An exodus of key players has forced Bailey’s Bay to consider withdrawing from Bermuda Cricket Board’s Two-Day League, The Royal Gazette can reveal.

Following the off-season transfers of seven players and the present unavailability of six others, the Sea Breeze Oval club were forced to postpone this weekend’s match against Eastern Counties rivals St.David’s at Lords.

And it is now understood Bay are in the process of notifying the Board of their shortcomings via written correspondence with the intention of forfeiting all of their two-day fixtures this season.

That, the club believes, would allow them to place all of their emphasis on the limited overs schedule.

“We could’ve never foreseen losing almost an entire team in one season. Everyone is aware of the number of key players that we have lost and it is going to be a struggle for us,” Bay skipper Roddy Masters admitted yesterday.

“And I don’t think we should be playing two-day cricket short (of top players) because we will only make a mockery of the league.”

After being relegated from the Premier Division limited overs league last season, Bay lost promising young spinner Rodney Trott and seamer Ryan Steede both to St.George’s, the explosive bat of Glenn Blakeney and all-rounder Dennis Pilgrim to Social Club, opening bat Jermaine Warner to Somerset, seamer Marquel Smith to Cleveland and batsman Cal (Patches) Dill to the Commercial League.

Former Bay skipper Jermaine Outerbridge is also unavailable through religious commitments while his younger brother Stephen Outerbridge and cousin Burton Outerbridge are both currently studying abroad.

To make matters worse, budding youngsters Terryn Fray, Kiearon Trott and Tre Govia will all be competing with the Island’s Under-19 team when the limited overs schedule begins next weekend.

“We were already in a bad position and then the BCB made it mandatory for the Under-19s to play as a team in the league. So we also have challenges with the Under-19s competing in the league this year,” Masters said.

“I think their intention is good to help the players to gel, but it’s just unfortunate that it has effected us hard and made our situation even more difficult.”

It is also unclear whether all-rounder Corey Hill will commit his services to Bay this summer while former coach Noel Gibbons is also among those having severed ties with the club. Hill is still recovering from a hip injury while Gibbons is presently coaching at nearby St.George’s at the Under-16 level.

“Corey (Hill) has been out to assist and has trained a bit with us. However, we are not sure about his availability at this time,” Masters said. “But the players that have been out in training are happy while the camaraderie is good.

“Bay have always been fighters and we refuse to lie down and play dead. Our intent now is to focus on the one-day league and I think we will still be alright and have some degree of success.”