demise yesterday.

Nor does he knock his younger brother Jason, and John and Mark Ray for venturing on to the green and gold of Devonshire Rec., like he did as a promising teenager after Nationals withdrew from the league in the early 1980s.

"It is a big disappointment but I kind of sensed it,'' said Lewis from his home in North Carolina.

"I think they did fairly well when I left but they didn't have the numbers anymore and the interest went downhill.'' Lewis is a student at Lander College in South Carolina where he is pursuing a second degree in teaching with plans to pursue a Masters Degree next year.

"Nationals have never been a club to attract big-name players, it's always the work-hard players who pull them through.'' Lewis, 26, returned to Nationals in 1989 as player/coach after a seven-year stint with Devonshire Rec.

"I feel guys like Jason, Mark and John need to be in an environment where there are players around to make them better,'' he said. "Another team is going to do them a world of good where they are not the main stars. I had my best years at Devonshire Rec. and I can't deter them from that.'' Lewis said one of the problems at Nationals was the lack of input from former players of the club, leaving him to carry much of the responsibility himself in training.

"One of my biggest gripes was that though Nationals were a big team in the '70s none of those players came down to help me out in the nets,'' he said.

"Devonshire always had a solid programme because of the experienced players there like (Gladstone) Sad Brown and (Winston) Coe Trott who are still around.

"At Nationals there was also a problem of starting late on the field because of rugby. But they have some excellent facilities and one of the best wickets on the Island. Last year the wicket was the best I've seen since I've been down there.'' Lewis will return to Bermuda in early May and leave again just after Cup Match, not enough time to play much cricket even though he was chosen to train with the national team.

"When I come back I'll have to go to work, so I can't see myself jumping into another team situation,'' he said.

"Even to the national programme I can't commit.''