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Throughout the duration of the Cable & Wireless BET Under-15 cricket final, there were discussions on whether the standard of play had deteriorated in recent years.

Those conversations were prompted mainly because the three- day match between St. Peter neighbours Alexandra and Coleridge and Parry was a dull one for the most part and ended in a no-decision.

Two players, Courtney Browne and Floyd Reifer, who have passed through the Under-15 ranks en route to making the Barbados and West Indies teams, however, hold different views.

The standard of play this year was fairly high,Browne told the SUN on Saturday.

We lost a lot of time to the weather and obviously that prohibited a lot of the teams from getting necessary points and a lot of players from getting runs and wickets.

Playing on the wet wickets, you didn’t see the batsmen getting big runs like in the past, but all in all, it was a fair tournament,added the Barbados wicket-keeper/batsman.

Reifer, who still holds the record for the highest individual score in the tournament – 225 for Lodge against St. George Secondary in 1987 – feels some aspects of the game have improved since the 1980s.

The standard is getting higher and higher every year,he said.

I can remember, in my day, fielding was always a problem. Watching these guys every week, the fielding has improved tremendously.

The bowlers are probably not as quick as they were in my day, but they bowl decent line and length.

Reifer and Browne are employees of Cable & Wireless BET and over the last few years they have closely followed the tournament as analysts.

The final has often been decided on only first innings, but this year there was a no-result with both teams having occupied the crease for more than 100 overs without being dismissed.

There were suggestions that play should start at 10 a.m., as is the case in regional first-class and youth matches, or that another day be added.

Browne did not agree.

I think that it shows the quality of our cricket. When these youngsters get on good pitches they can bat and draw games,he said.

They are accustomed to playing two days. If you play three days and the game still ends in a draw, that is a positive in terms of having batsmen who can apply themselves and bat long innings.

Spectator support at the final was less than in previous years, but Reifer does not feel that interest in the tournament has declined.

In the past, you had teams like Combermere and Harrison College, who always have a big following,he said.

This year you had two teams from the north. I think that is one of the reasons (for the smaller crowd).