in order to reap success, Romaine said his team-mates would have to quickly adjust to meet the challenges.

“Basically this is a new step for everybody and so we will really have to occupy the wicket and not make any rash shots or anything like that,” Romaine said.

“This is going to be a change of mindset for everybody because before our preparations were geared towards the 20/20 (Stanford 20/20 Tournament) which is the shortest form of the game. Yet now we are here preparing ourselves for the longest version of the game.

“We have gone through two extremes in a matter of weeks, and so we will really have to be tough mentally and dig in.”

More at the Royal Gazette

After unprecedented scenes during last year’s Somerset-St George’s Cup match, the Bermuda Cricket Board has brought in two top English umpires to officiate in this year’s game. Retired Test umpires David Shepherd and Mervyn Kitchen will take charge of a two-day game which in among the most fiercely competitive in the world.

Randy Butler, the secretary of the local umpires’ association, was less than thrilled at his men missing out, and he had a warning for both teams:

“I just hope they realise the seriousness of abiding by the ICC’s code of conduct because these guys are very experienced and will not tolerate any of the nonsense that we saw in Cup Match last year or fans running onto the pitch.”

The company behind the Bermuda Classic, the veterans Twenty20 tournament held in April, has gone broke after it appeared that government decided not to increase the funding to the Get Fit Foundation (GFF).

The Bermuda government gave more than $1 million last year to help underwrite the event, but it was last week reported that GFF were looking for an additional $3 million this year after reporting losses of around $700,000.

Click here for the full story.

Bermuda's St.George’s Cricket Club was rocked by the tragic death of Travis Smith, the off-spinner, aged just 26. Smith was killed in a collision with a grey Ingis Suzuki at the entrance of Terceira’s gas station on North Shore Road, Devonshire on Thursday night and later pronounced dead at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

“Travis will not only be a loss to St.George’s, but also a loss to the entire cricket fraternity,” stated Bermuda Cricket Board (BCB) president Reggie Pearman.

“I think his passing is tragic especially since he recently expressed a desire to try out for the national team where I am certain he would have been an asset

“Obviously we all know what Travis was capable of with the ball as he proved to be a real nuisance to us (Somerset) in Cup Match (2002) up in Somerset a few years ago.

“He will certainly be missed and on behalf of myself and Bermuda Cricket Board we send our condolences and prayers out to the family.”
St.George’s Cricket Club coach George Cannonier added: “It is really sad to hear this about Travis because I always thought we would see more of him in the cricket arena.

“He was a very talented young man and I have known him all of his life and played football with his father (Sub) and my condolences go out o the family.

“I think Sub was Travis’ number one fan and he really stood behind his son in a sporting light. I really feel sad for Sub and his family at this particular time.

“In the time that I coached Travis he never disrespected me and he was always an easy individual to get along with and coach. He always showed enthusiasm and showed up for training and that’s why I had so much faith in him that he would bounce back into Cup Match or even with the national team.

More at The Royal Gazette.

St.George’s teenage opening batsman Oronde Bascome has become the fourth Bermudian cricketer in three years to benefit from a Bermuda Cricket Board (BCB) education initiative.

Bascome has been accepted at the prestigious Cardiff/Glamorgan Centre of Cricketing Excellence based at the University of Wales Institute Cardiff (UWIC).

The Saltus Grammar School student will join fellow Bermudians Jekon Edness and Stephen Outerbridge at the academy next September.
“It is an honour and a privilege to be afforded this opportunity. And I intend to take full advantage of the educational and cricketing options now available to me,” Bascome told reporters during a press conference held at BCB headquarters yesterday.

More info at Bermuda's Royal Gazette

Bermuda have named a 15-man squad for their short tour of England and Guernsey.

The Royal Gazette highlights the progress being made in Guernsey where over 3,000 children involved in their youth development schemes in one of the fastest-growing cricket programmes in the world

Roger Dill provides an inspiring story of how you can go from novice to world-class in less than a decade. This week, Dill will become the first member of the ICC's Associate and Affiliate umpires' panel to stand in a one-day international during the opening match of the tri-series between Zimbabwe, Bermuda and Canada which is being held in Trinidad.

"I started in 1997 when I went to watch a friend playing and they were short of an umpire. I was told afterwards I didn't do too badly so I went to a few meetings to learn more, I found it fun and interesting and it went from there."

Rod Gilmour looks back at the inugural Bermuda World Classic 20-20, which was, he says, a great success.

As Ian Healy told him:

"The camaraderie between the players has been unbelievable all week - a chance to catch up with everyone. The tournament was a success before it even started I think. There has been so much effort on the players to be here and it is probably something we should be doing more of - I think that is the reason why we are all here really."

Click here for a report on the final in which South Africa thumped the hosts.

Bermuda sent a sizable crowd into raptures with a five-run win over England that sent the hosts into the final of the 20-20 World Cricket Classic after they had seemed to be on course for defeat.

And West Indies did all they could to throw away a place in the final after seemingly choking within sight of victory, but in the end they stumbled over the finishing line.

Click here for Cricinfo reports.

Lord MacLaurin, the former chairman of the England cricket board, has told the Royal Gazette that the facilities at the national Sports Centre are as good as those found on any county ground.

Scorecards and reports from the initial games of the 20-20 World Cricket Classic tournament in Bermuda can be found at the Royal Gazette.

• Bill Athey and David Capel saw England home against India
• Bermuda were too strong for the West Indies
  

Bermuda's women cricketers had their first practice session of the season this week with the hope of eventually forming a national squad.

Bermuda Cricket Board chief executive Neil Speight said: "The board is now in charge of ladies cricket. One of the areas we are looking to get kick-started is having a national squad."

The board hopes to encourage a schools programme having noted the growing interest in women's cricket all over the world.

However women's cricket in Bermuda has had a chequered history.
A women's inter-service league launched in 2004 consisting of teams from Prisons, Police, Post Office and Customs petered out after the latter two pulled out said Paynter, a 36-year-old Police constable.

"We wanted the services to come together as the women didn't do much," she said.

Next they tried to get something at club level.

"We got a response from one or two teams but there wasn't enough to sustain a league."

But she will not be put off as the game is in her blood and her love of cricket has taken her as far as Australia last year to watch a West Indies Test match.

The 20-20 World Cricket Classic gets underway tomorrow in Bermuda. The tournament comprises "classic" teams, made up of former Test and one-day players from the major cricketing nations: West Indies, Sri Lanka, South Africa, New Zealand, India, England, Australia and Bermuda (see the full list of players here).

Eight leading cricket nations will pitch battle for the world's first ever 20-20 World Cricket Classic title in Bermuda during April, 2006. Over 100 of the greatest international cricketing legends will represent South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, West Indies, Sri Lanka, India, England and the host team, Bermuda.

The island paradise of Bermuda, with its sub-tropical climate, stunning scenery and world renowned pink beaches, offers a stunning backdrop to the inaugural 20-20 World Cricket Classic. Just a stone's throw from the Caribbean and West Indies and a favourite destination from the UK, Europe, USA and Canada, the Classic will undoubtedly prove to be an attractive location to combine cricket camaraderie with tourist indulgence.

More information on the event, and how to obtain tickets, can be found at their website.

The quality of the soil used in Bermuda's pitches is being tested to ensure it meets the standards of international cricket:

In November West Indies cricket legend Lance Gibbs stated that in order for Bermuda’s cricket to advance the Island needed to improve the quality of its soil. His comments echoed International Cricket Council high performance development manager Richard Done, who visited the Island earlier in 2005.

[...]

On Monday, Director of Youth Sport and Recreation, Anthony Roberts, said soil samples were currently being assessed overseas.
“None of the soil samples have proved to have acceptable properties for ICC wicket standards,” he said. “We are in discussions with the ICC. We are experimenting with the samples mixing substances with them to see if it could strengthen the soil.”

He said that a similar procedure had been done for England. However,
Mr Roberts said that questions still remained.

Bermuda's Premier, Alex Scott, has pledged $11m to Bermuda's cricket team over the next five years:

The package of spending also includes cash for youth development, ground and infrastructure improvements and support for the national team beyond the World Cup.

[...]

Plans for a major youth development schedule will now be possible. The BCB will be able to increase the professionalism of the national set up, with the addition of physiotherapists and nutritionists.

The Government sponsorship also makes Bermuda's bid to host a mini-world cup featuring the six second-tier cricketing nations a much more realistic proposition.

Bermuda's dreadful tour of the United Arab Emirates continued yesterday with their fourth defeat in as many games. Their nine-wicket defeat at Sharjah was their heaviest yet. The Royal Gazette has a full report.

It's often said that money cannot buy happiness, and that seems to be the case in Bermuda, where the millions of dollars that have poured in since they qualified for the World Cup have produced more than their fair share of stories of unease in the camp.

The latest one broadcast on local TV is that the players are about to strike over contracts and fees ... and all before they have even gone semi professional! Clay Smith, the captain, was quick to speak out:

We have a players' committee which is responsible for relaying any concerns the players have to the board. They have met with the board at least twice in the last month and there are absolutely no problems whatsoever.

And that follows on from a report that Dale Butler, the sports minister, has been asked to investigate unconstitutional goings on at the board's AGM.

Bermuda are hosting an international Twenty20 competition this April, consisting of teams from Australia, New Zealand, India, the West Indies, Sri Lanka, England and South Africa:

More than 70 former Test and first-class cricketers, including Australian batsman Greg Blewett and West Indian fast bowler Kenny Benjamin, have so far signed playing contracts with English charity the Get Fit Foundation – the international body behind the new venture.

The Royal Gazette has a "year in review" of Bermudan cricket

Stefan Kelly © ICC

Bermuda are hoping Stefan Kelly, a 17-year-old fast bowler, will become a much-needed strike-bowler for them in the coming years - possibly even as soon as the World Cup:

Stefan Kelly is now into his third year of a sports scholarship at Oakham School in the English Midlands and has spent the last two weeks furthering his cricketing education on a school tour in South Africa.

The 17-year old has spent much of the winter in the indoor nets developing his technique and stands a strong chance of being selected for Leicestershire’s Under 19 squad in the summer.

[...]

But as with every other Bermudian cricketer in or on the fringes of the national team, the World Cup has never been far from Kelly’s mind...

"Having spoken quite a lot to (Bermuda Cricket Board chief executive) Neil Speight though, I know that I am part of their overall thinking and it is up to me to go on and prove that I am worthy of a place."

David Hemp, Bermuda's high-profile recruit, reflects on the state of the game as he completes his 100-day residential qualification ahead of the 2007 World Cup.

I have been very impressed with what I have seen since I’ve been here, the basics are all in place and the plans are ambitious so it is a case of moving forward together. We need everyone moving together, that’s the players, the administrators, the coaches, the schools, the Government and the public in general. If we don’t have that, then we might as well give the $11 million back because it is going to get wasted.

Bermuda's captain Clay Smith is likely to be out of action until at least April, as he travels overseas to seek advice on his injured knee.

You know that you've hit the big time when you start selling replica shirts, as is the case in Bermuda.

Replica shirt sales have never been truly big business in Bermuda in terms of national strips, with the majority of owners of such merchandise – in both football and cricket – those who have represented their country at one level or another. The trend first began when Premier Alex Scott started wearing both replica shirts and caps at various cricket-related Press conferences and ceremonies.

One can think of other national leaders who boards would pay not to wear their replica shirts for fear of causing a nationwide slump in sales ...

George O'Brien is led from the field © Royal Gazette

The two players involved have been fined and put on probation, but the real loser is St George's captain, Herbie Bascome, who was fired as the country's Under-19 coach.

The BCB has hardly helped the situation by taking an age to investigate and produce its finding, but at least the matter now appears to be at an end.

It's all fun and games in Bermuda where top groundsman Andy Atkinson last year described the island's new pitch as "more suitable for growing carrots". Now a row is brewing because of plans to import 100 truckloads of soil to try to tackle the problem ... but it seems that is in contravention of strict rules banning anyone bringing soil in from abroad. As one campaigner said:

[There are] rumours that the importation would go ahead because “some guy” who was good at spinning a cricket ball was suddenly an expert on soil and cricket pitches.