Day Two - April 4, 2010

Bermuda have two days to save their Intercontinental Shield match against Namibia, and they’ll have to bat for most of that if they are to have any chance of succeeding.

The tourists conceded a massive 455 runs in just 96 overs yesterday, and while they probably had the best of the final hour and a half, when they took 6 wickets for 118 runs, it was too little, too late.

An opening stand of 373 between Raymond van Schoor (158) and Ewald Steenkamp (206) has put this game well beyond Bermuda’s reach, and their only hope now is that they bat far better tomorrow, when Namibia's inevitable declaration will come, than they bowled today.

*See tomorrow’s Royal Gazette for report and reaction from the first two days, and join us on royalgazette.com for regular updates from the third day’s play.

Day Two – how it unfolded:

12pm: Close of play, Namibia 491-6. The tourists trudge off the field having conceded a massive 455 from 96 overs, and they’ll be glad that’s over. Namibia have a lead of 277 runs with four wickets remaining. Skipper Craig Williams is 70 not out.

12pm: Wicket. Nicholas Scholtz last just five balls before trying to cut a wide delivery from Ryan Steede and only succeeds in getting the faintest of edges, which Jekon Edness catches easily. Namibia 464-6.

11.56am: Fifty for skipper Craig Williams. It came off 37 deliveries, and included three, fours. Namibia 464-5

11.53am: Wicket. Gerrie Snyman tries to hit Rodney Trott out of the ground and the ball falls just short of the boundary into the grateful hands of Stefan Kelly at long-off. Namibia 461-5.

11.46am: Namibia pass 450 and Gerrie Snyman and Craig Williams are obviously determined to swing the bat for the last couple of overs. Ryan Steede comes into the attack for Bermuda with Justin Pitcher still off the field with a side strain.

11.30am: Wicket. Jones picks up his second on the day, a quicker ball that has Louie Burger moving forward, and a thick edge brings a flying catch from wicketkeeper Jekon Edness. Namibia 426-4.

11.25am: Namibia 417-3. The hosts’ lead is now past 200, and Bermuda are staring down the barrel.

11.14am: 400 up for Namibia. Jones and Kelly are doing their best with the new ball, but it all seems to be, too little too late. Craig Williams (12*) and Louie Burger (2*) are at the crease and seem to have been told to go out and have a swing judging by some of the shots they are trying to play.

11am: Wicket: Malachi Jones returns to the attack and bowls Sarel Burger with a good delivery that nips back and knocks out the middle stump. Namibia are 396-3, with a lead of 182.

That’s drinks and there is an hour left to play in the day.

10.54am: Wicket: Steenkamp is finally out, five balls after making his double century, the Namibian batsman goes for a big hit off Rodney Trott and is caught by Stefan Kelly at deep mid-wicket. Craig Williams comes to the crease as Bermuda take the new ball. Namibia 388-2.

10.50am: Double century. That’s why dropping catches can lose you matches. Steenkamp, who was dropped on 26 this morning, tucks a ball off his legs for a single and brings up his double hundred. All you can do is applaud the effort, he missed a good deal of yesterday sick, and has a sore hip, apparently.

Steenkamp’s 200 came off 275 deliveries, included 16 fours, and one six.

10.44am: WICKET, Namibia 373-1. Finally, Bermuda get the breakthrough. Van Schoor goes for a big hit off the bowling of Chris Foggo and only succeeds in skying it to Fiqre Crockwell at long on. Van Schoor made 158 off 244 balls, hitting eight fours. One batsman down, only nine more to go for Bermuda, as Sarel Burger marches to the crease.

10.27: Van Schoor 150 not out. The opener reaches 150 in style, tucking a ball off his legs for a single to square leg. It's been an impressive innings, and has come off 230 balls. Remarkably it's included just eight fours.

10.24: 350 run partnership. Van Schoor and Steenkamp pass another milestone and don't look like stopping any time soon.

10.16am: Dropped. Steenkamp is put down again, this time by substitute fielder Shannon Rayner at long-on off the bowling of Rodney Trott. The Namibian batsman has 172, his previous best score was 91.

10.01am: Chris Foggo into the attack for Bermuda, oh dear. Namibia are 320-0.

10am: We're back under way after tea, the rain clouds are still circling the ground, but in truth it'll have to rain for two days for Bermuda to get out of this without being given a hiding.

9.40am: That's tea and Namibia, 319-0 now have a lead of 105, with all their wickets remaining. Van Schoor is unbeaten on 137, while Steenkamp has 160.

It doesn't look like it's going to get any better for Bermuda, and the loss of Justin Pitcher with a side-strain isn't going to help matters. However, there maybe some respite on the horizon in the form of a thunderstorm that is threatening to drift over the ground in the next five minutes.

9.27am: 300 run partnership: That sums up Bermuda's day, the 300 is brought up when Justin Pitcher sends a wild delivery down the leg side and it runs away for four byes. Namibia 303-0.

9.17am: Steenkamp 150. There are runs aplenty to be had this afternoon and Steenkamp is gorging himself like a man who hasn't eaten for months. After his most recent let off he passes the 150 mark with a cut for two off Crockwell. Namibia's lead is now 74 and they still have ten wickets remaining.

9.04am: When it's not your day, it's just not your day. Steenkamp mistimes a hook shot from a short ball from Justin Pitcher, it sails high into the air over mid-wicket, only to fall inches short of the onrushing Chris Foggo, and Jekon Edness.

9.01am: Namibia 264-0. Malachi Jones returns to the attack, but his line and length haven't improved from this morning. It's going to take a mistake from either Van Schoor (117*) or Steenkamp (135*) for this game to change at all.

8.50am: Namibia 244-0. Desperation time for Bermuda as David Hemp throws the ball to part-time leg spinner Fiqre Crockwell. It's worth a go, Bermuda need to do something to get a wicket, and none of their regular bowlers are posing any real threat at all.

8.26am: RECORD STAND. Namibia 224-0. Openers Van Schoor (103*) and Steenkamp (108*) re-write the record books with their countries highest opening partnership, eclipsing the 223 made by Van Schoor and Gerhard Rudolph against Eastern Province last year. More importantly for Namibia, it also gives them the six first innings points on offer. The runs have come in 51.2 overs.

8.19am: Van Schoor hundred. A chanceless hundred from the young opener, who has been in imperious form all morning. His hundred came from 143 balls and included five, fours. Namibia 221-0.

8.12am: Steenkamp hundred. The Namibian brings up his century with a simple push to mid-off, and that's heavy punishment for Bermuda, who dropped him earlier this morning when he'd made just 26 (see 5.20am). Steenkamp's ton came off 156 balls, included 10 fours, and with the form he's in you wouldn't want to bet against it being a big score.

8.05am: 200 partnership. Namibia 203-0. Van Schoor (94*), Steenkamp (98*). It's a race to see who reaches their century first, and Steenkamp edges ahead with a straight-pull for four, that also brings up the 200 hundred partnership. Namibia's highest opening stand is 223, just in case you were wondering

7.39am: Namibia 173-0. We're back underway at Wanderers for what will be a crucial session for Bermuda. Namibia could put this game completely out of reach by tea unless things change really quickly.

6.58am: That's lunch and Namibia are completely in control at 167-0, Van Schoor is unbeaten on 79 while fellow opener Ewald Steenkamp has 81.

The pair have batted for 39 overs in total this innings, 30 this morning, and have added scored 131 runs in that time. For Bermuda the bowling has ranged from the ordinary to the awful, and no-one looks like making a breakthrough anytime soon.

6.42am: 150 partnership. Steenkamp brings up the milestone with a gentle push into the covers for a single off the equally gentle bowling of Ryan Steede. It's going to be a long day in the field for Bermuda. Still, only another 50 overs until the new ball is due.

6.30am: Namibia 138-0, 22 overs gone today, and the home side pass 100 runs for the morning session. Van Schoor (64*) and Steenkamp (69*) look like they could bat all day. Rodney Trott and Justin Pitcher are bowling, but it's going to need something really special to rescue the tourists from this position.

6am: Namibia 113-0. Van Schoor (52*) and Steenkamp (55*) reach the first drinks break and Namibia have picked up where they left off last night. The home side are in complete control and this game is slipping further and further away from Bermuda.

5:41am: Namibia 81-0. Ten overs gone, and not the start Bermuda were looking for this morning. Van Schoor (40*) and Steenkamp (38*) have rarely been troubled by a Bermuda bowling attack that is struggling with both line and length. Apart from the Steede drop, the closest Bermuda have come to taking a wicket is when a backward defensive shot from Steenkamp saw the ball bounce down and just over his stumps.

5.20am: Namibia 64-0. Openers Van Schoor (34*) and Steenkamp (27*) seem determined to put this game beyond Bermuda by lunchtime. The pair have added 28 in the first four overs, and have been helped by some wayward Bermuda bowling, and poor fielding. Ryan Steede dropped Steenkamp at second slip in the third over of the morning.

4.55am: David Hemp leads the Bermuda players on to the field for a crucial first session on the second day of the Intercontinental Shield match. The tourists need some quick wickets, and plenty of them, if they are to get back into this match. They won't be helped by the heat mind you, the temperature was pushing 90 by 9am local time this morning.

4.30am: It's day two of the Intercontinental Shield match between Namibia and Bermuda at Wanderers Cricket Ground in Windhoek. Quick recap from yesterday, Bermuda were going strong at 164-3 at tea, but let it all slip away in the final session, losing their last seven wickets for 50 runs to end on 214.

Namibia meanwhile are 36 without loss overnight, openers Raymond van Schoor and Ewald Steenkamp looked comfortable for a brief nine over spell yesterday evening, and the home side will be looking to bat Bermuda out of the game today.