Heavy weekend rain has thrown today?s start of Bermuda?s four-day Intercontinental Cup match against Holland into jeopardy.

Late yesterday it appeared certain that the contest would be delayed for at least a day after covers were left off the pitch scheduled to be used at the Pretoria University grounds, home to South Africa?s High Performance Camp (HPC) where Bermuda and Holland?s players are currently residing.

A hurried meeting between Bermuda manager Lionel Tannock, coach Gus Logie, Dutch and HPC officials yesterday morning failed to find an alternative venue, and under heavy, overcast skies and more rain, the saturated strip just a stone?s throw from the players? lodgings remained totally unplayable.

Tannock said that officials from both teams had agreed that the start of the match today was highly unlikely and the game, which could still see Holland qualify for next year?s Intercontinental Cup final should they take maximum points, was expected to be put back to tomorrow.

But there were conflicting reports over whether the match would be reduced to a three-day contest or would be extended to Saturday, thus forcing a change in schedule for the one-day series involving Bermuda, Canada and the Dutch next week.

Bermuda are currently scheduled to play Canada in the first ODI in Potchefstroom, south of Johannesburg, on Sunday, but that match would have to be put back if the four-day game stretched into Saturday.

Tannock said that it was his understanding that if no play was possible today, the game would still be played over the full four days. But a Dutch official said later yesterday he believed it would be reduced to three days in order that all of the ODIs could be played as scheduled.

Holland, who arrived at the HPC on Friday, had hoped to play a friendly game against a local club side on Sunday before rain intervened.

Those same heavy showers also scuppered the plans of some Bermuda players who had managed to obtain tickets for the sell-out one-day international between South Africa and India at the Wanderers in Johannesburg ? abandoned without a ball being bowled.

Yesterday ground staff, receiving little help from Mother Nature on another cool, damp day, did what they could to prepare the cup venue but appeared to be fighting a losing battle.

Bermuda and the Dutch trained alongside each other in the nets and in the facility?s spacious gym before heading their separate ways in the afternoon. Coach Logie scheduled another net session for his players immediately after lunch while Holland travelled by bus to the town of Centurion where they also planned to train again.

Logie wasn?t expected to name his side until this morning and the likely delay will give him more time to assess the fitness of Lionel Cann and Janeiro Tucker, both of whom have been receiving physio treatment over the past few days.

Tucker picked up a strain while bowling in the ODI against Kenya last Tuesday, while Cann, who only joined the squad last Thursday, was struck on the leg by a sharp Stefan Kelly delivery during net practice on Friday.

Working out in the gym yesterday, Cann said: ?I?m ready to play. There?s still some bruising and it?s still a bit painful, but I?ll play through the pain.

?It?s up to the coaches and the physio, but I want to play. I?m told it won?t get any worse.? Holland, meanwhile, are particularly anxious to get today?s game underway, having not played an international match since last August when they finished third behind hosts Ireland and Scotland in the European Cricket Championships.

The Dutch beat Italy and Denmark in that tournament, but lost to Scotland by four wickets and were heading for probable defeat against Ireland before rain washed out the match.

A month earlier Holland suffered a humiliating setback against Sri Lanka when they conceded a world record 443 runs in a one-day game en route to a 195-run thrashing.