Bermuda?s national under-23 cricket team?s preparations for their final three-day match against the Leeward Islands in Jamaica were given a boost late last night when Devonshire Recreation Club allrounder Derek Brangman was released from hospital after a health scare.

Brangman had to be rushed from the field to hospital in Kingston during the Island?s second three-day match in the TLC Under-19 West Indies Championships against Guyana over the weekend complaining of acute stomach pains.

And although he was kept in overnight to be looked at by a surgeon, original concerns that he was suffering from appendicitis turned out to be false and he was diagnosed only with the virus that has been doing the rounds at the team?s base at the West Indies University campus.

Meanwhile, the management team of Allan Douglas and Andre Manders were replaced yesterday by Southampton Rangers? Clevie Wade and St.George?s allrounder Herbie Bascome, with the former duo having to return to Bermuda to fulfil other commitments.

The Island squad have been enduring a disastrous time in the Caribbean over the last two and a half weeks and have yet to win a game in either the limited overs or the three-day competition.

The root of the problem has been the batting, where collapse after collapse has overshadowed a succession of impressive performances with the ball from the St. David?s duo of Steffan Kelly and George O?Brien.

Speaking to yesterday, Wade said that he held a meeting with the players yesterday morning, in which he tried to inject fresh impetus into a flagging, dispirited team.

?I did meet with all the players and it was clear they are disappointed to be on the receiving end of so many heavy defeats,? he said.

?But we all put our heads together to try and work out how we can go about being more competitive in the final match against the Leewards. By the end, we all left the room with a greater sense of optimism ? that we can now go out and give a much better account of ourselves.?

The Rangers stalwart pointed to the need for discipline and patience in the batting department as the key to alleviating the team?s current failings.

?I?ve been reading the reports and I?ve spoken at length to the two coaches who have just left,? he said.

?The problem all along has been the inability of our batsman to stay at the crease for long periods, particularly on tracks which have taken a bit of turn.

?The discipline is just not there. Guys do not seem prepared to graft, to play out a few maidens when faced with a good attack.

?Instead, they try to blast their way out of trouble and they have paid the price. It?s time to decide now if we want to play like grown-ups or carry on playing like fools.?