Cayman Islands 217-9 Bermuda 220-5

Success over The Bahamas today would almost assure Bermuda's cricketers of placing among the top three in the Americas Championship.

Clay Smith and company are riding high with a 100 percent record after two matches in the round-robin tournament currently being held here.

They continued their winning ways against Cayman Islands yesterday at Lord's, defeating Rayan Bovell's team by five wickets. Smith and Saleem Mukuddem saw Bermuda home at 220 for five in 49.1 overs after the Caymanians rebounded from early disaster to post 217 for nine.

A third win against the hapless Bahamians would give Bermuda some breathing room ahead of vital clashes against Canada and the USA on the weekend.

“The game against The Bahamas is a crucial one because if we win it guarantees us a top-three finish. We're not taking them for granted because cricket is funny. One day you can be on top and the next (day) you can be down,” said Smith.

“Hopefully we will be able to go there and do the job.”

Saying the outcome “showed the depth we have in our team”, he noted that Bermuda bowled “reasonably well” before the batting heroics of opener Glenn Blakeney, Charlie Marshall and himself saw them to safety.

“At the end I was always in control of runs per ball so there was never panic from my end,” he stated.

Despite the obvious jubilation, Smith expressed concern that Bermuda have been unable to kill off their rivals after scything through the top order.

“In both games we've had the teams on the ropes and we haven't managed to squeeze them. That's something I need to look at as a captain because tactically I think I made one or two mistakes where I could have attacked a little bit more.

“But it's a learning experience and, as the tournament goes on, just like the team will get better, I will get better also.”

Bermuda failed to capitalise on a strong early position which saw Cayman struggling on 66 for five with 20 overs already gone. An ease in the nagging line and length which had restricted scoring and pierced the heart of their batting allowed partnerships of 44 and 81 for the sixth and seventh wickets; giving respectability to the opposition total.

Middle-order batsman Franklyn Hinds provided the backbone of the Caymanian scoreboard in tandem first with Lawrence Cunningham and then skipper Bovell, both of whom made patient but vital contributions of 27 and 32 respectively.

The visitors' 82 for five in 25 overs became 133 for six in 40 overs and - thanks in great measure to Hinds' fondness for big shots - the final ten overs yielded a further 84 runs.

When Hinds was finally out in the 47th over, his damage was six fours and five sixes in a 64-ball knock lasting 124 minutes.

Lionel Cann was the pick of Bermuda's bowlers, capturing three for 16 from five overs.

Bermuda began their reply with Blakeney and Pitcher looking confident and stroking the ball sweetly. The latter, seeming ready to continue where he left off against Argentina on Tuesday, played two breath-taking boundaries off his legs before another memorable airborne four from the pavilion end almost decapitated his partner Blakeney.

The blossoming batsman, however, gifted his wicket away being caught behind off medium pacer David Wight for 12. Meanwhile, Blakeney was gearing up with increasingly meaty shots of all kinds and one sensed his innings would hold the key.

The flashy left-hander's demise in the 28th over for 63 (nine fours; one six) heralded a fourth-wicket partnership of 72 between Smith and Marshall which turned the game firmly in Bermuda's favour.

Marshall then hit a quickfire 36 (three fours; two sixes) and Smith an unbeaten 58 (five fours) off 77 balls.