CUP MATCH might have appeared to have gone off much more smoothly last weekend than 12 months earlier.

But once again we were left wondering who actually runs the sport in this country ? the clubs or Bermuda Cricket Board?

While on the field there was none of the nonsense that blighted the game in 2005, off the field the umpiring controversy was nothing short of disgraceful.

Because of what transpired at Wellington Oval last summer, there was good reason for Clive Lloyd to be appointed match referee ? the first time the occasion had employed such an official.

But there was absolutely no reason at all to bring in English umpires David Shepherd and Mervyn Kitchen, regardless of their international experience.

How ironic that Bermudians repeatedly cry foul about employers importing overseas labour for jobs which they feel can be carried out more than adequately by locals, and then in the most historic and traditional of all Bermuda sports events, the powers that be do just that.

It was an enormous slap in the face for Bermuda Cricket Umpires Association (BCUA) whom without, many seem to forget, the domestic programme couldn?t survive.

Somerset and St. George?s would have the public believe that the umpires had ?withdrawn? their labour.

That, unfortunately, was a bare-faced lie, and both clubs should, at the very least, be reprimanded for making such a suggestion.

Of course they won?t be, because it now seems clear that the BCB themselves were heavily involved in the decision to bring in Shepherd and Kitchen.

What in fact the BCUA said ? and are in possession of a letter sent by them to the clubs ? is that they were simply withholding their short-list of preferred officials for the match until a meeting could be held to iron out all the difficulties encountered last year during which discussion could also take place on how best to avoid any repeat.

That wasn?t an unreasonable request, particularly given that the clubs did precious little to discipline those players who stepped out of line in the 2005 classic and invariably it?s the umpires who stand directly in the line of fire whenever trouble flares.

But rather than hold that meeting, the clubs told the public that local umpires had made themselves unavailable and they had no option but to venture abroad.

They did have options, they just chose not to take them.

And making matters worse, the weak-kneed BCB chose not to intervene. Indeed one wonders, as Sports Minister Dale Butler suggested, if the governing body even assisted the clubs by providing the necessary overseas contacts.

The BCB had the authority to insist local officials be put in charge of the game, but instead chose to look the other way.

Cup Match is as Bermudian as it gets.

But it?s not just about the players.

While it?s a great honour for them to represent their respective clubs, it?s also an enormous privilege for the umpires to be involved ? for many the pinnacle of their careers.

They were snubbed in no uncertain terms. And should some, as has been suggested this week, decide to boycott league, cup and counties cricket for the rest of the season, who could blame them?

THERESA PEROZZI seems to have had an awful lot to say since her title fight victory a couple of weeks ago, taking her sob story to any media prepared to listen.

First of all she didn?t like report on that bout which indicated she earned a rather fortuitous points victory, she later told this newspaper she was hanging up her gloves and then claimed she?d been misquoted ? which she certainly had not ? and also whined about the local facilities which made it so difficult to train for major fights.

Poor old Perozzi needs to understand a few things about women?s boxing.

It?s not the world?s most popular sport. Apart from Leila Ali, who?s played heavily on her father?s reputation, most sports fans couldn?t name a single female boxer of any note.

As for world titles, the sport?s just as if not more fragmented than the male version.

Theresa may have done well to claim one of the many world belts. But just how many fighters are contesting her division?

A couple of dozen at absolute most.

Nobody pushed Perozzi into turning professional. She made that decision fully aware that boxing, particularly the female variety, was never going to pay the bills and holding down a full-time job was always going to be part of the deal.

So why all the moaning now about lack of facilities and lack of support?

You can bet others involved in the sport, even those in the US let alone those from Eastern Europe, Africa or Asia, are far more disadvantaged when it comes to training and financial backing.

We?ve had a few successful male boxers in Bermuda ? Freddie Thomas, Clarence Hill, Troy Darrell, Quinn Paynter ? who?ve achieved a lot more and complained a lot less under the same set of circumstances.