The Bermuda Cricket Board has issued a statement clarifying the communication between the board and Somerset Cricket Club in advance of the team failing to show up for the Premier Division 40 overs Knockout Cup Final on Sunday.

After winning a coin toss to progress from the semi-final a week earlier, Somerset left St George’s and the umpires waiting at Wellington Oval, with coach Janeiro Tucker later explaining the club had taken a stand after the BCB gave them 48 hours’ notice of a change of date, leading to the unavailability of some of their players.

In its statement the BCB said during a conversation between the BCB Cricket Committee chairman Steven Douglas and a Somerset club official, a miscommunication occurred when discussing potential changes to the match date.

“The BCB issues this statement to address recent media reports regarding the conclusion of the local cricket season and the scheduling of the BCB 40 Over Knockout Cup Final,” read the statement.

“The board considers it essential to outline the sequence of events and clarify any misunderstandings regarding discussions between Somerset Cricket Club and BCB.”

“The matter originated when the captain of Somerset Cricket Club contacted the BCB Competitions Committee chair by telephone to request a match amendment. This inquiry was made due to SCC hosting their 2026 Cup Match Presentation on Saturday, September 12, while the KO Cup Final was scheduled for the same date at St George’s Cricket Club.

“SCC noted that St George’s Cricket Club had advanced to the final via a coin toss following a rainout against Warwick Workmen’s Club and expressed concerns regarding a potential competitive home advantage. This also included the short timeline for players to travel from St George’s to Somerset for the presentation.

“During the initial phone call both parties agreed, in good faith, to explore options that might be suitable for both clubs. However, a key misunderstanding occurred during that discussion.

“SCC’s intention: SCC sought to move the match venue from St George’s Cricket Club to a neutral venue for Saturday, September 12.

“BCB’s understanding: The BCB Cricket Committee chair interpreted SCC’s request as a desire to change the match date to avoid player availability conflicts associated with its September 12 event.”

That misunderstanding led to the match being moved to Sunday, against Somerset’s wishes, while a neutral venue was deemed unsuitable as a result of a lack of grounds in advance of the start of the football season this weekend.

“As standard policy, BCB host venues for KO Cup Finals are awarded in advance of the competition,” the statement continued.

“Due to the annual seasonal crossover with the Bermuda Football Association, the BCB secures host grounds early to ensure access to facilities for major events.

“Acting on the initial understanding of the request, the BCB Competitions Committee chair moved quickly to accommodate a proposed date change by reallocating the Saturday, September 12 time slot to a First Division semi-final match.

“During this period, the BCB Competitions Committee was also notified that one of its standby KO Cup venues was no longer available due to curator unavailability and the transition to the BFA football season.

“This development affected the board’s ability to make any further amendments to the Premier Division KO Cup Final, particularly as the BCB competition calendar was scheduled to conclude on Sunday, September 13. This was due to the closure of match venues, as the cricket season overlaps the BFA football calendar.

“The misunderstanding regarding SCC’s request became clear following an e-mail from the BCB executive director Cal Blankendal to the secretary of SCC confirming the match-day schedule amendment. The secretary of SCC replied, indicating that the match-day amendment was not required, as they sought to have the match moved to a neutral venue only.

“Based on the e-mail from SCC, the BCB executive director, in agreement with the captain of SCC, facilitated a teleconference between the SCC captain and the BCB Cricket Committee chair, during which the BCB committed to reviewing all available options.

“After much effort, the BCB competition chair informed the SCC captain that due to the closure of match venues and the lack of curators, the match would have to be held on Sunday, September 13, at Wellington Oval.”

The BCB also wished to make it clear that although Somerset had verbally communicated their disapproval of the final decision, at no stage did they indicate they were unable to play the fixture.

“While Somerset Cricket Club verbally expressed its dissatisfaction with the outcome, at no point did SCC indicate, verbally or in writing, that it intended to forfeit or fail to appear for the scheduled final on Sunday.

“The BCB wishes to reiterate that it acted in good faith to accommodate both SCC and SGCC as members of the BCB.

“The Bermuda Cricket Board remains fully committed to working collaboratively and transparently with all affiliate clubs, ground authorities, and sporting bodies.”