St George’s have been declared belatedly as Premier Division 50 over champions, The Royal Gazette has learnt.

Clay Smith’s side thought they had done enough to wrap up the title weeks ago, but a Bermuda Cricket Board ruling that an early-season match between St David’s and Willow Cuts — ruled at the time as a forfeit in favour of St David’s — would have to be rescheduled thrust the season’s denouement into uncertainty.

This meant that St David’s, with the benefit of maximum bonus points — a ponderous system that has contributed to much of the delays around presenting an accurate league table — were in with an outside shot of overhauling St George’s were they to win both remaining matches.

An apparent BCB rethink removed all and any hope, leading today to St David’s showing up at Somerset Cricket Club with nothing really to play for — and ultimately not enough players to start an official match.

“We only showed up with seven players today as many of our players are away,” Derrick Brangman, the St David’s captain, explained. “The board gave us only ten points against Willow Cuts, so St George’s would have won the league anyway and we will finish second.

“Had we been in with a chance to win the league, I would have found two more players. We would have played with nine, then let the chips fall were they may. As it is, it didn’t happen, so congrats to St George’s.”

The forfeiture means that on one of the most glorious summer days of the year, there is no Premier Division cricket, as the matches at Wellington Oval (Cleveland v Bailey’s Bay) and Sea Breeze Oval (Western Stars v Willow Cuts) were cancelled either through player apathy or a shortage of umpires.

The trophy presentation for the Premier Division and First Division 50 overs league winners will be held at Southampton Oval next Sunday when the Athene T20 League gets under way.

• Additional reporting by Anthony Mouchette