Bermuda 259-5

Kenya 260-3

A maiden one-day international century by David Hemp wasn't enough to prevent Bermuda crashing to a humbling seven-wicket defeat against Associate powerhouse Kenya at Senwes Park Oval yesterday.

Chasing 260 for victory, breezy half-centuries from openers Maurice Ouma (57) and Kennedy Obuya (63) and an unbeaten 60 from skipper Steve Tikolo powered the Kenyans to victory with 30 balls to spare.

Bermuda's long-time nemesis Tikolo was there at the end to serve the last rites, smashing the winning boundary off spinner Rodney Trott with the final ball of the 45th over to see his team to safety.

All-rounder Janeiro Tucker and off spinners Trott and Tamauri Tucker, in for the injured George O'Brien jr. (left knee), claimed a wicket each for a Bermuda attack that lacked cutting edge.

"Kenya are a quality side and probably would have chased down any total on this field," lamented Gus Logie, the Bermuda coach.

Despite going down to a third defeat in the tournament, Bermuda still stand an outside chance of progressing to the Super Eight phase to start in Johannesburg later this week.

But in order to do so the Islanders must beat the Netherlands in their remaining Group B match tomorrow and then rely on United Arab Emirates (UAE) to get past nearest rivals Afghanistan, who lost to the Dutch by five wickets yesterday.

Should Bermuda and Afghanistan finish level on points, the fourth and final Super Eight spot will be decided by net run rate.

Afghanistan currently have a run rate of minus 0.26 and Bermuda minus 0.23. Kenya, UAE and the Netherlands have already gone through while Denmark have been eliminated.

Picking up where he left off with an unbeaten 76 against Denmark over the weekend, Bermuda vice-captain Hemp led the way with a another polished and chanceless knock spiced with nine boundaries, including successive boundaries off left-arm spinner Hiren Varaiya's ninth over.

He reached his century in the last over of the innings off 105 balls in 209 minutes with a boundary off medium pacer Lameck Ngoche.

Accompanying Hemp at the crease when he reached the milestone was skipper Irving Romaine who, up until yesterday, had held the record (101 against Canada in 2006) for the highest innings by a Bermuda batsman in an ODI.

Hemp's previous high was the 76 he scored against Rahul Dravid's India at the 2007 World Cup in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad.

The ex-Glamorgan skipper formed the backbone of his team's innings and added 107 runs in 120 minutes with fellow opener Fiqre Crockwell (45), the second highest opening stand for Bermuda in an ODI.

He also added a brisk 53 with the in-form Stephen Outerbridge (31), 55 runs with evergreen left-hander Glenn Blakeney (30) and a further 41 off just 25 balls with Romaine in an unbroken sixth-wicket stand.

Bermuda's batsmen struggled to keep the scoreboard ticking over against Kenya's impressive spin attack that applied the brakes and reduced to run rate to a pedestrian pace.

The Islanders' hundred arrivied off 177 balls in 113 minutes compared to Kenya who raced to theirs in 74 minutes off 120 deliveries.

In the end Bermuda's modest run rate came back to haunt them as the Kenyan batsmen encountered subtle resistance knocking off the required runs in their reply against a depleted Bermuda attack.

With the Islanders most penetrative quick bowler O'Brien on the sidelines on crutches, it was always going to be an uphill climb for Bermuda's attack trying to dismiss a powerful and tall Kenyan batting order.

Seamer Jacobi Robinson, who replaced the injured Chris Douglas on the eve of the tournament, (none for 65 off eight) came in for the harshest punishment in his opening spell.

Spinner Tamauri Tucker eventually made the breakthrough in the 19th over when he bowled the explosive Ouma. Veteran all-rounder Janeiro Tucker then picked up the wicket of number three batsman Alex Obanda (15) and Trott that of opener Kennedy Obuya leg before.

But by then the dye had long been cast as Tikolo dropped anchor and played a genuine skipper's innings to see his team safely through to the Super Eight phase.

To further compound Bermuda's loss, skipper Romaine (groin) and Blakeney (right hand) both left the field hurt and did not return.

Bermuda

F.Crockwell c KO Otieno b Varaiya 45

D.Hemp not out 102

S.Outerbridge c Kamande b E Otieno 31

L.Cann c Kamande b Ongondo 1

G.Blakeney b Odoyo 30

J.Tucker c Obanda b Onyango 1

I.Romaine not out 21

Extras (b 4, lb 8, w 15, nb 1) 28

Total (5 wickets; 50 overs) 259

Did not bat J Robinson, RJ Trott, RDM Leverock, TE Tucker

Bowling: T.Odoyo 8 0 45 1; P.Ongondo 9 0 49 1;

L.Onyango 10 0 60 1; E.Otieno 5 1 13 1; H.Varaiya 9 1 30 1; J.Kamande 7 1 30 0; S.Tikolo 2 0 20 0

Kenya

M.Ouma b TE Tucker 57

K.Otieno c Crockwell b Trott 63

A.Obanda c Hemp b JJ Tucker 15

S.Tikolo not out 60

C.Obuya not out 43

Extras (lb 3, w 18, nb 1) 22

Total (3 wickets; 45 overs) 260

Did not bat TM Odoyo, JK Kamande, LN Onyango, HA Varaiya, PJ Ongondo, E Otieno

Bowling: J.Robinson 8 0 65 0; J.Tucker 9 0 58 1;

R.Leverock 10 1 42 0; R.Trott 10 0 49 1; T.Tucker 8 0 43 1