wet start here yesterday as a heavy downpour in the morning cancelled the net session and put a damper on plans for today's scheduled opener against Jamaica.

Bermuda instead took the opportunity to have an extended physical work-out and fielding session at Sabina Park before retiring to their Medallion Hall hotel.

The four-match tour will instead begin tomorrow at the same venue with the national side due to play Jamaica again on Thursday at Kaiser Park in Discovery Bay, some three hours' drive away.

The ground's personnel at Jamaica's Test venue declared that it would take a day for the outfield to dry. Furthermore, they are being particularly cautious with a new playing wicket.

Once everything is in order, Bermuda will be the first team to test the re-laid pitch. Though the wicket is devoid of grass and is traditionally very hard, insiders do not expect it to match previous strips in terms of pace.

The 17-member Bermuda team, with officials Clarence Tucker (tour manager), McDonald Swan (team manager) and Nick Jones (trainer), arrived as scheduled on Boxing Day afternoon and had a light work-out.

The players and management team then met briefly with former West Indies Test great Michael Holding, who will oversee this morning's postponed match session with many anxious to hold a bat in their hands for the first time in over a week.

Skipper Albert Steede, though not pleased that the side have not had a session in the nets yet, is satisfied on the whole with the way things have gone.

"The team has settled down well. We got in and had a half-hour to 45-minute training session,'' said the 25-year-old captain.

"That helped us out a lot because we had a bit of jet leg and some were tired.

"This morning we had a physical session because of the elements. The rain held us back from a proper net session with Michael Holding, but Nick had us today and we had a good work-out. I think the guys are really acclimatised to the weather and are just ready to play.'' Charlie Marshall and Del Hollis are the only medical concerns at present, but both are on the up side after a bout with flu, which has been rampant in Bermuda the past fortnight.

Added Steede: "There are no problems just as yet. A few guys have a few aches and pains. But that's natural for just coming from Bermuda.'' Plans are under way for at least one more match to be added to the schedule.

The management team is looking into breaking up the three-day hiatus from December 31 to January 2 with an intra-squad match a possibility.

The tour concludes with matches against Kensington Cricket Club on January 4 and Lucas Cricket Club on January 6, both at Nelson Oval, the home of Lucas CC.

The side will then watch the first day of the four-day Red Stripe match between Jamaica and Guyana on January 7 before returning to Bermuda the following day.

Of immediate concern to Steede, however, is to get some match practice for his troops.

"We're all anxiously waiting to play this Jamaica team, '' he said. "We want to win at least one of the two matches. If not, I would like to have a good result just to make us more confident in our ability.'' "We are all striving for one goal and that's to come in the top three at the ICC Trophy Tournament in Kenya. If we get good result in Jamaica it will help us become more confident.''