The long-running fued between the umpires and the BCBC shows no signs of being brought to a satisfactory conclusion after the sides clashed over the handling of a disciplinary meeting.

After learning that the board last week had thrown out the latest disciplinary case against Willow Cuts' player-coach Rodney Fubler and other team officials, the umpires hit out at the governing body.

They claimed that the dismissal of it on the grounds that the umpires failed to show up and give evidence at the hearing was unjust.

And the BCUA have also vehemently denied claims by Board president El James that the two bodies were enjoying a good working relationship.

"We are very upset over the way this thing was handled, we didn't show up because we were only told at the 11th hour,'' said Wilbur Pitcher, one of the umpires involved in the case, and also president of the BCUA.

"Imagine being informed of a meeting on the afternoon, just a couple of hours before it was scheduled when you had made other commitments. That was our position, we just couldn't make it in time on such short and unrealistic notice.

"Mr. James claims that he didn't think that throwing out the case would affect our relationship, but what does it do? Surely it does nothing to strengthen our relationship, not during a year when we expected so many improvements in the area of discipline. We definitely are not happy about this case and where it ends we just do not know.'' The umpires reported Willow Cuts' coach Rodney Fubler for violent conduct and ungentlemanly acts which they claim happened outside of the umpires' dressing room below the club after a match against St. George's at Somerset CC on July 11.

The Board had revealed that the case was dismissed after the umpires concerned, Pitcher and Maxwell Curtis, failed to show up while Willow Cuts representatives were there. Curtis is reported to have first suffered abuse on the field of play.

Pitcher said that the meeting in question was scheduled for August 5 and was in fact the second meeting.. .the first one arranged for the week before Cup Match, on July 26, was postponed on short notice.

"What makes me laugh is that they can cancel a meeting on short notice but when we do likewise they throw the case out. I don't think that is fair,'' said Pitcher.

He was also bothered by the fact that the Board's correspondence about the case indicated that the person being cited for grievances was coach Fubler and not Willow Cuts skipper Dexter Basden, who should have been summoned.

"We are definitely not satisfied with that because the Board's own Code of Conduct policy that was circulated to clubs clearly shows that the captains are responsible at all times for ensuring that play is conducted within the spirit of the game as well as within the laws,'' said Pitcher.

"Why can't they abide by their own policies? Why wasn't Mr. Basden summoned instead of Mr. Fubler?'' However BCBC secretary Charlotte (Molly) Simons also took strong exception to Pitcher's position, defending the Board in the procedure taken to hear the disciplinary case.

She noted that after the original meeting was called off just before Cup Match, she personally spoke with BCUA secretary Stephen Douglas and advised him about the new date on August 5, leaving them plenty of time to make the necessary arrangements.

"There was no short notice, they knew well in advance. As it turned out Mr.

Douglas only called us at 5p.m. on August 5 to say that their people could not make the meeting,''said Simons.

"The umpires clearly have a problem, not us. It should also be noted that they failed to send their people to two of the three previous hearings that have been held this season and that speaks for itself.'' As for claims that Basden should have been summoned rather than Fubler, Simons said that the umpires in their report aimed their accusations at the latter and therefore the Board had no alternative but to summon that individual.

It is understood that there is a consensus in the umpires' ranks that the Board deliberately delayed the hearing altogether to make it possible for Basden to compete in Cup Match. Simons says such talk was nothing but nonsense and didn't deserve a response.