Bermuda Cricket Board (BCB) development director Arnold Manders, currently in Malaysia with the Under-19 national team, yesterday hailed the batting performances of skipper Rodney Trott (64) and Malachi Jones (58) who put on a 107-run partnership that laid the foundation for the team's 20-run win over Ireland.

Together the pair produced contrasting knocks at the crease with Trott playing more of a supporting role for the beligerent Jones who shredded the Irish bowling at the other end, spanking eight boundaries.

After misfiring with the bat against Bangladesh and England earlier in the week, Manders said the pair were "overdue" for a big knock.

"Rodney sat down and steadily built an innings with Malachi (Jones) and in the end was unfortunate to get run out," he said. "I think if he and Malachi would have continued for another five or six overs we might have put the game well beyond Ireland's reach.

"They batted extremely well. They got stuck in, played the ball on its merits and put away the bad ones. They played a very good innings and it was something we have been looking for since the tournament started."

Trott later returned bowling figures of two for 37 with his off-break spin to cap off a superb all-round performance. But it was fellow off-spinner Chris Douglas who carried the attack with impressive figures of five for 40 that swung the match in Bermuda's favour after the Irish had got off to a solid start.

"Chris bowled extremely well," Manders said. "I thought all of our bowlers were economical."

Making Bermuda's achievement all the more commendable is the fact they have one of the youngest teams in the World Cup and in 14-year-old all-rounder Greg Maybury jr the youngest player in the competition.

"Nobody thought we could win a game. But today the guys believed they could win. Their confidence was a lot higher than playing against England and Bangladesh," Manders said.

"It was a good performance from them in the field, they bowled well and batted pretty good as at one stage we were in a bit of trouble (64 for four)."

Manders also heaped praise on Somerset all-rounder Jordan DeSilva whose game, he said, had come on in leaps and bounds lately.

"Jordan came in late and had a decent knock that helped get us to the 200 mark," he added. "Jordan has been the find of the tournament and so far he's bowled extremely well while his batting is starting to come on."