local cricket.

A year after coming under fire for holding down too many high powered positions within the sport -- he's president of the Bermuda Cricket Board of Control, Western Counties and Willow Cuts -- there's a strong possibility that his three-pronged rule could be diminished in the coming weeks.

In at least one case there is confirmation that Bailey will be challenged for his position. At Willow Cuts, Vance Gilbert is prepared to fight for the presidency for the second successive year.

"I ran for the position a year ago and was narrowly beaten, and I intend to run again this year,'' said Gilbert this week.

"I am running because Ed doesn't have the time to run the club. We are a group of young people and the club needs youth at the top in order to take it into the future.'' Willow Cuts are scheduled to hold their annual general meeting next Wednesday.

Bailey edged out Gilbert in a close vote a year ago, but the latter is given a better chance this time around after the president lost some of his support following his handling of a conflict involving Willow Cuts during the Champion of Champions competition at Lord's last September.

While Gilbert eyes the post with renewed vigour, Bailey's intentions remain unclear. Some club members have privately predicted that he will likely decline to run.

When asked if he would contest the presidency of Willow Cuts as well as the other two positions again this year, Bailey said: "You'll have to wait and see.'' In obvious reference to the Board, however, Bailey explained there were few young people involved in the administration willing and able to take on the responsibility. If they came along, he said, he would gladly step down.

"What we need in the Board is more people committed to working for the sake of cricket rather than just a popular thing. I don't want to call any names, but a lot of the new members in the board don't even come to 50 percent of the meetings,'' he said.

"I'd like to think that there are people out there with the ability, but whether they have the experience and knowledge of the game I don't know. The job takes someone very independent, with adequate time to devote.'' Last year saw Bailey forced on the defensive as he became the target of criticism from several quarters for his handling of the umpires dispute, the continued absence of an organised youth programme -- for the fourth year in a row -- and the domestic programme where questions over whether the Island would engage in limited overs or open cricket went unanswered.

Bailey was unsure whether he would stand for re-election during the Board's annual general meeting, saying only that he would serve "as long as he is wanted''.

Southampton Rangers captain Keith Wainwright was one of Bailey's most vocal critics last season, claiming the sport was in "total disarray''.

This week Wainwright maintained that his views remained unchanged and he also noted that he was anxious to see a change among members of the Western Counties, in particular the president.

Ed Bailey