Bermuda have left themselves with a mountain to climb after a disastrous final session at the end of the first day of their Intercontinental Shield clash with Namibia.

The tourists lost their last seven wickets for just 50 runs as they collapsed from 164-3 at tea to 214 all out today.

In reply Namibia openers Raymond van Schoor and Ewald Steenkamp guided the home side to 36-0, after safely navigating what could have been a tricky final nine overs at the end of the day.

That they were at the crease at all was in large part due to some sloppy Bermuda batting that undid all the good work that had gone before. While spin bowler Toby Verwey benefited most from the situation, finishing with figures of 5-47 from just 19 overs.

Having won the toss and electing to bat on a good wicket, Bermuda would have expected to have not only batted out the day, but put up a competitive total in the process.

And they seemed well on their way to doing so as openers Chris Foggo and Fiqre Crockwell put on 58 for the first wicket. Foggo scored a gutsy 34, after being clattered in the side of the head by pace bowler Louie Klazinga, first ball.

Crockwell (18) too was looking good at the crease, but he only half pushed at a full length ball outside his off-stump and was caught at second slip by Sarel Burger off the bowling of Klazinga.

Foggo became Verwey’s first wicket soon after lunch when he got a nasty ball that lifted and turned off a length and he was caught behind.

Even so, with David Hemp and Stephen Outerbridge at the wicket, Bermuda rarely looked in any real danger and the pair put on 50 in 14 overs to take their side to 126-2.

Of the two, Hemp looked in better nick and he punished anything remotely off line or short, he clattered Verwey for a big six, and brought up his 50 with a thumping straight drive off Klazinga.

The bowler had his revenge the very next ball however, as he angled a slightly quicker ball across Hemp and had the Bermuda skipper caught in the slips.

Irving Romaine and Outerbridge then guided their side through to tea in a less than convincing manner. It all went wrong though soon after the re-start.

Outerbridge, who had seemed shaky ever since Hemp’s dismissal, had a huge escape when he edged a ball from Verwey between wicketkeeper and first slip. But, two balls later he chased a short and wide ball from Verwey and was caught by Burger at first slip.

The innings went from bad to worse from then on. Next man in Malachi Jones ran himself out in a silly mix-up with Romaine. Jekon Edness went two balls later, edging to slip.

And while Romaine tried his best to get the score above 200 hundred, he was let down by Rodney Trott and Ryan Steede who themselves out playing shots they had no need to play.

When Justin Pitcher became the last man out, taking another huge swing at a ball he should have left well alone, Bermuda had turned a potentially winning position into a losing one.

With Van Schoor and Steenkamp looking well set, it will take something special from Bermuda’s bowlers tomorrow morning to rescue the situation.