Following an intense three-hour practice session at Toronto Cricket Club yesterday morning, Bermuda?s national cricket squad travelled by bus to King City for a close inspection of the pitch that will host their opening four-day ICC Intercontinental Cup match against hosts Canada, beginning tomorrow.

Head groundsman at the Maple Leaf Cricket Club, Noel Lewis, has spent the past five weeks preparing a pitch he says will favour both bat and ball.

?All I?m looking for from this pitch is true bounce and I think it will be a good all-round pitch,? Lewis told .

He also anticipated his fully grassed strip would take a bit of spin, and offer movement off the seam.

?We wet it and roll it every day and make sure it is well trimmed,? Lewis explained. ?We cut it twice a week and this is what we call a natural pitch. It is well laid out and will be ready for Saturday.?

After observing the pitch for himself, Bermuda skipper Irving Romaine said he believed the pitch would be fast.

?The groundsman (Lewis) said it would be very fast and I think Canada?s plan will be to attack us with pace,? Romaine said.

Tomorrow will mark the Island?s first-time involvement in an international four-day match. And in order to reap success, Romaine said his team-mates would have to quickly adjust to meet the challenges.

?Basically this is a new step for everybody and so we will really have to occupy the wicket and not make any rash shots or anything like that,? Romaine said.

?This is going to be a change of mindset for everybody because before our preparations were geared towards the 20/20 (Stanford 20/20 Tournament) which is the shortest form of the game. Yet now we are here preparing ourselves for the longest version of the game.

?We have gone through two extremes in a matter of weeks, and so we will really have to be tough mentally and dig in.?