Canada 145

Bermuda 150-4

Bermuda maintained their unbeaten win streak in ODIs against Canada in convincing fashion on Saturday.

Firing on all cylinders and holding an edge over their opponents in every facet of the game, Bermuda avenged last week?s Intercontinental Cup defeat to the Canadians and fancied dishing out a bit of punishment themselves en route to an inspiring six-wicket triumph at Toronto Cricket Club.

Bermuda have won both ODIs against Canada this summer, and can complete a rare hat-trick of victories over their Americas rivals when the two countries meet again today at the same venue.

The tourists nearly had things all their own way against a Canadian side that underwent four changes from the recent Intercontinental Cup clash, and who have now tasted defeat in their last three one day outings.

Bermuda?s comfortable win can be partly attributed to the superb efforts of fast bowlers Kevin Hurdle and George O?Brien jr ? who shared six wickets between them ? and left arm spinner Dwayne (Sluggo) Leverock, who in contrast to the day?s dark overcast conditions, also shone brightly with the ball.

Replacement wicketkeeper Kwame Tucker responded brilliantly to a last-minute call to national team duty by taking five catches behind the stumps to help bundle the home team out for under 150 runs.

Not to be outdone, Bermuda?s batsmen also held their end of the bargain by occupying the crease sensibly, coasting their way to victory with wickets in hand, 60 balls to spare and ample time to do some late-afternoon shopping.

After claiming the wicket of Stewart Heaney (12) to maintain Bermuda?s early momentum, allrounder Saleem Mukuddem returned to anchor his team to a second straight one day win over the Canadians.

Dropped on 28 and again on 32, Mukuddem (39) and Kwame Tucker (four not out) carried Bermuda safely to victory via an unbroken 16-run fifth-wicket stand in five overs.

There were also useful contributions from the top order, with openers Stephen Outerbridge (15) and Delyone Borden (24) laying the foundation for the Island?s comfortable win by adding 41 runs for the opening stand.

However, the pair would be separated in the 13th over when Canadian allrounder Don Maxwell trapped Outerbridge in front.

Outerbridge faced 49 balls in 65 minutes and hit one boundary.

An aggressive Borden laboured on and added 11 runs for the second wicket along with Clay Smith (24) until he was caught behind by Bagai driving on the front foot.

Borden struck four fours off 37 balls in 45 minutes.

Smith and Mukuddem then put up the shutters for the next five overs in which they added 34 runs for the third wicket.

However, Smith became Bermuda umpire Roger Dill?s first lbw victim in the 22nd over ? a key dismissal that brought a glimmer of hope to the Canadian camp.

Still, a total under 150 runs was always going to be difficult for Canada to defend on the big boundaries at Toronto Cricket Club.

And a timely 48-run fourth-wicket stand between Mukuddem and Janeiro Tucker (24) carried Bermuda to the threshold of victory, Tucker unfortunate to have been dismissed by a short-pitched delivery that found the edge of his bat and stuck in the gloves of wicketkeeper Bagai.

Tucker stroked three fours off 40 balls in 41 minutes.

The Canadians tried desperately to make further inroads, shuffling seven bowlers around in their bid, but a defiant Bermuda held firm.

And fittingly it was Mukuddem who secured Bermuda?s resounding win by lofting Maxwell over the long off boundary for six on the final ball of the 39th over to ignite joyous scenes among his teammates in the pavilion.

Mukuddem struck four fours and a six off 72 balls in 80 minutes.

Pacers Umar Bhatti and Austin Codrington and slow bowlers Maxwell and Abdool Samad each claimed one wicket on a surface that became easier to bat on once the shine was removed from the ball.

Earlier, it was Hurdle who forced the Canadians onto the back foot, ably supported by fellow pacer O?Brien ? making his first appearance on tour ? Leverock, Mukuddem and Borden.

Hurdle extracted tremendous lift off a seaming pitch and frequently had the batsmen either ducking to the canvass, or swinging their bats at ghosts.

Hurdle struck the telling blow in the first over of the opposition?s innings when Hasan Durham held a catch in the covers off his bowling to dismiss Canadian skipper Davison for a four-ball duck.

Four overs later, Hurdle had Desmond Chumney (six) caught by Leverock in the slips and then O?Brien claimed the big wicket of Ian Billcliffe (one) who was beaten for pace by a gem of a delivery that moved away.

O?Brien then endured a rocky patch which occasionally saw him stray down the leg side.

But with encouragement from his team-mates, the bowler recovered well to claim the key wicket of Bagai (10) ? his second scalp of the match.

First-change Mukuddem piled on the pressure when he had Heaney caught behind by an acrobatic Kwame Tucker in the 14th over to leave Canada wobbling at 49 for five.

Things then went from bad to worse for the home team, as a disciplined Leverock turned the screws by removing Bhatti (14) and Samad (28) in the space of two overs.

George Codrington (22) became wicketkeeper Kwame Tucker?s third victim in the 33rd over off the bowling of offspinner Borden, before O?Brien and Hurdle finished off the Canadian tail by collecting their the two wickets in exactly four overs.

Meanwhile, today?s ODI with Canada has also been classified as both country?s official Americas Championship opener.

Bermuda are also scheduled to meet USA, Cayman Islands and Argentina this week before returning home on Sunday.