Bermuda 247

Uganda 192

A comprehensive 55-run victory helped shrug off the jet lag and give Bermuda’s players a much-needed confidence boost as they warmed up for the far more serious confrontations that lie ahead in this week’s World One-Day League tournament.

Today Bermuda meet Kenya in the first of five round-robin matches in the space of eight days against fellow ICC Associate members who are unlikely to roll over as easily as the Ugandans did at the Parklands Sports Ground on the outskirts of Nairobi on Saturday.

But considering this was a game that probably arrived at least a day too early, as the players struggled with the effects of a near 20-hour plane journey, there were enough positives to suggest this team will have as good a chance as any of qualifying for the World One-Day final in just over a week’s time and with it a place in next September’s World Twenty/20 finals.

Lionel Cann, on the back of a century scored during a training match in Trinidad earlier this month, smashed a typically aggressive 71 to lead Bermuda’s bats, skipper Irving Romaine weighed in with a fluent half-century while David Hemp contributed a useful 45.

Saleem Mukuddem, meanwhile, added to his reputation as the team’s most consistent performer, finishing with three wickets for 26 off 8.3 tidy overs including that of Ugandan opener Roger Musaka whom he clean bowled with the very first ball of the innings — his first competitive delivery in more than two months following recuperation from a back injury.

Amidst what was ultimately a straightforward win there were, however, still signs of the ‘self-destruct’ mentality that has seen this same side snatch defeat from the jaws of victory so many times in the last year.

With Romaine and Hemp cruising along at a rate of more than six an over after Bermuda had been asked to bat, a score in excess of 300 seemed on the cards until an all-too familiar middle order collapse suddenly gave the game a new complexion.

From 150 for three in 26 overs, Bermuda spiralled to 189 for eight and it was left to Cann to repair the damage as he crunched four sixes in quick succession and a flurry of fours to get the team back on track.

And while Uganda never vaguely threatened Bermuda’s final total of 247 and all of the bowlers used were generally economical, 35 runs in the extras column including a worrisome 27 wides would have surely proved more damaging against better sides.

On a ground clearly not fit for international cricket — the outfield was dangerously uneven and the grass far too long — Bermuda chose to rest the recently-used opening pair of Dean Minors and Clay Smith as well as spinner Dwayne Leverock and Kevin Hurdle, all of whom are likely to be recalled for today’s game.

That offered a chance for Stephen Outerbridge and Kwame Tucker, a late replacement on this tour for the injured OJ Pitcher, to again stake their claim for a regular place at the top of the order.

But neither were able to grasp the opportunity, Tucker perishing in the fifth over for 13 as he drove pace bowler Kenneth Kamyuka into the covers where Benjamin Musoke held the catch and Outerbridge falling just three overs later for nine, trapped lbw by Charles Waiswa. At 33 for two, it was the kind of start to which Bermuda have become accustomed.

But it wasn’t long before Romaine and Hemp got on top of the bowling and upped the tempo.

They brought the 100 up inside 19 overs and appeared to be laying the foundation for a huge total, the skipper thumping some ferocious shots to the boundary and the more circumspect Hemp carving a path through the field with some masterful strokeplay.

But just when all seemed to be going so well with the partnership worth 84 and the score on 117 after 22 overs, Hemp was adjudged lbw to Waiswa — a decision with which he clearly didn’t agree.

That dismissal triggered an almost calamitous collapse.

His replacement Janeiro Tucker wasted no time showing his intentions, walloping his first ball off Waiswa for six. But his stay proved short and sweet. After adding just four more to his total, the Cup Match record-holder was caught at backward point by substitute fielder Okello off Ronald Semanda and when Romaine, on 52, was run out without any addition to the score following a mix-up with Mukuddem, the score had suddenly tumbled to 150 for five.

With plenty of overs in hand, one might have thought Cann would use a straight bat to stop the rot. But that just isn’t his style.

A six followed by successive fours quickly got the scoreboard ticking over again and even when Mukuddem fell for seven in the 33rd over, caught behind by Keith Legesi off Raymond Otim, and Delyone Borden followed for a duck, lbw to Junior Kwebiha, Cann continued his onslaught.

He took the total over 200 in the 39th over with a four and smashed two more massive sixes before Arthur Pitcher became the fifth lbw victim of the innings, nailed by Kwebiha for one.

One big hit too many eventually saw Cann caught by Otim off Kamyuka for 71 to bring the innings to an end with five overs still remaining.

And while Bermuda’s failure to use all of their allotted 50 overs won’t have pleased coach Gus Logie, their total was one which gave the bowlers a fighting chance to defend.

Once Mukuddem had made the immediate breakthrough and the Ugandans struggled to maintain the required run rate against a constantly changing attack — Bermuda used eight bowlers — it was clear there was only one result.

Although number three bat Saleh Hanza remained unbeaten at the end on 86, none of his team-mates were able to hang around long enough to help him threaten the target.

Next highest was skipper Kamyuka on 25 while only two others reached double figures.

Mukuddem (three for 26) was the pick of the bowlers, but Romaine’s spin helped clean up the tail as he collected two for 11 off four overs while Cann, Kelly, Borden and Pitcher all picked up a wicket apiece, Kelly looking particularly impressive with one for 11 off five overs.

Today the stakes are raised as Bermuda meet Kenya in the opening match of the One-Day League at the Jaffrey’s Sports Ground.

And whether they can build on Saturday’s triumph will be revealed in a succession of games against Ireland, Canada, Holland and Scotland over the next week.