Umpire Stephen Douglas has been banned from St. David's Cricket Club for five years for allegedly hitting a young cricketer during a Junior Eastern Counties match.

And national team opener Curtis Jackson has also been banned by the Islanders for two years for persistently directing bad language towards umpires and club officials during the same match.

Both are suspended from the club's grounds during the time of their ban.

Douglas is treasurer to the Eastern Counties and secretary of the Bermuda Cricket Umpires Association.

"We had a junior county match where Mr. Jackson was using a lot of profane language and was spoken to by officials of the club and he carried on terribly, disrespecting the umpires, as well as disrespecting the ladies of the club,'' explained St. David's president Wilbur Pitcher.

"Mr. Douglas got time because of the situation where his son was a reserve for the club and he asked him where his hat was. His son told him his hat was over by the school and another youngster came to help him find it and he slapped this little 11-year-old boy upside the head, knocking him down. Then we had parents in attendance who sent letters to the club and we took action.'' Pitcher inferred that as the pair had been placed in positions of responsibility it was imperative that they hold themselves to a higher standard and not resort to such shenanigans.

However, he added that the punishments meted out would be dealt any member of the club that showed blatant disrespect towards fellow patrons or to the rules of the institution.

"Douglas said that he lost his head and apologised, but I looked at him as being secretary of the Umpires Association, an umpire and also treasurer of the Eastern Counties,'' said Pitcher, himself an umpire.

"I mean you can't have those positions and be doing this kind of nonsense.

It's a message we send to everybody, because what's happened to Mr. Douglas and Mr. Jackson we'd do the same thing to our members...if they act up we will give them time.

"We don't kiss any favours, this is what will happen. I don't believe in people carrying on. If our members act up we'll deal with them, if anyone else acts up we'll deal with them too.

"We take no sides...that's it. People must handle themselves in a decent manner.'' While Jackson could not be reached for comment on the matter, Douglas offered only a brief reply, preferring to allow the issue to run its course.

"That's what the club has decided to do and I'll leave it there,'' said Douglas.

Curtis Jackson: two-year ban.