Bermuda 143-5

England 138-6

Irving Romaine's Bermuda booked their place in the final of the 20-20 World Cricket Classic under the lights of the National Sports Centre last night courtesy of a nail-biting five run win over England which stirred the crowd into a frenzy.

Needing to score at just over six an over to eclipse the host's total of 143 for five off their 20 overs, the English got off to a rip-roaring start - finding themselves 38 for no loss after only three overs thanks mainly to horribly wayward bowling from Kevin Hurdle and Janeiro Tucker.

But just when a comfortable England victory seemed a certainty, the introduction of Bermuda's two trump cards - left arm spinners Dwayne Leverock and Hasan Durham - successfully pegged back the spiralling run rate, while two sharp run outs by Durham and Lionel Cann provided the breakthroughs they so desperately needed to keep Robin Smith's men in check.

Durham's figures of no wicket for 19 off four overs, as well as Leverock's of one for 23 off four were exceptional in the context of a 20-over thrash while after a disastrous opening over, Hurdle swapped ends to good effect, removing the dangerous Lewis (19) with the very first ball of his second spell.

England were exactly halfway to the target after ten overs and having only lost three wickets, were clearly in the driving seat.

But as the overs ticked by and the runs began to dry up, the pressure began to build on England.

With five overs to go they required 46 runs to win - around nine runs an over - a task which was clearly going to be challenging.

But with the excellent Graham Lloyd at the wicket - who was renowned as a limited overs specialist at his county side Lancashire - Bermuda's total was always under threat, a fact which kept the crowd of around 4,000 people on the edge of their seats while greeting every dot ball with a great roar of approval.

With Saleem Mukuddem returning to finish his spell from the northern end for the penultimate over and conceding nine, England needed 14 to win off the last, which had, because of a lack of other options, to be bowled by Lionel Cann - not considered one of the side's frontline bowlers by any means.

And when Lloyd then dispatched his first ball over midwicket for six, meaning England needed only eight to win off five, it looked for all the world like the tourists' superior experience in tight situations would ultimately win the day.

To Cann's great credit, however, he kept his head - keeping the ball as full as possible and making it extremely difficult for the batsman to free their arms.

A single, a wild swing and a miss from Lloyd and then two more singles meant England needed six runs to win off the final delivery, with Lloyd, seeing the ball well on 46 not out, on strike.

Cann's final delivery was on a length just outside off stump, which elicited an enormous swipe from the Englishman who was looking to hit over extra cover.

He could only watch in disappointment, however, as his shot looped harmlessly off an outside edge down to third man for a single - prompting wild celebrations from a delirious Cann as well as a pitch invasion by hundreds of fans, grateful for a release from the intense pressure.

Earlier, Bermuda had won the toss and elected to bat - a decision which looked to be backfiring when they were 21 for three off five overs.

Despite looking in good nick against the West Indies in the previous game on Sunday, Bermuda's top three of Kwame Tucker, Dean Minors and Daniel Morgan all failed as England's impressive seam bowling unit applied the expected squeeze early on.

After one powerful lofted drive over mid-off for four, Minors then holed out to square leg the very next ball off Phil Defreitas, plonking it straight into the lap of Lloyd who had been placed there specifically for the mis-timed pull shot.

Tucker followed soon after, nicking the ball behind to ‘keeper Bill Athey while attempting to pull a ball from Defeitas which was not all that short while Morgan slashed Lewis to David Smith in the gully in the very next over to leave Bermuda in a spot of bother.

They were saved, however, by the arrival of Romaine who, after playing himself in sensibly, unleashed a violent onslaught of strokes all around the wicket which had the crowd on their feet and the England bowlers scratching their heads.

It would be difficult to believe that anybody has hit a cricket ball harder than Romaine did yesterday, as the personable Bailey's Bay batsman crucified anything remotely over-pitched or short, with a pull shot over square leg - which almost landed on Frog Lane and made a noise off his bat like a gun going off - the standout from a total of four towering sixes in his score of 59.

As ever, Cann got in to the act as well batting at number six, matching Romaine blow for blow in a crucial partnership of 47 which swung the momentum in Bermuda's favour.

Cann was actually caught at third man off a no ball having been at the crease for only a few minutes, while he was subsequently bowled by Lewis off the free hit which follows every no ball under 20-overs rules.

It was the piece of luck Bermuda needed, however, to take them to a defendable score which laid a platform for a victory which few who witnessed it will ever forget.