Premier Division outfit Social Club could be required to forfeit points earned in a hard-fought limited overs contest against St. David’s at Lords should claims the Pembroke club fielded an ineligible player during the match be substantiated by an ongoing Bermuda Cricket Board (BCB) probe into the matter.

At the centre of the row is the question whether or not Barbados-born cricketer Ricky Hoyte — grandson of former West Indies Test batsman Sir Everton Weeks — meets the necessary requirements to participate in BCB sanctioned matches.

According to BCB bye-laws, all players participating in Board sanctioned or Board organised competitions must be Bermudians or be resident locally and be legally and gainfully employed.

Social Club won the May 20 contest by four-wickets at Lords, with Hoyte anchoring the visitors to victory with an unbeaten 19 at the crease.

But since then it is understood St. David’s have submitted a written protest to local cricket’s governing body expressing their concerns about doubts raised over the player’s eligibility to play.

As of yesterday neither club were prepared to comment on the matter. However, senior Board executive Neil Speight confirmed that the Islanders’ have submitted a written protest to the BCB that is now thoroughly being looked into.

“A letter of objection was received from a club (St. David’s) and they are claiming that Social Club fielded an ineligible player and the matter is now under review,” Speight told The Royal Gazette.

“Expats must be resident on a work permit and have been on the Island for at least four months before we let them play. Transitory people are not allowed.”

A frequent visitor to the Island over the years, all-rounder Hoyte has previously enjoyed playing stints in the Commercial Division with West Indian Association and more recently North Village but up until last month had never before played among the BCB ranks.

It is understood that Hoyte — who made his first class debut for Barbados against the Leeward Islands in Bridgetown in 1990 — had initially expressed a desire to represent Bailey’s Bay this summer but eventually had a change in heart and instead was allowed to sign on with Social Club by the same governing body currently investigating the West Indian cricketer’s eligibility to play in the first instance.

Board executives will now carefully review details over the matter before they come to a conclusion that could either see the result stand as it is should Social Club be found not to have contravened existing bye-laws with reference to the qualification of players or penalised if found guilty of violating them.

“I don’t think it’s going to take to long to resolve,” Speight said. “But it is a possibility that a team that fields an ineligible player would forfeit any points from the game the player played in if they earned any.”