They came out in force, ex-players donning cricket gear for the first time in years and the current players excited just to be on the same playing field, as Bermuda paid an emotional tribute to Bermuda's finest ever bowler, Clarence (Tuppence) Parfitt, on Saturday at St. David's.

And just to show that age hasn't taken away too much of his God-given talent, the legend did a bit with the ball during his eight overs of left arm medium pace in front of a large, appreciative crowd eager to get one last look at him in action.

"He hasn't lost much of his talent, he's a natural,'' said Parfitt's former Cup Match captain Calvin (Bummy) Symonds.

Parfitt finished with two for 33 but politely declined to bat as reserve Kameron Fox took his spot lower in the batting order. It was his bowling fans had come to see, some seeing him in action for the first time.

"First I would like to thank the committee that put this on,'' Parfitt said while sitting in an upstairs lounge of the club as Albert Steede's team was wrapping up victory by 59 runs.

"I don't really think personally I deserve this because over the years there have been some very good players. On a whole we have all come out together to show Bermuda how cricket should be played.

"I'm very honoured also to be a recipient, though I don't think I deserve it.'' Parfitt admitted it was very emotional to play against some of the players from his wonder years of the '60s and '70s like Dennis Wainwright, Charlie Daulphin, Rupert Scotland, Vernon Foggo, Ronnie Madeiros, Gladstone (Sad) Brown, Quinton Sherlock, Randy Horton, Elliott Pitcher, Mackie Simmons, Gary Fray, Fred (Dickty) Trott, Lee Raynor, Alfred (Fleas) Hall, Bummy Symonds and Vance (Super) Fox, to name just a few.

"I think the event went very well,'' said Symonds, who still remembers Parfitt breaking into the St. George's team as an 18-year-old Cup Match colt in 1965 and confidently announcing his emergence by taking seven for 20 in the first innings and eight for 23 in the second as Somerset were thrashed by an innings and 32 runs.

"I had no reservations about putting him in the team, he was 18 years old and devastating,'' said his former captain. "I don't think Clarence knew what he had.

"Clarence has been a legend in Cup Match. I've seen many bowlers over the years and he's better than most of the international bowlers I've seen.

"In 1967 in Somerset when an international team came here he got seven wickets for 12 runs and knocked the team down for 42. Five of those wickets were bowled, including Sir Gary Sobers who Parfitt gave just one ball.'' Phil Simmons was determined not to be the final West Indies victim for Parfitt as he watched him cautiously in the four overs he faced.

Simmons was brought in as a late replacement after a couple of international players had to cancel out. Simmons did not have to wait long to get to the crease, after opener Dexter Smith was dismissed in the first over by Dale Fox.

But the eagerly-awaited showdown between Parfitt and Simmons took a little longer, with Parfitt coming into the attack in the 12th over as second-change bowler.

"Since I came here all I've been hearing about is this legend and I'm glad to see what the Bermuda people have done for Clarence,'' Simmons told the crowd, after organiser Custerfield Crockwell had shown his appreciation to Simmons for appearing by presenting him and his wife with two wooden lamps and a hand-made clock, all made of Bermuda cedar.

"Thank you for the hospitality and to those who missed out, I'm going to tell them what they missed,'' said Simmons, who has promised to return.

"It's lovely to see that you support your own, something we've been trying for years to get done in Trinidad and other islands.'' Simmons did not disappoint, scoring 54 out of his team's 197-7 before he was out in the 24th over after hitting seven fours and a six. He added 87 for the second wicket with captain Albert Steede.

Simmons got started with two sweet cover drives for four off Allan Brangman before Wendell Smith plugged that gap by switching a fielder to the extra cover boundary.

In between his two four-over spells Parfitt did his rounds along the boundary, greeting friends he hadn't seen for years and posing for pictures. Clearly he and his family, wife Dorothy and stepdaughters Sarah and Susan, enjoyed the occasion.

"It was very emotional, it really made me feel very good to see the guys who were there when I came into the game, willing and able to come out and take part in such a wonderful day,'' said the 51-year-old Parfitt who is back home for the first time in six years. It has been six years longer than that since he last played league cricket here, that being 1983 with St. George's.

"I tried to enjoy myself and give the best I could give. In the afternoon the sun started to hit me and it gradually wore me down, but on the whole it was a superb day.

"Hopefully all the people who came out today thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

On the whole Bermuda cricket is the winner and now maybe our cricket can go ahead instead of standing still like I think it has been.'' Parfitt leaves on Friday to return to Scotland, but has not ruled out making another return next year as the plan now is to have a similar benefit match every year.

There were so many ex-players keen to take part in the first match, a 24-over affair that one lost count of the number of players coming and going. At the end of their innings, Symonds's team scored 80 and Randy Horton's team replied with 51.

In the feature match, Steede's team scored 179-7 off 38 overs and Wendell Smith's team replied with 120 in 34.5 overs (see pictures on page 24 and scoreboard on page 25).