Bermuda’s bowlers took a battering while their batsmen’s vulnerability against spin was again exposed in a heavy loss to regional rivals USA in Dubai yesterday.The Island’s national cricket team slumped to their seventh loss in eight matches as they went down by 34 runs against the Americans in an 11th place play-off semi-final at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.USA piled up a mammoth 193 for five after electing to bat and then restricted Bermuda to 159 for eight.Top order bat Lionel Cann was the only real bright spot during an otherwise sombre day for the Island’s cricketers.Cann led the run chase against the Americans’ four-pronged spin attack, belting a Twent20 best 73 and dominating a 82 run third wicket partnership with skipper David Hemp that kept Bermuda’s slim victory hopes alive before the bottom eventually fell out.The Bermuda stalwart thumped three sixes and four boundaries during his 47-ball knock.But he couldn’t prevent wickets from tumbling at regular intervals at the other end as the American bowlers worked around him.Bermuda lost six wickets for 35 runs in the last seven overs trying to get on top of the run-rate that was kept in check by a varied and disciplined USA attack.Cann was the last Bermuda wicket to fall on the final delivery of the match, caught off the bowling of seamer Elmore Hutchinson.But in truth the match as a contest had long ended before as Bermuda required 66 runs from the last five overs at an asking rate well beyond their reachCann reached his half-century, Bermuda’s third of the tournament, in the 13th over after taking two runs off leg spinner and USA skipper Aditya Mishra.The newly installed Warwick player/coach’s knock is the highest by a Bermudian batsman to date in Dubai while his half-century stand with Hemp is also a team best.Hemp (27) and opening bat Fiqre Crockwell (23) were the only other Bermuda batsmen managing double figures.Off spinner Muhammad Ghous (two for 20) was the pick of the Americans’ bowling with an economy rate of exactly five runs per over.Fellow off spinner Abhimanyu Rajp (two for 30) and seamer Hutchinson (two for 33) also claimed two wickets apiece.Earlier, top order bat Sushilkumar Nadkarni thumped 48 from 36 deliveries. The left handed batsman blasted four sixes and two boundaries as USA found runs easy to come by.Nadkarni dominated a 61-run third wicket partnership with Orlando Baker who gathered 39 from 47 deliveries.The Americans got off to flying start, with teenage opening bat Steven Taylor (38) dominating a 49-run first wicket stand with skipper Mishra (14), and never took their foot off the throttle.USA received useful contributions throughout their innings and finished just seven runs shy of the double century mark as Bermuda’s bowlers toiled in vain.Seamer Sammy Robinson was the most successful Bermuda bowler with figures of two for 41 while off spinners Rodney Trott (one for 37) and Joshua Gilbert (one for 25) and seamer Kamau Leverock (one for 34) claimed one wicket each.Wicketkeeper Jason Anderson was tidy behind the stumps but the same could not be said for Bermuda’s bowlers who tossed down 12 wides with Robinson accounting for four of them.Bermuda face Uganda in their final match today in a 13th place play-off at the ICC Global Cricket Academy Ground.Securing the first of two available World Twenty20 spots in Dubai yesterday were Group A winners Afghanistan who beat Namibia by 47 runs to keep their unbeaten record intact.Group B winners Namibia will now face the eventual winner of today’s match between Netherlands and Ireland in tomorrow’s preliminary final at Dubai International Cricket Stadium.The winner of that match will secure the remaining World Twenty20 spot up for grabs before facing Afghanistan in the final at the same venue later in the day.