Residents at Matilda Smith Williams senior rest home in Devonshire received a surprise visit on Monday.

No, not from jolly old Santa himself, but from members of Bermuda?s victorious over 45 masters cricket team that won October?s Antigua Independence Cricket Festival in the Caribbean.

The senior cricketers came good on a promise to begin giving back to the community by offering their services to clean up the old folks rest home last Monday evening. ?The guys came to give us a general clean up to help us for Christmas,? commented Roland Simons, deputy chairman of Board of Governors for the rest home.

?Everything was arranged beforehand and the guys did general house cleaning from top to bottom. ?And their services were very appreciated and we look forward to their return in January to paint the roof.?

Since their victorious exploits in Antigua earlier in the fall, Bermuda?s seasoned warriors have attended church services at St. John?s AME where pastor Ruth Vanlowe-Smith blessed the team, and have also formed a men?s choir.

Bermuda Masters will compete in Surrey, England next summer and will also tour Argentina in 2008.

The team, comprised of some of the best cricketers the Island has produced, won last October?s Masters Tournament in Antigua undefeated.

?Part of our mandate as a team is that we get involved with the community through community service. We had put forth a few projects and the Matilda Smith rest home was selected as our first,? Bermuda Masters chairman and opening batsman Allen Richardson explained.

Team members now plan to select and complete one community project per month.

?The guys were warmly received and had a great time,? Richardson added. ?And it was a very good experience because some of the residents there knew of some of our cricketers. And so they also got an opportunity to meet some of them.?