Dreams of top class cricket coming to Bermuda all but ended yesterday ? but there was a silver lining to the announcement by the International Cricket Council that the Island would not be hosting first round World Cup matches.

Dignitaries and Bermuda Cricket Board officials gathered at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess yesterday to watch live feed from a Press conference in London where the ICC announced the eight venues to host World Cup games.

Sports Minister Dale Butler and Home Affairs Minister Randy Butler were left with their heads in their hands after ICC president Ehsan Mani announced the eight venues ? with Bermuda being left off the list.

But the Island was given a ray of hope for their investment of hundreds of man hours and thousands of dollars as they were announced as the first alternate venue for the competition.

Although it remains unlikely Bermuda will host games ? one of the Caribbean islands would have to fall drastically behind schedule ? it was still a sign that Bermuda?s 291-page bid submission had been well-received.

Bermuda is also guaranteed between four and six warm-up games.

?We are delighted that we have received some recognition by being given some warm-up matches,? said Sports Minister Dale Butler yesterday following the disappointing news that Bermuda had missed out. ?I?m sure the warm-up matches will be a success. A few months ago we set out on a journey, it was a monumental task, it was a tremendous challenge ? it was an opportunity that could have reaped enormous economic reward for the Island.

?We pulled out all the stops and put together a bid package which was nothing short of spectacular.

?We were told that it was the best presentation they had ever seen ? it raised the bar. I?m confident that the decision of the ICC is not a result of any holes in our package.?

Details on which warm-up games will be played here will be announced next Tuesday at a Press conference in Jamaica.

Speaking from Caricom?s annual Heads of Government conference in Grenada last night, Premier Alex Scott expressed disappointment but he said the key factor in Bermuda losing out had been the experience the other eight venues offered in hosting Test matches.

And he said the Bahamas had pulled out of their bid to let Bermuda have a better shot which he said was typical of the sense of community within Caricom.