hand for the second time in four months and has been ruled out of the rest of the Derbyshire tour.

Hill was struck by a rising delivery from England paceman Devon Malcolm during Derbyshire's opening tour match with Bermuda on Sunday at Somerset Cricket Club. X-rays at the hospital yesterday morning showed a fracture on the outside of his hand -- the opposite side of the hand where the fracture came while playing soccer for Hotels last November.

"It's what they call a `boxer's fracture' on the outside of the hand,'' a disappointed Hill explained yesterday. "It's a straightforward break and I have a half-cast on which runs over the two smaller fingers.'' Just how long Hill will be sidelined is not certain, but he accepts he will miss the next Bermuda match on Saturday, even though he was named in the squad of 14 released yesterday by the Bermuda Cricket Board of Control.

"I've got to go back to the orthopaedics on Thursday and they might give me a different cast,'' Hill said. "It looks like I'm definitely going to be out for the rest of the tour.'' Hill feared the worst the moment the ball struck him on the unprotected part of his left glove which, as a right-hand batsman, is the hand facing the bowler.

"I think it was one of the quickest deliveries I've ever faced,'' he said of the ball from Malcolm who is rated one of the fastest bowlers in the world.

"As I looked to play it outside the off stump it cut back off the seam and hit the area of the glove where there's not much padding. I knew right away that it was nasty.'' After having the hand checked by the two Derbyshire physiotherapists and Bermuda trainer Nick Jones, Hill went off to the nets to test the hand in case he was needed to bat later in the Bermuda innings.

"There was some discomfort but I would have gone to the wicket if we needed 10 runs to win the game.'' It is not known if the BCBC selectors will bring in another specialist opening batsman to replace Hill.

The injury is a big blow to the Beruda team as Hill is one of the team's top batsmen. He had earlier lost opening partner Dennis Archer with six runs on the board and was just settling into his stride with a couple of boundaries when he went off with the score on 17.

Hill also confirmed yesterday that he is also unavailable for the two-match Pakistan tour here in early May, having already planned a trip abroad.

Wicket-keeper Allan Douglas and Under-25 squad batsman Jason Lewis are the two inclusions in the Bermuda squad for Saturday's match against Derbyshire at St.

David's on Saturday.

Douglas is in for Roger Trott, who is unavailable nonetheless as a Seventh Day Adventist.

The second match of the Derbyshire tour will take place at Devonshire Rec.

field today where the Under-25s, led by exciting Bailey's Bay batsman Glenn Smith, meet the English team in a 50-overs match starting at 10 a.m.

Derbyshire are expected to include the two players who did not play against Bermuda on Sunday -- all-rounder Alastair Richardson and slow lef-tarm bowler Richard Sladdin.

Local squads Under-25s: Glenn Smith (captain), Del Hollis, Jason Lewis, Jermaine Warner, Jermaine Outerbridge, Gladwin Edness, Cordell Gilbert, Clarkie Trott, Diallo Sharrieff, Gary Williams, Leon Place, Davon Wade, Mark Ray, Clay Smith.

Somerset CC v Derbyshire on Thursday at Somerset CC: Perry Maybury (captain), Allan Brangman, Cordell Gilbert, Jeff Richardson, Andre Manders, James Pace, Olin Jones, James Swan, Garry Williams, Ferdinand Thorne, Davon Wade.

Reserves: Kwame Tucker, Damon Thompson. Players should meet at the club by 8.30 a.m.

Bermuda v Derbyshire on Saturday at St. David's: Albert Steede (captain), Dennis Archer, Noel Gibbons, Jeff Richardson, Clevie Wade, Terry Burgess, Anthony Edwards, Allan Douglas, Del Hollis, Jermaine Outerbridge, Glenn Smith, Arnold Manders, Jason Lewis.

RICKY HILL -- "...one of the quickest deliveries I've ever faced.''