Yet, with stumps about to be pulled on another incident-filled season, such a connection hardly seems appropriate.

While a rejuvenated Southampton Rangers, inspired by coach Clevie Wade, have been the team of the moment, unfortunately much of what they have achieved on the field has been overshadowed by confusion and controversy elsewhere.

During a summer of discontent, umpires walked out, players' tempers boiled over resulting in a number of ungentlemanly outbursts, infighting put paid to any hopes Bailey's Bay might have had of repeating past triumphs, and confusion reigned as Western Counties, unable to resolve an alleged case of player ineligibility, even found themselves in court following a bizarre sequence of events.

Fortunately, common sense prevailed in chambers and the matter was thrown back for the competition's governing body to sort out -- although as of last night they were no closer to a solution.

All in all, it's hardly been the kind of season Bermuda Cricket Board of Control had envisaged.

As much as the BCBC, under the stewardship of El James, have attempted to set a sensible and structured agenda, there work has often been undone by certain clubs and players seemingly hell-bent on disruption.

Hardly a week has gone by without one dispute or another.

Even the Shell and BF&M youth leagues which were launched amid much fanfare over a year ago seemed to lose some of their appeal. Results were rarely publicised -- through no fault of the media -- and scoreboards never made available.

To be fair, the BCBC have succeeded in some areas. The decision to concentrate solely on overs cricket this summer has been well received although the league could still be divided into two divisions to separate the wheat from the chaff. As it stands now, the top teams have too many easy games and players might benefit more if leading Premier sides played each other twice rather than once.

But a schedule of overs cricket only worked well, as did the visit of South African Test batsman Daryll Cullinan who added a new dimension to local coaching -- even if his extended trip did cost him a spot in his country's one-day squad! The tour of Toronto last month also reaped some encouraging results and it could be argued that Bermuda are better prepared for this year's Red Stripe Bowl in Jamaica than we were a year ago.

Yet disappointingly the squad could again be without Clay Smith, the Island's leading batsmen, should, as was the case last year, his tendency to dispute decisions with which he disagrees cost him another suspension.

Smith's passion for the game, say his friends, often leads him to be more demonstrative than others. Yet he must realise it's such outbursts which are continually tarnishing a sport that in years past would never have tolerated such behaviour.

Umpires, perhaps, realise this more than most. The abuse echoing around club fields on a Sunday afternoon is almost always hurled their way.

While their boycott over what they believed to be the BCBC's inability to deal with disciplinary matters was frowned upon in some quarters, there were certainly plenty of cricket followers who understood and sympathised with their plight.

Umpiring cricket is one of the most arduous and mentally draining of all sports officiating. To suffer abuse and continually see the perpetrators escape without so much as a rap on the knuckles, must eventually take its toll.

As with soccer, officials in cricket are a rare breed. We never have sufficient, and if indiscipline is to continue unpunished, we never will.

On the world stage, Bermuda has shown in years past it can compete as well in cricket as it can in any other sport. But it's been more than a decade since that talent was showcased.

With the ICC Trophy, the official qualifier for the World Cup, just around the corner, there's a golden opportunity for the Island's top players to again make a statement.

But first, the domestic programme needs to be run in a more orderly fashion.

If that can't be achieved, there's little hope we can succeed overseas.

ADRIAN ROBSON