Cup Match.

This move will likely allow Dean Minors to take over the position Douglas had virtually made his own since replacing Dennis Wainwright in 1978.

Despite a year of resignations (he also dropped out of the Bermuda team) the popular player stressed that he intends to continue on for some time as an Eastern Counties player.

"The time is right and I don't need to go on any longer,'' Douglas said of his decision to quit local cricket's showpiece. "I've enjoyed it tremendously, it was a wonderful feeling.

"Dean is very much ready, he had a very good tour to England and I'm very impressed with him. I just want to give it all to Cleveland, we've never won anything and I just want to concentrate on establishing something at Cleveland.'' Douglas, 34, has had to fight off the challenge of Minors in Cup Match since 1988 when the youngster began to establish himself as a 'keeper of real promise. That year, and again in 1989, the St. George's selectors, torn between Douglas' experience and the promise of club player Minors, decided to pick both players with Minors getting the wicket-keeping job in '88 and Douglas in '89.

The following year Douglas challenged the selectors to pick him as the main 'keeper or not at all. They responded by putting him back behind the stumps as Minors was dropped and Douglas reached the highlight of his Cup Match career by being voted MVP after his first-innings 76 not out helped rescue St.

George's from 73 for five.

"It would have been nice to have scored a century but I have to be satisfied with the 70s I got,'' Douglas stated.

"All young players should look to play in Cup Match, but for their country and then Cup Match,'' said Douglas. "It's a shame society labels Cup Match as the biggest thing and that the same isn't put into playing for your country.'' Douglas denies his decision was made because of continued support in St.

George's for Minors' inclusion, or that he decided to quit before being dropped.

"It's a weird feeling when you're just not pumped up for it,'' he said. "Age didn't come into it, it's just a different era in my life with other things to do.

"There was a time when just about everybody in St. George's favoured him but that changed a bit and I think now they're looking at the whole team and wanting St. George's to do well.'' Douglas played in 13 Cup Matches between 1978-91, missing the 1987 classic because he was in Ireland as coach of the Bermuda youth team.

His two children will be proud to read about their father's achievements in years to come. His 25 dismissals are the third most by a wicket-keeper in the event while in 21 innings he has scored 375 runs with a highest score of 76 not out at an average of 20.83.

The ninth-wicket stand of 98 he shared with Clarkie Trott in 1990 is a record, beating the 26-year-old mark of 68 between George Breamar and Joe Bailey.

END OF AN ERA -- Allan Douglas receiving his 1990 Cup Match MVP award from sponsor Jack Pitt.