Returning club representatives Irving Romaine, Peter Philpott and Dennis Williams are looking forward to working under the new Bermuda Cricket Board executive headed by president Arnold Manders.

The former Bermuda captain was voted in a week ago when he beat incumbent Lloyd Smith by a vote of 8-5 and almost immediately expressed a desire to return the island’s cricket to its former ranking internationally.

Romaine is looking forward to getting down to work with the other club representatives, who took their positions initially in January and were re-elected at the annual meeting last week.

“The reps, myself, Peter and Dennis, got voted back in for a second year because, realistically, we didn’t have anything to do last year because of Covid-19 and because the season was short,” Romaine said.

“I’m looking forward to having a 50-overs [competition] and once we go into that the clubs will have things to ask us to do. Vice versa the board can then offer more things.

“Last year, in the first year for all three of us, it was more about just getting cricket played. We’ll be asking what the clubs want. Some clubs are looking for one league, some don’t want one league, so all that work now begins for the club reps.”

Romaine will represent the clubs in the eastern zone, Philpott the central and Williams the western zone. “It should be very interesting to see what the clubs bring forth for the new season,” said Romaine, Bermuda’s captain during the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies.

Philpott, a former Cleveland County player, is looking forward to serving again as a club representative. “I’m here for cricket,” he said. “A lot of [positive] things had been happening under Lloyd. We just have to keep them moving forward while taking into account what Arnold is trying to achieve, and gel that together with what Lloyd has done.

“Everybody is for cricket. Arnold was there before and Kellie [Smith, the first vice-president] was a part of the under-19s anyway and I was using her to work with the girls. Now that she’s back on the board, she can take that on.”

He added: “This is my second year on the board and everybody is very positive and comes with different ideas. We put it to discussion and see what everybody is thinking.

“A lot of things were happening behind the scenes because we were having Zoom meetings with Cal Blankendal [BCB executive director] very much involved. That’s why we got moved up from Tier 1 to Tier 2 in the Americas region. We have a lot of things happening internationally.” [

Romaine added: “Congratulations to Arnold and thanks to Lloyd who was there before. Arnold has taken the head role now after being vice, so he knows what is in store. He has been around a long time, was an avid cricketer, part of the national programme and the planning that he has already done he can bring forth now he’s in charge. I’m looking forward to his strategic plans, him being a former cricketer and coach.

“He wrote a strategic plan before when he was working full time at the cricket board. It’s just about everybody getting on board and trying to follow the plan and move cricket forward.

“Kellie has been around a long time on the Bermuda Cricket Board, on the back bench with women’s cricket. She brings a wealth of knowledge into it from a woman’s perspective, and listening to her in a leadership position, it is refreshing.”

Romaine, a PE teacher, keeps involved as coach of Bailey’s Bay, as well as coach of the North Village under-13 football team.

“It’s time for cricket to become exciting again,” he said. “Most of the cricket fans are getting older and we need to find a way to get crowds back.

“Cricket needs to be rejuvenated, and once people start to come, then the sponsors will come. Football is taking the kids and even as a club rep I really believe that cricket in the schools has to be pushed more.

“I try to push cricket but we haven’t had a high school cricket game in about five years.”