LEICESTERSHIRE -- Brilliant bowling and a gritty batting performance brought Bermuda's cricketers a long-awaited but well-deserved first tour win on the eve of their return from England.

All the bowlers made the most of a trick four-day-old wicket to return excellent figures. then the batsmen survived a succession of mini-crises to grind out the win, which sent them home smiling.

Leicester cricket manager Jack Birkenshaw found little to smile about. Having seen former captain David Gower hit 80 on the same strip the previous day -- for new county, Hampshire -- Birkenshaw was hopeful that one of a handful of triallists would show promise against the tourists.

In the event, only off-spinner Mark Powell threatened to boost his own chances by forcing the home side back into the match. Indeed, many players with considerable first-team experience flopped in the face of some inspired Bermuda bowling.

Fielding their strongest side in a bid to win at least one match, Bermuda looked like having to toil once again as they kept the run rate down but could not dislodge the opening pair.

But in the 11th over, Kenny Phillips bowled Wells and began a dramatic collapse. Only five runs had been added to the total of 23 when Terry Burgess produced a delivery, which nipped back and rearranged Winson's stumps then, in the 17th over, Phillips tempted Hepworth into an awful attempt to hook a ball that was outside of off stump. Minors claimed the catch and Leicester were three down for 38.

Noel Gibbons replaced Burgess and was quick to make his mark, producing a fine yorker to remove the danger man Gidley, who only the previous day had struck a half-century against Kent.

And after Phillips ended a lionhearted effort, bowling his 11 overs right through to claim two for 24, Anthony (Pacer) Edwards kept the batsmen jumping with several close calls before he removed Bower in the 27th over.

Even the batsmen who managed to make double figures were leading charmed lives and Leicester's answer was to promote Paul Nixon, who added 12 with Marsden before Edwards struck again to remove Marsden's off stump in the 31st over.

With Nixon at the crease there was always a danger Bermuda's fine work would be undone. The regular second-team wicket-keeper, he has been in fine form with the bat and reached the highlight of his career so far with an unbeaten 107 against Hampshire, the county championship leaders.

On the same strip yesterday he made 106 fewer, falling lbw to Gibbons in the 32nd over with the score still on 71.

Lunch merely delayed the inevitable as Burgess and Edwards returned to remove Shepherd and Powell respectively. With the pace bowlers having exhausted their allotted overs, Clevie Wade sent down a dozen tidy deliveries and Charlie Marshall ended the innings on 97 when he removed Gofton with his only ball of the day.

Burgess took two for 28, Gibbons claimed two for 19 and Edwards led the way again with three for 12, but while those figures left skipper Wendell Smith delighted he was also cautious, having noted the uneven bounce and pace of the wicket, which was used for the three-day match between Leicester and Hampshire.

Smith called for care from his players and led by example until he was bowled by Powell in the 10th over with the score on 17. Ricky Hill went for a big hit against the same bowler and was well taken by Wells at slip and when Clay Smith fell lbw, again to Powell, Bermuda were in deep trouble at 33 for three.

Marshall and Gibbons then put on 19 runs, a match-winning partnership in this context, before Gibbons played across a ball from Hepworth as he attempted to give the Yorkshire exile the same treatment as his fellow spinner, Powell.

But with the support of Arnold Manders, Marshall again shone in the middle and they took the total to 76 for four at tea, adding four more afterwards before Marshall was unlucky to fall, stumped by Nixon off a Marsden delivery, which was no nearer the leg stump than many previous wides.

With Marshall out and Manders looking less than solid, much was hoped for from Wade and when he went quickly to a catch from Gidley off Marsden, one could not help but recall Edwards' inquiry before the innings began as to whether he could change out of his whites.

In the event, Edwards was not needed as Dean Minors joined Manders and the pair displayed the sort of character and patience to steer the tourists to their target.

Manders struck the winning boundary through square leg to put his colleagues out of their misery and end a day described by McDonald Swan as the longest of the tour, in spite of the early finish.

Swan said afterwards: "We won because we fielded our strongest side and then bowled extremely well.'' He singled out Edwards and Marshall for special praise, and was joined by Wendell Smith, who also made the point that all the wickets were the result of good work by the bowlers. Six victims were bowled, two fell lbw and two were caught at the wicket after the bowlers found the edge.

Birkenshaw, who toured Bermuda with the MCC, had no doubt that the bowling has improved: "They are much more disciplined than when I was over there.

Today we had some triallists who didn't do as well as we would have liked and some staff who were below par, but Bermuda bowled very well and deserved their win.'' JUST REWARDS -- Anthony Edwards did his skipper Wendell Smith, right, proud during the England tour, and reaped the rewards with the best figures in yesterday's win.