Bermuda Cricket Umpires Association (BCUA) members have decided to boycott matches involving Devonshire Recreation Club, Young Men's Social Club and Western Stars until Bermuda Cricket Board (BCB) have dealt with serious disciplinary matters involving the trio.

Last weekend saw local cricket descend into chaos after matches involving Devonshire and Willow Cuts, and Stars and Leg Trappers, were abandoned for safety reasons as violence reared its ugly head.

Devonshire player/coach Ricky Brangman is alleged to have been involved in a physical altercation with son, Lamont, at Somerset Cricket Club while Stars' opening batsman Treadwell Gibbons Jr. could be facing a lengthy ban for allegedly damaging property belonging to hosts Trappers at Police Field.

A third match, involving Southampton Rangers and Social Club, saw Social Club all-rounder Detroy Smith snatch an item from the pocket of umpire Kent Gibbons, pull all three stumps out of the ground and toss the bails in the air after receiving a yellow card following the controversial dismissal of player/coach Charlie Marshall.

Rangers players are also alleged to have pressured substitute umpire, Richard (Red) Burrows, into changing his decision after originally turning down an appeal for a run out.

The BCB announced last night that disciplinary hearings have been convened for next Monday and Tuesday evening when a total of nine players will face various charges. Gibbons, Smith and Brangman, if found guilty, could be banned for the rest of the season or even longer.

It is understood the recent incidents have placed added stress on the BCUA's already depleted ranks, and the association have now made personal safety a number one priority.

Disgruntled BCUA members recently met to voice their own safety concerns as well as their disapproval of the BCB's delayed response in dealing with disciplinary proceedings.

"They (BCUA) want to see what action the Board takes before they go back on the field with those particular teams," a BCUA source told The Royal Gazette.

According to BCB claims, disciplinary chairman Vince Hollinsid and vice-chairman Colin Blades are currently abroad which has resulted in hearings relating to last weekend's incidents put on the backburner for the time being.

Earlier this year BCB promised to clamp down on unruly behaviour, with vice-president Allen Richardson telling this newspaper: "Our standards and the respect we have for the game and each other is almost in the gutter. Nowhere else in the world is this kind of behaviour accepted or tolerated."

This year has so far seen three players banned for breaching the BCB's code of conduct.

Social Club skipper and national team fast bowler Kevin Hurdle received a one-year ban from international cricket and a three-game ban from domestic cricket for using obscene, offensive and insulting language to a national team official.

Willow Cuts player Antoine Bean received a three-game ban for showing dissent after an umpire's decision and using offensive and insulting language while Cleveland County's Allan Douglas Jr. was banned for two matches for dissent and use of profanity while addressing an umpire.

More recently, top umpire Steven Douglas was reprimanded by his BCUA colleagues for allegedly making an obscene gesture towards a fan and interrupting a match several times to respond to calls on his cell phone.