Bermuda suffer emphatic ten wicket defeat
Bermuda’s senior national cricket team endured mixed fortunes in their opening two 50 over matches in Barbados at the weekend.Led by Janeiro Tucker’s unbeaten century and a fine all-round bowling display, the tourists handed University of West Indies (UWI) a four-wicket defeat with ten balls to spare at Police Sports Club ground in Weymouth on Saturday to get their tour off to a winning start.However, the momentum gained the day before quickly evaporated yesterday as Bermuda slumped to an emphatic 10-wicket defeat against Young Men’s Progressive Club at the same venue.Following the uplifting win against UWI interim national coach Arnold Manders said there are “some things that need to be worked on”.Apparently those issues weren’t addressed yesterday as Bermuda were rolled over for what is believed to have been a paltry 76 all out in less than 30 overs at the crease after electing to bat on a decent track. Bermuda’s opponents then reached their target without loss.Bermuda team manager Lionel Tannock was unable to provide match stats when contacted by this newspaper last night.Coach Manders also could not provide match stats but made no excuses for his team’s humbling loss.“The bowling was too good for them,” he said. “Seventy-six is hard to take after the batting performance yesterday (Saturday) and we got out to a lot of bad balls at the end.“We played one of the best teams in Barbados who had two Under -19 West Indies players and a couple of combined University of West Indies players and were outclassed by a spinner and a quickly.”Manders held a post mortem with his player’s following yesterday’s sobering result.“We discussed both games individually and what we need to do as a team to get better,” he said.It is often said what a difference a day makes and that certainly proved to be Bermuda’s case in their opening tour match.Bermuda restricted UWI to 247 for 9 after their hosts elected to bat and then replied with 249 for 6 thanks mainly to Tucker’s whirlwind knock batting at number five.The Southampton Rangers stalwart blasted 157 from 110 deliveries and added 87 for the fifth- wicket with Tre Manders (16) and 67 for the sixth with Kamau Leverock (14).Interim skipper Rodney Trott (17) and Jason Anderson (21) - who celebrated his birthday yesterday - also managed good starts at the crease during Bermuda’s reply.Earlier, the tourists paid the price for dropping UWI opener S Mosley several times. Mosley went on to hammer 122 to lay the foundation for his team’s challenging total that might’ve seemed daunting at one stage when Bermuda were wobbling at 43 for three.Spinner Jacobi Robinson was the pick of the Bermuda bowling with two for 36 while fellow spinner Trott claimed two for 43 and seamer Leverock two for 47 to cap a fine all round outing.Seamers Greg Maybury (one for 26) and Treadwell Gibbons (one for 41) claimed one wicket each.Bermuda’s cricketers have a rest day today but will return to action against Barbados Defence Force tomorrow in their final 50 over match before concluding their tour with two T20 matches against a Barbados Select.