Bermuda Cricket Umpires Association (BCUA) have now threatened to take their ongoing pay dispute with Bermuda Cricket Board (BCB) to the Ministry of Sport in the hope of reaching a settlement.

After talks between the two parties broke down last Friday, BCUA members took matters into their own hands and boycotted Saturday's opening round of the BCB's new 20/20 League which still went ahead as originally planned.

BCUA members did return to work yesterday, but warned they are willing to take their plight all the way to the top should the BCB continue to ignore their calls for a meeting to be scheduled between the two organisations.

"We are not happy with the manner in which the BCB have approached this situation. They have told us that we can't meet but have never told us why they cannot make it," Austin told reporters at a press conference yesterday. "But there are other avenues beyond the Board and the Board CEO (Speight), in particular, that we can go to - and we haven't heard anything from the Board president (Reggie Pearman).

"The Board is answerable to the Ministry of Sport and if we need to take that route we will do so."

At the crux of the row is the BCB's refusal to meet BCUA pay demands that would see umpires pocket a fee of $100 dollars for officiating in all 20/20 matches this season.

"We are not here to disrupt cricket in any way, shape or fashion or fight the BCB," Austin added. "It's just to show there are means of communication that need to be kept open and followed through on and not just leave people in the lurch, which was the situation on Friday."

Austin accused Board CEO Neil Speight of turning a blind eye to the BCUA's request to meet with their BCB counterparts in a last ditch effort to resolve the matter prior to last weekend - a claim local cricket's governing body have denied.

"On Friday, April 25 at 10.50a.m. BCUA (secretary) Richard Austin requested a meeting with BCB officials at 1p.m. that day. He was told that Neil Speight was definitely not available until at least 7p.m. that night and that it would be doubtful at that stage to organise a meeting with executive members at short notice," read a BCB statement.

"During that telephone conversation, Mr. Speight explained that if the BCUA wished to charge $100 for a 20/20 game then they should deal directly with the clubs for those games. In no way could the BCB endorse or support a fee of $100 for a 20/20 game.

"Additionally, during the conversation, Mr. Austin explicitly confirmed that in no way would the BCUA consider a reduction in the 20/20 fee even if a meeting could be arranged. Therefore, any meeting would have been irrelevant to this particular matter."

The Board also moved swiftly to clarify the status of umpires' fees for this summer, stressing that "the BCB do not determine umpires fees".

"The BCUA issue a schedule of fees payable by the clubs for their services. As a free service to the BCUA, the BCB invoices and collects umpire fees from clubs on the behalf of the BCUA," the BCB statement read. "On receipt of the proposed fees for 2008 the BCB requested a meeting with the BCUA to discuss the merits and demerits of the proposal.

"In the meeting with BCUA president (Wali Manders) and BCUA Treasurer (Kent Gibbons) the BCB representatives pointed out that the fee for the 20-20 games was disproportionate to the time of work when compared to all other fee rates. For example, for a 50 over game the rate is $125. This would imply a fair rate of $50 for a 20 over game.

"In the meeting it was emphasised to the BCUA that the clubs are not wealthy institutions and that many of them struggle to pay umpires fees. The BCUA release claims that this statement was attributable to the BCB, which is not true."

Austin said he hopes the matter can be resolved in the "very near future" and has urged the BCB to "come to the table" so that an agreement can be made to the satisfaction of both parties.

* Herbie Bascome has now agreed to assist head coach Andre Manders with the Island's Under 18 national squad that will compete in the Bermuda Cricket Board (BCB) First Division this season.

Bascome had originally agreed to coach Western Stars this season but has since had a change in heart and accepted terms of a BCB proposal to assist at the Under 18 national level instead.

*Seamer Damali Bell took three for 26 in a losing cause for the Americas Development XI at the Clico International Under 15 Tournament in the Caribbean over the weekend.

Batting first, the Americas team scored 156 all out before Malaysia replied with 157 for eight to win by two wickets with 32 balls to spare.