Bailey's Bay 130-7 Members of Bermuda Cricket Umpires Association, with the exception of secretary Stephen Douglas, boycotted Premier League games yesterday, forcing clubs to make do with volunteers.

And it was ironic that the team at the centre of the dispute which prompted yesterday's umpires' `sick out' -- Willow Cuts -- sorely missed the experience of those officials as Cuts lost on faster run rate.

The two volunteer umpires, Anthony Fubler, normally the Willow Cuts scorer, and Bay official Eric Somner, failed to reduce the number of overs after the match started a half hour late. And the overs were also not reduced after a first rain stoppage of about half an hour.

Willow Cuts' innings was finally stopped at 5.00 p.m. after 46 overs, with Bay starting their chase at 5.10. Laws governing one-day matches call for the first innings to end at 3.30 and the match to end at 7.30.

But the two officials were not even in agreement when bad light was offered to the batsmen at 7.55. Finally, they reached a compromise by allowing one more over to be bowled before the teams went off, still not knowing who won the match.

Adding to the day's drama was a heated exchange between Somner and bowler Rodney Fubler, one of the Cuts players named in the umpires' report recently submitted to the BCBC, when Somner turned down an appeal for lbw.

Bay, thanks to a sixth wicket stand of 75 between Irving Romaine and Allan Walker, eventually won the match with a faster scoring rate, with Cuts' runs coming at 3.47 an over and Bay scoring at 3.71 in their 35 overs.

Romaine was high man with 69 while Walker scored a valuable 15. Ossie Hinds led the Cuts bowling with five for 26 from eight overs.

Noel Gibbons' first appearance of the season for Bay was overshadowed by the umpires' boycott. After taking two for 22 from 10 overs, Gibbons lasted just three balls after opening the batting with Desmond Crockwell. The veteran allrounder gave an easy return catch to Charles Swan in the second over of the innings.

Also performing well with the ball for Bay was Clarkie Trott with two for 12 from nine overs while Jim West had one for 30.

Reggie Tucker Jr, batting at number four in the absence of a number of batsmen, including Dwight and Dwayne Basden, Richard Basden and Shannon and Jermaine Warner, was top bat with 57. Captain Dexter Basden scored 21 and opener Kevin Fubler 16.

Western Stars 278-6 St. David's 150 Even a second reduced target of 206 in 35 overs because of rain proved too much for St. David's as they suffered their first league loss since the opening day of the season.

Cleon Scotland pegged the home team back with three for 16 from 4.5 overs while Allan Brangman had two for 15, captain Hasan Durham two for 16 and Treadwell Gibbons two for 51.

Stephen Douglas was the only official umpire on duty yesterday. But he declined to comment afterwards on why he did not support the boycott.

Clay Smith was top bat for St. David's with 37 while Lionel Cann, promoted to number four, hit a quick 35 as St. David's tried to keep up with the run rate.

Opener Allen Richardson scored 20 and Rudell Pitcher 16 not out in the tailend.

Earlier, Albert Steede stroked 93 including 14 fours and a six before being run out. The opening stand of 78 with Jermaine Postlethwaite (43) laid the foundation for the Stars total as Ricky Brangman (45) and Gary Brangman (52 not out) also made good contributions.

Photos by Ras Mykkal That's out: Western Stars batsman Ricky Brangman is run out for 45 as St.

David's wicketkeeper Chris Foggo breaks the stumps during yesterday's Premier League clash at Lord's.