in Sunday's final round of matches.

Last week, members of Bermuda Cricket Umpires Association, embroiled in a dispute with Bermuda Cricket Board of Control, withdrew their services for the league programme.

But at a meeting of BCUA members on Tuesday night, the umpires voted to end their strike action.

A statement from the association, released yesterday by assistant secretary Randy Butler, read: "The BCUA, at its meeting on Tuesday, August 31, unanimously decided in the interests of the game of cricket, for the clubs, players and spectators, that they will resume their duties. Further dialogue with the BCBC on discipline and other matters will continue in the near future.'' The dispute started after umpires Wilbur Pitcher and Maxwell Curtis claimed they had been hassled by Willow Cuts players and submitted reports to the board.

Charges were brought against the players, but were dismissed by the BCBC after the umpires failed to show for a special hearing.

The umpires argued they had been informed of the meeting at short notice and took the board's move as evidence of a lack of support for their efforts to stamp out ill discipline among players.

The umpires asked the board for a public apology, which never came.

BCUA president Wilbur Pitcher said yesterday: "We know we are not going to get an apology from the board now, but the game has been suffering and for the sakes of the players, the clubs and spectators, we have decided to end our stand.

"It is important that we come back to keep up the standards of cricket -- we must not let the game die.'' Of the disciplinary hearing on the Willow Cuts incident, Pitcher said: "They (the BCBC) rang me at 4.30 or 5.00 p.m. to tell me they had a meeting. I had other commitments. Then they threw the case out because the umpires did not show. That is why we decided to take a stand.'' He added that bad behaviour was a blight on the game and a growing problem which umpires and the board had to tackle together.

"We have been watching the game deteriorate and we hope the board will come around and see that the game is suffering and join us in trying to do something about it,'' added Pitcher.