Congratulations to Peter Bromby, Bailey's Bay and Western Stars for their accomplishments over the weekend.

This was a three-day period that brought out the best in Bermudian sailing on Friday and cricket on Saturday and Sunday leaving three sets of supporters extremely happy -- that is the way it is supposed to be.

It is sometimes hard to believe that Peter Bromby is only 28 years old -- and a two-time International One Design (IOD) world champion at that.

After an Olympic Games in Barcelona where he and Paul Fisher finished a disappointing 19th out of 26 in the Star Class, Bromby declared: "Somebody has got to pay for this.'' By that he meant Bill Widnall and the contending fleet at the IOD Worlds in Marblehead, Massachusetts, in a little over a month's time.

He could not have written a better script as, after being the dominant force the first two races, Bromby found himself coming out third best to nine-time winner Widnall and Bermuda's first IOD world champion Penny Simmons.

Bromby's situation looked so glum at one stage that he almost conceded his championship but the mark of a true champion is to fight to the very end and by doing that he crept back to respectability in the sixth race and sailed a classy seventh to retain the title.

Well done, and congratulations also to the crew of Lee White, Mickey Cox, Malcolm Wilson and Mick Finnegan.

White Hill field in Somerset Bridge was the scene on Saturday of Bailey's Bay's finest triumph this cricket season. The return of Charlie Marshall and Glenn Smith from St. George's and Hamilton Parish respectively was clearly the difference in them being contenders.

Both had their best seasons ever -- Marshall showing that he has fully come to grips with a temperament that landed him in hot water in the past; and Smith, at 19, still with much more to conquer.

Saturday belonged to Smith, though, as he -- in partnership with evergreen Noel Gibbons -- carried Bay from a shaky position to one of strength against Western Stars in the Open Knockout final.

They put Bay on top and Clarkie Trott's bowling reinforced their position until Anthony Manders, Dwayne Steede and Wayne Richardson contrived to pull off the comeback of the season before falling 13 runs short.

Finally, Western Stars, who captured the league championship on Sunday and replaced Devonshire Rec. as Bermuda's best team.

Though they were beaten in the Open Knockout final the day before, Stars displayed the resolve to handle a stubborn Nationals team whose skipper Mark Ray batted superbly.

Jeff Richardson's 95 not out went some ways to rivalling his Western Counties Cup record of 186 -- he just ran out of runs to chase on a much bigger field than Southampton Oval.

The championship was deserved for the Island's best prepared team. Much credit can go to manager of the year Mike Jones who transformed a group of talented individuals -- who in recent years found a way to finish second -- into a harmonised cricket machine with inter-changeable parts.

An example of the difference between Stars and the rest? This week they decided to have only one training session in preparation for the season finale at home to St. David's. No more need be said.

On a down note it was shocking to hear of what went on at Southampton Oval in the match between Warwick and Police.

It was bad enough that Warwick showed up with only six players but that was compounded by the decision to declare with only four out. Warwick had nothing to gain by denying Police maximum bowling bonus points and the Bermuda Cricket Board of Control should investigate this matter in the best interests of the sport.

RETURN OF A CHAMPION -- Peter Bromby holds the trophy aloft after returning to Bermuda as the IOD world champion. Bromby is flanked by crew members Mickey Cox and Lee White at left and Malcolm Wilson and Mick finnegan at right.