A highly-charged debate pitting Cup Match against international cricket duty continued yesterday.

National coach Gus Logie stunned the local cricket fraternity last week when he appealed to strike bowlers in his national squad not to participate in this summer?s classic in Somerset out of fears they could injure themselves prior to Bermuda?s Intercontinental Cup commitment against Canada in Toronto, starting shortly afterwards on August 9.

Challengers Somerset will host this summer?s classic on August 3 and 4.

The national team depart for Toronto on August 5.

Logie?s concerns have added fuel to an argument that has raged since Bermuda skipper Clay Smith opted to represent St.George?s in the 1987 Cup Match as a teenage colt rather than accompany the Island?s Under-19 national squad on a tour of Europe.

Others to have put club before country in more recent times include St.David?s pair OJ Pitcher and Delyone Borden.

Former St.George?s Cup Match wicketkeeper Dennis Wainwright believes the champions ? already faced with having to play without the injured Smith and key strike bowler Greg Foggo ? will be at a further disadvantage when they travel to Somerset to defend the coveted showpiece.

?I think St.George?s will suffer because when you are talking about fast bowlers you are talking about the likes of George O?Brien, Stefan Kelly and Ryan Steede. These players here are genuine bowlers and not all-rounders,? said Wainwright, the classic?s most successful wicketkeeper who accounted for 37 Somerset dismissals between 1955 and 1977.

?This could really put a strain on St.George?s because our bowlers are not all-rounders like Somerset?s Saleem Mukuddem who can play as a batsman or even their skipper Janeiro Tucker.?

While Wainwright agrees representing country is a high priority, he also holds Cup Match in high esteem.

?There are those who think they can just compromise Cup Match,? he continued. ?They look at Cup Match as no big deal and just another game when in fact it?s a part of our heritage and something that happens nowhere else in the world.?

To date Bermuda is the only country in the world that has set aside two days annually for a cricket match ? celebrating the emancipation of slavery in Bermuda and Somers Day.

Wainwright believes the national team strike bowlers could still play in the classic and recover in time for the Island?s Intercontinental Cup commitment in Toronto.

?It?s not like they are going to play (in Toronto) the very next day. They will have time to recover and really they shouldn?t be exhausted if they are in any shape,? he added.

Wainwright?s former St.George?s Cup Match team-mate Cal (Bummy) Symonds agreed.

?These players will have 72 hours to rest and so I don?t really see any reason why they should not play,? said Symonds, the most successful skipper in Cup Match history. ?I think it?s very important we uphold our traditions and heritage and Cup Match is one of our traditions.

?I do believe country comes first but people who pay to go to Cup Match pay to see the best players on the Island play against each other. And I think it?s going to be very hard for people to want to go to Cup Match without some of our top players being involved.?

However, Cup Match?s all-time leading wicket taker, Clarence Parfitt, disagreed with his former St.George?s team-mates and instead backed coach Logie. He also urged his fellow Bermudians to start thinking ?outside of the box?.

?Your country should always come first because you can always play Cup Match. But Bermuda may not always have the opportunity to compete in an ICC competition or any other competition of that nature,? Parfit told from his home in Scotland.

Parfitt said that in order for Bermuda cricket to soar to great heights sacrifices such as these would have to be made in the future.

?People have to realise that if we want our cricket to go ahead ? like everybody is crying out for ? then sacrifices will have to be made such as putting country ahead of club,? he added. ?We have the same thing over here in Scotland where our players are all over the place. But they understand the country comes first. And when the country says you can?t play, then you can?t play. It?s as simple as that.

?Bermuda has to stop thinking small and start looking at the bigger picture and if we are trying to reach the highest level possible then we should be looking at representing country first. I think Bermuda needs to stop acting like amateurs and start looking to become professionals.?

Former Somerset Cup Match all-rounder, Timmy Edwards, also supported Logie.

?I think it?s all up to the coach and whoever he has working along with him to decide whether or not these players should play or not,? stated Edwards, who stroked a glorious 170 at Somerset Cricket Club in 1950.

?But either way you look at it this is going to be a hard decision on the clubs who could find themselves playing with a handicap.?