NATURAL talent we have in abundance but put those who possess it into a team, the result is almost always collective calamity.It was never more evident in Dubai this week as our cricketers plunged into the bottom pit of the World League, ready to rub shoulders with cricket's tiniest minnows such as Belize, Costa Rica, the Falkand Islands, and other countries where cricket is very much a minority sport.‘One for all, and all for one' isn't that the axiom all teams should adhere to?Apparently none of our players consider themselves Musketeers.They stride out on the pitch, wave their bat about, sometimes in the right direction, sometimes not, and if they don't get the job done they rely on their so called team-mates to pick up the slack.Our bowlers aren't any better.Those who shine are applauded and those who don't . . . well there's always another day.But not any more, those days are over.Failure in the United Arab Emirates this week means Bermuda cricket has forfeited an annual grant from the International Cricket Council worth hundreds of thousands of dollars and with a considerable cutback in the money offered by Government, there's little left to pay the bills.National coach David Moore will almost certainly be the first casualty unless, of course, he wants to work for free. Chief Executive Neil Speight might have to rely on his savings if he wants to continue.There's a real possibilty our national sport will turn back the clock to the days when it was run by volunteers and a part-time secretary.And that might not be a bad thing . . . to start all over again.While cricket has been throwing away money as if it were confetti, there are so many sports in Bermuda who would have begged for just a fraction of what the Cricket Board received.On top of that list would have been Bermuda Track and Field Association who have shown an astonishing turnaround in the last few years, producing dozens of young athletes who have been willing to listen and learn, make sacrifices, and have shown ambition.Over the upcoming Easter weekend, close to 40 teenagers will travel to compete in the Carifta Games, all of them having had to meet the qualifying standards. It's the largest squad compiled by the BTFA in many years.More than a few could find their way to the podium, and those who don't will show that when Bermuda host the same Games next year, they might be able to challenge the Caribbean countries who have long dominated the event. That's certainly the goal of the BTFA's ambitious and hard-working president Donna Watson.Yes, the BTFA receive an annual Government grant but it pales in comparison with that given to our national sports, cricket and football.Swimming, sailing and so many other sports could make a similar argument showing progress with little help from those who control the purse strings.* * * *WHILE those who sat glued to their seats watching the final round of the Masters last Sunday, most will have felt for Rory McIllroy, the young Irishman who saw his dream of winning a major shattered on almost every hole on the back nine.From holding a commanding four-stroke lead at the beginning of the afternoon he capitulated, much like the Masters of 1996 when Greg Norman surrendered to Nick Faldo, going into the final round with a six-shot lead and losing by five.Nerves frayed, the mental strength which had catapulted him into the world's top ten at the age of just 21 was nowhere to be seen.The collapse virtually reduced him to tears.Few others would have been able to control their emotions.In his position, John Daly's bag and clubs would still be sitting in Rae's Creek.Despite the commentators' empathy ‘he's shown maturity beyond his age', ‘his day will eventually come', ‘the experience will make him a stronger player' -. the fact is that the final day of the 2011 Masters will haunt him for the rest of his life, no matter what he achieves.Great players don't always get another chance.Ask Johnny Miller, Greg Norman or Ernie Els, none of whom can go to their closet and find a green jacket.* * * *HORSE racing's Grand National has long been considered one of the world's most spectacular events.Whether it will be after last week's event remains to be seen.The horrific photos of one horse breaking its neck and another shattering its back, might make those who enjoy their only flutter of the year, to think again.Not surprisingly, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) have been the harshest critics, demanding the race be stopped.The fences are too high, the field too big ... the Aintree course has become a killing field.Jockeys put their lives on the line, the horses don't have a choice.Along with the owners, trainers, stable hands they are inconsolable when their horse is carried away from the course under a canvas. But it's they who have instigated this brutality.Unfortunately, brutal is what it has become.The grotesque pictures that emerged from last week's race were nothing new. Almost every year, one or more horses suffer the same fate.Dog fighting in which animals fight to the death is illegal, as is big game hunting.Any analogy with the Grand National, some would say is far fetched, but is this unnecessary slaughter any different?