Bermuda face hosts Kenya in the first of three one-day internationals in Nairobi today knowing that anything short of optimum performance could spell disaster.

The Islanders officially luanched their tour of the African continent over the weekend with an inspiring first win in eight months at this level over Uganda.

But coach Gus Logie's decision to pump fresher blood among the ranks for last Tuesday's second match with Uganda backfired as the Africans levelled the series and released the air out of the tourists' momentum courtesy of a 43-run victory at the Sir Ali Muslim Cricket Club.

"We rested a few of our main players so to give some other guys match practice and we still feel confident," skipper Irving Romaine told The Royal Gazette.

Now Bermuda will have to fire on all cylinders if they are to have any success against the Kenyans who have stepped their game up a notch or two following a poor showing at the inaugural Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa earlier this fall. Kenya crushed Canada by nine wickets in the Intercontinental Cup and followed up that dominant performance by taking the one-day series between the two countries 2-0 on the crest of back-to-back four-wicket wins in Nairobi.

Bermuda's top order has struggled on tour so far and will have to improve in leaps and bounds in order to help give their bowlers something to sink their teeth into.

And the Island's varied attack will have to bowl a steady line and length and avoid pitching loosely to the likes of on-song batsman Thomas Odoyo who is fresh off successive centuries against the visiting Canadians.