s he stood in a Supreme Court overflowing with family and friends on February 15, 2002, nervously awaiting a decision that threatened to ruin his reputation and destroy his life, Dean Minors could have had little inkling that in just four years? time he would be at the forefront of the greatest sporting achievement in Bermuda?s history.

Falsely accused of a major drugs importation conspiracy in 2001 which resulted in a high profile trial and ultimately his acquittal, the popular and respected CedarBridge Academy teacher endured a personal hell which might have sent lesser men off the rails.

It is sometimes said, however, that only in the face of incredible adversity does one find the strength and resolve to go on to great things, and in Minors? case, this certainly rings true.

?You find out a lot about yourself as a person when you go through something as unbelievably traumatic as that,? he said.

?Not only that but you also discover who your friends really are. I had a great support system throughout that time. My family and friends were so important in helping me get through the whole ordeal and I have definitely come out of it as a much stronger and better person.

?But I don?t think about those days much anymore. I?m just trying to enjoy life, because if an experience like that teaches you anything, it?s that you?ve got to make the most of every second because you just never know what could happen.

?After all, I?ve gone from that to being only a few months from taking part in a World Cup and fulfilling one of my biggest ambitions. It?s incredible when you think about it.?

With that trauma now behind him, Minors has moved on to become an indispensable member of Clay Smith?s team, while by common consent he is one of the most down-to-earth, approachable people you are ever likely to come across.

As the best wicketkeeper on the Island by some appreciable distance, it is not an exaggeration to say that the number of chances he has missed over the course of the last year and a half could probably be counted on the fingers of one hand while his batting has also been an inspiration.

Time and time again he has rescued Bermuda at number six or seven, and unlike other batsmen in the squad who arguably possess similar talent, it is invariably Minors who delivers when it matters most.

Both in the ICC Trophy last summer and most recently against Canada in Trinidad ? where he was named Man of the Match in Bermuda?s first official One Day International ? Minors produced match-winning performances under the most intense pressure, while never once looking nervous or unsure of himself.

he career of many a gifted player has been ruined by an inability to handle pressure, and Minors admits that he instinctively thrives in such an atmosphere.

?I really love the challenge of having to perform when the odds are against you,? he said.

?People respond to pressure in different ways, but for me it actually makes me more relaxed and focused on what needs to be done.

?Batting in the lower order has a large amount of responsibility attached to it because I am more often than not batting with the tail and I am expected to keep the strike and get as many runs as possible out the situation.

?But to be honest I enjoy doing it and have got used to it now. I?m known as The Calculator in the team because I am always working out what exactly is required per over when we are chasing a score and I?m always thinking about how I am going to play in relation to the situation.

?With the likes of Irving Romaine, Janeiro Tucker and Lionel Cann there, who are all capable of hitting the ball hard and playing big shots, it has become my job to knock it around and keep the scoreboard ticking. It?s a role I?m very comfortable with and as long as I concentrate on doing the basics well, the rest tends to take care of itself.?

Despite his obvious love of the game, however, and his determination to succeed, like many other regular squad members with families, Minors? new life as a globe-trotting, semi-professional cricketer comes with significant stresses and strains.

With a wife, an eight-year-old daughter and a 15-month old baby boy at home, spending almost 19 weeks overseas this year playing cricket is exacting a heavy emotional toll on the 36-year-old, who can be found almost every evening on every tour checking up with his wife by telephone.

But the camaraderie and togetherness of this national squad undoubtedly helps to undermine any feelings on homesickness, said Minors, adding that they do their best to support and help each other when times become difficult.

?This is a whole new life for us and it has taken a lot of sacrifices and adjustments to make it work,? he said.

?There are other guys in the squad who are in the same position as me, in that they have wives and young children who they miss a lot when we are away playing cricket ? which undoubtedly helps in dealing with it.

?It?s hard because we are being asked to juggle so many different responsibilities, and to be honest, if it were ever possible for us to go full-time, say a few months before the World Cup starts, then I think it would make our lives a hell of a lot easier and would also allow us to concentrate exclusively on making sure we have done everything possible to prepare ourselves.?

orn in 1970, Minors was a student at East End Primary before graduating from Whitney in the same year as Clay Smith and Shaun Goater ? both of whom remain close personal friends.

An accomplished footballer in his youth, Minors went to university in Virginia on a footballing scholarship along with the likes of Devar Boyles, Timmy Figuerido and Damon Wade before heading to Florida four years later to complete a Masters in Physical Education.

Cricket, however, was always his main passion ? a passion stoked by the enthusiastic support and guidance of both Wendell Smith and Allan Douglas, the two men he credits most with his early cricketing development at St. George?s Cricket Club and in Bermuda?s Under-19 team.

Though he spent some time playing in Australia in 1988 along with national team football coach Kyle Lightbourne on a specially funded ICC programme for top junior cricketers from all Associate nations, it was the opportunity to play a season of club cricket in England four years later that he said helped the most in laying the foundations for an excellent cricketing career.

?I spent a season up near Newcastle playing cricket for a I spent a season up at a club called Tynedale and I got so much out of that experience,? he said.

?Having played most of my cricket in Bermuda up to that point I was very naive and just used to turn up and play. I never thought that much about the game or what I was doing.

?All of a sudden I was playing in England with and against people who had a really deep understanding of the game and I was forced to adapt. I was told that I had to start analysing what I was doing if I wanted to do my talent justice: why did you play that shot? Where are my scoring areas? Where can I take the singles? I had never ever done that sort of thing before and it helped me a lot in terms of my development and made me into the type of cricketer I am now.

?That?s why I think it?s so important for our younger guys to be sent away to play as often as possible ? which to be fair is happening ? and also why I?m excited for both Kevin Hurdle and Ryan Steede who are both in the UK right now playing for club sides. With the right attitude you can really improve in an environment like that and the more guys we can get doing that sort of thing, the better side we will become in the long run.?

At 36, it would be fair to say that Minors is in the latter stages of his cricketing life ? though behind the stumps he looks as sprightly as a teenager.

He does not know as yet whether he will call it quits after the World Cup in March ? but given how important it will be for Bermuda to re-qualify in 2009, particularly after such unprecedented public investment in the sport, it is almost certain that he will come under a huge amount of pressure to stay on and finish what he started.

?A huge part of that decision will depend on my wife and my family,? he said.

?It?s a while off yet, but when the World Cup is finished it will be a case of sitting down with the wife and discussing whether it might be possible. Physically I feel capable of going on and on, but whether I can subject my family to another two years of being away from home for weeks and weeks I just do not know at this stage. We?ll have to see.

?In the meantime, all my attention is on getting ready for the World Cup. We?ve had our ups and downs ? which was bound to happen ? and there are areas where we are consistently falling short. But overall I think we?re improving a little bit each time we go away.

?We?ve got some big games coming up in August when we go up to Canada and the next two months of preparation are going to be crucial.?