Former Bermuda Cricket Board of Control president El James has taken a swipe at Willow Cuts following the club's threat to disrupt this summer's Western Counties competition.

Last week The Royal Gazette revealed that the west end club had sought the legal services of Ed Bailey - a former president of the Western Counties Association - and were considering an attempt to obtain a court injunction which would halt the competition.

Cuts have demanded that the Western Counties hold a special meeting to discuss a change of venue. They want to have this year's series moved from its traditional home at Southampton Oval to Somerset Cricket Club, the first venue for the annual mid-summer classic in 1962.

But James says the club are out of order.

"It would seem to me that, as far as in a cricket sense or even Western Counties sense, that all of this makes no sense whatsoever!" exclaimed James. "Unless they (Cuts) are just bent on disrupting the Western Counties and disrupting cricket . . . I really don't understand what the reason would be to want to take it outside of the Western Counties.

"It's ridiculous to say that they want to take a match outside of the Western Counties. I just find it baffling that someone would be fighting that hard.

"They (Cuts) are part of the Western Counties and the Western Counties has a constitution, just as their counterparts in the Eastern and Central Counties have.

"So they (Western Counties) are no different. The minute you start going outside of the Western Counties then some other club is benefiting.

"It's written in the constitution so I don't know what they (Cuts) are griping about. Furthermore, the constitution also states that if there is any misunderstanding then there shouldn't be any legal action. But if there are reasons for legal action then there should be a tribunal or a panel set up within the Western Counties to oversee such matters.

"They have it where they alternate it each year between Rangers and White Hill and that was a done deal prior to PHC coming in.

"Now when PHC get their field operational, I would imagine them as part of the Western Counties wanting a piece of the pie, but then that field is owned by a club that's in the Western Counties."

Bailey was instrumental in putting the Western Counties constitution together. But the former Willow Cuts president also came under fire from James.

"Ed Bailey has tried to get back into the sport and I hope that this isn't a vindictive move on his part to just try to cause a disruption at any cost which is the way it appears at the moment, because it really doesn't make any sense," added James.

"I just hope that it's not a move on anyone's part to disrupt cricket and it would seem that that's what behind all of this.

"He (Bailey) was president of the Western Counties at one point and I was also once on the Western Counties committee and the constitution is perfectly clear as to what should happen.

"It's all just crazy, but the Western Counties do have a choice. If Willow Cuts don't like the Western Counties, then they should just bow out and then there wouldn't be any disruptions whatsoever"

Current president of the Western Counties, Keith Wainwright, preferred not to comment any further on the matter pending tonight's meeting with Western Counties' affiliates.