The former head of English cricket, Lord Ian MacLaurin believes the set up at the National Sports Centre this week is ?as good as a county ground?.

Lord MacLaurin, a keen golfer who has been out to Bermuda on holidays on seven previous occasions although never watched cricket here before, is a former chairman of the English and Wales Cricket Board and has been delighted with the way the 20-20 Classic has been run so far.

?It?s been a really wonderful event,? said the 14-handicap golfer, whose friend and playing partner Frankie Rabain managed a hole in one on Monday during a game at Port Royal.

?The way they have set it up down there is superb ? it?s certainly as good as a county ground.

?It has the makings of a great facility. Now Bermuda have their elevated status it is great to see what is going on there. There are obviously a lot of ICC rules and regulations for One Day International but I?m sure it won?t be long before Bermuda is in a position to play them here.

?There has been some good cricket played there so far this week and a nice atmosphere. It was good to see the way Bermuda are supported and I?m sure it will be the same for the game against England ? that will be an interesting contest.?

And as for the Bermuda team, who Lord MacLaurin watched for the first time on Sunday against the West Indies, the current chairman of UK cell phone giant Vodafone came out with a familiar line.

?There is a steep learning curve for them,? he continued.

?But they look to be a keen side and with the right application and training over the coming months I think they should do well for themselves at the World Cup.?

Lord MacLaurin, who when chairman of the ECB set a target of returning England to the top of world cricket by 2007, is heading to Australia to watch the Ashes early next year and then will make a decision whether also to go on to the World Cup ?after seeing how we get on out there?.