Canada v Bermuda Wrap-Up

As much of a battle as it was for us to find live scores from the game yesterday, it was an even greater battle won by the Canadian side at Maple Leaf CC as they took a commanding lead in Group B of the Intercontinental Cup. Bermuda looked to be headed to a draw, but after a flurry of wickets, Canada were left with 16 overs to chase 57 runs - a total they easily acheived losing just one wicket.

Bermuda's powerful batting duo of Irving Romaine and Clay Smith looked unbeatable at the crease, as they played very safe, patient cricket in an attempt to make the end of the match. After they scored 109 runs for the third wicket, the breakthrough came when Romaine was caught off an Umar Bhatti delivery. Smith would last a while longer, but his partners would have shorter innings as they moved down the order. On a pitch which favoured the batsman on the first day - and didn't change a bit - John Davison tried many things with his bowlers. 8 of the 11 Canadian players had a chance with the ball. The strangest of all: wicketkeeper Ashish Bagai bowled 2 overs - the first two overs he has bowled internationally! After all the different bowlers, it was the stalwarts that took the wickets. After Davison dislodged Smith, Umar Bhatti took the final three wickets for just 19 runs (he was 6-104 in the innings). When the dust had settled, Canada were left 16 overs to score 57 runs for the win.

Canada's chase began with a surprise, captain John Davison stayed in the pavilion. Geoff Barnett and Stewart Heaney strode to the wicket to get the chase underway. It took Canada 54 minutes (12.2 overs) to get to the total. They lost just one wicket, as Heaney's frustrating National Team campaign continued when he edged a Saleem Mukuddem ball to Dwayne Leverock in the slips. Barnett's 33 lead the Canadian team and Ian Billcliff helped him get it home for the victory.

Umar Bhatti was no surprise as he took his second man of the match honours in as many matches in the Intercontinental Cup. His 10 wicket haul included several crucial ones, and his 50 runs were scored in a partnership with Abdool Samad as they took Canada to a massive lead in the first innings. With the 20 points scored from this match, Canada stand in a dominant position in the standings. They now need only first-innings points in the match against the Netherlands in South Africa to guarantee themselves a spot in the final. They may not even need that, depending on what happens in other matches leading up to it.

We now look forward to the ODIs this weekend, leading in to the Americas Championship next week. I will be at all of Canada's games with coverage, and will see what I can do about covering other matches. We're working on an agreement to get my internet hooked up so I can provide totally live coverage (as well as more details in-game). More on that as details are firmed up.