BERMUDA are going to have to pick it up if they are to beat Zimbabwe in the final of the Tri-Series on Saturday at Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad.

Coming off their historic three-wicket victory over Canada on Wednesday which sent Bermuda automatically into Saturday's final, Bermuda went down by 194 runs yesterday against the African team.

Although it was a match that really didn't matter, the comprehensive victory must give Zimbabwe a great boost ahead of tomorrow's final.

Bermuda decided to rest three players yesterday ? pace bowler George O'Brien, Dwayne Leverock and Lionel Cann, who has been struggling with a groin injury.

In came seam bowlers Ryan Steede and Kevin Hurdle as well as opening batsman Treadwell Gibbons Jr.

Gibbons managed to score 23 runs but Hurdle and Steede were knocked all around the large Queen's Park Oval ? Hurdle had figures of two for 66 while Steede had one for 68.

The highlight for Bermuda was a knock of 62 by Irving Romaine.

Again Bermuda's top order failed to deliver with Daniel Morgan only scoring one run ? the same score he had against Canada.

In the lead-up to next year's World Cup, it is again worrying for coach Gus Logie that the top order have not done the business and had to be rescued again in the Canada game when Dean Minors and Cann posted an excellent 64-run rearguard action.

Hopefully Cann will be fit ? at least partially ? for Saturday's final and Logie will be banking of O'Brien.

By using the three changes yesterday Logie has assured everyone will have managed to get a game while in the Caribbean. reporter Sam Stevens said from Queen's Park Oval yesterday: "George O'Brien opened the bowling against Canada and did well on his debut but today Ryan Steede and Kevin Hurdle were given a chance but they didn't really deliver ? they were quite expensive.

"However, it was a good chance for Bermuda to see Zimbabwe ahead of the final.

"The win against Canada was so important. If we had lost that game we would have been down to this game and the chances of beating Zimbabwe were pretty small.

"But the win against Canada was a historic one in that it was Bermuda's first one day international. The players did very well to save the match but typically the top order failed again. And as we build toward the World Cup we will have to stop relying on the lower order to get out of a hole ? we will more than likely get unstuck against quality opposition.

"I know it is something that coach Logie is worried about. The sooner Clay (Smith) gets fit and David Hemp become available the better."

For Zimbabwe yesterday's victory over Bermuda and the win against Canada come just at the right time as they have been beaten up badly recently ? especially the one day series against the West Indies which just wrapped up before this series.

"Zimbabwe are really a bunch of club players thrown into the deep end but they are still a level or two above where Bermuda is at right now," said Stevens.

Zimbabwe's coach Kevin Curran was delighted with Zimbabwe's performance after his side thrashed Canada by 143 runs in the opening match of the series.

"It was obviously important for us to win this game," said Curran. "Having come from the West Indies tour where we were the underdogs, today we went in as a Test nation against an Associate Member.

"We batted well until the last 12 overs where I thought we should have added another 30 or 40 runs. Yes, 220 was a winning score but if we had a perfect batting display we should have made 250." Curran singled out Man-of-the-Match Piet Rinke for praise, saying he "played very well after a poor tour following good outings in the warm-up matches and the home series against Kenya before that.

"We were outstanding in fielding and it was due reward for all the hard work we have put into it that the first two wickets fell to run-outs. Tawanda Mupariwa and Blessing Mahwire bowled a good length and stuck to their plan. In fact, everyone pretty much stuck to the game plan. We got it together in all three departments and played very well."

But Curran was not impressed with the Queen's Park Oval pitch, which he said was not suitable for a one day international.

"It's got too much turn and if you get good spinners it could be tricky."

In Bermuda's match against Canada a gutsy unbeaten 46 from wicketkeeper Minors guided the side to victory in a game in which they appeared to have thrown away.

Chasing a modest 150 to win in 44 overs, Bermuda looked to have squandered their chance as they slid to 89 for seven when Cann, no mug with the bat despite batting at number nine, joined Minors. But the pair saw off John Davison, who took three for 18 in his nine overs, and then scored with ease off the remaining bowlers as the weaknesses in the Canadian attack became all too evident.

What had gone before was quite the opposite as Bermuda stumbled to 32 for three before the second rain shower of the day sent the players off for a short time. When they resumed, Bermuda had a revised target but immediately lost another wicket and Davison pinned down the middle order. However, as soon as his allocation of overs had been used, the game turned on its head.

For the second day in succession, Canada had troubles of their own when they batted, and it seemed that once again they would fail to reach three figures. Davison got things off to a brisk start with 22 off 16 balls, but as soon as he fell, the wheels came off the innings, and four wickets went for 23 runs to leave Canada on 55 for five. A second mini-collapse saw them teetering on 91 for eight, but George Codrington and Kevin Sandher added 30 for the ninth wicket and Codrington and Henry Osinde added a further 36 ? the highest stand of the innings ? for the tenth.

Codrington showed the virtue of patience on his way to 45 not out and with Osinde ensured they at least batted out their allocation of overs. But in the end, it wasn't quite enough.

Canada, meanwhile, will be bitterly disappointed at their showing in the first outings in ODIs. They face Kenya and Bermuda in July, but will need to show a serious improvement then as the World Cup draws closer.