Like the man he replaced as skipper, Janeiro Tucker could barely contain his emotions as he reflected on Bermuda?s historic qualification for the World Cup.

Leading from the front, the hard-hitting middle order bat smashed a sensational 132, his highest ever on the international stage and the best by a Bermudian in the ICC Trophy, but his own accomplishments, he said, paled in comparison to those of the team.

?This is what I play cricket for. I?ve been playing cricket for 25 years and it comes down to one day and that day was today,? said Tucker.

?We?re going to the World Cup and I think anybody who didn?t believe us better believe us now. It?s happening . . . but it hasn?t sunk in yet.

?I just think the team played so well, we?ve done everything right since the tournament started.

?I think we?ve got better with every game, we?ve been scoring more runs every game.

?The coach kept telling us to believe in each other and I think we have.?

Coming to the crease with Bermuda?s score on a precarious 88-4, Tucker said he knew as captain he carried a huge responsibility.

?I thought somebody had to step up today and I just took that responsibility myself and said ?today is my day and whatever it takes to win I?m going to do it.?

?My previous best score in an international was 104. So today is special, 132 my best ever, what a day!?

Unsung hero Dean Minors, who belted 41 and snared four catches behind the wicket yesterday, is one of the veterans in the team at 35 but said he?d now be tempted to play on until the World Cup.

?I?m going to have to ask my wife first,? he chuckled.

?We?ll have to sit down and talk about it but I think I can convince her right now, and I think I can push on.

?I?ve enjoyed this tournament so much.

?I?ve just tried to stick to the basics, do exactly what the coach wanted me to do. I just try to do what the team ask me to do and we?ve come out on top. It was just about taking in all of the coach?s advice and applying it.?

Team spirit, said Minors, had been higher than at any time during his international career.

?It?s definitely as good as I?ve ever seen it, thanks to Logie.

?We bought into his philosophy and went from strength to strength but I think what he instilled in us was team discipline.

?We?ve persevered and we?ve got the right results.?

South Africa-born Saleem Mukuddem, who has been promoted to opening bowler and number three bat during the tournament, described yesterday as ?by far the biggest day of my career?.

?It?s just awesome, absolutely awesome,? he smiled.

?It?s what we?ve been working for from the start. All that effort, all that sacrifice of leaving home, leaving work early to go training, it?s finally paid off.

?How many people in Bermuda would have believed it. We?ve qualified for the World Cup. It?s a fantastic feeling. I think it?s going to take a while to sink in.

?The boys have thought about how they might celebrate, but you can?t plan for this . . . I?m just over the moon, absolutely ecstatic.

?I think whatever we do now in the tournament will be a consolation. We?ve got over the main hurdle, we?ve qualified. I guess we?ll think about the semi-final later.?