court'' to hear the disciplinary case of top Bermuda cricketer Clay Smith.

Smith's father, Mansfield, an active umpire and former long-serving executive of St. George's Cricket Club, has directed his fury at the Board's secretary, Reginald Outerbridge, and to a lesser degree at president El James in a letter to The Royal Gazette (see Page 48).

While commending the BCBC on making great strides -- especially in reviving a youth development programme -- Smith blasted the Board over the way in which they dealt with disciplinary issues.

"One of their huge successes was the youth programme but they fell short in the manner in which they handled some of their disciplinary matters,'' said Smith.

His outburst follows The Royal Gazette's disclosure this week that Clay's second appeal against a five-match ban had been turned down while he was away in college.

Clay returned home for the Christmas holidays on the weekend and was angry to hear the news, claiming that it had been his intention to attempt to clear his name during his vacation.

The incident occurred during a game in August against Willow Cuts. Smith was found guilty of aiming verbal abuse at umpire Ronald O'Hara.

Mansfield Smith said that he personally dealt with Outerbridge regarding the case as his son was away at school. And he claims that Outerbridge had advised that any letter of appeal should be written on paper with a St. George's Cricket Club letterhead and not on a bare sheet of paper as originally handed to the Board.

This was done, said Smith, the letter stating that both Mansfield and Wendell Smith were authorised to represent Clay.

"On November 3, the BCBC were asked by letter to inform me at least three days in advance of the day for Clay's appeal. We needed sufficient time to contact witnesses. To date I have not received a reply,'' said Smith.

"To my astonishment I read in The Royal Gazette this week that the appeal had been heard and subsequently rejected. This shocked me because we had not been informed about any appeal. This all smells like the dealings of a kangaroo court as it deprives Clay of clearing his name.'' Outerbridge, in his role as president of the Western Counties, came under further fire from Smith for not taking the initiative and finalising another disciplinary case involving Janeiro Tucker of Southampton.

Tucker was accused of misconduct by umpire O'Hara during a Western Counties' game in August. Prior to the Bermuda team's departure for the Red Stripe Bowl in Guyana, Clay Smith's case was dealt with swiftly by the Board and he was prevented from joining the national squad.

In sharp contract, noted Mansfield Smith, Tucker's case didn't receive similar urgent attention -- and to date has still not been dealt with.

"The Board's president, Mr. James, said that the Western Counties would deal with that specific disciplinary matter, but he hasn't followed through with it. Mr. Outerbridge was also involved in putting Clay Smith's case on the express line but to my knowledge nothing has been done about Mr. Tucker's,'' said Smith.

He believed Outerbridge concentrated too much on one case and not the other when Tucker's merited similar urgency.

The Board, and president James in particular, were also slammed by Smith for the handling of the Knockout Cup at White Hill when the final scores between St. George's and St. David's were tied and the Board later ruled that St.

David's were the winners.

Smith claimed that he personally told James that the Board had used the wrong rules to determine the winners -- he said they had based their decision on the old rules.

Smith insisted that, according to updated rules, the match should have been declared a tie.