Dear Sir,

I cannot ever recall having been "called out" before and were I to enivisage such a scenario, Recman might have been one of the last persons I would have expected to be the "caller".

For, having spent much of the past two decades using this medium as a platform to put forth his opinions, often championing my cause as a Bermuda cricketer, I might add, surely he more than most should be aware of the unwritten rule that opinions are just that and that the brotherhood of scribes is sacrosanct.

That is as far as I will go in relation to my good mate because anything more would be to demean the both of us and there has been enough damage on that front, I'm afraid.

But back to the matter at hand. I am absolutely delighted by the turnaround in Lionel Cann's form and the contribution that he made to Bermuda's unsuccessful attempt to retain their Americas title.

However, I stand by my assertion that his career hitherto was more of the hit-or-miss variety. That is not to say that he is or was a slogger, but rather because of lack of judgment and the odd rush of blood, Lionel was prone to not getting the most out of his talent. As such, in opposition equally you feared that the next ball could be launched into orbit or you fancied a wicket. Either way, the bowler was always in with a sniff and, at the end of the day, a quick 20 or 30 is a small price to pay if you can see the back of such a talented ball-striker early doors.

Now, by all accounts, it appears that maturity and accountability, with so many younger players around him, have contributed to settling him down. It also does not hurt that he has a bit of a free rein at the top of the order where he is better suited to take advantage of the early powerplay overs.

Let's hope that he kicks on from here and that Glenn Blakeney, the other enigma of modern times, has another four of five years in him of consistent availability. At their best, with David Hemp's experience and the natural progression of youngsters such as Chris Douglas and Steven Outerbridge, Bermuda can seriously challenge the established order at ICC Associate level.

Finally, can I send my deepest condolences to Wayne Campbell and family on the passing of his son, Machai. It seems almost like yesterday, the images of Wayne carting around the infant twins everywhere he went, and his loss is unspeakable. God bless, mate.

Yours in sport,

DEXTER SMITH

London, England