(Bermuda won by losing fewer wickets) NAIROBI, Kenya -- Dean Minors was the toast of the Bermuda national team yesterday after an heroic batting performance at Nairobi Jaffery Sports Club.

Minors, most valuable player of last summer's Cup Match, struck an unbeaten 46 and featured in a 48-run, ninth wicket partnership with Terry Burgess that gave Bermuda their second victory in group D.

The pair needed nine runs to win off the final over and it came down to the last ball with an exhausted Minors hitting a straight drive and Burgess doing well to get back to the danger end to complete the second run which enabled Bermuda to finish level on 154. Bermuda were declared winners on the technicality of having lost fewer wickets.

For Hong Kong, it was the second successive match in which scores have been tied. On Monday, they defeated Denmark after both teams scored 192. Hong Kong needed nine to win off the last over and, like Bermuda did yesterday, scored eight and received four points because they had lost eight wickets as opposed to Denmark's 10.

Bermuda now head the group with eight points with Denmark second by better run rate over Hong Kong with four. Fiji and West Africa are pointless.

Minors' success was particularly rewarding as he was up in the wee hours of the morning with stomach problems, similar to those that sidelined Charlie Marshall.

"This morning I felt pretty good and I felt that I could go ahead and get through the day,'' said Minors.

The dashing wicket-keeper was brought into action by a series of events that were not much unlike the previous day. Resuming at 66 for four after rain ended play on Tuesday, Bermuda were in almost instant trouble.

Four overs into the day with only 11 runs added, Jeff Richardson (seven) attempted an off-drive and succeeded only in giving a simple catch to mid-on.

Opening batsman Dexter Smith had lost his fifth partner and it soon became sixth and seventh when Clevie Wade and Anthony Edwards were dismissed within three balls of each other in the 33rd over with the score 86.

Wade looked comfortable against off-spinner Yarman Vachha but was out to a good catch by Steve Atkinson, who dived forward at short square leg to hold a low sweep shot.

Edwards was sent in ahead of Minors to save the latter the final overs when the run chase would be on. But the move backfired as Minors was in two balls later anyway after Vachha trapped Edwards lbw.

Smith and Minors batted with calm while attempting to see off Vachha, the most penetrative bowler Hong Kong possessed.

But on the fourth ball of his final over with the total 106, Smith played too early at what was meant to be a push through the covers and Stuart Brew took a vital catch high to his right. Vaccha finished with three for nine from 10 overs.

Smith, 32 overnight, finished on 44, his innings lasting 161 minutes with two sixes and three fours from 124 balls.

Bermuda's outlook appeared dire now as Minors had not yet hit stride but needed to score at five runs an over in his partnership with Burgess while Bruce Perinchief waited anxiously in the pavilion.

Hong Kong made two costly errors at this stage as Minors was dropped on the long-off boundary by Justin Strachan off Brew's bowling and in the 49th over a skied shot towards backward point fell straight to the ground despite Vachha being camped under it.

After Strachan's excellent over, the 49th, which yielded only three runs, the stage was set for a nailbiting 50th as eight were needed for the tie and nine for an outright victory -- the exact same scenario Hong Kong were confronted with against Denmark.

Minors connected with doubles on the first three balls from Cross but then blocked the fourth and swiped at and missed the fifth. The result from the final ball brought the entire Bermuda contingent onto the field with Minors and Burgess lofted high upon shoulders.

Minors' runs came from 52 balls in 75 minutes and included four fours. The match-winning partnership lasted 44 minutes with Burgess making a responsible nine not out, having negotiated 26 deliveries. "Dexter Smith, the opening bat, laid a solid foundation,'' said a joyous Minors afterwards. "When I met him at the wicket he gave me the confidence to go ahead and carry on when he was unfortunately caught out.

"Terry and I then got together and started talking and he did well with me in the middle.'' Bermuda are now off until Saturday when Fiji will be the opposition. The Fijians lost their opener in a big way to Denmark yesterday, by 93 runs and will face another stiff test against Hong Kong today.

A much-relieved Bermuda captain Albert Steede considered yesterday's near escape as a wake-up call.

"Today's display was a good show of guts and determination from the whole team,'' he said. "It was a very difficult game and I think it will be very difficult from now on because everyone has the same objective as us and that is to go to the World Cup.

"It was good that we have a game this close this early in the tournament. It will make us pay attention that much more.'' Another match completed in the second day saw group B darkhorses United Arab Emirates defeat the United States by four wickets. There were two results from scheduled matches yesterday as Canada beat Israel by eight wickets and Namibia stopped Singapore by five wickets, both in group C.

Yesterday's Results Group D At Nairobi Jaffery: Bermuda beat Hong Kong by losing fewer wickets -- second day. Hong Kong 154, Bermuda 154-8. Bermuda four points.

At Simba Union: Denmark beat Fiji by 93 runs -- second day. Denmark 219, Fiji 126. Denmark four points.

Group A At Nairobi Gymkhana: Papua New Guinea 165 all out v Malaysia, halted by rain.

Group B At Aga Khan Sports Club: United Arab Emirates beat United States by four wickets -- second day. United States 206, UAE 209-6. UAE four points.

At Impala: Bangladesh beat East and Central Africa by seven wickets -- second day. East and Central Africa 98, Bangladesh 99-3. Bangladesh four wickets.

Group C At Ruaraka: Canada beat Israel by eight wickets. Israel 89, Canada 90-2.

Canada four points.

At Ngara: Namibia beat Singapore by five wickets. Singapore 116, Namibia 117-5. Namibia four points.

Today's matches Group A: Papua New Guinea v Malaysia to conclusion; Ireland v Gibraltar to conclusion.

Group B: UAE v Argentina; US v East and Central Africa.

Group D: Denmark v West Africa; Fiji v Hong Kong.

DEAN MINORS -- Toast of Bermuda national squad after superb batting.