decade won't have been too surprised that the Island's under-19 team failed to win a single match in last week's International Youth Tournament.

And just as predictable, perhaps, was England's third title win in the last four tournaments as even their mostly under-17 team finished unbeaten in six round robin matches with five wins and a tie.

Twelve years ago Bermuda won the tournament on home soil when the team, captained by Darrin Lewis, beat Mike Atherden's England North in an exciting final by nine wickets at Somerset.

Atherden has gone on to become England's longest serving captain at Test level. Albert Steede, who scored 80 not out against Atherden's team, has been Bermuda's captain for the past four years. But that's where the comparisons end.

In the years that have followed England have won the bi-ennial event every time except in 1983 when Zimbabwe triumphed. In 1995 and this year the England team has comprised of under-17 players.

The loss of the Shell Youth Tournament a few years ago has hurt junior cricket, the results of which are being seen now.

As one keen observer remarked after the Bermuda loss to Scotland: "You can't blame the players, they are only a product of the youth programme that we don't have.'' Now there's plenty of work to be done at youth level before Bermuda enter the under-15 and under-17 tournaments in the West Indies in the next couple of years.

The England team, which contained exciting opening batsmen Robert Key and Graham Napier, will gain further international exposure when the Zimbabwe under-19 team arrives in England next week for a tour.

Other countries are also playing more and more matches with Ireland, Scotland and Wales competing soon in a triangular tournament in Birmingham, England.

Ireland are the defending champions of the tournament which involves amateur players from club teams.

John Abrahams, a former player with Lancashire and coach of the under-17s since 1992 and the under-19s since last year, has seen the emergence of some talented youngsters.

"We would like to think that what we call our Development of Excellence scheme is working in that there is continuity from the under-15s to under-17s through to the under-19s,'' said Abrahams.

"Then the big step obviously is either into the England A team or the full England side.

"It is working because last winter Ben Hollioake went to Pakistan with the England under-19s and at the start of this season he was selected for the one-day international at Lords and performed quite well.'' Abrahams expects some of the England IYT players to press for places in the squad for the Youth World Cup.

"The selection is not only going to be based on what we've seen here. But from our point of view you get a close look at the players to see how they perform under pressure, playing day after day and whether they are good tourists as well, which will contribute to selection,'' said the coach.

"When we get back to England the Zimbabwe under-19s will be arriving to play a series against the England under-19s and obviously some of the players -- if not all -- who have been to Bermuda will participate in some of those matches.'' Even though England did not bring their strongest team to Bermuda they were still the best team over the week-long tournament.

"One player who could have come on this tour is Owais Shah who is under-18 and who plays regularly for Middlesex,'' Abrahams disclosed. "He has already been on an England A tour to Australia.'' All the teams possessed some promising players and for those emerging ICC countries that can only be encouraging news as these players filter into their senior teams in the next few years.

"My first experience of playing against Associate member countries was in Holland two years ago and I can genuinely say from there there has been an improvement in all the countries,'' said Abrahams.

"Every one of them have improved and have obviously tried to make themselves better and more difficult to beat.

"Without being biased the biggest improvements have been with teams like Ireland and Scotland but you can still see improvements with the Canadas and Bermudas as well. Denmark and Holland are also playing more cricket now.''