Allan Douglas Jr, the Cleveland captain, admits the altercation between Jason Anderson and George O’Brien at the Champion of Champions final at Lord’s did not do his team’s reputation any good.

Douglas, who missed two Eastern Counties matches after being slapped with a ban for failing to control his players during the first-round match with Bailey’s Bay in July, fears he could face another sanction, even though he tried to calm things down between wicketkeeper Anderson and O’Brien, the Willow Cuts guest player.

Carlton Smith, the Cleveland president, ran onto the field to help restore calm and had some harsh words for Anderson before pointing to the pavilion, ordering him off the pitch.

Douglas was summoned to the umpires room to give a statement after the match, which Cleveland won by 72 runs. It was the first Champion of Champions match in more than a decade after the competition involving the three counties champions was revived this season.

“Today didn’t make anything any better but it wasn’t between the two clubs,” Douglas said.

“Just like Willow Cuts are going through a rough time with certain things on and off the field, Cleveland are also going through things on and off the field.

“I don’t want the public to think it was two teams going at each other. It didn’t go any further than the two players so that’s a good thing. It just happens to be two St George’s Cup Match players.”

Although the Bermuda Cricket Board does not have the power to sanction players in the Eastern Counties, the same will not apply to the Champion of Champions.

The BCB has already issued a statement vowing to take strong action once the umpires reports are completed and is planning a disciplinary committee meeting on Thursday.

“I had to go up to speak to the umpires and they will get back to me this week about the charges,” Douglas said. “I’m the captain and everything falls back on me. I’m just off a suspension for the same thing, but I’m hoping they’ll be lenient on me in this particular incident because they saw me try to stop it.

“I’d like to apologise to the public for our outburst on July 18 in the Eastern Counties when myself as the captain should have played a bigger part in trying to calm things down.”

Douglas was voted the man of the match after scoring 38 in the Cleveland total of 162 and claiming four for 16 against Willow Cuts.

The incidents on Saturday and in the Eastern Counties overshadowed what has been a good season for Cleveland, who retained their counties title, won the Champion of Champions and finished third in the Premier Division. Their match with Bailey’s Bay on Sunday was called off.

Michael Weeks, the Shadow Sports Minister, has condemned the actions of Anderson and O’Brien.

“What was to be a family and community event, has instead been marred by a repugnant incident of violence, lawlessness and unsportsmanlike conduct,” Weeks said.

“Our community has an obligation to not only demand better from our youth and our athletes.”