GEORGETOWN, Guyana -- Set up by a four-wicket haul from leg-spinner Dinanath Ramnarine, Trinidad and Tobago overcame a few alarms before cruising to a seven-wicket victory over Bermuda in their 1998 Red Stripe Bowl Zone One limited overs match at Uitvlugt here yesterday.

Set a moderate 123 for victory, after restricting Bermuda to 122 for eight in 50 overs, Trinidad and Tobago reached their target in 23 overs, scoring 124 for three with opener Andre Lawrence on 44 not out and skipper Brian Lara undefeated on 40.

The two came together after medium pacer Janeiro Tucker (2-43) had threatened to make inroads in the middle order with the wickets of Phil Simmons (11) and new West Indies selectee Darren Ganga (0) off successive deliveries with the score on 50 in the 10th over.

Suruj Ragoonath (12) had earlier departed at 28, well caught by Peter Philpott on the boundary line after trying to hit medium pacer Anthony Braithwaite over mid-wicket.

Simmons was caught at mid-on by Dave Greenidge while Ganga was magnificently taken at forward short leg by Irvin Romaine as he attempted to on-drive his first delivery.

Lara, however averted the hat-trick by hoisting Tucker over mid-on for two but was dropped in the bowler's next over as Peter Philpott failed to hold on to a firm drive at silly mid off with the West Indies' captain on four.

Luck went the Trinidadians' way once more when Lara on 19, was dropped by Greenidge at long off, again off Tucker in the 21st over with the score on 87.

Lara, however made full use of the two lapses and along with Lawrence, proceeded to entertain the fair-size crowd in their unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 74 in 13 overs.

Lawrence, who faced 63 balls, struck a six and three fours while Lara's 39-ball innings, contained two massive sixes and three fours.

Earlier, the unfancied Bermudians surprisingly won the toss and batted after play was delayed for 35 minutes due to a soggy outfield and seepage through the covers.

"It was a soggy outfield and we figured the ball would get wet and they wouldn't handle it as good,'' said coach Allan Douglas last night in defence of captain Marshall's decision when contacted at the team hotel by The Royal Gazette .

"It wasn't that critical a decision, we just got ourselves out. I feel if people would just follow instructions we would be okay. Too many people were just not keeping the game simple enough.

"We got a fairly decent start, but we were just not turning ones into twos.

We kept losing wickets.'' After weathering the early pace attack of Mervyn Dillon and Ian Bishop, the Bermuda batsmen failed to negotiate the Trinidadian spinners.

Openers Dexter Smith (24) and Dennis Archer (20) put on 40 in 16 overs during an encouraging first-wicket stand but thereafter it was a steady procession.

West Indies' leg-spinner Ramnarine (4-28) and off-spinner Ganga (2-20) spun a web around the middle order.

Top scorer Romaine (29) and Kwame Tucker (10) rallied the late order with a seventh-wicket stand of 27, the second highest of the innings as Bermuda eventually got past the 100-run mark.

The team will go over some aspects of yesterday's game this morning before training and later in the day will watch Friday's opponents, the Windward Islands play Trinidad and Tobago.

Douglas has promised changes will be made to the team, but he feels the message has gotten across to the players that they can be competitive at this level.

"The game is very simple and basic and if we play the ball up the park we will get runs,'' said the coach. "Why try to play people behind square and backward of point when all the runs are up the park.

"Some of the players realise now that we're not too far off... and we're not. But this is a brand new group of guys and the situation has overwhelmed them.

"Today was more a learning thing for the guys, to get over the occasion. Now they'll go into the next match against the Windwards and do much better.'' ST CATHERINE, Jamaica -- Hosts Jamaica cruised to an easy eight-wicket victory over newcomers the United States in their 1998 Red Stripe Bowl Zone Two match at Chedwin Park.

Jamaica first dismissed the United States for a paltry 107 in 43.1 overs with West Indies fast bowler Franklyn Rose taking three for 17 and then made light work of the US bowling, with Robert Samuels hitting a 46-ball 47 to reach 108 for two in 20 overs.

Debutants Raymond Ferguson, with 27 and two for 13 bowling quick leg breaks and 18-year-old Chris Gayle, who got one for 24 with his off breaks and 22 not out, were other leading contributors.

Captain Carl Hooper, Nicholas DeGroot and Keith Semple all hit 50s as Guyana began their Red Stripe Bowl campaign with a 41-run victory over the Windward Islands.

Hooper smashed 69, DeGroot 59 and Semple 54 as Guyana, who play Bermuda in their third match on Sunday, ran up 237-6 in their 50 overs. Dawnley Joseph was the Windwards' top scorer with 69 in their reply of 196-9.

GREAT ESCAPE -- Brian Lara was dropped twice on his way to an undefeated 40 that led Trinidad to a seven-wicket victory over Bermuda in their opening Red Stripe Bowl match yesterday.