Somerset Cricket Club's Chairman of Cricket Anthony Bailey was left angry and confused last night after veteran international Charlie Marshall, who had, according to Bailey, agreed to captain the Cup Match Select against tourists Barbados failed to show up for yesterday's match.

The Somerset chief, who also voiced his disappointment at the plethora of last minute withdrawals on the part of a number of top local players, claims he had received assurances from Marshall that he would play.

"Charlie told me he was coming and that he would call me if something came up to let me know that he could not make it. I have not heard anything, which is tremendously disappointing," said Bailey.

"It is also sad that our better players have not made that extra effort to come out and support us here. If they had really wanted to help in the development of Bermudian cricket, then they would have found a way to get here."

Marshall was one of several leading local players who were noticeable by their absence during the weekend games.

When contacted last night, however, Marshall was unrepentant, claiming he had never been made aware that he was meant to be skippering the side.

"I did speak to Anthony Bailey and said that I would do my best to be there to play but I told him that I had a number of commitments at the St. George's Community Centre where I work and that I might not be able to make it," he said.

"But he did not tell me I was going to be leading the team. And remember I was not picked in the original squad. The thing that concerns me is that they would not even have asked me to play if a whole load of Somerset players had not made themselves unavailable at the last minute.

"What I want to know," he continued, "is that if the Champion of Champions had been on this weekend instead of matches against a team with a number of seriously quick bowlers, would there have been all these excuses not to play? I doubt it."