The 2006 cricket season will start a week on Saturday with a full schedule of Premier Division limited overs matches, it was confirmed yesterday.

The Bermuda Cricket Board have released the official schedule for the summer ? which will witness the dropping of the Combined Knockout Cup, a doubling in the number of limited over games and a complete revamp of the Two-Day leagues.

And as soon as the latter competition is over, with the last of the three games scheduled to take place as early as May 27-28, sightscreens will also be painted black, coloured clothes donned and white balls used as all domestic limited overs cricket move into line with international regulations.

On the recommendation of national coach Gus Logie, the Two-Day competition has been split into four divisions of four, resulting in three matches per season rather than the four that have been played since two-day cricket was revived in 2004.

Significant prize money has also been allocated to these leagues, as the BCB try and tempt clubs to field as many senior players as possible rather than the usual array of inexperienced youngsters.

Speaking to yesterday, BCB secretary Marc Wetherhill revealed that only two clubs ? Devonshire Rec. and St. George?s ? have said their grounds will not be ready for the start of the season.

As such, the first division matches between St. George?s and Willow Cuts and Devonshire Rec. against Police ? provisionally scheduled for April 22 ? have now been moved to Saturday, May 20.

Wetherhill, meanwhile, urged all clubs still needing assistance in obtaining coloured clothing to get in touch with the Board as soon as possible.

?We do not want to be in a position where one team turns up in whites and the other in colours,? he said.

?That would be a farce and we have tried to get organised as early as possible to make sure all the clubs are sorted out. We have communicated regularly with all the clubs and have the resources available to equip everybody, so we do not anticipate there being a problem if everybody responds in the way they should.?

Continuous rain throughout the morning in Cardiff led to the abandonment of Glamorgan?s pre-season friendly against Worcestershire at Sophia Gardens, scotching Bermuda batsman David Hemp?s planned comeback after a groin operation.

Weather permitting Glamorgan will play a 50-over match at Northampton tomorrow where Hemp is also expected to be in the starting XI.