Local cricket umpires must raise their standards, according to Somerset Cricket Club skipper Reid Jones.

Jones is among a growing number of cricketers who have become critical of the way umpires have been handling matters out in the middle so far this season.

And with Bermuda cricket presently on the up, Jones says there?s absolutely no reason why umpires should not be trying to improve themselves as well.

The Somerset skipper?s comments come on the heels of his team?s one-wicket loss to Cleveland County over the weekend.

Jones claims the umpire incorrectly applied a batting restriction in the second innings that applied only to the first innings and also denied his request to have the pitch rolled prior to the start of his team?s second innings.

?The umpire told us we had 60 overs to bat in the second innings and so naturally our guys started attacking the ball and lost their wickets. The umpire informed us that we had a restriction when we knew it was open cricket in the second innings.

?Everyone kept arguing about the matter, but the umpire insisted we only had 60 overs to bat in the second innings,? Jones told .

?I just feel that our cricket officiating must come up to a higher standard because they are getting paid to do a job and this is no joke . . . this is Premier Division cricket.

Here it is Bermuda is going to the World Cup next year and umpires seem to be taking things for a joke.?

When contacted about the matter yesterday, Bermuda Cricket Umpires Association (BCUA) secretary Randy Butler explained: ?We did not receive any regulations (for two-day cricket) until late Friday afternoon from the Board (Bermuda Cricket Board). We tried to inform as many people as possible, but apparently not everyone was informed.?

As for the umpire?s decision to impose batting restrictions during Somerset?s second innings, Butler explained: ?The second innings is unlimited except that on the last day of play teams are required to bowl a combined 112 overs.

?The seconds innings is an open cricket format and teams are permitted to bat as long as they want to.?

New amendments to the playing conditions of two-day cricket locally were implemented prior to the start of the season, Butler said.

Teams are only allotted 60 overs to bat in the first innings while there are no batting restrictions in the second innings, as was the case at Southampton Oval where home team Southampton Rangers batted out 83 overs before declaring at 5 p.m. against Western Stars.

Jones, playing in his first year as skipper at Somerset, also took issue with the umpire?s decision to decline his request to have the pitch rolled at the start of his team?s second innings.

?We asked for the wicket to be rolled because the worms were coming through,? he said. ?But the umpire told we could not touch the wicket, not even sweep or roll it.

?I then went inside (the clubhouse) and returned with the rule book which clearly stated I was correct, but the umpire said his word stands and that was the end of that.

?This is a pack of nonsense just like when we played against Western Stars and the umpire stopped the bowler from running in to warn them (Stars) they had too many players fielding inside the circle which denied us an extra run (no ball).

?Overall I think the level of officiating in Bermuda has to step up.?