Prolific bat Glenn Blakeney has hit back at a section of Bailey's Bay's support who he says forced him to make the difficult decision not to play for his boyhood team in last weekend's Eastern Counties Cup final.

Blakeney, who has hit countless centuries this season, would have been an automatic choice for the Bay team which caused a major upset in beating his club side St. David's on Saturday to lift the trophy.

The 29-year-old left-hander lays the blame for his omission squarely at so-called fans who he claims verbally abused both him and his family at a league match between the same two teams on August 4 when he scored a mammoth 303 not out.

Without disclosing exactly what was said at that match, Blakeney said last night: "I am upset about it because the abuse came from fans I would have been representing.

"I felt there was a lot of pressure on me because of the comments. If I had played I would have set myself up for disaster - if I had made a hundred runs that would not have been good enough, if I had made ten or 12 then the accusations would have come out and it's not too nice."

Stressing it was a minority who he was taking issue with the player went on: "Let's get one thing straight, I have nothing against Bailey's Bay. They are the team I chose to represent when I was about 16. That's my home even though I had lived down in St. David's.

"But the abuse and negative comments I got from Bay fans were unfair and forced me to make the one-off decision not to be included for consideration by the Bay team for the Eastern Counties."

Blakeney was supported by his wife Twynika Smith-Blakeney, who, in a letter to the Royal Gazette, levelled criticism at sections of the media who she accused of carrying "hearsay stories" about his non-appearance at Sea Breeze Oval without attempting to speak to her husband.

"Glenn's decision not to represent Bailey's Bay was strictly of a personal nature and he did inform the club of his reasonings," she said, adding it had nothing to do with ego. "As it seems his reasoning is being questioned, I must point out the true underlying issue at hand.

"During the match against Bailey's Bay on Sunday, August 4, where he scored an incredible knock of 303 not out, both Glenn and his family were subjected to numerous remarks by fans which had our eight-year-old and four-year-old questioning as to why people would want to use profane language and issue false statements detrimental to Glenn's character.

"It is very embarrassing knowing that Bailey's Bay is his County team and having fans utter remarks in front of his children.

"Our family values would not allow Glenn to represent a team in which the fans were disrespectful in front of any children, let alone his own and also expect him to represent them."

Blakeney's wife said her husband supported his County team "100 percent".

"They in return support him as was proof when he congratulated his county teammates and received nothing but hugs and invitations to play alongside them next year," she said. "Out of this whole ordeal this has been the most heart-warming gesture."

To further back up her case, Blakeney, she said, took time out to train and coach the Bailey's Bay youth players, in addition to his duties at St. David's. She said she hoped this provided an insight into the real Glenn Blakeney "not the arrogant person that people like to portray him (as)".

The full text of Mrs Smith-Blakeney's letter will appear in tomorrow's Royal Gazette.