made promising starts to their seasons in England -- despite the bitter, cold weather.

All three are batting higher up in the order than they would here in Bermuda, with Minors and Smith opening the innings for their teams and Gibbons batting at number three.

Gibbons, the veteran of the trio, has scored a century already in his second spell as professional at Halesowen in the Birmingham League Conference, smashing 122 in 143 minutes, including five sixes and nine fours, on Sunday against Evesham in the Bridgestone Tyre League, which is limited overs.

Halesowen scored 243 for five from their 55 overs as all-rounder Gibbons led them to a 129-run win by also taking three for 38 from his allotted 11 overs.

Gibbons played his first match for Halesowen on Saturday in the Willis Coroon League, which is open cricket, getting a "winning draw'' against Lemington that earned them extra points.

Halesowen scored 214 for eight and Lemington replied with 140 for nine.

Gibbons was caught hooking for 18 but then made amends with the ball, taking five for 55 from 25 successive overs with the new ball, with eight maidens.

"It makes you concentrate better, getting runs and wickets could add a bonus to your pay,'' said Gibbons last night. "Everybody looks up to the pro to do things.

"The wickets here are great to bat on, but a bit slower than we have at home.

It's a matter of getting in the groove quite early. I feel good about my overall game.'' Gibbons, like Minors and Smith, is finding it uncomfortably cold and played on Sunday in five long sleeve sweaters.

The two young St. Georgians are on amateur contracts with Tynedale and Benwell respectively in the Northumberland League. After scoring 26 out of 85 in his team's opening match on Saturday, which they lost, Smith has shown his Benwell team-mates his vast potential by scoring 90 not out and 52 not out in his next two games on Monday and last evening.

In the Monday match Benwell's opponents, South Northumberland, were dismissed for 174 and Benwell replied with 175 for one as Smith blasted his 90.

Yesterday, in a 20 overs per side knockout match, Benwell won by nine wickets after restricting their opponents to 84 for five and then replying with 86 for one as Smith was unbeaten on 52.

"I started off a little bit slow because I was trying to adapt to the wicket, which tends to play slower than at home,'' explained Smith.

Smith compared the standard of the league to be similiar to Premier League cricket in Bermuda, "but the bowlers tend to bowl at a very good line and length,'' he added.

"Scoring 200 runs in 50 overs is a good score here but back home it wouldn't hold up. It's very cold here, the first day I got here I had to go out and buy a long sleeve sweater.'' Smith has not set himself any targets for the season.

"I'm just looking to be very consistent and score as many runs as possible,'' he stated.

"We have two or three really good batsmen and after that some mediocre players. A lot of pressure is put on the overseas players to make runs.'' Smith and Minors are a half-hour apart by train but yesterday they got together to spend the day.

Minors, too, is opening the batting at his club, though it is his wicket-keeping that has impressed his newest admirers.

"I raised a few eyebrows,'' he said modestly.

In his first match he made one, but there was some improvement in the second when he scored 33, both times being caught driving. Tynedale have won both of their league matches as well as a knockout match on Sunday.

Another 20-overs knockout match was scheduled for yesterday but it was rained out. Because of a ruling in two of the knockout competitions restricting the use of overseas players to one per side, Minors did not play on Sunday and was also left out of yesterday's team.

"I'm fitting in really well,'' he said. "The thing I have to do over here is score runs. They want me to get a few big scores.'' The date when Minors and Smith meet in the same league match is July 2.

NOEL GIBBONS -- Aggressive 122.

CLAY SMITH -- Two half-centuries in three innings.