Bermuda cricket is already starting to reap the rewards of the youth programme resurrected three years ago, according to El James.

Strong national squads at under-15, under-17 and under-19 levels and a reversal of the trend of ever-decreasing numbers of players registered with the Island's clubs are encouraging signs for the future, the Bermuda Cricket Board of Control president added.

James was speaking in the wake of an impressive performance by the national under-19 team, who lost just one match in the recent Americas Under-19 Championships staged on the Island.

That tournament came hard on the heels of the success of the first Bermuda under-15 team ever to go on tour. They won all their matches in the Cayman Islands and came home with three trophies.

"If you go back three years, clubs were struggling for players," said James. "Now kids are knocking on the doors of clubs and numbers of registered players are well up.

"We did not have a youth programme for nine years, but the senior national programme has held its own.

"We need to develop the game from the grass roots and right now we can see the interest in the sport is still there."

The under-15s won the Western Caribbean Championship by beating both the Caymans and Bahamas in a series of matches in the Caymans.

Thier trouncing of the Caymans earned them the Sir Henry Tucker Trophy and they also brought home the Esso Trophy, donated by sponsors in the Caymans.

Under-15s team manager Charlotte Simons said: "They really played well as a team. It was an exceptional achievement. It was the first time we have had an international under-15 team leave the island."

Allan Douglas jnr. was named man of the series and also won two man-of-the-match awards for outstanding efforts, both against the Caymans.

Temiko Wilson, Justin Pitcher and Rodney Trott also won a man-of-the-match award, while Trott and team-mate Ajani Gibbons shared the prize for most wickets in the competition, after bagging eight apiece. Pitcher also won a best catch award. Basically, it was a story of unbridled success, which will give the youngsters confidence for their next major assignment, a tournament against teams from all over the Americas in the US next year.

And most of the squad will still be young enough to play for the under-15s, although James said there were more youngsters coming through the ranks who would be competing for places.

"At that level, I believe these under-15s will be able to hold their own," said James. "We have a good programme which is being overseen by our national coach (Mark Harper) and at this level, I think we will be strong."