A sparkling 132 from Janeiro Tucker, later described by the stand-in skipper as ?the best innings of my life?, laid the platform for this crushing 113-run victory in the all-important final ICC Trophy group game at Waringstown yesterday.

As Tucker crunched boundaries to all corners of the ground, dismantling the US attack with ten sixes and eight fours, it soon became apparent that nothing would stop Bermuda?s march to the West Indies in 2007.

When the swashbuckling Southampton Rangers star finally succumbed on the last ball of the last over, caught at deep mid-off by Imran Awan off Nasir Javed, Bermuda?s total had swelled to 311, the second highest in the tournament so far and one of the largest ever accumulated by Bermuda in a one-day international.

Tucker?s masterful knock might have overshadowed the performance of some his team-mates, but on a day which may go down in history as one that changed the face of Bermuda cricket, there were plenty of other heroes.

Wicketkeeper Dean Minors, not for the first time on this tour, showed his importance in the middle of the order as he thumped a valuable 41, combining with Tucker in a match-winning stand of 118 for the sixth wicket.

And that was before he scooped up four superb catches behind the stumps, reinforcing his reputation as one of the tournament?s top ?keepers.

Then there was 44 from the bat of ailing Irving Romaine, who despite a painful finger ? it may even be broken but he has refused to have x-rays until the tournament?s over ? put on 62 runs for the fifth wicket with Tucker.

Defending such an imposing total shouldn?t have provided too many problems, but with the Americans, led by former West Indian Test player Clayton Lambert, determined to go out with a bang and romping along at more than six an over, it took another exceptional spell from spin king Dwayne Leverock to stop them in their tracks.

The Big Man collected a wicket with his very first ball, went on to record impressive figures of four for 39 from ten overs which, with Saleem Mukuddem?s spell of three for 30 from eight overs, finished the job which Tucker had started.

Sent into bat under overcast conditions with rain threatening, Bermuda themselves got off to a brisk start although a flurry of wides and no balls from the American pace pair of Imran Awan and Howard Johnson helped their cause considerably, the extras column eventually showing a whopping 51.

With 26 off the first five overs all seemed to be going according to plan until Delyone Borden mistimed his hook shot and was caught by Mark Johnson off Awan for six.Mukuddem and opener OJ Pitcher continued to press on, bringing up the 50 in 11 overs, but when Pitcher was bowled by Lambert for 12 in the 13th over with the total on 54 and Mukuddem was trapped lbw for nine by Aija Ali without a run being added there were some looks of concern in the Bermuda camp.

Even though Romaine quickly got into stride with two blistering fours, the dismissal of Albert Steede, caught behind by Mark Johnson off captain Richard Staple for nine in the 19th over, meant that at 88 for four, Bermuda desperately required a partnership of some substance.

They got not one but two as new bat Tucker, first with Romaine and then Minors, handed out a lesson in power hitting.

Spinners Staple and Barrington Bartley temporarily halted the onslaught but there was to be no denying the Cup Match record holder as he grew in confidence.

When Romaine finally went just six short of his half-century, caught behind off Barrington Bartley, the pair had moved the total up to 150 with 15 overs remaining.

And it was in those 15 overs that Tucker demonstrated his class, punishing every one of the eight US bowlers used with equal venom, as Minors played his part at the other end.

Indeed in one over off Bartley, Minors upstaged his partner, lashing successive sixes.

Then Tucker brought up his 50 in the 42nd over before really letting loose.

An incredible 102 runs came off the last eight overs, Tucker keeping the match referee busy providing new balls as he sent one after another into high grass in the adjoining fields.

Minors eventually went in the 47th over with the score on 268, caught by Leon Romero off Steve Messiah, opening the door for another late blitz by Lionel Cann.

It didn?t materialise as Cann went for just four, caught by Bartley attempting his trademark slog over the midwicket boundary, also off Messiah.

That left Chris Foggo (2 not out) to prop up the other end as Tucker completed his deserved century with yet another towering six and plundered almost 30 runs off the final two overs.

If Bermuda thought they were home and dry with such a daunting total on the board, they were soon shaken out of complacency as the early US bats quickly had the scoreboard ticking over at more than six an over.

Even the dismissals of Gowkaran Roopnarine (10), caught by Minors off Mukuddem, and fellow opener Richard Staple (10), caught and bowled by the South African, didn?t slow the tempo.

Mark Johnson offered a thick edge to Leverock in the slips off Ryan Steede to make 61-3 after 11 overs and Massiah became another Minors? victim off Leverock?s first delivery to leave the total at 81-4 in the 16th over.

When Romero (30) and Lambert (33) carried the total up to 125 with still more than half the overs remaining, Bermuda became acutely aware that their place in the semi-final wasn?t about to be handed out without a fight.

There was a sigh of relief from the onlooking Clay Smith as Romero eventually went, courtesy of an excellent running catch by Ryan Steede off Leverock and when Minors nailed the dangerous Lambert off the same bowler four overs later, it looked as good as over.

Number seven bat Bartley offered the US an outside chance with his entertaining knock of 52 but with wickets falling all around him, the target was by now too tall an order.

Bartley had his stumps broken by Mukkudem and fittingly it was batting hero Tucker who snatched the final wicket in the 37th over as Javed?s drive was brilliantly caught by a diving Albert Steede at mid-off, prompting scenes of hysterical celebration.