There could be victory beyond the losses incurred by Bermuda during the just completed Australian cricket tour, according to national squad captain Albert Steede and the team's bowling coach George Rock.

Response to the tour by local cricket fans plus the camaraderie and enthusiasm shown by the players proved that sport should be further used in developing the Island's youth and fostering cooperation between the races, said Rock.

With the final game at Somerset Cricket Club on Sunday drawing an enthusiastic crowd, Rock said he took great pride in the interest displayed by the country's future brigade.

"It's like cricket and the gospel, this was a revival!'' said Rock, who over the past week accompanied several of the Australians during visits to schools on the Island.

"This was a revival for the game and we all carry on from here, parents, Bermuda and everybody carries on from here...if you're not doing well in sports as a nation, you're not doing well socially and I think this is a great effort.

"I must admit there are a lot of distractions, but today (Sunday) and this weekend show that there is enthusiasm for people to get together as a nation and the fans must be given credit for their support of the players. And we need more, because it's a small country and we need to have and see our sportsmen coming out and playing good, clean games to really put Bermuda on the map again, just as athletics has done.

"And I tell you `if you've got good cricketers, you've got good citizens'.'' Both Rock and Steede agreed that the talent base was here, but it was sometimes hindered by the lack of experience against quality opposition on a regular basis.

Both believed there needed to be more exposure to teams such as Australia along with those on a similar, if not slightly higher, level than Bermuda.

"I think it (tour) definitely benefits us in the exposure aspect,'' said Steede, scorer of a team high 32 in the final match. "It was good exposure for us, but it's just unfortunate that we can't play at such a high level consistently.'' "It was good that a lot of guys got the chance to play against quality opposition.

"I think Bermuda played well in all three games and it shows that we can play cricket and if we were to play these type of teams more often we would get increasingly better results.

"It just goes to show that if we keep our minds focussed on what we have to do and concentrate, we'll be all right.'' Steede's Aussie counterpart Mark Taylor expressed a similar view, conceding that experience was the major difference.

"Obviously just the lack of experience (is a factor). It's really hard to keep things going when you don't play enough of these games,'' said Taylor, the first skipper from Down Under to defeat the West Indies in the Caribbean in the last 22 years.

"We play 20 to 25 of these games every year against top quality opposition, so we've got the experience and always know what to do in pressure situations and that's something that doesn't come along easily.'' Much maligned over the three game tour was the performance of local batsmen, who, but for a few, were unable to come to grips with a disciplined bowling attack.

Each contest witnessed Bermuda quickly falling behind the run rate set by Australia, forcing them out of contention early and allowing the Aussies to use `junk-bowlers'.

"It's a catch 22 situation. You've got to take risks, but you can't afford to get out,'' was the simple explanation from Taylor. "It's not an easy job, especially when you're playing guys like Brendon Julian, who I thought bowled very well today (Sunday). (Also) Shane Warne was turning the ball a long way and I've seen players of better calibre than Bermuda have trouble with Shane Warne.

"So you shouldn't feel ashamed of that, it's not always easy to score when Shane's turning 'em so far.'' All agreed that the tour was a step in the right direction.

Added Rock: "We're on a good wicket if we can keep this momentum going and everybody, including the officials, fans and parents work together as a unit.

"Rather than look for personal achievements we must make it a real Bermuda effort for us to move on again and regain the potential we've always seemed to have.'' CAPTAIN'S INNINGS -- Australian skipper Mark Taylor seen in exquisite form, as he pulls this delivery to the leg side during his innings of 58 at Somerset on Sunday.