hotel rooms, the Leeward Islands team will open their three-match tour of Bermuda today at Somerset.

Delays caused by Hurricane Hortense, which hit Puerto Rico on Tuesday, means that all but three members of the team will rush directly from the airport to Somerset for their match against the Somerset Cup Match X1.

Continental Airlines assisted by flying the team straight from Antigua to New York, but not in time to make the connecting flight to Bermuda last evening.

Three members of the team -- captain Dave Joseph, Ridley Jacobs and Stuart Williams -- were due in Bermuda last evening ahead of the rest of the squad led by manager Everton Richardson.

That group, which arrives at 11.45 this morning, will race from the airport to the Somerset Cricket Club, where it is hoped a 35-over per team match will be able to start by 1.30 p.m.

Ironically, when the New Zealanders were here in May, they ended their three-match tour in a similiar fashion, going straight from their match against Bermuda at Lord's to the airport in time for a 7 p.m. flight to London.

The Bermuda Cricket Board of Control is relying on the co-operation of Airport officials to get the players through as quickly as possible.

"I don't think the tour has lost anything; the elements are something we have no control over,'' said BCBC president Ed Bailey, who confirmed that the admission would be reduced from $10 to $7 for that match.

"We certainly won't be cancelling anything. They (Leewards officials) were almost apologising to us.

"They realise the delay is not something that Bermuda contributed to. They get into New York at 7 (last night) so they had plenty of time for a good night's sleep.'' Weather could threaten the weekend matches when the President's XI play the visitors on Saturday at Wellington Oval and the Bermuda meets the Leewards on Sunday at St. David's, both matches 50 overs starting at 11 a.m.

Weather forcasters are predicting the hurricane will pass 270 miles west of the island on Saturday.

The tour will be a buildup to Bermuda's entry into the Shell/Sandals next month in Guyana. Earlier this month Bailey went to Guyana to assess the facilities, visit the grounds, arrange two practice matches for the team and secure a scorer and physiotherapist for Bermuda while there.

"Guyana is perhaps the ideal place for Bermuda to begin in this competition,'' Bailey feels. He noted the similiarities of the wickets and feels Bermuda's spin bowlers, in particular, should do well.

Bailey visited the three grounds in Guyana in which Bermuda will be playing, Bourda, the Test ground, Enmore and Albion.

"I feel Bermuda will not, in any way, be uncomfortable,'' said Bailey. "The atmosphere is very much similiar.'' Bailey also met former West Indies batsman Joe Solomon who is involved in coaching at the youth level in Guyana and who has expressed interest in coaching in Bermuda.

TODAY'S TEAMS Somerset Dexter Basden Jeff Richardson Treadwell Gibbons Andre Manders Janeiro Tucker Roger Trott Roger Blades Kevin Fubler Del Hollis Wayne Richardson Garry Williams Troy Symonds Leeward Islands Merlin Liburd (right-hand opening batsman) Earl Waldron (right hand opening batsman) Sylvester Joseph (right-hand middle order batsman) Dave Joseph (capt, right-hand middle order batsman) Carl Tuckett (right-hand middle order batsman) Ridley Jacobs (left-hand bat, wicketkeeper) Ronald Powell (right-hand off-break bowler) Troy Mills (right-hand fast bowler) Auriel Kinnon (right-hand fast bowler) Lesroy Irish (right-hand fast bowler) Alex Adams (right-hand batsman) Junie Mitchum (left-hand middle order batsman) Stuart Williams (right-hand opening batsman)