took over, Shell has agreed to return as sponsors of youth cricket.

When El James replaced Ed Bailey as BCBC president on July 28, the former Shell sales manager made a promise to Bermuda's youth that there would be a thriving junior programme in place by next year.

And yesterday, with Shell sales manager Wayne Soares by his side at the BCBC office, James announced that the oil company had agreed to sponsor youth cricket for an initial two-year period, effective next year, to the tune of $20,000 each year.

Soares stressed that the company's involvement is likely to be another long-term one. "If it's working we'll be happy to keep it working,'' he said.

The demise of the Shell Youth League in 1989 came two years before the Somers Isles Cricket League merged with the Bermuda Cricket Board of Control. In their final year in 1988, Shell took a team of youngsters to Canada, players who have gone on to establish themselves at senior level and even break into the national team.

That team included the likes of Clay Smith, Dwayne Leverock, Jermaine Postlethwaite, Lionel Cann, Gregg Foggo, Del Hollis, Dean Minors, Jason Lewis and Janeiro Tucker. James was the Shell administrator who accompanied the team.

Now after an absence of almost 10 years the Shell Companies of Bermuda are renewing their links with local cricket, convinced they can have a working relationship with the new board administration.

"We knew we needed a youth programme and Shell's name came up more than anyone else's,'' said James, who used his contacts at the company to get them back on board.

Rather than hastily form a league in what is left of the summer, the board will use the coming months to allow a development committee to work out the structure of the league for next season. There is likely to be two age groups.

"Any sponsor who is going to put up money wants a decent product,'' said James.

One change from the 1980s is that Shell will not be running the league this time, leaving the BCBC to handle the scheduling.

"The commitment should be adequate to enable the Bermuda Cricket Board of Control to get off the ground and hopefully get back on the same track as before, and even exceed what we achieved before,'' said Soares.

"All things being well Shell has committed itself to the administration for two years and from then on if we can maintain the same level.'' The effects of the absence of a vibrant youth league was evident earlier this summer when Bermuda finished last in the International Youth Tournament, losing all six of their games. It is a tournament that Bermuda won in 1985, four years into the Shell Youth Tournament.

"The real benefit here is to cricket and the youth, not to the board and not to Shell,'' James said. "If you look at this year's Cup Match I would venture to say at least 70 per cent of the players were products of the Shell Youth Tournament.'' Added James: " Youth development needs a boost in the arm and one of the commitments the new executives gave when we took office was strive to reinstate the youth programme.

"But not only that, we want to also instill the standards that people have associated for years with the game of cricket, the character building that cricket was known for over the years.'' Bermuda are committed to returning to the Shell/Sandals tournament in the Caribbean in October and will also be competing in youth competitions in the West Indies from next year, so the rebirth of the youth programme was vital.

"We see the Shell/Sandals as being an important part of the overall programme, especially when deriving benefits from the youth programme,'' said James.

Shell also sponsors youth soccer and Soares stressed: "Shell does have a commitment to youth in Bermuda and we are very appreciative of the fact that our young people today are our citizens of tomorrow.

"Cricket, without a doubt, is one of the best avenues for discipline and character building and we believe those are the strengths of Bermuda's future.

"We are extremenly happy to be associated with the new executive in an effort to make a real, solid attempt to provide what we believe is a very necessary ingredient in Bermuda's youth.''