Canada 260-7

Bermuda 235-8

A dramatic middle order batting collapse condemned Bermuda to a 25 run loss in a see-saw battle against hosts Canada at the Maple Leaf Cricket Club in King City, Toronto yesterday.

Bermuda were comfortably poised at 181 for three when the wheels came off as four wickets tumbled for the addition of 14 runs to give the Canadians the impetus to go on to victory.

That the tourists came to within sight of victory owed much to the outstanding stroke-play of top order bats Jekon Edness (45) and teenager Chris Douglas (69) who produced the only half-century off the match on his ODI debut.

Together the pair added 90 runs for the second wicket, the highest stand of the match, after opener Oronde Bascome (20) departed in the sixth over, trapped plumb lbw in front of the stumps.

Batting with a maturity belying his tender years, Douglas earned the admiration of those gathered at the ground with a memorable display of controlled aggression. In all, the Warwick all-rounder smashed eight fours and a six during an enterprising 113 ball innings, encapsulated by an exquisite cover drive off seamer Harris Baidwan that cut a path on the way to the boundary ropes.

Though forced to play second fiddle to partner Douglas, Edness held his end of the bargain but was unfortunate to fall five runs shy of a deserved half-century after belting four fours and a six off 61 balls.

Douglas, though, soldiered on and along with Stephen Outerbridge (27) added another 58 runs for the third wicket before the pendulum swung Canada's way for good once the pair were removed in the space nine runs.

The experiment to promote Lionel Cann (eight) up the order backfired as the veteran all-rounder virtually threw his wicket away going for the big shots.

And he was soon joined in the pavilion by skipper Irving Romaine (five) who was also caught in the deep attempting to clear the boundary ropes. Vice-captain Rodney Trott (three) and George O'Brien Jr (11) didn't last long either as tight bowling at the death eventually put the match beyond Bermuda's reach. "We had a very good start, but once again we didn't carry on through.

"We fell behind the run rate in the middle overs and then a little panic set in," Bermuda skipper Irving Romaine lamented.

Leading the Canadian attack were off spinners Karun Jethi and Ramesh David who gobbled up four wickets between them. Earlier, an unbroken 73-run eighth-wicket stand between all-rounders Jethi (46) and Baidwan (21) undone all of Bermuda's hard work in the field after their hosts had slipped to 187 for seven.

"We did pull it back in the middle overs, but lost it again in the end," reflected Bermuda coach Gus Logie.

All-rounders Rizwan Cheema (34) and David (48) also made useful contributions higher up the order for the Candians after Kelly (two for 57) and left- arm spinner Dwayne Leverock (one for 20) had made the breakthrough.

Off spinner Trott, who snatched two for 50, was Bermuda's most economical bowler.