HAMILTON, Bermuda, CMC – Veterans Lionel Cann and Dwayne Leverock starred with bat and ball respectively, as Bermuda’s 2007 World Cup team thrashed the touring Marylebone Cricket Club of England by 104 runs in a Twenty20 match under lights on Monday at the Somerset Cricket Club. Opener Cann, who turns 39 next week, smashed 72 from 51 balls to help propel the Bermudians to 179 for eight, before the burly 40-year-old Leverock who bowls left arm spin, claimed three for 14 from his four overs to undermine the MCC reply, as the visitors tumbled to 75 all out in the 18th over.

Summarised scores:
BERMUDA 2007 WORLD CUP SQUAD 179 for eight off 20 overs (Lionel Cann 72, Dean Minors 23, Stephen Outerbridge 21; Paul Muchall 2-21, Andrew Birley 2-27)
MCC 75 off 17.2 overs (Andre Geldenhuys 30; Dwayne Leverock 3-14, Malachi Jones 2-6, Janeiro Tucker 2-17).
“It was a great team performance,” said elated Bermuda captain Irving Romaine, who was cleared to play after filing an appeal against a nine-month ban for verbally abusing Barbadian umpire Hector Watson in a recent league match.
“We played good cricket, bowled in the right spots, hit the loose balls, and it was a great game of cricket.”
The hosts plundered 40 runs for the loss of just opener David Hemp for eight off the mandatory Power Play, and Cann reached his half-century in the 13th over off just 39 balls.
Cann, who was dropped at mid-wicket, added 75 for the second wicket with Stephen Outerbridge who made 21 and 38 for the fourth with Janeiro Tucker (12) before he was smartly stumped by wicketkeeper Josh Knappett.
It left Bermuda in a position of strength at 140 with four overs remaining, and Dean Minors gathered 23 and captain Romaine added 14 to keep the runs flowing.
Paul Muchall captured two for 21 and fellow seamer Andrew Birley grabbed two for 27 for the MCC who in their turn at the wicket, faced a fired-up Malachi Jones (2-6) and had MCC on the back foot from early, claiming the wickets of Chris Thompson for a duck and Chris Benham for one in the space of four deliveries.
Leverock then made his presence felt, claiming the wickets of Muchall for two, MCC captain Craig Wright for four, and Birley for a duck while third-change bowler Tucker who took two for 17, kept the pressure on with his gentle seamers, as only opener Andre Geldenhuys offered any resistance before he was run out for 30.
MCC next play the Bermuda national team in a 50 overs-a-side match on Wednesday at the National Sports Centre.