The new cricket season is entering its third weekend and members of the Bermuda Cricket Umpires Association have yet to see action.

But all that could soon change, maybe by this weekend, the BCUA's public relations officer and scheduling secretary, Luther Wilkin, disclosed yesterday.

Wilkin confirmed that the BCUA is continuing its fight to be recognised as the official umpires body in Bermuda. He said that dialogue with the Bermuda Cricket Board of Control was ongoing and that some progress had been made.

"I see light at the end of the tunnel and we're moving towards that light,'' said Wilkin. "I feel hopeful that this will be settled by the weekend.'' It was on the eve of the new season that the BCUA, at the request of the BCBC, withdrew its services after it and the new umpires group -- the Bermuda Cricket Umpires Union -- appointed officials for the opening round of matches.

A BCUA press release then said that the withdrawal was made in the best interest of cricket.

But after the BCUU also handled matches last weekend, it appeared that the BCUA had slipped quietly into the background.

However, Wilkin assured yesterday that the umpires association was still in existence, if not active on the field.

"We haven't disbanded, we're still the (official) umpires association in Bermuda and we're still moving towards umpiring in 1994,'' said Wilkin.

A further meeting amongst its members was held last night to keep them abreast of the latest developments. And Wilkin has not ruled out another meeting with the sport's governing body before the weekend.

Wilkin said he feels some of the problems between itself and the board has come through misinformation and the lack of dialogue. He said a meeting could be called by either party before the weekend. One of his suggestions to the board during a recent meeting is that there needs to be a more open line of communication between the two bodies in the form of regular meetings to thrash out problems.

"I made a proposal to the board so that this will not happen again,'' Wilkin said. "Maybe there could be monthly meetings to talk about things that happen.

"In the dialogue we've had it is clear there has been a lot of misinformation being transmitted to cause the disagreements.'' Wilkin, with 19 years' experience and one of the most senior umpires on the Island, admits the rift between the two umpiring groups and the board has put cricket back.

But he sees something positive coming out of this, though in his opinion the merging of the two umpiring bodies is not one of the solutions.

"I doubt we will be merging with them,'' said Wilkin who explained that some of the members of the umpires union were still members of the BCUA.

"Five that went over to the other side are still financial members with us. I don't have anything against those guys, most of them I've trained.'' Former umpires association president Randy Butler is the man at the centre of the rift, after a letter was written to the ICC complaining about the manner in which the board appointed George Francis as the umpire to represent Bermuda at the ICC Trophy Tournament in Kenya.

Francis is one of the umpires who has joined the new group, as even Butler's decision to stand down as president of the BCUA did not prevent an exodus amongst members, which resulted in the new group being formed and headed by McDonald Swan.

"We've been told there is a rift between us and them but nobody can identify the rift. If we knew what the rift is we could sit down and iron this out,'' said Wilkin.

"We still have the most qualified umpires doing nothing, but their loyalty is to the association.'' LUTHER WILKIN -- `... light at the end of the tunnel...'