For the first time in the 105-year history of Cup Match, overseas umpires have been appointed to officiate in the annual mid-summer classic.

In an unprecedented move, executives from both clubs agreed to ignore tradition this year and appoint retired English Test umpires David Shepherd and Mervyn Kitchen to take charge of Thursday and Friday?s match at Somerset Cricket Club.

The move means that for the first time in the classic?s history, foreigners will preside over the match as Bermuda Cricket Board (BCB) have already appointed legendary West Indies skipper Clive Lloyd as match referee. It is understood the two clubs opted to go overseas after Bermuda Cricket Umpires Association (BCUA) informed Somerset Cricket Club that they would not be submitting a short list of umpires until they had met with officials from both clubs to review and address some of the unsavoury incidents that occurred at Wellington Oval last summer.

During that match ?sledging? was prevalent, an on-field fight broke out and allegations of racial abuse surfaced after the game.

Officials from the two clubs maintained yesterday that they had never been formally asked to meet with the BCUA.

However, the BCUA clearly stated in a letter addressed to Somerset Cricket Club, dated July 19, 2006 ? which was obtained by ? ?we would like to schedule a meting for 6.30 p.m. Tuesday, July 25 at the Cultural Affairs Boardroom on Court Street, Hamilton.?

St. George?s Cricket Club president Neil Paynter claimed yesterday: ?Basically the Bermuda Cricket Umpires Association told us they would not be giving us a list of umpires for Cup Match.

?Somerset received a letter from the umpires? association stating they would not be submitting any names for Cup Match. So we were left with no other choice other than to seek another alternative, and that is what we?ve done.?

In addition, the BCUA letter goes on to list several new proposals the association felt were needed to help ?develop and implement disciplinary standards or a code of conduct?.

Meanwhile, when asked whether the clubs were unhappy with the umpires? handling of last year?s heated match in the East End, Paynter replied: ?I am not even going to go into what happened last year. A letter was sent stating no umpires would be provided and so we sought other alternatives. And both clubs were in agreement with the idea.?

BCUA secretary Randy Butler said he was totally ?shocked? by the clubs? decision to appoint overseas officials for the match. ?I am shocked because there was no indication to us that if we didn?t provide a short list they (clubs) would go elsewhere,? he told .

?I just hope they realise the seriousness of abiding by the ICC?s code of conduct because these guys (Shepherd and Kitchen) are very experienced and will not tolerate any of the nonsense that we saw in Cup Match last year or fans running onto the pitch.?

Both Shepherd and Kitchen arrived in Bermuda on Monday night. Butler added: ?We never intended on going that far with the clubs, we just wanted to tidy up a few things and implement a code of conduct because guys were misbehaving and the clubs needed to take some sort of action.

?I don?t think the clubs understand the seriousness of not taking any action or having certain regulations in place yet to still brag about a 100-year-old match in which little has changed over the years.

?But if the powers that be feel they can raise the level of the game by having international umpires, then so be it. We didn?t withdraw our services or anything like that . . . we just said that we wouldn?t provide a short list until you meet with us to discuss some of the things that went wrong (last year) and try to put things right.?

Meanwhile, Somerset Cricket Club president Richard Scott refused to be drawn into a row with Butler, but did say: ?If that was their (BCUA) intention then their correspondence should have indicated such,? Scott said. ?They sent us correspondence stating they were in no position to provide a list, hence we had to seek other avenues and go elsewhere to ensure this game went ahead ? and we have. Mr.Butler is entitled to his own opinion, they are like noses . . . we all have one.?