By Grockle
October 1 2023

Given the state of the weather and the end of the CC season in the South West I grabbed the opportunity to pop off to a little island off the North American coast in late September to watch a bit of World Cup T20 cricket for a week or so.  Bermuda, Canada, Panama and the Cayman Islands are looking to get a qualifying place in the 2024 T20 "World" Cup event in the USA and West Indies.  It's the start of hurricane season but let's see how it goes.  Delray Rawlins didn't come to Taunton after leaving Sussex but let's see if he can captain his island nation of 60,000 souls to the short form cricket version of heaven.

When the North American T20 World Cup  qualifying event came up on my calendar and I realised it would be in Bermuda with the host nation involved I though "why not?".  So after making sure Somerset had no chance of influencing or even winning the 2023 County Championship, I started talking to Bermuda cricket and via them to the ICC, the North American ICC and eventually the Argentina based organiser of the games "Billy" McDermott, I arrived in Hamilton last Thursday with the prospect of a set of six games at White Hill Field in Sandy's at the Somerset end of the island and another set of six at the National Stadium outside of the capital.

The four sides involved are at different levels of their cricket experiences or my knowledge of their history (happy to be educated in the comments if people know more).  I'm not going to go into the complexities of it here but one could say that Canada are the side who ought to be confident of going through - though their qualification for T20 glory is not exactly brilliant.  However they are the more established international side in the pantheon of the game.  Bermuda have been to a World Cup before in 2007 when they qualified.  The Dwayne Leverock slip catch in the early part of their match with india is one to watch if you haven't already seen it on YouTube.  That and the fact that 17 year old Malachi Jones took a wicket with only his 4th ball in International World Cup cricket (the things that associate cricket dreams are made of) but the tournament wasn't a great success as they were hammered in all their games with India in particular posting their highest T20 score against the Bermudans of well over 400 for the loss of 5. The Cayman Islands would be the 'dark horses' of this event as there seems to be little known about their pedigree though they are know by their opponents.  Panama would be seen as the weakest of the four sides probably but in these events no-one is ever really sure and anyone can come to the party.  The general concensus seems to be that Canada hope to qualify, Bermuda may show something but it can go either way for them, the Caymans may cause an upset and mess up the equations and Panama will make up the four and mark the games down to experience and a move up the level of their international competition.

It is the start of the major hurricane season about this part of the world and therefore the event is at the whim of the weather.  I was in Hurricane Umberto in this part of the world in 2019 (that's the one that stopped us playing four days against Essex and therefore not having the chance to win the CC1 that year.

Bermuda is pretty famous for being humid at the best of times but you would expect these games to be played in sub tropical conditions with enough moisture to make the ball a little difficult if used properly.  The grass is wide leaf and coarse but there has been cricket played here since 1844 so they do know how to put a wicket down.

The players are an interesting mixture as associate country squads tend to be one of two major types.  They are either made up of a large number of cricket 'migrants' looking for a place to play outside of their birth nation, especially from the sub continent but also Aussies, Kiwis and Saffers looking for a second home.  The other is my personal favourite, an associate country with enough people born there with an interest in the game to have a mostly home grown squad with maybe the odd migrant player but predominently representing their birthplace. We see the contrast here between the Panamanians who seem to come from about 5 families (there are at least 4 Ahir brothers or cousins) with names like Patel and Ahir.  Very strange to see an Asian cricketer talking to his team mates in perfectly fluent Spanish.  Against that you have the comparison of Bermuda who have an almost totally Bermudan playing side even though their captain Delray Rawlins has only just returned to the island after a career with Sussex.  His team mate Kemau Leverock (Dwayne's nephew I believe) played some games for Middlesex seconds and may even have played for Somerset seconds at one time.  The Canadians are a mixture of the two, Canadian cricket has established a larger reputation and so they have a mixture of migrants and homegrown players, though many of sub continental origin (something their bigger neighbour the USA still hasn't managed) while the 'Windies' aspect of the Cayman Islands suggest their balance is towards the homegrown players as well.

By bus to White Hill Field at the Somerset end of the island for Day 1 of the tournament.  A bowl of a cricket venue with hills all around a disc of a cricket pitch with very short boundaries.  The ICC have done a good job of getting this sorted and Bermuda cricket have the event well publicised with radio and TV coverage going out and a local interest in what is going on alongside a decent level of anticipation that this could be a resurgence of the home side who have a bit of a reputation for hitting above their weight.  They have that 'islander' cricket brashness that can be brilliant or can just implode.  Their main opponents on paper are more of a 'European' mentaility - solid rather than explosive but with significant and well respected players in the associate sphere of the game.

Game 1 Bermuda v Canada 10pm 30 September 2023 White Hill Field Sandy's Parish Bermuda

Bermuda lost the toss and Canada put the home side with Leverock and Manders opening facing Kaleem Sana from the Tower End (because of the TV camera tower) and Jeremy Gordon bowling from the Middle Road end (because it is near the middle of the 3 roads that split the island.  The crowd is small but vocal and the DJ is loud between overs.  The nearest thing you can define the venue as is some kind of sub tropical 'Caribbean' flavoured Cornwall.

The Bermudan bats are not that interested in waiting about and have 16 on the board within the first two overs with Leverock distinctly focussed on getting on with things.  Both the Canadian frontline bowlers are tall and have a definite amount of pace.  The pitch however is pretty slow and the ball is not exactly zipping through

The third over sees the first change as the offspinner Thaker takes over, one of the men with a reputation with the ball.  Leverock shows him no respect as he takes the first six off his first ball though the bowler is not phased by this and tightens up the over considerably. Sana changes ends and takes the first wicket as Tre Manders is bowled for 12 to bring Terryn Fray to the crease, who seems to be one of those 'Quixotic' Bermudan bats, he's good or he isn't.  He is off the mark ball 2 with an inside edge for four. Leverock is also happy to use the pace and he also finds the boundary with a pivoted shot for another four.

Thaker is a good foil for his pace team-mates and he takes the 5th with 36 on the board. he nearly has Fray stumped first ball though the umpire disagrees.  He is bowling a good length from a decent height for a spinner and is quite pacey.  Fray is not really sure what to do with him and he is in all kinds of a mess as the Canadian records the first maiden over.  Good spinners cause associate batsmen real problems quite a lot of the time

Gordon returns at the Middle Road end and meets the whirlwiind that is Kemau Leverock!  The bowler is a tall man who does let it go with vim and vigour.  However the Bermudan bat seems to have his measure because he hits him high wide and handsome into the spectator tents.  The next goes the same way along the floor.  After a flurry of boundaries the 36 runs from the 4th over becomes 62 by the end of the 6th with 26 from the Goordon over.  Thaker however is not impressed and is a different bowling problem entirely.  He has Fray playing and missing at the start of his over and then has him caught behind for 5 with delivery 2.  This brings the Bermudan captain to the crease and two left handers in partnership.  It is 64 after 7 overs.

Gordon's nightmare means we are introduced to the slow bowling of Dutta for the 8th over, he is much slower than Thaker and this means that the home batting pair have to reset their application to the innings.  The batting becomes much more circumspect and they have moved on to 73 after 9 - a much slower scoring pace.  Dutta takes the 10th and Leverock moves past 50 as he lays back and cuts him through the covers to the boundary.  At the halfway point the Bermudans have 84 on a pitch where a local assessment is that above 170 is a defendable par score.  Canada introduce a debutant in 22 year old offspinner Dilpreet Bajwa for the 11th from the Tower end. Leverock's eyes light up and he looks to go for him with early boundaries.  He holds up well and it is 90 after his first over.  

Meanwhile Delray has had a look and decided that Dutta may be a good source of runs.  He puts him into the crowd but the slow bowler comes back by taking what pace there is off the ball, however the skipper re-adjusts and sends him to the boundary on the offside instead.  It's a really good contest which presently the men in pink and blue are winning with 110 to their name by the end of the 12th.

So with Leverock taking the long handle to Bawja and Delray joining in with 2 straight sixes over us in the press tent, the ball is flying over White Hill!  129 for 2 after 13 prompts the return of pace with Sana from Middle Road but Rawlins is up the wicket to him slapping him to the long off rope.  Sana comes back well and closes down the second half of his over but with 136 already Bermuda are looking at 170 plus well before the 20th over.

A bowler, those with more information on Canada were expecting much earlier is now introduced into the attack Zafar is another well respected North American slow bowler though he gets little from the Bermudan captain who smashes him for a straight six off his second ball.  After this he takes a single to record his own 50.  Leaving Leverock to face a wide full toss that shows that the batting pair are in the heads of the opposition bowlers. Bermuda pass 150 for 2 and have reached 152 with 5 overs to go.  Chances of over 200?

Bawja changes ends for the 16th.  He gets away with a loose one before Leverock gets hold of his second and sends it for six.  However, to his credit he then has the bat caught behind after an innings of 83 (43 balls) including 7 fours and 6 sixes.

The new bat is Zeko Burgess and he is facing the Canadian bowlers in a soft cap, he gets off the mark  but Zafar may have got his line and length sorted as after Rawlins edges for four the Canadian bowls Burgess at 166 for 4 for a measly 2.  Gordon returns after being put to one side after the Leverock onslaught.  Rawlins hits him down the ground for a single to bring the new man Allan Douglas (one of two in the side - the junior one I believe) on strike.  He nearly goes first ball but the ball is put down by a diving fielder on the boundary (difficult).  Rawlins is not giving chances as he deposits the bowler into the tents again and it is obvious that the home side is targetting 200.  He moves to 63 and then steals the strike at 178 for 4 with 12 balls to go.

Now it all goes 'pear shaped' and the other side of the host nation comes to the fore.  Sana takes the 19th over and has the captain caught first ball 178 for 5 as Rawlin departs for a good 66. But Sana is not finished as he cleans up the next bat Dominic Sabir first ball. Charles Trott comes in to face the hat-trick ball and manages to miss one that slips just past his off stump.  But he doesn't deal with ball four and goes for zero.  Sinclair Smith is next in with 2 balls still to go.  He takes singles from the 5th and 6th to end with 180 for 7 Sana finishes with 4 for 23.

Gordon has the last and after no run off the first the second is straight up and then into the keeper's gloves to send Douglas back without bothering the scorers any more. only another run comes from the over and Bermuda lose another wicket Smith run out trying for 2.  178 for 4 with 12 balls to go becomes 180 for 9 with 20 overs completed.  Not a great end to the innings but the work of Leverock and Rawlins has still created a total that the Canadians may find hard to reach.

The Reply

Another common Bermudan name - Cejay Outerbridge appears in the opening attack of Bermuda.  If his deliveries are anything like the fiery nature of the sauce that is bottled by the Outerbridge family then there might be some fun ahead. He bowls the second after Leverock has gone for 5 off the first as Johnson and Dhaliwal get the Canada reply going.  He strikes first as well as he gets Johnson and celebrates by running backwards towards the tents pointing at his name on his shirt back.  8 for 1 and in comes Kirton.

He helps add 5 for the third over so it is not going off at speed by any stretch of the imagination.  Outerbridge makes it even worse when a good catch from a spitting delivery from him  means Kirton leaves after adding only 3 to introduce Singh to the fight.  Outerbridge is not finished yet and he has Dhaliwal caught berhind before he finishes his second.  Canada are in deepish trouble at 15 for 3 after 4 overs.

Burgess starts his bowling spell with the 5th.  He is a solid unit, looks very strong with some fire behind HIS arm as well.  The Canadians are having real trouble finding the boundary as Harsh Thaker and Pargat Singh look to reset the base of the innings. The first one comes as a straight drive duriing the 6th over taking them to 24 for 3, well behind the rate at that point.

The problem gets worse as Singh gets a slowly raised finger after a Brugess appeal for LBW and Wijeyeratne only has time to get an idea about his partner before he welcomes a new one in Dutta as Canada crash to 27 for before Burgess finishes the 7th.  This game is pretty much over with 13 overs to go.

Because Bermuda have their tails up, they are also very quick in the field and they tend to bowl their guys through if they are going well.  Outerbridge bowls out at 32 for 5 after 8.  Burgess keeps going at the Tower end and the opposition have reached 40 by the end of his and 48 at the halfway stage - some 134 behind with only 60 balls to get them.  This is not helped as Wijeyeratne top edges a slog sweep and is caught in the deep to bring in Zafar.  Dutta is at the other end and gets hold of one that goes for six and he adds another before the end of the over to move the score to 61.

Leverock is back for the 12th but from the Middle Road end and he bowls Dutta to quieten that aggression. He leaves with 27 and Bawja continues his debut on a hiding to nothing.  71 for 7 after 12 and nowhere really to go from here.  Dougles comes in for the 13th and concedes a boundary from his second ball. The bowling up to now has been tight, focussed and aggressive, this is not on that level and the Canadians identify him as someone they can move against it seems.  Having said that he nearly gets the next wicket but the umpire does not agree with the LBW appeal.  80 for 7 leaves 102 off 42.  The targets seem to be for Canada to save some face by battiing out the overs while Bermuda would like to clear out the last few wickets for as little as possible.  There is very little expectation that the result will alter. Rawlins comes in from the Middle Road and bowls Bawja for 3. In comes Sana with boundaries needed. 83 after 14 is not good enough.

Douglas drags one down and it is deposited over square leg for six but he comes back and ties them down to singles so that with 5 to go they are still 9 from 100 with 90 odd required.

Rawlins wants to finish this and as part of that he has Sana caught to introduce the last man Gordon to the game.  After 16 overs at 93 for 9 there seems to be some real attempt to change the person holding the bat facing, they nearly run out the non striker who just gets in only for the next quick single to find Gordon not quick enough and he is run out to reccord a margin of victory of 81 runs as Canada are all out for 95.

This was pretty comprehensive and really set the cat among the pigeons as this was not really what was expected even though it might have been hoped for.  Bermuda may find themselves in the driving seat with this win under their belt.

Bermuda Days Game 1 v Canada

Discussion started by Grockles.com , 01/10/2023 23:39

Grockles.com
01/10/2023 23:39

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2023:10:04:16:45:01 by Grockle.

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Shepton Paul 2
02/10/2023 10:54

Charles Trott: must have Somerset (UK) ancestry surely? Lots of Trotts around here (including me)…🤔

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Grockle
03/10/2023 02:28

Don't remember a lot of Trotts in Hamilton Shepton. There are some very old names in the Bermuda side though especially the Outerbridges and the Leverocks. Quite a few Douglas' as well

Nothing Like the Panamanians though. In their side there were 4 Ahirs and 2 Patels

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