Bermuda and USA have failed to get home field advantage for this summer?s ICC Inter Continental Cup tournament, can reveal.

This year?s schedule for the new three-day cricket tournament, involving some 12 countries from four regions, sees Bermuda pitted against Americas regional rivals Canada and USA with both matches slated to be held in Toronto.

Bermuda are set to take on last year?s runners-up Canada in Toronto from August 23 to 25 before playing the USA from August 27 to 29. Both matches are tentatively scheduled for the Toronto Sports Club.

?We are really looking forward to competing again in the tournament,? stated an enthusiastic Bermuda Cricket Board treasurer Neil Speight yesterday.

?I think we did learn a lot from competing in the tournament last year. I also think the introduction of the two-day cricket format in our domestic programme was a big help. And I know the Board are very pleased with the reaction of the clubs in the manner in which they embraced the new format.?

With Bermuda poised to compete in July?s ICC Trophy in Ireland, Speight hopes the Island can travel to Canada having achieved their objective of qualifying for the 2007 World Cup Finals in the West Indies.

?Hopefully we can pick up some momentum before heading into that tournament (ICC Inter Continental Cup),? he added.

Speight said the decision to have Bermuda play their two matches on foreign clay had nothing to do with the controversial cricket pitch at the National Sports Centre (NSC), described last fall by leading ICC turf expert Andy Atkinson as ?not fit for growing carrots?.

?It had nothing to do with that . . . it?s purely about costs,? Speight insisted. ?One of the factors and concerns for the Inter Continental Cup ? and not just within our region ? is that tournaments are very expensive to host.

?The ICC had decided that it was a valuable high performance vehicle to help improve cricket in Associate countries. And so they were keen for it to continue and Canada, Bermuda and USA had to consider how best to stage the event.

?And the region decided that in order to make the tournament more cost effective, it would be held in one location.

?In the end it was decided that Toronto would be the location to host this year?s tournament.?

Last year saw Canada, led by Canadian-born Australian John Davis, finish runners-up to inaugural winners Scotland after the final was staged in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

En route to the final Davis took 17 wickets for 137 runs against USA ? the best first class bowling performance since English off-spinner Jim Laker seized 19 wickets for 90 runs playing for England against Australia at Old Trafford, Manchester in 1956.

Bermuda completed their two Inter Continental Cup matches last year with one loss and a draw.

The local team lost to USA in their opening match at the NSC by 114 runs before overcoming great odds to hold the Canadians to a draw at Sonnybrook Park, Toronto, in what proved to be former national coach Mark Harper?s final international at the helm of the team.

The Guyanese national has now been replaced by former Bermuda skipper Wendell Smith in an interim capacity amid ongoing reports that former South African Test player Daryll Cullinan is being sought by the Board for the top post.

?Bermuda will travel to Toronto first to play against Canada and then USA will come up and join everybody,? Speight added. ?Bermuda will then play against USA before leaving. So obviously we end up not having to spend a lot of money having to travel to different countries and also having the tournament held in one of the cheapest cricketing countries.

?Tournaments such as these do cost the ICC and the Board a significant amount of money to participate in. But we are keen to keep participating because it?s very important for the continued development of the local side.?

Last year saw Bermuda skipper Clay Smith top the Island?s Inter Continental batting, scoring 190 runs at an average of 47.50 per innings with a second innings high score of 65 against USA ? his second half century of the match.

South African-born all-rounder Saleem Mukuddem topped the local bowling with six wickets for 90 at an average of 15 per wicket while left-arm spinner Dwayne (Sluggo) Leverock grabbed the most scalps with a combined 13 wickets against USA and Canada, seizing seven second innings wickets for 57 against USA at the NSC to finish with overall match figures of nine for 151.