Bermuda?s Under 19 youth squad went down fighting against Queen?s Park Club during their opening match of the Sir Garfield Sobers Schools Cricket Tournament in the Caribbean yesterday.

The local boys posted 129 for nine in their allotted 40 overs but then failed to contain their Trinidadian opponents who replied with 130 for five with 24 balls to spare in this Group A contest played at the Bereton Cricket Club grounds in St.Philip, Barbados.

Sent in to bat on a pitch slightly dampened by early morning rains, Bermuda were cruising along at 30 without loss when Queen?s Park introduced their spinners into the fray.

The gamble soon paid off as the spin quartet of Rangie Ramadin, Keron Maltan, Akil Timothy and Sashti Samaroo had Bermuda reeling at 60 for seven after 25 overs.

However, thanks to a 52-run partnership for the eighth -wicket between top-scorer Derek Brangman (29 not out) and Lamar Richardson (12), the local boys recovered from the earlier batting collapse to record a more respectable total.

Team skipper Oronde Bascome (13) and Rodney Trott (19) were the only other Bermuda batsmen to reach double figures.

Leg-break spinner Ramadin led the Queen?s Park bowling with three for 20, while Maltan, Timothy and Samaroo each took two wickets apiece.

In reply, Queen?s Park also had to sweat it out as local spinners Trott and Jade Foggo made things very difficult for the tournament?s defending champions bowling a steady line and length.

At one stage the Trinidadians were precariously placed at 80 for five before an unbroken 44-run sixth-wicket partnership between Colin Ramjohan (26) and Timothy (13) saw their team safely to victory with four overs to spare.

All-rounder Samaroo topped the Queen?s Park batting with 35 while James Wright scored a useful 18.

Foggo finished with two for 25, Trott two for 26 and Keiron Trott one for 30.

Last Sunday?s Combined Knockout quarterfinal contest involving Somerset Bridge and Police at White Hill Field has been rescheduled for Saturday, July 23 at the same venue, Bermuda Cricket Board announced yesterday.

The initial contest was postponed after umpires failed to turn up at the ground and not due an unprepared pitch as was previously reported.