Opposition One Bermuda Alliance has been accused of “pimping” Cup Match for political purposes.At issue are its political broadcast just prior to the holiday, and foam cricket balls which were given away by the party at Somerset Cricket Club during the match.The ball had the OBA logo on one side and the words “Putting Bermuda First — Howzat for a change?” on the other.“They’re taking a cricket ball, which signifies Cup Match, and putting their logo on it — you’re taking something that’s a national icon and putting your political logo on it,” said Christopher Famous.Mr Famous, a supporter of the ruling PLP, considers that Cup Match should be free of such politicisation. He said it mocked the spirit of togetherness at Cup Match “because you’re now inducing political divide.”The 44-year-old founder of the Bermuda Election 2012 online forum said it was the first time he had seen Cup Match exploited for political purposes in this manner.“I think it’s indicative of American style politics. What’s next?”A political broadcast featuring OBA Leader Craig Cannonier, and broadcast just days before Cup Match, also came in for some criticism from Mr Famous.Mr Cannonier talked about the meaning of Cup Match before announcing that “all of us in the OBA have been listening to you. On the streets on the doorsteps I can tell you there’s a great spirit out there ready to be freed up ready to move on,” adding, “people are ready for change, ready for a new tomorrow. That spirit will be alive at Cup Match on the pitch in the stands and under the tents”.Mr Famous said: “If he had just left it at ‘have an enjoyable Cup Match and stay safe,’ it would have been a feel good PSA, but he used it for political gain. It’s like a Trojan horse.”To be fair, Premier Paula Cox also infused her Cup Match message, printed in the Bermuda Sun, with a political message when she urged her readers not to “be fooled by those offering quick fixes and rapid and radical change.”It was her second holiday message. The first, a week earlier, was decidedly non-partisan. “This holiday is not about politics — simply relax and enjoy the spirit of Bermuda,” she said.A statement from the party she leads steered clear away from the debate when asked their view of the OBA Cup Match promotion.“The PLP isn’t focused on campaign tactics, we’re focused on standing strong for Bermudians in these challenging economic times,” it said before summarising a string of initiatives and accomplishments such as “a massive 10.7 percent drop in crimes in the second quarter”.“The fact that the OBA handed out foam balls and put out yet another political broadcast where they offer no ideas and no solutions is to be expected.”An OBA spokesperson pointed out that the PLP has had a table at Cup Match with giveaways for “many years”.“Mr Cannonier paid tribute to what's best about Bermuda — working together to make things better. For those who may want to decide for themselves, we invite them to visit oba.bm to watch Mr Cannonier’s Cup Match video message.”For Rhonda Neil, a PLP supporter, certain Bermuda holidays should be politics-free.“I think it’s despicable for any political party would make a celebration of emancipation to project their political agendas, especially at a time when Bermuda is so divided,” she said.“Emancipation Day, Somers Day as well as Bermuda Day are great opportunities for our leaders to concentrate on things that unite us. Those are three days that should be set aside to concentrate on just Bermuda with nobody’s agenda being pushed.”Ms Neil acknowledged that the OBA is not the first to hand out political paraphernalia at Cup Match, but said its direct appeal to the voters with slogans such as “time for a change” set it apart from others and made this year’s holiday “more polarising”.