St. David?s president Wilbur Pitcher is hopping mad over the manner in which Jacobi Robinson was ousted from playing in the Eastern Counties competition last Saturday.

The club chief only discovered the tournament?s governing body, the Eastern Counties Cricket Association (ECCA), had questions about the fast bowler?s eligibility hours before St. David?s clashed with champions Bailey?s Bay at 10 a.m.

Pitcher found a letter, dated July 16, taped to the outside of his mailbox at 7.45 a.m.

The correspondence, signed by ECCA president Harold Millett, indicated there had been a meeting on July 14 and informed him that neither guest player Robinson nor wicket-keeper Dean Minors would be allowed to represent St. David?s.

What particularly infuriated Pitcher was that he saw Harold Millett at St. David?s on Friday night and the latter said absolutely nothing to him.

?I?m not asking them to let an ineligible player play but it?s how things were done. That?s the problem,? said Pitcher.

?Jacobi played last year and they had all winter to deal with this. We could have brought whatever proof (of eligibility) they wanted.

?The morale of my side was broken half-hour before the game. They were not hyped up to play cricket.?

He explained that, having read the letter, he hurried to Sea Breeze Oval where ECCA authorities told him Minors had been cleared to play but Robinson could not. Pitcher then consulted with with St. David?s ECCA representative, George Cannonier, and asked him if he knew anything about what was happening.

?He said ?Yeah they called me at 6 a.m. this morning to have a meeting?. I?m serious! And the game is at 10 a.m. Can you believe it!?

Pitcher said he was so infuriated that he considered giving the go-ahead for Robinson?s inclusion and letting a lawyer deal with the consequences. However, he said the matter was referred to the team and players felt it better not to take any chances and therefore substituted middle-order batsman Shannon Raynor for Robinson.

This occurred after a fiery meeting between St. David?s hierarchy and ECCA officials about 45 minutes before the match.

?I asked what proof they have that he can?t play and they were saying ?Oh, it?s confidential, we can?t tell you?. I said ?What nonsense are you talking??.?

Pitcher also said that when Robinson was registered for St. David?s last year he (Pitcher) was personally told by Millett that there was no problem with Robinson?s participation though others were trying to bar the youngster.

The St. David?s president charged that what transpired is symptomatic of how the ECCA operates and he claimed the organisation has not held an annual general meeting for three years.

Meanwhile, Millett hit back at St. David?s insisting the club were ?aware this matter was under consideration?.

?St. David?s had a representative at the meeting where this was dealt with and they were well aware of the controversy surrounding young Robinson. I think they knew more than they are making it out to be,? he said.

However, he agreed the ECCA?s reservations about the players? eligibility should have been communicated to St. David?s in a more timely fashion.

?Our committee that had to do the work (on player registration) did not get it finalised until during the week before the game. Eastern Counties had people involved in the Americas Cup and therefore our committee did not get things finalised until the last hour.

?I wasn?t totally satisfied. I was pressing the issue and asking why they (ECCA officials) were not able to get all the information and they said ?The Americas Cup was going on and took precedence over Eastern Counties? business?.?

Asked what the query over Robinson?s eligibility was, he replied: ?I can?t go into details because it?s still being pursued by the Eastern Counties and a final decision will be made.

?St. David?s didn?t produce anything other than a letter (from Robinson?s father) and some people have other versions on this matter. There?s a doubt as far as the association is concerned.?

Millett termed it a ?gross oversight? on his part to have authorised Robinson to play for St. David?s last season, adding that his committee was ?not happy with that?.

The ECCA head urged clubs to ensure there is ?no doubt? about prospective county players so this type of chaos can be avoided in future.