seven-wicket defeat at the hands of Guyana at the Antigua Recreation Ground yesterday.

After restricting the Bermudians to 181 all out off their 50 overs, Guyana replied with 183 for three off 43.2 overs to notch their third win from four matches with Andrew Gonsalves hitting an attractive 71 off 85 balls and Azeemul Haniff 64.

The result means that the Guyanese can finish no less than joint second in the group after their conquerors on Saturday, the Leeward Islands, were humbled by the Windward Islands in Anguilla.

All three teams can finish with six points and if that happens it means that net run rate will decide the two semi-finalists from the zone.

Part-time slow bowler Lennox Cush captured four for 36 in the Bermuda innings in which Clay Smith topscored with 46 and there were good contributions of 38 by captain Charlie Marshall and 30 from opener Wendell White.

The aggressive Marshall, who hammered four sixes and two fours in his 38-ball knock, shared in a third-wicket stand of 47 with Smith who batted more cautiously in compiling his runs off 102 balls while striking five fours and two sixes.

Cush removed them both along with Kwame Tucker (8) and Dennis Archer (6) for his impressive figures in nine overs, but off-spinner Carl Hooper was the most economical, conceding 15 runs from his 10 overs.

Gonsalves and Windies one-day opener Haniff put Guyana on course for their win with a stand of 126 for the first wicket.

Gonsalves struck nine fours and a six in his knock while Haniff hit six fours before he was third out with victory in sight.

For Bermuda, yesterday's loss after Saturday's defeat by the Windward Islands (see Page 29), was a disappointing way to finish a campaign which included their first-ever win in the competition, over Cayman Islands last week.

Bermuda coach Winston Reid said: "After our first-ever victory in the competition, we felt real good going into the next two games, but it's unfortunate that we were unable to win those games.

"Things should have gone better for us in Anguilla on Saturday against Windwards where the strip was simply beautiful for batting. We did well to restrict them to 250 but we just didn't bat well, there was nothing unusual about the wicket.

"We were once 50 for one and then we folded by playing awful shots, shots that we should never have attempted. We did superbly to get over the West Indies Test opening bowler Nixon McLean but then we allowed some medium pace bowling to get us out as a result of poor shots.

"Against Guyana, we didn't bowl as good and we could have done better because Guayana weren't playing good cricket. The only notable player they had was Carl Hooper.

"Our batsmen needed to buck up a bit, play the right shots and run between the wickets more aggressively. Poor running between the wickets deprived us of more than 30 runs in this game. But overall I am pleased that the boys remained competitive throughout, never once bowing to opponents who were always favoured to give us a thrashing.'' Bermuda leave Antigua early today and return home on the late American flight via Puerto Rico and New York.

Jamaica advanced to the semi-finals of the Red Stripe Bowl yesterday with a convincing nine-wicket win over Trinidad and Tobago in Kingston.

Replying to Trinidad and Tobago's 145, the home team made short work of the target by reaching 146 for the loss of one wicket in 37.4 overs.

Brenton Parchment led the way with a solid, unbeaten 58. Parchment and Keith Hibbert, who made 33, posted 68 for the first wicket to set the Jamaicans on the path to victory.