regular since the ICC Trophy Tournament began last Saturday, left Bermuda in a tricky position in the group D match with Hong Kong yesterday.

Bermuda bowled spiritedly for their second successive match, but after getting off to a reasonable start at 49 for one after 17 overs, they lost their way against strict bowling at Nairobi Jaffery Sports Club.

The last time these two teams met, Bermuda scored 407 for eight in 1986, but Hong Kong are clearly not the same side.

Medium pacer Stuart Brew dismissed Clay Smith (nine) and Noel Gibbons on consecutive balls at the start of his sixth over to put Bermuda on their heels.

Then, with what proved to be the final ball of the day before the heavens opened, Arnold Manders (10) tried to take left-arm medium-pacer David Cross over the long-off boundary but Leigh Beaman took a well-judged catch at deep mid-on, leaving Hong Kong believing they can pull off their second straight upset. They beat Denmark on Monday.

Left at the wicket was opener Dexter Smith on 32 and he will be joined by Jeff Richardson when play resumes today with Clevie Wade and Dean Minors the only recognised batsmen left and 26 overs remaining.

Richardson was a late inclusion for Charlie Marshall who was suffering from a stomach virus.

The day began so positively for Bermuda after Albert Steede won the toss and elected to field.

Anthony Edwards and Terry Burgess repaid the skipper for the loyalty shown in them with another inspired spell. In 10 overs, both picked up a wicket and the total was only 15.

Clevie Wade then picked up the prized wicket of county player Stephen Atkinson (six) and then trapped Riaz Farcy lbw for four to leave Hong Kong at 35 for four after 19 overs.

But, as they did in the Denmark match, Hong Kong showed they had resilience in batting as skipper Pat Fordham and Jonathan Orders joined in a 73-run stand for the fifth wicket.

Fordham batted well in the face of mean bowling by the fast medium-pacers and then picked up the tempo on his way to a solid 79.

Edwards came back into the bowling attack to start the 37th over and met instant success.

He bowled Orders for 23, the left-hander attempting to pull him through mid-wicket and losing his off stump.

Fordham found a useful partner in John Garden, who also made 23, but at 133 for five Edwards short-circuited any plans for a total approaching 200.

On the fourth ball of Edwards' ninth over, Hong Kong's 43rd, Garden played a delivery wide to Steede's left in the covers and set off for a single.

Steede rushed his throw, which bounced once and to Minors' left. But the agile wicket-keeper made a snatch and swipe that would have made baseball's premier shortstop Ozzie Smith proud to run out dangerman Ford.

The Hong Kong skipper had batted for 145 minutes, faced 114 balls and hit a six and seven fours.

Edwards took matters into his own hands from here by bowling the next two batsmen on consecutive balls, both yorkers aimed at leg stump.

And, after missing out on the hat-trick, Edwards trapped Yarman Vachha for nought in his final over to finish with five for 27, his second-best ICC figures.

Gibbons ended a 15-run last-wicket stand when he had Garden out lbw.

The task of scoring 155 runs did not seem hard at first though the track was beginning to show signs of wear.

Dexter Smith and Steede began postively with 24 runs in five overs, Smith twice making Justin Strachan pay for over-pitching with sixes over long-off.

But in the sixth over, deceptive medium-pacer Farcy trapped Steede lbw for four to strike first blood.

Clay Smith got off the mark with a cover drive for four two balls later but then was tied down, along with Smith, by disciplined bowling.

Clay Smith gave a simple chance to mid-off on six against Farcy when playing a half-hearted drive. But he would get no second reprieve against Brew as his on-drive was snapped up by Strachan.

Brew then welcomed Gibbons, who struck 125 not out in the previous Hong Kong match, with a slower ball that the right-hander spooned to Orders at short mid-wicket. Brew was now in a position to claim a hat-trick for the second straight match but new batsman Manders blocked him out.

From 49 for three, Dexter Smith and Manders looked to be righting the ship until the latter's indiscretion right at the end in failing light with rain imminent.

Jeff Richardson had advanced only a few yards onto the field before the rain fell at 3.25 p.m. local time and lasted 45 minutes.

The umpires ruled the field unsuitable to continue but this morning's session should be interesting.

When contacted yesterday, Steede said afterwards that he did not want to comment on the match until it is over. But it is clear there is much work to do against a fired-up Hong Kong with ICC newcomers Smith and Richardson given their first taste of ICC pressure.

Yesterday's Results Group D At Nairobi Jaffery: Hong Kong 154 in 47.2 overs. Bermuda 66-4 in 21.4 overs, rain stopped play. Match continues today.

At Simba Union: Denmark 219 in 49.3 overs (A.Gregersen 50, Allan From 50, L.Sorovawatini 3-37, T.Batina 3-55). Fiji 58-8 in 15 overs, rain stopped play.

Match continues today.

Group A At Ngara: Ireland d Papua New Guinea on superior run rate. Ireland 230-8 innings closed (Allan Lewis 50, Justin Benson 46). Papua New Guinea 88-7 in 32.3 overs when rain stopped play.

Group B At Aga Khan Club: United States 206 in 47.5 overs (Richard Denny 61, Azhar Saeed 4-24, Johan Samarasekera 3-32), United Arab Emirates 74-2 in 17 overs, rain stopped play. Match continues today.

At Impala: East and Central Africa in 36.2 overs (G.Nowsher 4-36, M.Abedin 3-20), Bangladesh 30-1 in eight overs, rain stopped play. Match continues today.

ANTHONY EDWARDS -- Bowler posted his second-best ICC totals during match against Hong Kong yesterday.