The apathy currently being shown by the Island’s cricketers towards Bermuda Cricket Board’s Two-Day League plummeted to a new low over the weekend as a seven-man Warwick team suffered a humiliating innings and 151-run defeat against Willow Cuts at Somerset Cricket Club in a Second Division contest lasting just one day.

Warwick’s dismal showing came on the heels of recent news that both Bailey’s Bay and Police had pulled out of the league through lack of interest from their players.

And another game scheduled over the weekend, between PHC and Cleveland, never even got underway as the pitch at White Hill Field hadn’t been prepared.

Warwick batted first at Somerset and with their shallow batting order could only muster 82 runs while Cuts replied with a massive 295 for six before declaring with a comfortable 213-run first innings lead.

Warwick were then dismissed for 62 in their second innings, 151 runs in arrears, giving Cuts victory by a staggering margin.

“I think there was some confusion over the availability of players and even though we were expecting some players to be unavailable we still thought we could field a team,” commented Warwick sports committee member Mike Watson.

“We were certainly expecting more than seven players to turn up, although we did know that some players had work commitments while a few others are currently off Island,”

Veteran cricketer Perry Scott topped the Warwick batting in both innings (23 and 27) while Under-19 national team cricketer Chris Douglas returned figures of two for 68 to lead the visitors’ attack.

In 2004, the BCB reintroduced two-day cricket to the schedule to provide players with more exposure to the longer version of the game while also helping to prepare them for international commitments such as the annual four-day ICC Intercontinental Cup.

But for various reasons the competition has failed to stimulate interest, resulting in many clubs merely using the format for “practise” and others struggling to field sufficient numbers as was the case with Warwick.

“There definitely seems to be a lot of apathy being shown towards this two-day cricket. We had a few guys who outright said they do not want to participate — they just don’t want to play two-day cricket,” added Watson.

“I just think this league needs to be looked at very carefully because it seems as though a lot of apathy is involved here. I really don’t think the guys have any interest playing in this league.

“It’s just not good and it seems as though the teams that do play, only use it for practise. It doesn’t seem as though anybody is particularly interested in this league.

“It’s definitely a strain on everybody and to me it’s unfortunate. I think a lot of things need to be considered and maybe the national coach’s (Gus Logie’s) suggestion to make the league a parish thing could be a very interesting solution because it does have some merit.

“But I think if you look at cricket as a whole, it’s just not what it used to be in all aspects. In years gone by you had more enthusiasm and bigger crowds while players today don’t seem to really care. Cricket to me is just not what it used to be.

“We could talk about how this tournament was a success before and all of that, but to me it seems as though everything has broken down in all aspects of the game and it’s really unfortunate.”

John Martin emerged as Cuts’ batting hero with a unbeaten century (108) while Shervin Hall claimed three for 28 in the first innings and seamer Sheroy Fubler took two for seven in the second.

Elsewhere, for the second time this season Cleveland County had their two-day match called off. The Smith’s parish club were scheduled to meet PHC at White Hill but that contest couldn’t get underway because of the state of the pitch.

Cleveland have yet to play a two-day match this season after their opening May 12 fixture at Wellington Oval was not played due to the unreadiness of the East End venue.

PHC, meanwhile, have yet to play a single match in the BCB leagues this season as their May 12 two-day contest against Warwick at White Hill and their May 19 limited overs match against Police at Police Field were both postponed.