---

I must say I found the introduction of two foreign umpires into the annual classic this year quite troubling because to me cup match is much more than just a cricket game it has a far deeper meaning and goes to the very heart of what it means to be Bermudian. As far as I am concerned it is a Bermudian festival and should as far as possible remain so! The decision to replace local umpires with English men in my opinion was just plain wrong!

Even more disturbing was the failure of Somerset and St. Georges to meet with the Bermuda Umpires Association to resolve issues arising out of last year's game. I for one do not believe the umpires were unreasonable to request such a meeting nor do I believe they were holding the clubs to ransom by refusing to submit their list of umpires to the clubs before such a meeting. In fact, I am flabbergasted that the call for such a meeting was initiated by the umpires, Cup Match belongs to the clubs and after last year's 'fiasco' one would have expected them to call the umpires in to discuss what took place!

It was very interesting to see players who last year disputed and disrespected just about every decision the local umpires made readily accept the decisions of the two Englishmen. What, pray tell, brought about this remarkable transformation? Perhaps it was because it was made clear to each and every player prior to the start of the match that they and the match referee had the full backing of the clubs and the Bermuda Cricket Board something the Bermuda Umpires Association has failed to secure for several years. This sadly says a lot about us as a people when we fail to respect and back our own but are more than willing to throw our wholehearted support behind someone from abroad.

Now the rationale used by some to justify the inclusion of these umpires is that we must take cup match to a higher level. But if we follow this trend of thought, is it right to limit such thinking to the umpires alone, why not extend it to the coaches and players? I mean after Somerset's poor performance last Thursday and Friday shouldn't Somerset Cricket Club replace their local Cup Match coaches with expert English coaches who could prepare the team better? Not too long ago all of Bermuda watched as our national team made several mistakes to finish with the lowest total of the Stanford 20/20 competition but no one is seeking to replace them with foreign imports.

Unfortunately, it seems that in more and more areas of Bermuda life we as a people seem and are encouraged to equate moving to the next level with anything non-Bermudian.

Arthur Pitcher Jr.

One player who I was very impressed with in Cup Match was Arthur Pitcher Jr. This young man began his Cup Match career by recording three maidens in his first three overs (how many bowlers can claim that?) and played a key role in helping St. George's win the game. He scored a quick-fire 35 not out enabling his side reach a formidable 335 and had overall match figures of 15 overs 5 maidens' four wickets for thirty-three runs. He also claimed four for nineteen against Bailey's Bay a couple of weeks ago to help St.David's retain the Eastern Counties cup. Although he does not possess the speed of George O'Brien or the range of strokes of his cousin O.J., he bowls a consistent line, length, basically bats in the 'V' and never fails to give a good account of himself. He is a more than useful cricketer and I am surprised he is consistently overlooked when it comes to national squad duty. I believe he should have been selected for the team travelling to Toronto!

The Tour to Canada

While I wish our national team well I expect them to struggle in Canada this summer primarily for the following reasons: -

n Too many of our players are physically unfit, unusual for cricketers in the middle of their domestic season, which I feel will hamper their performance.

n Unlike the encounter in Trinidad earlier this year the Canadians will be fully prepared this time around, they have just come out of a tough series against Kenya and are at full strength - crucially their talisman and captain John Davidson is available this summer.

n I agree with ZBM supreme Rick Richardson who said over the air that many of the players appear jaded, despondent and lacking that enthusiasm so vital to a team's success following the mauling in Antigua a few weeks ago.

The tour is a long one and one can only hope Coach Gus Logie can inspire the guys to lift their game to new heights.[[In-content Ad]]

---