National Sports Centre (Bermuda won toss): Canada beat Bermuda by 132 runs

Bermuda suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of Canada yesterday after a devastating spell of pace bowling by Ammar Khalid helped dismiss the local side for just 34 in 17.4 overs.

Khalid, who sat out Friday’s first match, made a big impression after coming on as second change and ripping through the Bermuda middle order to finish with astonishing figures of five for seven runs from just 3.4 overs as Bermuda crumbled from 32 for four.

The last six wickets went down for just two runs in less than three overs as the 29-year-old Khalid picked up his first two wickets on the third and sixth balls of his third over. He then came back next over to wrap up the victory with three more scalps in four delivers after going wicket, wicket, dot ball, wicket to finish with five wickets in the space of eight unplayable deliveries.

First, Khalid had Brian Hall and Dean Minors caught behind to make it 32 for six, then in his final over he trapped Greg Maybury leg-before first ball, bowled Jordan Smith with the next delivery and then after Cejay Outerbridge prevented the hat-trick, he came back to bowled the last man as the final five Bermuda batsmen all fell for ducks.

Bermuda won the toss this time and sent the visitors in to bat, in a match that had another late start because of Saturday’s rain and was reduced to 40 overs a side.

Chasing 167 for victory, Bermuda had a setback even before their innings started when opener Terryn Fray suffered a suspected dislocated finger when preventing a boundary at deep mid-wicket in the 32nd over of the Canada innings. He went to hospital and never returned to the ground as substitute Stephen Bremar was allowed to bat in his place.

However, things went from bad to worst after OJ Pitcher, the Bermuda captain, was bowled by a delivery from Rubal Kapil in the third over that moved off the pitch and clipped his off stump.

Two more wickets went down on 13 and 15 as Bremar and Dennico Hollis departed, before Kamau Leverock joined Tre Manders for a rebuilding partnership of sorts that lasted for seven overs and added 16 runs. Then Leverock lofted a drive and was caught for eight to signal the start of the collapse as Khalid followed up to remove Hall and Minors to make it 32 for six.

Manders, the only Bermuda batsman in double figures with 15, departed in the next over after 66 minutes at the crease when he faced 45 balls.

All of the other three Canada bowlers had good spells as spinner Nikhil Dutta took two for seven off four overs, and while openers Rubal Kapil and Dilraj Atwal took one for eight, and two for ten, from their five over spells. Not a single boundary was scored in the Bermuda innings.

“The wicket didn’t look like it was assisting the fast bowlers too much,” Khalid said. “I was just running in and bowling as fast as I could, putting a lot of effort in, and luckily the wicket responded to me.

“Most of the wickets were of full or yorker length, but the two nicks [catches] were back of length balls that seamed away a little bit. I’m hoping I get picked for tomorrow’s game, we have a battery of seven fast bowlers in the team and each game might be a different set of fast bowlers.”

Pitcher admitted Khalid was unplayable. “He was finding the right areas and letting the wickets do the work,” the captain said.

“We just have to keep guys’ spirits high and go on to the next day. No excuses, they had to bat on the same wicket, but their bowlers tend to hit better areas on a more consistent basis.”

The visitors are enjoying themselves here despite rain affecting the first two matches.

“I was hoping the wicket would be drier and quicker for the fast bowlers, but happy we’re getting the games in,” Khalid said. “The groundstaff have been amazing.

“I’m loving it here, Bermuda is beautiful, the people are amazing and I love the stadium. I’m definitely coming back for a vacation.”

Earlier, Bermuda’s bowlers did well to restrict Canada to 166 for eight as middle-order pair, captain Navneet Dhaliwal and wicketkeeper Srimarthe Wijeyeratne led the way with knocks of 32 and 39 respectively.

Dhaliwal hit three fours and two sixes off 41 balls while Wijeyeratne had 23 singles and one six in his top knock of 39 from 59 balls before he was seventh out when the score was 139.

Saad Zafar added a useful 29 in the tailen while opener Durand Soraine contributed 27 before he was fourth out. Three Bermuda bowlers took two wickets, Leverock giving up 31 runs in eight overs, while Outerbridge and Maybury both had figures of two for 35 from eight.