Bermuda will be looking to start their ICC Americas Under-19 Regional World Cup Qualifier on the front foot when they face tournament hosts Canada at the Maple Leaf Cricket Club in King City, Ontario, today.

The home team are the favourites going into the match. However, Arnold Manders, the Bermuda coach, remains optimistic his players can rise to the challenge and come away with the desired result. “If they can just follow all our batting and bowling plans, team plans and execute them to the best of their ability, the sky is the limit,” Manders said.

The match is the first of back-to-back outings for Manders’s team as they will meet the United States, who are also among the favourites to advance, tomorrow.

“If our older players play to their full potential and the younger ones can follow, we have a chance of beating Canada and United States,” Manders added.

Bermuda are scheduled to play Cayman Islands on Thursday and Argentina in their final round-robin match the next day.

The top team in the group will advance to Under-19 World Cup in South Africa next January and February.

Bermuda competed at the 2008 Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia, having qualified the previous year in Canada with a historical win over the host country.