Devonshire Recreation Club will fight any attempt to award Somerset Cricket Club full points from their abandoned First Division match which would have decided promotion and league honours.

Almost two weeks after the one-day series concluded on July 24, the Bermuda Cricket Board (BCB) have yet to announce which team has won the league and, along with Warwick, promotion to the top flight.

However, despite the crucial fixture at Devonshire Rec being called off because of in-fighting among the home team, club secretary Ellsworth Christopher yesterday reasoned that Somerset had no automatic right to the six points awarded for an outright victory.

In fact, he charged that umpire Randy Butler abandoned the match prematurely and that the latter?s decision was at the crux of the matter.

Comparing what occurred in that match to the volatile scenarios which necessitated lengthy stoppages in last week?s Cup Match, he argued: ?I think the umpire jumped the gun in the situation over at Devonshire. If you parallel that with what happened at Cup Match then surely, regardless who the governing body is and whatever rules are prevailing, one has to seriously consider our situation.

?If there was an internal misunderstanding among the team and the umpire says he is going to stop the match because it?s ungentlemanly, then that flies in face of what happened down in St. George?s.

?I don?t really want to go any further than that at the present time. After something is said by the BCB, the club will move accordingly.?

Warwick?s defeat by Willow Cuts earlier on the same afternoon left Devonshire and Somerset ? both on 26 points ? battling for the championship and promotion as six points for the winners would have allowed that team to overtake Warwick on 30 points.

Somerset, well placed on 154 for two after 28 overs, were challenging Devonshire?s 255 for nine in 45 overs when a fight broke out among the hosts, leading to the match?s abandonment.

?We are doing something internally. We are in the process of getting the facts so that we can have a hearing,? said Christopher of disciplinary steps being taken by the club.

?In terms of how it will affect the league, the Bermuda Cricket Board has to make a ruling and then we will move from there.?

Somerset?s chairman of cricket Anthony Bailey, who watched the game, called for his team to receive maximum points, noting the altercation had nothing to do with them. He also agreed with Butler for pulling stumps.