yesterday that Bermuda Cricket Board of Control were inconsistent in how they meted out punishment.

Southampton Rangers' spin bowler Lyndon Raynor and team captain Keith Wainwright criticised the BCBC for the manner in which Raynor's disciplinary case was handled, arguing that the whole disciplinary procedure was "a sham''.

Raynor's six-game ban, which will take effect at the start of next season, was handed down after he kicked over the stumps in anger during a Premier Division game against Social Club at Southampton Oval on May 7.

The hearing was eventually held last month, at the end of the season -- a delay which Raynor and Wainwright described as "crazy''.

Wainwright, who was a regular critic of the Board's "administration failures'' last season, said yesterday the handling of his player's case came as no real surprise.

"It's consistent with bad leadership,'' he charged.

He added: "Cricket doesn't need this bad publicity. The board should deal with disciplinary matters immediately and be more consistent. A code of disciplinary procedure has to be adopted.'' Of particular concern to both players was the long delay between the incident and the hearing. They also considered Raynor's behaviour far less serious than those involving Bailey's Bay players who were also suspended recently.

Noel Gibbons, Charlie Marshall and Terry Burgess were each given two month bans.

Raynor said: "For somebody like me who has never appeared before a disciplinary committee in the past I think the long suspension sends out a wrong message. I fully understand that what I did was wrong, but it's ridiculous to get that much time.'' He said that, unlike the Bay trio, his anger was directed at neither the umpire nor any player on the field. Given this he deserved no more than a reprimand and possibly a one-game suspension, he believed.

However, Raynor is not about to pay the $100 required for an appeal. "It's simply not worth it to appeal to those clowns,'' he said.

Raynor and Wainwright both felt that the disciplinary policies of the Board had to be seriously questioned.

"The way things are now there is so much conflict between the umpires and the Board. The real problem is that the Board drags its feet dealing with these matters,'' said Raynor.

"A good example is the incident involving the St. David's players at the start of last season when several were involved in a serious incident with umpire George Trott. That matter has still not been settled.'' Added Wainwright: "The Board's disciplinary committee should meet at least once a month to deal with issues. It's unfair when an umpire has to officiate in a game that involves a player he has already reported but who has not appeared before the committee for the previous offence. It's sends out a bad signal.''