Bermuda's top cricketers would never duck the challenge of facing fast bowlers.

That's the opinion of former top international Noel Gibbons, now playing in England, who was responding to suggestions that local players deliberately avoided the Barbados tour matches for fear of facing the pace of the Caribbean attack.

Gibbons, player coach with Atherstone Cricket Club in the Warwickshire League in the English Midlands, said that he read of the weekend results and the criticism of the Bermuda players on the Internet and said he couldn't believe that Bermudians would dodge fast bowling.

"I really can't believe that players like Charlie Marshall, Glenn Blakeney and Albert Steede, in particular, would do such a thing. I wouldn't think that they would back out of a team because they have all seen fast bowling before and have coped rather well," said Gibbons.

"In fact, I look at these and a few others as being `challenge' boys who are always up for challenges such as the ones being offered by the quickies from Barbados. There may be those who have their doubts but I certainly am not among them."

However, Gibbons, who has himself played many impressive innings against international fast bowlers, said he was concerned that Bermuda could not field a team from the 22 players who played in Cup Match.

But he said a few of the absentees should be give the benefit of doubt in the light the damage wreaked by Hurricane Fabian.

Gibbons said he felt that the hurricane had more to do with the large number of absentees than anything else and he questioned the logic of the tour being allowed to go ahead after so much damage had been inflicted on the Island.

"What pictures I have seen of the hurricane, I think it would be pretty hard to pull oneself up to play a cricket game. It's just unfortunate that the tour came just after it happened."

While local cricketers appear to be tired and dispirited after the long season, that isn't the case with Gibbons who is enjoying his cricket in England while in his 40s.

Recently he cracked his highest-ever innings in England, scoring 195 in leading Atherstone to a lopsided victory over Appleby Magna. Atherstone scored 307-5 and Appleby replied with 123.

Batting at number six, Gibbons made the headlines in the local paper - "Noel takes club record".

The previous club high was 164 scored by Manny Alcock, the Bermudian exceeding that by 31 runs. Ryan Steede, the only other Bermudian playing in the league, opened the innings and scored 22.

"It was my biggest score in cricket. I proved that I can still play this game while in my mid-40s," said Gibbons.

The veteran was more excited, however, about his team's climb up the standings after being called on for his assistance back in May when they were hovering at the bottom of the 14-team league.

Since then he has helped them climb to a creditable sixth where they are expected to finish.

Other players participating in the league from the Caribbean include Julius Benjamin from Jamaica and Bajan Brian Moseley. Most of the other foreign players are Asian or Australian.