Bermuda Under-19s are on the verge of being pulled out of this season's Premier Division 50-over competition.

Originally drafted in to replace Police, who folded in April, the Under-19s were due to open their season away to Southampton Rangers next Saturday.

However, that now seems unlikely to happen with a Bermuda Cricket Board committee recommending that the team withdraw from the league.

The BCB executive committee are due to meet before the end of the week, when they are expected to rubber stamp the recommendation, and suggest that the games that the Under-19s are due to play will become bye weeks.

With Social Club, who were relegated last year, not beginning their First Division campaign until next weekend, there is still the slim possibility that they could be brought into the Premier Division to fill the gap, although a BCB insider said that was 'highly unlikely to happen'.

The decision to elevate the Under-19s has been beset by problems from the start. In April the plan was to have the Under-19s play their games on a Saturday, beginning several weeks before the season got fully underway.

This would have allowed players to play for their clubs, as well as their country, something that would difuse any possible objection from teams who claim to rely on the likes of Duante Darrell, Terryn Fray and Kevon Fubler to play for them week in, and week out.

At the same time, the Under-19s were also only supposed to play in the first rotation of league matches, because the team, which mainly consists of Under-17 players, has several international commitments this summer.

When the final schedule came out last week, however, with the Under-19s slated for a full season of matches, it became apparent that their league commitments were just unworkable.

And once again, the BCB haven't been helped by the clubs failing to get their pitches ready in time. Cleveland, who were supposed to open their season against Somerset Bridge at Bailey's Bay tomorrow have already fallen victim to this, and the Sea Breeze Oval is only ever used for cricket.

As one BCB insider put it, 'you could tell the clubs that the season was starting on August 4, and they still wouldn't be ready'.