Bermuda?s cricketers were bracing themselves against the cold and wet of an early English summer yesterday as they settled into their cosy little hotel in the heart of rural Sussex.

Having arrived for their five-match tour early in the morning on the overnight flight from Bermuda, a few squad members decided to spend their one day off whittling away the hours on the adjacent nine-hole golf course, though the vast majority travelled to the picturesque Horsham Cricket Club to watch a limited overs match between county sides Sussex and Somerset.

Sitting under leaden skies on the wind-swept boundary edge - swathed in jackets, scarves and gloves - their evident discomfort was a source of great amusement to the Englishmen sat around them, with vice-captain Irving Romaine prompting yet more laughter when he loudly enquired where it might be possible to buy some thermal underwear and a balaclava.

But with the weather forecasters predicting yet more wind and showers over the next few days, Bermuda will attempt to hold their first training session this afternoon in conditions far removed from the scorching heat they encountered in Port of Spain, Trinidad, a little over a week ago.

Janeiro Tucker?s men are scheduled to play Sussex Second XI tomorrow in a 50-over game at Grinstead Cricket Club ? about a 30-minute drive from their hotel ? while on Thursday they take on old foes Lloyds Cricket Club at Beckenham.

The squad then fly to Guernsey the following day for three consecutive games against the improving Channel Island side ? a team they beat by six wickets in the lead-up to last year?s triumphant ICC Trophy campaign.

With so many of Bermuda?s young batsmen failing to impress in the Caribbean, the return to the fold of both Delyone Borden and OJ Pitcher is recognised by coach Gus Logie as an important step in the evolution of his side prior to the World Cup.

Inseparable off the field, the talented St. David?s duo are regarded as the best two young cricketers at the Island?s disposal and were a permanent feature in Ireland last summer.

Now, however, they will have to prove themselves all over again having missed three tours in a row while attending university in the United States.

While Logie will look to them to provide the top-order runs so conspicuously lacking of late, Borden?s anticipated role with the ball is also deemed crucial ? with his superior abilities with the bat expected to win him the second spinner?s slot ahead of the veteran Hasan Durham.

With four weeks of league cricket now under their belts, Borden and Pitcher said yesterday that any rustiness derived from four months of inactivity was now well and truly gone.

?The first couple of net sessions after I got back from college I felt a little off and it took a while to find my feet again,? admitted a shivering Borden, hands buried deep in his pockets as he watched Somerset smash Sussex?s bowlers all over the lush outfield.

?Batting wise I wasn?t moving my feet all that well and was having difficulty finding the middle of the bat. Bowling as well the ball wasn?t coming out quite right and I was dropping a little short at first.

?But it didn?t take all that long to settle back into a rhythm and after a few games for St. David?s I?m feeling in good nick. Now all I need is more match practice because there is only so much you can do in the nets and I need to get a decent number of games under my belt.? Borden also confirmed that he had decided to put his college career on hold for the next year in order to devote himself exclusively to cricket ? a decision his cricket-mad late father Delby would have wholeheartedly supported, he added.

?The opportunity to play in a World Cup does not come along very often,? he said.

?And with the final World Cup squad being selected in November, the only way it was going to work for me was if I took a break from college and made myself available to play. It?s what my Dad would have wanted as well because it has always been a dream of mine and I need to give myself the best possible chance.?

Pitcher, meanwhile, has yet to decide whether he will follow his best friend?s lead and take a break from his studies.

For now though he is just happy to be back playing and is fully aware that this tour represents a big opportunity for him to nail down a spot in the top five.

?It?s really nice to be back ? I?ve missed it,? he said.

?We tried to keep ourselves in good shape in college but obviously it was hard to do any actual ball work ? so coming back was hard and I felt a little off for the first couple of weeks.

?But I?ve scored a few runs now and I?m looking forward to getting back involved with the national team. The conditions over here are very similar to the conditions we played in in Ireland and it is not going to be easy to score runs at this time of year in England.

?The ball always does quite a bit early on and it is just a matter of staying patient, playing it as late as possible and not losing concentration.

?I realise that I?ve got a chance now to show what I can do and hopefully I can take it.?