Bayuemas Oval, Kuala Lumpur (Tanzania won toss): Tanzania (2pts) beat Bermuda (0) by 127 runs

Bermuda suffered an embarrassing defeat as they surrendered to Tanzania with barely a whimper in their first Super Six match of the ICC Cricket World Cup Challenge League Play-off.

Chasing 240 for victory and well placed at 86 for one, Bermuda lost their last nine wickets for 26 runs in 13 overs.

Although mathematically still alive to claim a top-four spot in the tournament, it is difficult to see how they can bounce back after such a disappointing performance.

Tanzania won the toss and decided to bat with Bermuda making two changes to the team that were defeated by Kuwait on Monday.

Cejay Outerbridge and Jermal Proctor, who was making his international debut, made their first appearances in the tournament, replacing Marcus Scotland and Chare Smith.

Proctor, 18, was promoted to the official squad after wicketkeeper Sinclair Smith was ruled out of the remaining three matches with an injured right calf sustained against Saudi Arabia, sidelining him for six weeks.

Outerbridge picked up the first two Tanzanian wickets having Abhik Patwa playing on for three and Mohamed Omary for 13 after cutting to Chris Douglas at backward point, making the score 34 for two in the sixth over.

Proctor, who bowled the first over of the match, was not as effective in his first spell with belligerent opener Ivan Selemani driving him majestically on long-on for four and six as he conceded 14 runs.

It was apparent that Selemani was the danger man and captain Delray Rawlins decided to call on his most experienced bowling pair of Zeko Burgess and Kamau Leverock to get rid of the powerful right-hander.

It almost worked.

Leverock induced the Tanzanian to drive at one, the ball going directly to Derrick Brangman fielding at short mid-off and he dropped it with Selemani on 30. That miss could have been very costly but Burgess breached Selemani’s defence with the bowler pointing in the direction of the pavilion signifying his joy and relief.

Selemani was gone for 46 and Tanzania were 95 for three in the eighteenth over, but Akhil Anil (68) and Kassim Chete (67) joined forces to put on 87 runs for the fourth wicket, with Brangman guilty of another drop when Anil, on 46 at the time, drove back at him in the 27th over.

To Bermuda’s credit and facing a possible chase of 300, they managed to trigger a Tanzanian collapse of six wickets for 20 runs in seven overs, ending their innings on 239 after 46.3 overs.

Outerbridge (four for 46) and Proctor (three for 54), who fought back well in his second spell, were the main wicket-takers, with Leverock and Burgess claiming the others.

Having finished their fielding effort so strongly, Bermuda’s morale was boosted and openers Chris Douglas and Terryn Fray began their reply in confident fashion.

Fray was a delight to watch, with one imperious pull through mid-wicket evidence of his tournament form, but with the score on 74, Douglas was given out leg-before with the batter sarcastically laughing to himself as he made his way to the pavilion, believing that he had been hard done by.

Tre Manders joined Fray, who was dominating the bowling but at that point and there was still no indication of the surrender to come. Then the introduction of spin asked questions to which Bermuda had no answers.

Manders top-edged a sweep for five and he was quickly followed back to the pavilion by Fray, who was bowled after making another fine half-century — 67 from 84 balls with eight fours.

Kamau Leverock (one) lasted just two balls as he was bowled attempting an expansive drive and seven balls later Rawlins (two), who had faced only four balls, was caught on the mid-wicket boundary attempting to slog-sweep a six.

Dominic Sabir was then bowled first ball and Proctor was run out for one after his partner, Jarryd Richardson, called for a run that was not on.

Richardson did show some fight by facing 32 balls but he was bowled for nine quickly followed by Zeko Burgess (one), who was also bowled. Outerbridge (0) was the last man to go as Bermuda were skittled for 112 in 34.3 overs.

Player of the match Kassim Chete, who earlier made 67 with the bat, took four for seven with the ball and fellow spinner, 16-year-old Laksh Bakrania, claimed four for 30 and looks a top talent.

“We didn’t think 240 was a tough ask on that wicket,” a shell-shocked Rawlins said.

“It was frustrating to lose wickets at regular intervals and for not many runs. We needed to be more proactive with our feet movement and our shot selection.”

A visibly upset head coach Cal Waldron was angry at his side’s capitulation.

“That was definitely out of character for our guys,” Waldron said.

“We were losing the first two fielding sessions then we clawed it back in the last ten to actually bowl them out, so you think that momentum would carry through in the batting department.

“After Chris got out, it’s like nobody put up their hand and wanted to be accountable.

“The way we approached the batting was, well, I don’t think even a psychic could have predicted that. Guys went out there with no intentions to win the match or make runs or even to want to stay on the pitch, so the end result was that we got bowled out in a disappointing fashion and ended up on a very embarrassing loss.”

Despite the defeat, Waldron still found reasons for optimism, particularly in the bowling performances of Outerbridge and Proctor.

“Proctor’s senior debut and he bowled well and ended up with three wickets,” Waldron said.

“Cejay Outerbridge played his first game in the tournament, came in and bowled well for four wickets, while Fray continued his form.

“We’re still hopeful and we’re still confident that we can win the last two matches and produce the goods that this team is capable of producing.”

Tanzania’s victory means they have clinched a top-four spot along with Kuwait, who defeated Vanuatu, with both on six points. Bahrain (4 points) beat Italy (2 points), leaving Vanuatu and Bermuda as the only sides in the Super Six stage without any points.

Bermuda play Vanuatu at 9.30pm Bermuda time on Thursday.