Bermuda 201-8 declared

USA 297 and 141-4

Bermuda courageously clawed their way back into contention by seizing four wickets in the final session of day two of their three-day Intercontinental Cup match against USA at the National Sports Centre yesterday.

Spearheading the local team's late revival was birthday boy Dwayne (Sluggo) Leverock who accounted for three of the visitors' wickets to fall after tea.

Leverock, celebrating his 33rd birthday with twin sister Duan, finished the day with impressive figures of three for 34 from nine overs, including a maiden.

Earlier the charismatic player also featured in a crucial eighth-wicket stand with skipper Clay Smith which spared Bermuda the embarrassment of following on. The local team required 149 runs to avoid being immediately sent back in to bat.

Bermuda declared their innings one ball shy of the tea break at 201 for eight after 86.5 overs, one over after USA took the new ball as skipper Smith made a tactical decision to call his players in rather than risk losing their wickets and awarding USA additional bowling points.

USA were poised at 141 for four when stumps were drawn after 32 overs at 6.35 p.m. with an overall lead of 237 runs heading into today's third and final day of play.

“It was truly a tactical decision to declare when we did because you receive a point for every two wickets you take and our next point (batting) wouldn't have been until we scored another 25 runs,” explained Smith.

“We just felt best from a tactical standpoint since we had already reached 200 runs, we decided to take our point and run and ensure they (USA) didn't receive any extra bonus (bowling) points.”

Redefining the adage of “no pain no gain”, Smith, batting with a bothersome left knee, played a true skipper's innings, plundering 62 runs around all parts of the grounds and solidifying Bermuda's innings along with Leverock.

Smith smashed nine fours during an innings lasting some 184 minutes and 141 balls, reaching his half-century with a massive six over the mid-wicket boundary off his 124th ball in 156 minutes.

Leverock (26 not out) also held his end of the bargain at the opposite end by providing solid support. The gentle giant just one boundary.

“That was a very important innings because I thought Leverock (Dwayne) came in and did a splendid job,” added Smith. “Had we not avoided the follow-on they (USA) would have sent us back in and possibly put themselves in a commanding position. That would have made it very difficult for us.

“So avoiding the follow was the first mission accomplished and now it's just a matter of restricting them and seeing what position they leave us in tomorrow (today).”

Bermuda lost five wickets in the morning session after resuming their first innings at 18 without loss at 10.30 a.m. The local team scored a total of 91 runs in 140 minutes of play before the luncheon interval, losing wickets in the 24th, 29th, 34th, 39th and 47th overs - the latter two in the final hour of play prior to the break.

Through a combination of impatient batting and poor shot selection, Bermuda's top order crumbled under the weight of USA fast bowler Howard Johnson (two for 32) and right arm leg spinner Nasir Javed who took three for 62 from 20 overs including six maidens.

Opener Wendell White (27) was the first wicket to fall with 45 runs on the board while Stephen Outerbridge (13) was also back in the pavilion five overs later.

Glenn Blakeney (12) and Delyone Borden (17) momentarily weathered the storm and added 20 runs for the third wicket before Javed had the former bowled attempting to play defensively on the back foot.

The local team were reeling at the interval at 109 for five after 50 overs.

Left with 40 overs to bat heading into the afternoon session, middle-order bat Irving Romaine cracked an aggressive 12 runs, including a six off the very first ball after the break.

But the fireworks were short-lived as the Bailey's Bay all-rounder, dropped in the previous over, went for another boundary and was caught at long-on by US skipper Richard Staple off the bowling of first innings centurion Steve Massiah.

Romaine's dismissal brought Leverock to the crease and together with skipper Smith, the pair painstakingly laid the groundwork for Bermuda's spirited fightback in the closing overs of the day's play - though they would encounter stubborn resistance from US openers Mark Johnson (46, two sixes and three fours) and Jignesh Desai who scored 32 runs (four fours) off 52 balls during an opening stand worth 62 runs.

Play resumes at 10.30 a.m. today.