ST DAVID’S, Bermuda (CMC) – Bermuda tumbled to a second successive heavy defeat when they went down by 71 runs to Canada on day two of the Under-19 World Cup qualifying tournament here yesterday.Canada piled up 257 for seven in their 50 overs and then dismissed the hosts for 186 in the 47th over.
Bermuda’s batting showed a big improvement on Sunday’s 136-run defeat against the United States at Somerset, where they were bundled out for 119 in 22.3 overs in reply to the Americans’ 255.
But yesterday’s second defeat has left Bermuda with a mountain to climb if they are to get back into contention in the three-team tournament, in which all sides play each other twice.
Bermuda started brightly, claiming two early wickets as Canada lost openers Akash Gill (0) and Thursaanth Anantharajah (13) with only 28 runs on the board, but 16-year-old skipper Abraash Khan, who was born in Peshawar, Pakistan, and Amish Taploo seized the initiative with a third-wicket stand of 93.
Number four Khan top-scored with 94 from 128 balls while Taploo made 46 from 74 balls. More useful runs came from Harsh Thaker (26) and Suliman Khan (22) while the total was given a boost from 35 extras, including 23 wides.
Chare Smith, who took four wickets against the U.S., was again the pick of the Bermuda attack with two for 36 from nine overs, while his strike partner Micah Simons, who trapped Gill lbw with the fourth ball of the innings, finished with two for 62 from 10.
In reply, openers Jahnoi Bean-Wilson (31 from 34 balls) and Jordan Smith (11) gave Bermuda a decent start with a stand of 37 but few batsmen offered much resistance, apart from skipper Delray Rawlins, who was fifth out at 125 for 45 from 51 balls.
The Canadian attack was spearheaded by Abdul Haseeb, Thaker and Shlok Patel, who shared nine of the wickets.
This week’s qualifying tournament was reduced from four teams to three when Suriname were forced to pull out because of visa problems flying to Bermuda via the U.S.
The winners will not only win a place at next year’s Under-19 World Cup finals in Bangladesh but have the added incentive of earning a spot in the upcoming West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Under-19 tournament.