BERMUDA'S heavy defeat by Nepal this week in a warm-up to the Under-19 Cricket World Cup being staged in Malaysia maybe unfortunately be a sign of things to come. And yesterday Bermuda's youngsters were comprehensively beaten at the Salanger Turf Cricket Club by Namibia who batted first and scored 224 all out to Bermuda's 122 all out.

Many in local cricketing circles were shocked that Bermuda fell so badly against Nepal at the Kilat Club going down by a massive 188 runs. Nepal, many believe, are hardly a power in world cricket.

But that overlooks the fact that Nepal have played in every Under-19 World Cup since 2000 and they have been known for their giant-killing abilities. How they do against the likes of two-time former champions Australia and Sri Lanka in their Group C in Penang remains to be seen.

Bermuda's Cricketing Development Director Arnold Manders said yesterday from Malaysia: "I knew that Nepal had in the past beaten some very good teams and I told our guys that. I don't know what happens to Nepal at the senior level but they are very good at the youth level ¿ they field well and bowl well."

As for yesterday's defeat to Namibia, Manders said he has been very unhappy with the wickets used for these warm-up matches.

Namibia batted first and when it came time for Bermuda to bat, Manders said the wicket resembled "a slow turner of the fourth day of a Test match. The wickets have been really overused here."

However he was angry about the comments made in general about cricket in the media and airwaves in Bermuda following the island's disastrous Stanford 20/20 competition.

Of his Under-19 team he said: "We are one of the youngest teams in the tournament. People (back in Bermuda) just want to criticise. They should come out here and see what we are up against. We have been to two World Cups within the space of a year and we only have a population of 60,000 whereas many of these countries have over 60,000 cricketers! This is all new for our guys.

"When we were in India they all saw (kids their age) playing full time. While we get them for six hours a week, those players in India play for six hours a day. They don't go to school ¿ all they do it play cricket!"

And the Indian experience was not all that it was assumed it would be.

"For much of the time we were there it was very cold ¿ in fact they said it was the coldest they had experienced in 50 years. We went to India to get acclimatised and then we get hit with that. Then when we got to Malaysia it was very hot and humid and the guys said it got to them in the first match."

However he was not making any excuses for his young charges. Against Nepal Manders said he was "shocked and disappointed" with the Bermuda performance and against Namibia yesterday he said: "Despite it not being an easy wicket a lot of the guys got themselves out. Hopefully when we play Bangladesh on Monday it will be a better wicket."

Manders knows that when the tournament starts next week it will be the spinners who will benefit the most.

"The wickets here take spin. The spinners here are doing all the damage except early on when there is a little moisture and it swings around. The spinners will play a major part in this tournament ¿ that was one of the reasons why we went to India."

And while nearly all the players have at some time struggled with the food, Manders said that he believes they are settled now.

"We have had someone sick every day since we left ¿ mainly stomach problems. And also we had a couple of guys run down from a fever from all the travelling but I think we have recovered from that now.

"This is all new for our guys."

While many in Bermuda were shocked when Bermuda were beaten soundly by Nepal this week in a warm-up match, many probably do not realise that in the last three Under-19 World Cups Nepal have beaten five ICC Full Members and won the Plate final to finish ninth at the 2006 event ¿ ahead of New Zealand and South Africa. And in 2002 Nepal defeated Pakistan and Bangladesh before losing to Zimbabwe in the Plate final and again in 2006 when they beat New Zealand and South Africa.

Nepal, coached by former Sri Lanka opener Roy Dias, qualified for the tournament from the Asian region after finishing unbeaten in the 10-team tournament in Kuala Lumpur. They have also been well prepared as their players have been together for more than four months, playing matches and training hard before winding up with a three-match series against Bangladesh Under-19.

Bermuda will take on England, Bangladesh and Ireland in their Group D and will find the going very hard.

Former champions England and Bangladesh start off as clear favourites in the group to progress to the Super League stage although Ireland will be hoping to cause an upset or two.

If Bermuda are to win any of the matches in the group it will most likely be against fellow Associate Member Ireland. But that is not going to be easy.

Ireland are captained by Greg Thompson who will be playing in his third World Cup, having previously taken part in Bangladesh in 2004, and Sri Lanka in 2006.

Ireland open their campaign against England on February 17.

And in 2006 the Irish came desperately close to beating England losing by just four runs, with ironically Thompson being the player dismissed off the final ball of the game.

Before facing Bermuda on February 21, Ireland will take on Bangladesh on February 20, where they will be hoping to emulate their senior colleagues who convincingly beat Bangladesh in Barbados during the Super 8 phase of last year's World Cup. This came after they shocked Pakistan in the group stages.

Irish coach Brian O' Rourke said: "The players have been working hard in training, and are eagerly awaiting the start of the World Cup. The squad has a good blend of youth and experience, with four having played in Sri Lanka in 2006 and no fewer than seven players under the age of 17.

"We have a very strong batting line up and we have plenty of options in the bowling department ¿ and the squad is full of all rounders. We are particularly strong in the spin department, which I feel will be crucial, given the type of pitches we are likely to encounter in Malaysia."

The coach added: "With both England and Bangladesh in our group, the standard of cricket we are likely to face is very high, but it will be the experience of a lifetime for the boys. We have put in a lot of hard work, and our fitness levels are improving all the time. This will be undoubtedly be the fittest Under 19 squad that has ever represented Ireland."

England won the tournament under the captaincy of Owais Shah in 1998 while Bangladesh has produced stellar performances at this level, including their win over hosts Sri Lanka in the fifth-place play-off two years ago and an eight-run victory over then defending champions Australia in the Plate Championship final in the 2004 competition.

Ireland qualified for this tournament from the Europe Region after defeating Scotland by six wickets in the final while Bermuda won the five-team round-robin Americas qualifier and defeated Canada, Caymans Island, Bahamas and Argentina on the way for what is their maiden appearance in an Under-19 World Cup.

The four teams will be based in Kuala Lumpur.

England must be the favourites in Bermuda's group. Besides winning the title in 1998, England have appeared in three semi-finals in 1988, 2004 and 2006 while they reached the Super League in 2000 and 2002.

England also gained invaluable experience of playing in Malaysian conditions having toured there last year, where they played a series against the hosts, Sri Lanka and India.

The team is led by Alex Wakely who made his first-class debut for Northamptonshire last year, scoring 38 and 66 on debut against Somerset.

He said: "My ultimate goal and realistic goal is to captain the team to World Cup glory. The team behind me is one of incredible talent and desire."

Key batsmen for England will include Billy Godleman, who scored an unbeaten 149 against Pakistan and Under-19 game last summer, and Kent's Sam Northeast.

On the bowling front, much will be expected from 6-foot 8-inch Steven Finn, who at just 16 became the youngest player since Fred Titmus in 1949 to make his county debut for Middlesex, and who spent the latter part of 2007 in India with the England Performance Programme squad.

Glamorgan's James Harris, who became the first 17-year-old to take a seven-wicket haul in the County Championship, will probably share the new-ball duties with Finn, while the likes of Chris Woakes and Liam Dawson may also fill a useful role with the ball.

Bangladesh have proved to be one of the teams to watch lately.

They have shown some good form in the build-up to the event and displayed their strength of character, as well as cricketing ability, when it came back from 2-0 down to enjoy a shock 3-2 series win over Pakistan.

Although they were triumphant over South Africa in the recent triangular tournament in Pretoria in January, they were crushed by a strong India Under-19 side by 137 runs in the final.

Bangladesh Under-19 team's first warm-up match this week saw them beat Malaysia by huge 165 runs at the Royal Military Academy ground on Monday.

Ireland warmed up by beating Papua New Guinea by two wickets.

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GROUP D (to be based in Kuala Lumpur, seeding in brackets)

England (4)

Bangladesh (5)

Bermuda (12)

Ireland (13)

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Schedule:

17 February - England v Ireland, Bayuemas Oval

18 February - Bangladesh v Bermuda, Bayuemas Oval

19 February - England v Bermuda, Royal Selangor Club

20 February - Bangladesh v Ireland, Bayuemas Oval

21 February - Bermuda v Ireland, Royal Selangor Club

22 February - England v Bangladesh, Royal Selangor Club

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GROUP D SQUADS

ENGLAND

Alex Wakely (captain), Ben Brown, Liam Dawson, Steven Finn, Billy Godleman, James Harris, James Lee, Stuart Meaker, Sam Northeast, Daniel Redfern, James Taylor, Thomas Westley, Chris Woakes, Greg Wood, James Goodman.

BANGLADESH

Md. Sohrawardi Shuvo (captain), Dollar Mahmud, Ashraful Hossain, Shubhashis Roy Md. Rubel Hossain, Gulam Kibriya, Rony Talakdar, Md. Mahmudul Hasan, Nasir Hossain, Mohammad Shakil, Mohammad Nadimuddin, Md. Mithun, Md. Saikat Ali, Amit Majumder, Ashiqul Islam.

BERMUDA

Rodney Trott (captain), Malachi Jones, Tamauri Tucker, Machai Campbell, Pierre Smith, Greg Maybury, McLaren Smith, Terryn Fray, Deunte Darrell, Jordan De Silva, Christopher Douglas, Kyle Hodsoll, Dennico Hollis, Tre Govia, Regino Smith.

IRELAND

Greg Thompson, (captain), Ben Ackland , Andrew Balbirnie, Andrew Britton, Christopher Dougherty, Shane Getkate, James Hall, Richard Keaveney, Theo Lawson, Graham McDonnell, Gavin McKenna, Lee Nelson, Stuart Poynter, James Shannon, Paul Stirling.