year's ICC Trophy Tournament in Kenya have been slapped with two-month suspensions while a veteran Somerset Bridge player has been banned for two years, The Royal Gazette has learned.

The suspensions were meted out following a recent disciplinary hearing by the Bermuda Cricket Board of Control.

The board have banned Bay trio Noel Gibbons, Charlie Marshall and Terry Burgess for their unruly behaviour during Premier Division games -- Gibbons against St. George's in August and his two team-mates in a game against Willow Cuts last month.

In each instance the players were alleged to have used profanity at umpires after disputing a decision. Gibbons, in addition, was charged with kicking down the stumps.

Robin Swan of Bridge faced similar charges for swearing and threatening umpire Winston Leylor, an allegation he vigorously denies.

The suspensions mean that the Bay trio are likely to miss the first six games of the 1995 season.

The heaviest sentence of 24 months was given to 45-year-old veteran batsman Swan, who had indicated he was going to retire anyway.

All four are reported to be filing appeals.

Gibbons, who tomorrow leaves for Singapore to compete in an International Sixes Tournament, was reluctant to comment on the matter when contacted at his home yesterday. But he said he was well aware of the action taken against him and his team-mates.

"The fact that we will be appealing doesn't make sense for me to comment at this stage,'' said the all-rounder.

Bailey's Bay officials could not be reached for comment.

Swan was incensed, however, over the manner in which the board handled the correspondence while attempting to get him to attend the hearing.

He described their efforts as "inept and extremely unprofessional.'' Swan said that he did not attend the hearing because he was off the Island at the time.

The letter from the board, dated August 1, said that he should attend the meeting on September 12.

However, Swan said he received the letter after the date of the hearing.

"What made it crazy was that the envelope was dated September 14, two days after the scheduled meeting. All of this was so incredible it was hard to believe,'' he added.

"I said to myself, `how come it took them six weeks to notify me of the hearing?' I have never heard of anything so crazy like this in my life.'' The board proceeded to handle the case in Swan's absence and he received the final letter on September 19 notifying him of his suspension.

Swan said that while it was his intention to make last season his final one in the Premier Division, he still felt that he should appeal if only to clear his name after having had such a long career without incident on the field of play.

But even the appeal process has proven to be complicated.

"I wrote a letter of appeal and dropped it off by hand to the board's office.

Two days later they found me real fast by telling me in a letter that if I wanted to appeal I have to pay $100,'' he said.

"So I immediately went back to them and handed them a $100 cheque on September 26 and I haven't heard from them since. This whole thing has been so crazy.'' Ordinarily Swan said that he would simply accept the ban and go on quietly with his life, but he believed special circumstances surrounding his case warranted an appeal.

He felt there was a possibility that he might make a contribution to cricket as a coach or as an umpire and was therefore anxious to settle the matter.

"I can't get involved as a banned person, I want to get this settled via an appeal and in the process also clear my name of this mess as well,'' said Swan.

Noel Gibbons Terry Burgess