HAMILTON, Bermuda (CMC) — Businessman Lloyd Fray has been re-elected as president of the Bermuda Cricket Board (BCB) for another three-year term, keeping him in charge until 2017, despite the island’s continuing slump in fortunes on the world stage.

Bermuda cricket has been in decline since the island made its debut in the World Cup, appearing in the 2007 tournament in the Caribbean.

The latest embarrassment came when Bermuda came bottom of a six-nation ICC World Cricket League Division Three tournament in Malaysia, winning only one match and being relegated — along with the United States — to Division Four.

Bermuda’s League Three survival hopes were dented by the absence of national coach Arnold Manders because of pneumonia, but relegation brought calls for heads to roll at the BCB.

However, Fray saw off a challenge from sole challenger Lloyd Smith, emerging victorious by a convincing vote of eight to three in a secret ballot for the top post at Wednesday night’s annual meeting.

Smith, who threw his hat into the ring at the 11th hour, had garnered some support heading into the meeting but not enough to unseat Fray, a former cricketer at Warwick Workman’s Club and Flatts Victoria Club.

Fray was first elected as BCB president in 2011 after defeating Clay Smith, the former Bermuda captain, and lawyer Ed Bailey, a past board president, following former president Reggie Pearman’s decision to step down.