Bermuda’s bowlers set the tone as the national cricket team romped to a ten-wicket win over Belize in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Americas Sub-Regional Qualifier on Monday.

In a game initially reduced to 14 overs per side and then further cut to 12 overs after rain delays, the island’s bowlers strangled their Central America opponents, restricting them to 45 for seven.

In response, Onias Bascome and Delray Rawlins survived a couple of hairy moments but displayed some heavy hitting to knock off the required runs in just 5.2 overs.

After the first day of the tournament was washed out on Sunday, Bermuda captain Terryn Fray was keen to get the win as quickly as possible.

“There was a lot of rain around so we knew coming in and winning the toss that we wanted to go fast,” Fray said.

“The wicket was sticking a bit, so we knew there would be a couple of balls that they would have to try to science out and our batters did an excellent job to get us over the line with no wickets lost.”

A blend of youth and experience got Bermuda’s belated campaign off to a fine start after Fray won the toss and decided to bowl.

International stalwart Zeko Burgess was given the new ball and he wasted no time in showing his intention, striking Andrew Banner on the shoulder with his opening delivery.

Burgess extracted plenty of bounce from the pitch and, despite being warned by umpire Paul Manning about his follow through, he went on to hit Belize’s opening batter again in a fiery first over that promised much.

Plenty of faith was shown in Luke Horan, making his first international start, as he partnered Burgess in attack and if he had any nerves he did not show them, producing pace and bounce to beat the bat on a couple of occasions.

Bermuda did not have to wait long for their first wicket of the tournament with Burgess making the breakthrough in his second over and the team’s third.

Belize batter Banner attempted to hit a big shot down the ground but Burgess got one to nip back and sent the middle stump flying, the piece of wood ending up closer to wicketkeeper Sinclair Smith than the strip.

Horan picked up his first international wicket in the first over, knocking Laurence Bonner’s off stump out of the ground, the batsman departing without troubling the scorers.

Belize No 3 Alex Oxley showed patience but captain Maurice Castillo, in at four, did not last long, with the ever reliable Derrick Brangman bowling him for just two and leaving Belize at 13 for three.

Oxley, who is captain of minor league county Suffolk, was Belize’s most accomplished performer and attempted to take advantage of debutant Isaiah O’Brien, who conceded Bermuda’s only boundary of the innings when Oxley hit him for six over square leg.

After a short rain delay, the match was reduced from 14 overs per side to 12 and upon resumption, wicketkeeper Sinclair Smith showed his class. Perhaps under pressure for his spot with Zerai Tomlinson called up to the squad for the first time, Smith showed he is more difficult to dislodge than the bails he knocked off in Belize’s final couple of overs.

The eagle-eyed Smith first spotted Greg Scott (5) inch out of his crease as he attempted to sweep Brangman before an easier effort to remove the dangerous Oxley who had run down the wicket to Dominic Sabir.

Sabir’s final over was eventful with Oxley’s dismissal for 22 preceding a catch in the deep by Zeko Burgess to dismiss Ordell Casasola (2) and a comical run-out off the last ball with T’Shaka Patterson (0) turned back after attempting an impossible second run.

In response, Bascome and Rawlins showed their intention from ball one and despite both players being dropped, with Casasola spilling an easy catch, they scored with alacrity.

Bascome finished with 31 from 19 balls, with Rawlins playing the steadier innings and ending on 17, from 13 balls.

Brangman was named player of the match after finishing with figures of two for nine, and he was pleased with his performance.

“I was just trying to hang in there for the boys and keep the line and length,” he said.

“We had to get wickets and I think we bowled excellently today, so we’ll just try to push forward for the next game.

“We didn’t want to underestimate Belize as anything is possible. We’ve seen teams get better over the years so we just did our best and came out with the W.”