Some cricket fans in Bermuda would say the 1982 ICC team were the best ever to leave these shores as they narrowly missed out on a World Cup place to winners Zimbabwe.

Others would say 'no', the 2006 ICC qualifying team were the best as they were the first team ever to qualify for Cricket World Cup.

What do you think?

I know for my generation, we often hear on a regular basis about how good cricket used to be. So it has encouraged me to compare the two teams and give my own opinion.

The 1982 team: Colin Blades (captain), Gladstone (Sad) Brown, Winston Reid, Adrian King, El James, Lionel Thomas, Noel Gibbons, Winston (Coe) Trott, Stevie Lightbourne, Joe Bailey, John Tucker, Allen Douglas, Wendell Smith and Delby Borden.

This team were really strong, but before we compare let us look at the World Cup qualifying team.

Clay Smith (captain) Albert Steede, OJ Pitcher, Delyone Borden, Janeiro Tucker, Wendell White, Dennis Archer, Lionel Cann, Ryan Steede, Dean Minors, Irving Romaine, Dwayne Leverock, Saleem Mukuddem, Chris Foggo.

Truthfully, it is difficult to compare because these were the best players from two different eras, but let's break it down and try.

Winston Reid and Sad Brown are probably the best two opening partners ever to play for Bermuda. This is one area where the qualifying team struggled and actually turned to youngsters OJ Pitcher and Delyone Borden who did a creditable job. (1982, 1 point).

The batting department was the strength of the qualifying team in Irving Romaine, Clay Smith and Albert Steede, whereas the 1982 team's batting depended on Stevie Lightbourne, Noel Gibbons and John Tucker.

There was a lot of quality there in both teams, but stats do not lie.

Irving Romaine has the most one-day centuries for Bermuda and as far as Albert and I are concerned, I think our stats speak for themselves. Albert has dominated cricket in Bermuda for years like no other batsman and as for me, as hard as it is to speak about myself, my Cup Match record of three centuries and my back to back centuries in the West Indies speak volumes. (2006, 1 point).

Then we have the all-rounder category, an area which is probably the closest of all.

I believe that both teams are even in this category. Colin Blades was rated as the best all-rounder ever to grace this Island with a Cup Match average of 49.54, while Lionel Thomas was very reliable with lots of class had a Cup Match high score of 154.

On the other team we have Janeiro Tucker, better known as Mr. Cup Match.

Janeiro has the highest score by any individual ever to play Cup Match – 186. He also scored 132 runs against Ireland to send Bermuda to their first ever Cricket World Cup.

Then we have Lionel Cann better known as 'the finisher'.

Lionel's display at the qualifying stages where he had a strike rate of 120 and an average of 47 against some of the top bowlers in the tournament was phenomenal. (1982 1 point, 2006 1 point).

In the spinning department it was pretty much one-sided as the 1982 team often played without a top spinner and opted for the three fast bowlers. Then for the qualifying team we had the second best spinner ever to play for Bermuda in Dwayne (Sluggo) Leverock and his spin twin Delyone Borden.

These two bowled well together with Delyone looking just as effective as Sluggo. In addition to that, Delyone's ability to bat anywhere from one to 11 gave the team more depth in the batting department. (2006 1 point).

Lastly we have the quickies of both teams.

This was definitely the area that the 1982 team dominated. Coe Trott was silky smooth and pure class and El James was intimidating and brutal in the bowling department and with the bat at times. Lastly, Adrian King was express pace like we have not seen in Bermuda for years.

On the other team Ryan Steede and Saleem Mukuddem were both effective openers who on their day could bowl out the best of them. (1982 1 point).

The wicketkeepers were a bit tricky in Dean and Allen, as both were phenomenal. Allen, to me, may have been a slightly better wicketkeeper/batsman whereas Dean was a better batsman/wicketkeeper. (1982 1 point, 2006 1 point).

As for the role players of both teams – Dennis Archer, Wendell White Chris Foggo, Wendell Smith, Joe Bailey and Delby Borden – they are all good players and on their day I thought were evenly balanced and could do a very respectable job for their team if asked of them. (1982, 1 point; 2006, 1 point).

1982 - 5 points

2006 - 5 points

People will always ask and wonder who really would have won this grudge match.

I know many would say the team of 1982 would have won this match easily, but the reality is raw talent doesn't always win out. The qualifying team defied the odds because of their talents and team unity and this is what would have made this a match to remember.