Bermuda's senior national squad are scheduled to play the first of three World Cup qualifying warm up matches in St.Lucia this week against a local select today.

Gus Logie's squad have stepped up their preparations for April's World Cup qualifiers in South Africa in recent weeks and are fresh off back-to-back victories in Trinidad last week against local premier champions Connection Wanderers and a University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) team coached by ex-West Indies and Middlesex batsman Larry Gomes.

Led by a solid all-round performance from Delyone Borden, Bermuda defeated Wanderers by three-wickets and then followed up the next day with a 43-run win over UTT with spinners Dwayne Leverock (four for 38) and Rodney Trott (three for 28) sharing eight-wickets between them.

While in St.Lucia it is anticipated that pacer Kevin Hurdle will make a first appearance in a competitive match for Bermuda in over a year after being sidelined with a shoulder and knee injury that required surgery last November.

Skipper Irving Romaine is also expected to return to action after sitting out last Friday's win against UTT with a bruised thumb on his right hand.

The Bailey's Bay stalwart injured himself taking a return catch off Wanderers skipper Sanjuy Gooljar last Thursday.

Bermuda are currently involved in an intense training exercise in the Caribbean which will culminate at the end of the month when the squad is to be trimmed to 15 players for World Cup qualifiers in the Spring.

Former Glamorgan skipper David Hemp was due to join the squad in St.Lucia last weekend, while University of Wales Institute Cardiff students Jekon Edness and Stephen Outerbridge were scheduled to return to studies in the UK.

Logie's men are due to depart for South Africa in mid-March for last minute preparations at a cricket academy in Pretoria where fellow ICC Associates Scotland are also expected to be based.

Bermuda have been paired with powerhouse Kenya, the Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, Denmark and ICC World Cricket League Division Three winners Afghanistan in Group B for World Cup qualifiers.

The past Americas champions made history in Ireland nearly four years go by becoming the smallest country to qualify for world cricket's premier showpiece.