Despite losing out to a majority vote that favours the new 70-48 overs format for this summer's Eastern Counties Cup, St.David's Cricket Club president Wilbur Pitcher insists that open cricket is the way to go.

Speaking for the first time since the announcement of the new initiative that will see the team batting first allocated 70 overs and the team batting second 48 overs, Pitcher argued that open cricket remained essential for the development of the Island's aspiring young cricketers.

And he also claimed the new format was full of "loopholes."

"All I was trying to tell them (affiliates) was that we are the champions just trying to retain our trophy like anyone else," explained Pitcher.

"I remember when I was playing and Bailey's Bay had the cup. We guys were going to bat with just 20 overs in the last hour for years.

"We licked our wounds and then went back to the drawing board and said `hey look, we've got to do some more work in order to beat this team'."

Many cricket followers believe the popular series has lost some of its appeal largely due to an ongoing "tit for tat" approach by teams, with the holders of the cup determined to simply sit on their bats and play out for the draw.

But with the new approach, officials of the respective county clubs are hoping it will encourage more positive cricket and more outright results.

During the 2000 final, St.David's batted until 6.30 p.m. and then asked Bailey's Bay to score 292 in just 14 overs. Then Bay skipper Charlie Marshall refused to bat.

"I can see where incidents are going to occur with this new format," added Pitcher.

"My point to them was that whatever team batted first, whoever they may be, they were still going to have 70 overs to bat."

Pitcher explained there had always been a problem with sticky wickets early in the morning in Eastern Counties matches and that it might take the team batting first an hour or so before they could begin to make runs.

"That means that the opposition have 48 overs in which to get those runs. The day has gone by, the wicket has dried out and they can win the game within those overs."

He also questioned just what sort of action would be taken in the event that bowlers adopted a negative approach and deliberately bowled down the leg side, although last week rules and regulations chairman Stephen Douglas said that punitive measures would be implemented to discourage such a negative tactic.

"What happens if they start bowling down the leg side and outside the off stump?" Pitcher asked.

"It prevents you from making runs and they said that the players will then be penalised.

"But they have to remember if you look at domestic cricket you have teams around here giving up 60 extras every Sunday and you still have a problem trying to get 118 overs in before it gets dark. And if you start penalising you may end up having to bowl even more overs.

"Furthermore, what one umpire judges to be a wide delivery may not necessarily be called by the other official."

St.David's open defence of their Eastern Counties title tomorrow at Sea Breeze Oval against Cleveland County.