Consistency and volumes of patience have finally paid dividends for diminutive Willow Cuts all-rounder Reggie Tucker Jr who is now poised to make his debut for Bermuda at international level.

Tucker, along with towering St. George?s? pacer Ryan Steede, has been included in the Island?s senior national squad which will take on Canada at the Sunnybrook ground in Toronto next week in the ICC Intercontinental Cup.

Bermuda Cricket Board yesterday announced four changes in the squad from that which was beaten by the USA at the National Sports Centre last month.

The full squad is as follows: Clay Smith (captain), Wendell White, Saleem Mukuddem, Dennis Archer, Jekon Edness, Dwayne Leverock, OJ Pitcher, Delyone Borden, Stephen Outerbridge, Kevin Hurdle, Irving Romaine, Ryan Steede and Reggie Tucker.

The USA presently top the Americas group standings with 47 points, Canada have 30.5 while Bermuda are on 16.5 following their 114-run loss to the Americans.

Absent from the Bermuda team that played the US are explosive batsman Glenn Blakeney and fast bowlers Mackie Crane and David Gibbs. OJ Pitcher and wicketkeeper Jekon Edness both return to the team, having fully recovered from injuries sustained during Bermuda?s involvement in last month?s Americas Championship tournament on local soil.

Blakeney made himself unavailable for selection, Gibbs encountered difficulties obtaining a visa to travel with the squad while Crane was overlooked.

?Basically whenever you pick a team you have to go with the best players you have available and I think we have picked a fairly good team,? said national coach Mark Harper yesterday.

?Obviously this form of cricket (three-day) is still new to us but I still think after playing the first game against USA we now know where our strengths and weaknesses lie and where it is we need to make improvements.?

Harper hopes valuable lessons were learned following last month?s loss against the Americans in a match the local team gallantly fought back late on the second and early on the third day to place themselves in a position to win.

?I think the tournament is still wide open and hopefully we can put in a much better performance in Canada,? he added. ?If we can go there with the right attitude then I think we are capable of doing well and beating Canada. And I expect us to go there and give it our best shot. We have a good team and the fellows are looking forward to the game.?

Chairman of the BCB selectors Arnold Manders agreed with Harper.

?We certainly have a chance of advancing in the competition but it is all up to the players,? he said. ?Due to the unavailability of several players this is what we have been left with. And if they are to advance then they will have to beat Canada convincingly . . . and I think if they can play to their full potential then it can be done.?

In order to qualify for the semi-finals of the ICC first class three-day tournament in the United Arab Emirates in November, Bermuda will need to take maximum points off the Canadians.

?I?m confident we can achieve our objective and make a good account of ourselves in Canada,? added Manders, who welcomed the inclusion of Tucker and Steede.

?Tucker has shown good form and he?s an excellent fielder and is capable of doing very well. He has had a fine season with the bat with Willow Cuts and he?s an extremely good fielder, something I think we lacked in the three-day game against USA, and I think Ryan deserved a chance to see what he can achieve playing on the international scene.?

The three-day match at Sunnybrook begins next Friday.