followers to be patient with the new champions as they prepare to take the popular competition back to Sea Breeze Oval for the first time in the 1990s.

Thousands left Lord's in St. David's on Saturday wondering if the counties will be the same at the smaller and more compact Sea Breeze Oval now that the six-year reign of St. David's has ended.

And though Spencer accepts that St. David's is the ideal cricketing venue, he dispelled rumours yesterday that Bailey's Bay might be willing to keep the competition at Lord's. In fact, a management committee meeting on Thursday night will put into motion plans for the eagerly awaited -- from a Bailey's Bay perspective anyway -- return to Sea Breeze Oval.

"We accept the fact that St. David's is an excellent venue but that was never always the case,'' Spencer said yesterday.

"If you want a national stadium St. David's is the ideal place because there is so much that can be done there for cricket.

"All we're asking the public to do is have a bit of patience with us and give us a chance.'' Spencer admits that since the Eastern Counties returned to St. David's in 1988, there has been a decline in some facilities at his club.

Like St. David's in 1987, Bay have regained the cup in the last match of the series, giving them plenty of time between now and next July to prepare for the first defence of their title.

Spencer hinted that if Bay had won in the first or second round they may have been forced, through lack of time, to keep the match at Lord's for the next round. Now, they have the luxury of being able to prepare properly for the first match at Sea Breeze Oval in seven years.

"We're in the process of getting a task force together to utilise the best brains in the club, as well as getting some assistance from outside agencies,'' said Spencer who is in his fourth term as president.

"This task force should be in place by September with the intention of getting a list of priorities to start work no later than October with a time frame of nine months, to the end of May, to improve our facilities.'' Club officials met with Youth and Sport minister Pamela Gordon last year under a Government plan to assist in the upgrading of local clubs' facilities.

"She did say that Government would assist us with our facility,'' said Spencer.

Some of the improvements include work on the scorehouse, which he says was in the works anyway, reclaiming of land on the north-eastern end of the field, which was lost to Hurricane Emily in 1987 and, in the long term, repositioning of the road to accommodate more seating on the northern side of the field.

"We can't upgrade without money,'' Spencer added. "It's bad management to over-extend ourselves.

"We have got a permit to extend the shoreline, which was lost to Emily and the field has got to be fenced in. We also have to sit down and talk with Government about moving the road on the north-western side.'' Just as St. David's have been able to add on to their clubhouse as a result of a successful, six-year reign, Bailey's Bay are also aware of what a good run in the counties can generate for the club, both economically and in terms of morale and harmony. The improvements made there over the years have come about because they were able to host the counties.

"In the last couple of days I've really seen the club come together,'' said Spencer, himself a former counties player. "It's the type of tonic we needed.

All yesterday, when I was at home trying to get a bit of rest, the phone had been ringing with people offering to help.

"This is something we needed. St. David's had it (cup) for a few years and we can see the progress they've made. Maybe it can help get us back on track.'' Spencer says he felt the match changed in Bay's favour when Noel Gibbons held a smart catch to dismiss Wendell Smith for 11 early in the St. David's innings.

TURNING POINT -- Noel Gibbons is mobbed by team-mates after taking a spectacular catch to dismiss Wendell Smith on Saturday.