Nepal Under-19s 256 for eight

Bermuda Under-19s 68 all out

Kilat Club, in Malaysia

Well, at least they managed six more runs than Bermuda's Stanford 20/20 record breakers.

It's official, Island cricket plunged to new depths yesterday when the so-called golden boys from the Under-19s were skittled for a paltry 68 runs by that cricketing superpower . . . Nepal!

With the dust and debris still settling on the crushing and humiliating defeat against Guyana, the nation was in desperate need for a shaft of light to pierce the current gloom.

Arnold Manders' Under-19s, who made history for all the right reasons last summer by qualifying for their maiden World Cup, were surely the team to restore Bermuda's battered pride.

But once again Bermuda batted and fielded like 'rabbits' with only Malachi Jones (15) reaching double figures, as Nepal completed the rout in just 24.1 overs. For the record this was a 50-over match.

All this from a group of players hailed as the antithesis of the disorganised and technically deficient senior squad, who've been licked left, right and centre since qualifying for the 2007 World Cup.

All this from a group of players who, we were told, could have made a conceivable difference to Sunday's massacre in Antigua if they'd been available for selection.

On this evidence, not likely.

Nepal won the toss and amassed 256 for eight from their allotted overs with seamer Jones taking three wickets for 65, and Jordan DeSilva continuing his impressive warm-up form with two for 31.

And that's pretty much where the positives ended for Bermuda who dropped six catches and capitulated at the crease in a manner that drew horrible comparisons with the Stanford 20/20 meltdown.

It's always a worrying sign when your top scorer is the extras column and with the likes of England, Ireland and Bangladesh awaiting Bermuda at the World Cup the humiliation could have only just started.

"I was shocked and disappointed with this performance," said coach Manders, who had earmarked Nepal as a nation Bermuda should at the very least compete with.

"Maybe the players were nervous and still acclimatising to the conditions, but I can't really make excuses. This is a shock to the system."

He continued: "I don't think the performance at Stanford had anything to do with this result and we have to remember this is a very young inexperienced side.

"Our shot selection let us down and we need to occupy more time at the crease. We must improve when we play Namibia tomorrow."

In their defence, when you haven't even got a wicket to practice on and are forced to prepare for the sport's showpiece competition at BHS gym, with the bowlers running in off five yards what do you expect?

Back in November, Manders raised his concerns about his team's preparations and was backed by skipper Rodney Trott who told The Royal Gazette in December: "It's a big problem for the team. The fast bowlers are unable to bowl off their full run-ups indoors . . . at the end of the day cricket is an outdoor sport."

As the age-old adage affirms, 'fail to prepare and prepare to fail'.

UNDER-19 SCOREBOARD

NEPAL

Mahesh Chhetri c Chris Douglas b Jordan DeSilva 15

Anil Mandal c Pierre Smith b Jordan DeSilva 21

Gyanendra Malla c Kyle Hodsoll b Rodney Trott 37

Paras Khadka c Jordan DeSilva b Malachi Jones 63

Aakash Gupta c & b Kyle Hodsoll 11

Sagar Khadka not out 30

Puspa Thapa b Malachi Jones 20

Rahul Vishwakarma b Malachi Jones 15

Raj Shrestha run out 0

Abhaya Rana not out 1

Extras (3b-4lb-36w) 43

Total (for eight wickets, 50 overs) 256

Bowling: Malachi Jones 10-1-65-3; Jordan DeSilva 10-1-31-2; Kyle Hodsoll 10-0-55-1; Rodney Trott 10-0-29-1; Tamauri Tucker 6.0-0-39-0; Chris Douglas 4.0-0-30-0

BERMUDA

Chris Douglas c M Chhetri b P. Khadka 2

Terryn Fray c M Chhetri b P. Khadka 9

Pierre Smith b A Bhattarai 0

Rodney Trott c & b A Rana 8

Regino Smith b A Bhattarai 6

Deunte Darrell LBW A Bhattarai 0

Malachi Jones st M Chhetri b R Vishwakarma 15

Jordan DeSilva c & b R Shrestha 6

Dennico Hollis b R Shrestha 0

Kyle Hodsoll b R Shrestha 5

Tamauri Tucker not out 0

Extras (2lb-15w-) 17

Total (all out, 24.1 overs) 68

Bowling: Amrit Bhattarai 7.0-1-25-3; Paras Khadka 5.0-0-12-2; Abhaya Rana 4.0-0-14-1; Raj Shrestha 5.1-3-07-3; Rahul Vishwakarma 3.0-1-08-1