AS was the case 16 years ago, a devastating hurricane has threatened an end of season cricket tour.

Back in 1987 the visiting MCC team, captained by Mark Nicholas, had already begun their six-match tour when Hurricane Emily struck the island. Despite the severe damage to club grounds the tour was able to continue and now once again the weather has threatened to disrupt a tour.

This time it is the Barbados team containing some notable players which faces some uncertainties. They are due to arrive in Bermuda today to begin a four-match tour at Somerset Cricket Club this weekend.

In fact, because of damage done to both lighting and seating at the National Sports Centre, the two matches planned for the Sports Centre under lights next week have now been switched to Somerset who will now stage all four matches. That despite the fact that Somerset, who are hosting the tourists, faced considerable damage to their own grounds with the northern wall being demolished by Hurricane Fabian last Friday.

"The wall came down as well as two of the light poles," explained club secretary Dwayne Simmons this week. "We also had some fencing blown down at the garden end." However, Simmons vowed the tour would go ahead despite the setback.

"As far as the wall is concerned for the tour, we'll just patch that up with some plywood and that should be alright. We should be able to patch the fence as well," said the secretary who stated the club did not have electricity up until Monday.

Wicketkeeper/batsman Courtney Browne will captain the Barbados team which also includes the likes of Philo Wallace - who, like Browne was here with the West Indies 'B' Select in 1993 - Sherwin Campbell, Floyd Reifer, Ryan Hinds, Pedro Collins, Ryan Hurley, Corey Collymore, Tino Best, Sulieman Benn and Kurt Wilkinson.

That '93 team had a number of players who went on to represent the West Indies such as Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Robert Samuels, Stuart Williams, Roland Holder, Ridley Jacobs and Franklyn Rose and this Barbados tour party also has in it players who either have already broken into the West Indies team or are on the fringe.

Also included are Kenroy Williams - the captain of Barbados' successful team at last year's West Indies Under-19 championships - and Kevin McClean, a six-foot, 15-year-old member of the West Indies Under-15 team.

Former Barbados and West Indies players, Alvin Greenidge and Ezra Moseley, will accompany the team as management.

Not only have all matches been switched to Somerset but the schedule has been changed with the tour starting on Saturday and Sunday with matches against a Bermuda Select and a combined Somerset and St. George's Cup Match Select. The two other matches involving a Combined Counties Select and a Somerset Select will close out the tour next Tuesday and Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the Bermuda Cricket Board has been waiting to hear from field operators to determine condition of grounds as there are still matches for the season that need to be rescheduled. The Champion of Champions competition was postponed last weekend while knockout matches are still to be played as well as one league match.

The season was originally scheduled to end on the weekend of September 27.