With Cup Match only four weeks away, the tragic death of former St.George?s Cricket Club off spinner Travis Smith has devastated the East End community and left the entire local cricket fraternity mourning the passing of a player who had yet to reach his prime.

Smith, 26, was killed in a collision with a grey Ingis Suzuki at the entrance of Terceira?s gas station on North Shore Road, Devonshire on Thursday night and later pronounced dead at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

In 2002 Smith was voted Cup Match MVP after seizing match figures of 10 for 130 on his debut, the first bowler to take five wickets in each innings since Eugene Hansey in 1969 and the first to do so as a colt.

Smith went on to represent St.George?s in two other Classics before eventually being dropped in favour of a seamer in 2005.

Yesterday, friends, coaches and colleagues paid tribute to the late cricketer, son of former St.George?s Colts? striker Noel (Sub) Smith.

?Travis will not only be a loss to St.George?s, but also a loss to the entire cricket fraternity,? stated Bermuda Cricket Board (BCB) president Reggie Pearman.

?I think his passing is tragic especially since he recently expressed a desire to try out for the national team where I am certain he would have been an asset

?Obviously we all know what Travis was capable of with the ball as he proved to be a real nuisance to us (Somerset) in Cup Match (2002) up in Somerset a few years ago.

?He will certainly be missed and on behalf of myself and Bermuda Cricket Board we send our condolences and prayers out to the family.?

St.George?s Cricket Club coach George Cannonier added: ?It is really sad to hear this about Travis because I always thought we would see more of him in the cricket arena.

?He was a very talented young man and I have known him all of his life and played football with his father (Sub) and my condolences go out o the family.

?I think Sub was Travis? number one fan and he really stood behind his son in a sporting light. I really feel sad for Sub and his family at this particular time.

?In the time that I coached Travis he never disrespected me and he was always an easy individual to get along with and coach. He always showed enthusiasm and showed up for training and that?s why I had so much faith in him that he would bounce back into Cup Match or even with the national team.

?I remember I invited Logie (national coach Gus Logie) to one of my training sessions and Travis was one of those who spoke up and told Logie he will be seeing him soon. And I thought that was very keen of him because he really liked cricket. I even have a picture of Travis on my wall with my son (Ankoma) playing football.?

Former St.George?s? Cup Match skipper Charlie Marshall also paid tribute to Smith who captained Bermuda?s Under 19 national youth team in the Americas Championships in 1997.

?There were times when I played in Cup Match with Travis and I really enjoyed his success up in Somerset (2002),? Marshall told .

?It was a joy to be a part of that moment when he took ten wickets on his debut and watch him produce the goods. And he is definitely going to be missed in St.George?s.

?I have always liked Travis and had a lot of respect for him. Some people used to say that he was rude and disrespectful . . . I never got that from Travis ? even when he used to come to the community centre (St.George?s).

?He has always been a good person towards me and I am very disturbed to learn of his death this morning. It is just so sad and this is not a happy morning.?

Former Bailey?s Bay, St.George?s? Cup Match and Bermuda ICC Trophy all rounder Noel Gibbons described Smith?s passing as tragic.

?It?s just tragic and one of those hard things to accept,? he said. ?There?s really not much I can say at this particular moment other then on behalf of Bailey?s Bay our hearts and thoughts go out to the family.?

Not only did Cleveland County skipper Jason Simons lose a fellow cricketer, he also lost a former schoolmate and colleague at work.

Simons and Smith both attended Drake Tech in Huntsville, Alabama and worked together for Government.

?To me Travis was more then just a cricketer . . . we worked together and went school together. So it?s not as though I only knew him through cricket,? Simons said.

?We go deeper then that and I used to see him everyday. I am just deeply saddened at the moment and really don?t know what to say.

?But on behalf of Cleveland County our hearts and condolences go out to the family.?

St.David?s Cricket Club coach Del Hollis said Smith will be a big loss to the St.George?s community.

?That is a big blow,? he said. ?I know he is going to be a big miss especially as a young spinner coming up.

?He was an up and coming spinner who had the potential, but it is just unfortunate things have turned out this way.

?I have sympathy for his family and on behalf of St.David?s? cricket team and community we send our condolences out to Sub and his family.?

Flatt?s stalwart Derek Wright added: ?I would like to extend my condolences to the entire family and the St.George?s community. I think it is a shame to lose such talent and disappointing to see one?s life end in such a tragic manner.

?It is also disappointing not to see Travis? sporting career continue in the vein that it had started. And as far as his sporting talents are concerned, his loss will be a loss to everybody.

?It?s just a shame and I really feel for his family under these circumstances.?

Former St.George?s Cricket Club scorer, Danika Gibbons, described Smith as a ?fun person?.

?He was a cool guy and never went some way with me,? Gibbons recalled. ?His death has shocked us all and it is very unfortunate and unreal something like this had to happen.?

Somerset Cricket Club league captain Reid Jones also paid tribute to a long-time friend.

?On behalf of Somerset?s team, we send our deepest condolences to St.George?s because this has really touched us,? he said.

Jones described Smith as a ?fierce? competitor on the pitch.

?Travis was always a nuisance when it came to Colts? Cup Match,? he added. ?He was young and tiny and I?ve seen times when we needed one wicket to win the match and Travis would be at one end just blocking and we couldn?t get him out.

?He was stubborn and just could not be moved and I am devastated to hear of his passing.?