Bermuda?s cricket pitches and the curators who prepare them are perennially subjected to intense scrutiny ? and it appears the relatively new square at the National Sports Centre is no different.

Despite Bermuda Cricket Board?s 286 runs in the first innings against Lloyd?s Cricket Club in the day-night encounter on Wednesday, the pitch deteriorated worryingly quickly during the tourists? reply and resembled more of a sandbox than a cricket wicket at the match?s conclusion.

And although they really only have themselves to blame for a blatant lack of application at the crease in assembling their disappointing 109 all out in only 29.3 overs, Lloyd?s were nonetheless inhibited by the crumbling surface ? with clouds of dust billowing up off the painfully slow wicket as early as the 53rd over of the match.

Afterwards, several of the visiting players were heard to voice their discontent, while Bermuda?s national coach Mark Harper did admit that he was concerned that the square on which Bermuda will play a number of important international matches this summer ? and potentially play host to a first group stage of the World Cup in 2007 ? was breaking up so noticeably just half way through a limited overs match.

The square, first laid four years ago, only offers four separate strips.

This has in itself been a headache for Harper, who has been anxious to conduct practices in the middle with his national team players, but has been prevented by the counsel of NSC head groundsman Trevor Madeiros, who insists that he must preserve the wickets for the hectic schedule of games at the ground both now and in the future.

Bermuda captain Clay Smith, meanwhile, did admit yesterday that he felt the pitch on Wednesday was significantly slower than it had been at any time last year, but also expressed confidence in the staff at the NSC to find the correct formula ahead of the Island?s major international cricketing engagements.

?The ball was definitely not coming on as well as last year and I was surprised how quickly the wicket dusted up when we were bowling, which made it quite hard for Lloyd?s,? he said.

?But there has not been too much cricket played up there and perhaps with a little more water and by leaving a little more grass on the wicket, it will play better for the important games.?

Madeiros, a highly qualified agronomist, conceded that he ?would have liked to have applied a little more water? to the pitch on Wednesday, but dismissed any suggestion that his wickets were not going to stand up to the pressure of regular international competition.

He pointed out also that those who laid the square four years ago were forbidden from using foreign soil, as decreed by the Department of Agriculture, and had been highly reluctant to persevere with local clay-based soils ? notorious for disintegrating into dust under duress.

?I?m very confident the pitches will hold up and mature into really good pitches,? he said.

?We have had dealings with pitch consultants from the ICC and they are very happy with the square in general. I?ve got no real concerns at all. You only have to look at the way they played last year when Brian Lara was here to see that they have enormous potential.?

?But the quality of the soil is not ideal,? he continued, ?which means that we have to get the water level right, administer plenty of rolling and leave enough grass on them to keep the soil bound together. It is a bit of a balancing act but I?m very confident that they will play consistently well given a little time and patience.?

Madeiros said also that he was well aware of Harper?s keenness to utilise the middle for practice sessions, but argued that with only four pitches, regular use outside of formal matches was simply not a practical exercise.

?Ideally of course we would like to prepare practice strips for the national team,? he said.

?But with all the cricket coming up both this summer and beyond, we have to protect it from damage and overuse if they are to play well in the long-term.?