HAMILTON, Bermuda, (CMC) – North American neighbours Canada and the United States outplayed sister British Overseas Territories Bermuda and the Cayman Islands at White Hill Field on Saturday, on the penultimate day of the week-long quadrangular ICC Twenty20 World Cup Qualifier Americas final.

Bermuda had hoped to win the tournament outright, but were swept aside by the belligerence of Rizwan Cheema whose half-century helped carry Canada to an eight-wicket win while Steven Taylor’s explosive unbeaten half-century saw the US crush the Caymans by nine wickets with more than half of their overs to spare.

It was Bermuda’s first defeat of the week but the fifth in a row for the Caymans.
Opting to bat first, Bermuda tallied 116 off 19.5 overs with Kamau Leverock top-scoring with 33 and Allan Douglas getting 31.
Guyana-born medium-pacer Dillon Heyliger, 29, did the bulk of the damage with four for 19 from four overs while left-arm pacer Romesh Eranga claimed two for 17 and off-break bowler Nitish Kumar, two for 18.

Bermuda’s innings got off to the worst possible start when captain Terryn Fray was run out for nought in the first over without facing a ball.
Sussex county all-rounder Delray Rawlins was bowled first ball by Kumar to leave Bermuda struggling at 17 for three, but Leverock and Douglas led a rally in a 44-run fifth wicket stand after Malachi Jones was fourth out for 21.

In reply, Canada, who were denied victory over Bermuda by rain earlier in the week in a no-result, lost opener Rodrigo Thomas for one to left-arm spinner Rawlins in the second over, but needed only 13.1 overs to secure the points, 41-year-old Pakistan-born Cheema clouting seven sixes and five fours in his 34-ball 71.

Three of Cheema’s sixes came in the 10th over bowled by medium-pacer Onias Bascome before he was caught behind off the fifth ball to leave the US 93 for two. However, captain Navneet Dhaliwal (24 not out) and Ravinderpal Singh (21 not out) ensured there were no further slip-ups.

In the other game, Cayman chose to bat first but could muster only 66 for nine – Troy Taylor top-scoring with 19 – before 25-year-old left-hander Taylor, who was born in Florida of Jamaican parents, smashed nine fours and two sixes in his 39-ball unbeaten 56 to carry the US to victory in 9.4 overs.

The success came too late for the US after they earlier twice lost to Bermuda, who will be joining Canada as the Americas region top two at the final qualifier in the United Arab Emirates in October and November ahead of next year’s T20 World Cup in Australia.