team, Bailey's Bay, and he does not like what he is hearing even though the team presently head the Premier Division standings.

Despite winning all five of their league and cup matches so far this season, the club are not doing as well as the results might suggest.

With the Camel Cup semifinals just a couple of days away, captain Chris Smith readily admits he is not going to have his strongest team on the field against St. George's.

Work commitments will likely keep Glenn Smith and Anthony Braithwaite out of Saturday's match, while another strike bowler, Terry Burgess, is doubtful.

Burgess, Ricky Hill and Charlie Marshall, three of the team's international players, have not been out regularly this season for one reason or another, though the team have remained unbeaten, albeit against weaker teams like Nationals, PHC and Social Club.

"It's really heartbreaking for me to be out here knowing that so many major players are not playing,'' said Gibbons last night from Birmingham where he is playing professionally for Halesowen in the Birmingham League Conference.

"It'll be really bad news for Bay to go into the competition not at full strength. For the guys not playing I'm pleading with them to come out and play cricket.'' Despite beginning the season as the new Eastern Counties champions, Bay have struggled to get some of their senior players to commit. In the match against Rangers, which they won by nine wickets, they had only 10 men, with Marshall asked to come out after having taken a break after the ICC Trophy.

"Once I know Bay's doing good I can feel more relaxed out here,'' said Gibbons.

"It's really bothering me. In the next couple of months we'll be defending the Eastern Counties but it's the whole cricket season that's important. At least Chris has guys playing who have the club at heart.'' Skipper Smith admits things do not look good as they bid to win the Camel Cup for the first time. "We're overdue for winning it, but right now there are so many things against us,'' he said.

"We have so many players with work commitments that we're finding it difficult to field our strongest eleven. That's one of our main problems so far.

"This week I'm not sure if Braithwaite is off, while Damon Edwards is flying abroad to a graduation. It's still too early to tell what type of team we're going to have on Saturday but we're still going to be up for it. We're definitely going to be competitive.'' Smith acknowledged that the schedule so far has been good to the team, as they not have yet met one of the stronger teams. That will change this weekend.

"We really haven't been tested as of yet, but at the same time we're ready for the challenge,'' he said confidently.

Four of Bermuda's five cricketers and footballers got together yesterday in Birmingham, England. Soccer pro Kyle Lightbourne, himself a international cricketer, spent the day with Clay Smith, Dean Minors and Gibbons and then went to watch Gibbons play in an evening league game while Smith and Minors returned to the Newcastle area.

Halesowen won the 25-overs match after scoring 151 for five with Gibbons making 26 and then dismissing Belbroughton for 114. Gibbons claimed three for 23 from five overs.

Halesowen also had two matches on the weekend, struggling to hang on for a draw against Cannock (the area where Lightbourne lives) after Cannock scored 215 without loss before declaring.

South African Martin Prieffer scored 118 not and at the close Halesowen replied with 163 for eight with Gibbons 44 not out. He was also none for 68 from 21 overs.

On Sunday, in a limited overs match Halesowen beat Moseley by one run, scoring 163 from 45 overs (Gibbons 69) and then dismissing Moseley for 162 in 45 overs. Gibbons finished with four for 28 from nine overs.

Gibbons was also at Edgbaston to see Brian Lara score his second and third two centuries for Warwickshire. Gibbons lives about 10 minutes from the ground.

CHARLIE MARSHALL -- Has played sparingly.

CHRIS SMITH -- `It's still too early to tell what type of team we're going to have on Saturday...'