Moosa Stadium (United States won toss): United States beat Bermuda by 155 runs

Richie Balkarran made the most of a second chance after being dropped on nought, going on to make 108 off 123 balls as United States comfortably beat Bermuda on the third day of the ICC Americas Under-17 Match Play Camp at Moosa Stadium in Pearland, Texas.

The US had been reduced to five for two after three overs, following the dismissals of openers Alix Husain and Mohak Buch, caught at cover and bowled by a yorker respectively, before a 155-run stand between Balkarran and Arjun Patel gave the home side all the momentum they needed on the way to victory as they eventually finished on 298 for four.

However, that stand should have been nipped in the bud just four balls after the dismissal of Buch when Balkarran drove Dalin Richardson to cover, but a chest-high chance was spilt and Bermuda proceeded to toil for the next two hours in pursuit of a wicket.

It was characteristic of Bermuda’s sloppy fielding on the day, with four catches and a stumping missed in addition to numerous misfields on the boundary that turned singles into fours.

Balkarran was cautious early, especially after being dropped on the fourth ball of his innings. It took him until his tenth ball to get off the mark, and then another ten to score his second run. He was on seven off 29 balls when he struck his first boundary off Nzari Paynter in the twelfth over.

Four overs later he bashed Paynter over long-on for six and from then on his confidence grew and his pace quickened as he wound up reaching his half-century in 61 balls.

At the other end Patel gave great support throughout much of the innings and though he too received a second life, on 25, went on to make 55 before he chipped Cameron Jeffers to mid-wicket.

Balkarran, meanwhile, had punished the Bermuda attack with a steady flow of boundaries between cover and mid-on via a diet of crisp straight drives, and eventually brought up his hundred off 115 balls with a single to long-off.

Along the way he clobbered 12 fours and a six, and he added one more boundary before he finally fell to a tired swipe against Jeffers to end the 38th over.

Vivek Narayan and Gaurav Patanker then added another 103 off the final 12 overs to take the US to a final total of 298 for four.

Narayan made his intentions known on the fifth ball of his innings when he skipped down the track to loft Jaiden Manders for a straight six, and breezed to a half-century off 42 balls with a pulled four over mid-wicket.

Narayan only finished with two fours and two sixes in his unbeaten 66 off 52, but both Narayan and Patanker, who ended 38 not out off 34 balls, put Bermuda’s fielders under consistent pressure running between the wickets having already spent more than three hours in the field.

Jeffers finished with Bermuda’s best figures on the day, taking two for 51, though Paynter, who finished wicketless, was arguably their best bowler. He, however, was severely let down by his fielders, who missed three chances off his bowling.

In reply, Bermuda made a rapid start behind Jabari Darrell, who repeatedly pulled and drove the US opening bowlers for a series of boundaries in the first four overs to take the score to 27 without loss.

Patanker followed up his solid day with the bat by breaking the opening stand with his very first ball, bowling Rudi Butterfield for four.

Patanker then bowled tightly in tandem with Raymond Ramrattan, whose leg-spin claimed Darrell at slip for 25 in the sixth over. Ramrattan was active in the field as well, running out Alje Richardson from point for the third wicket as Bermuda slumped to 56 for three.

Paynter anchored the rest of the innings, finishing with 44 for Bermuda, but he received little support until he was the sixth wicket to fall, caught by Narayan at mid-off.

Only two other batsman besides Darrell and Paynter got into double figures as seven different US bowlers took wickets.

Buch cleaned up the tail with two for 12 as Bermuda collapsed to 143 for nine, with Jerez Eve having retired hurt.