Is the glass half empty, or is it half full, where Bermuda cricket is concerned?

Depending on your outlook on life then the All-Star matches that took place at the National Sports Centre over the weekend could be used as evidence for either.

First, the positives. The two games, played yesterday and on Saturday, were more competitive, and of a higher quality, than would normally be seen at grounds around the Island during the domestic season.

There were some fine individual performances, with Chris Douglas' unbeaten 79 yesterday the highest score of the weekend, while honourable mentions also go to Lionel Cann (48), Rodney Trott (36) and Dennico Hollis (33).

On the bowling side Damali Bell has emerged as a genuine contender for a spot in the senior national squad, and it would be no surprise if he skipped the under-19s altogether. The Cleveland left-armer has the kind of flowing rhythm that Wasim Akram used to be famous for, and would give head coach David Moore a different option alongside the likes of Malachi Jones and Kevin Tucker.

His team-mate Dennis Musson Jnr, and Bailey's Bay's Burton Outerbridge also had good weekends in front of Moore, and neither will have done their reputations any harm. All will be given the opportunity to work with fast bowling coach Andy Pick, who arrives in Bermuda on Wednesday, and if he can provide some of the coaching that the clubs have failed to provide then the Island's bowling attack will have an increasingly healthy look about it.

Looking at the statistics from the weekend, where no side scored more than 200, it might seem difficult to see the positives. However the teams were filled with the elite of the domestic game, and so unlike a normal weekend where a club side might have, at most, three good bowlers, and four good batsmen, there was no respite from either.

However, on the flip side, the limited ability of the Island's cricketers in terms of tactics, skill, and general cricketing know-how were also on show for all to see.

There were a whopping 110 runs in wides over the two games, while five run out opportunities were also blown over the course of the weekend.

Scoring slowed to a trickle at times as well, although that had more to do with the unending supply of good bowling that teams had at their disposal, and in the long run will force the Island's batsmen to learn how to manufacture runs when the going gets tough.

Fortunately the skill, and knowledge can be fixed with time, however the poor behaviour and bad attitudes that were also on display are harder to sort out, and had this weekend been more serious, then Dion Stovell, Malachi Jones, and OJ Pitcher would all have spent it on the sidelines.

All were late, although they were far from being the only ones, but as national team members they are held to a higher standard. Meanwhile Andrew Raynor, Dean Stephens, Sheroy Fubler and Allan Dougals didn't turn up at all.

Overall though the weekend was exactly what Bermuda, and Moore, needed. They highlighted the gap between those who can play at a higher level, those with the potential to play at a higher level, and those who will never rise higher than this.

For the record there were wins for Symonds XI, who beat Hunt XI by five runs on Saturday, and Simmons XI, who beat Parfitt XI by six wickets yesterday.

In Saturday's game, Kevin Hurdle and Jordan DeSilva both scored 34 as Symonds XI made 167, and then Outerbridge took three wickets as Hunt collapsed from 87 for one to 162 all out.

Yesterday was all about Douglas, who carried his bat as Simmons XI chased down Parfitt XI's total of 192 with 16.4 overs to spare.