from cricket for five matches -- a ruling which could put his place in the Red Stripe Cup in jeopardy.

Smith will be sidelined for today's Eastern Counties Cup final in which he was scheduled to appear for St. David's as a guest player against Flatts, while his club team St. George's will be without his services for tomorrow's Knockout Cup clash against Police at Sea Breeze Oval.

Smith flew in from college in the US to face the Bermuda Cricket Board of Control's disciplinary committee after being charged with bringing the game into disrepute after questioning an umpire's decision when given out lbw during a recent match against Willow Cuts.

BCBC vice president Gladstone Brown, chairman of the disciplinary committee, confirmed the ban but refused to give any further details of the ruling.

But Smith's father Mansfield said he understood it meant his son would not be eligible for the Red Stripe Cup in Guyana in October.

"From what I gather it means he will be suspended from all cricket until he has completed a five-match ban. It would be a big blow to Bermuda,'' he said.

It is believed that even if he had given immediate notification of appealing, Smith would still not have been allowed to play while the appeal was pending.

But no appeal was handed in and consequently any plea against the suspension will have to wait until Monday to be made.

St. David's vice-president Delby Borden said last night that he was surprised by the ban, especially since he was informed that only one of the two umpires at the match had shown up.

While admitting that Smith's batting would be sorely missed, especially after he saved the team with a painstaking century during the last round, provisions had been made to compensate for his absence if he was suspended.

"Kameron Fox was named twelfth man to fill in should Clay be banned, so we had provisions in place. Any team in Bermuda with a player of Clay's talents will miss him. It only means others will have to produce. People like Lionel Cann will bat earlier, former skipper Shea Pitcher is back and looking good and we will be fine despite the loss,'' said Borden.

Mansfield Smith added that he expected Clay to be at Sea Breeze Oval to support his team-mates.

However, he added: It may hurt him more to be there than to stay away.''