Scotland 268-9

Bermuda 269-5

Saving their best ‘til last, Bermuda pulled off an astonishing victory over previously unbeaten Scotland in their final World One-Day League match at the Ruoraka Sports Club in Nairobi yesterday.

A magnificent unbroken sixth-wicket partnership worth 134 runs between skipper Irving Romaine (85 not out) and Lionel Cann (49 not out) paved the way for what on paper might be seen by some as a mere consolation win — following four straight defeats — but will be considered far more significant by the players who are determined to prove they belong in this company.

Fittingly, master blaster Cann hit the winning runs with a towering six on the last ball of the penultimate over after he and Romaine had paced themselves perfectly against a frustrated Scottish attack.

While the Scots had already booked their place in tomorrow’s final with a first-ever win over Kenya on Sunday, the glum expressions on the players’ faces as they sat around dejectedly after the game dispelled any notion that this was a match in which they had no interest.

Undefeated in their last five One-Day Internationals, including four in this tournament, the 2005 ICC Trophy champions wanted to carry that momentum into tomorrow’s final where they will again meet Kenya — who sealed their place yesterday with a 158-run thrashing of Canada.

But for the first time in this tournament, they were outplayed in every area of the game as Bermuda, for once, exhibited both discipline and patience in a performance superior to anything they’d shown previously on tour.

Man-of-the-match Romaine and Cann, hugged by their team-mates as they left the field, might have been the eventual heroes, but this was the all-round team effort which Gus Loge had been pleading for ever since he took charge.

Young Stefan Kelly, given his first outing in the tournament, rewarded Logie’s faith with a superb effort which reaped three key wickets for 43 in ten overs, Saleem Mukuddem snapped up three for 57 in his ten — albeit two in Scotland’s desperate last over — while Delyone Borden bowled far better than his final figures of two for 53 off ten might suggest.

Perhaps believing this was a match in which they merely had to go through the motions, Scotland, somewhat arrogantly, chose to bat after winning the toss — even though Ruoraka’s reputation is that of a ground which almost always favours the team batting last.

And even after having posted 268 in their 50 overs, propelled by a top score of 79 from former England Test and one day player Gavin Hamilton, they must surely have felt that would prove more than enough to see off the tournament’s “whipping boys”.

But after Clay Smith (19) and Dean Minors had given Bermuda a decent start, putting on 36 for the first wicket before Smith fell lbw to Dougie Brown, their task became increasingly difficult.

Minors provided Brown with a second wicket, hooking into the hands of Omar Hussein in the 12th over with the total on 50, and when another wicket fell on 54, Kwame Tucker caught behind by Douglas Lockhart off Craig Wright, the Scots might even have felt they had the upper hand.

However, Janeiro Tucker, in one of his best innings on tour, joined David Hemp in a stand which produced 65 runs in less than nine overs and Bermuda began to sense they could pull it off.

Even when Hemp was beaten by the spin of Ross Lyons, bowled for 25, and Tucker departed five overs later for a well-played 42, out lbw to White with the total on 135, there was no panic.

Cann played more sensibly than at anytime during the tournament while Romaine mixed aggression with caution, aware that the asking rate of around six an over was perfectly attainable if they could stick together through the remaining overs.

And stick together they did as Scotland continually changed their attack, mixing pace with spin in an attempt to upset the pair’s rhythm.

Romaine finished with six fours and three sixes, failing by just 15 to score what would have been the first Bermuda century of the tour, while by his own standards Cann was positively subdued, including just two fours and two sixes in his innings of 49.

But one sensed having taken Bermuda to the brink of victory, Cann wanted to finish it in style. And he did just that, belting a big six off Brown on the last ball of the 49th over, sparing his team-mates the anxiety of any last-over dramatics.

Earlier, Bermuda’s bowlers had discovered a line and length absent from earlier performances as they made Scotland work for their runs.

While Hamilton led the way with 79, Ryan Watson stroked 57 and opener Majeed Haq made 31, there were no big partnerships as Bermuda took wickets at regular intervals — helped in no small measure by wicketkeeper Minors who played a part in dismissing Haq, Hamilton and Neil McCallum with smart catches behind the stumps.

Both of Borden’s scalps were via the lbw route while also helping the cause was Janeiro Tucker who gave up just 42 runs in his ten overs for one wicket.

Opening bowler Kevin Hurdle failed to take a wicket as he conceded 60 off ten, but even he cut down dramatically on the number of extras which have been a feature of most of his spells during this tour.

With the team heading out of Kenya on Friday and returning to Bermuda for less than a couple of weeks before embarking on their last pre-World Cup tour to Antigua where they will meet Bangladesh and Canada, it was a much-needed victory to help lift morale.