3/5/2007 3:32:00 PM England quicks destroy Bermuda
Match Details
England 286 for eight off 50 overs (Dalrymple 76, Ian Bell 46, Leverock 2 for 32, Borden 3 for 71, Hurdle 2 for 58) beat Bermuda 45 all out in 22.2 overs by 241 runs.
MONDAY MARCH 5:Bermuda were introduced to the harsh realities of top-level international cricket in St Vincent today as England demolished them by 241 runs.
For a brief, glorious spell in the early morning sun Bermuda had their moment in the limelight. Dwayne Leverock, with 2 for 32 in his ten overs, stole the show tying the England batsmen in knots with his left-arm spinners.
But Jamie Dalrymple led the recovery with 76 as England moved to a healthy total of 286.
At that stage things looked very respectable for Bermuda in their first match against such high quality opposition.
But it was with the ball that the English showed why they are considered one of the favourites to win this competition.
Saj Mahmood, Jon Lewis, Liam Plunkett and Andrew Flintoff tore into Bermuda from the off with only David Hemp reaching double figures as they were skittled for 45.
The pressure from the England quicks was relentless and Bermuda could not cope. Hemp's 11 was the only scant resistance as the game was concluded with 27 overs to spare.
The fact that this was classified as a friendly rather than a one-day-international and both teams were allowed to use 13 players spared Bermuda the ignominy of having the total entered into the record books as one of the lowest ever. Zimbabwe, Bermuda's opponents here on Thursday, still hold that dubious honour with the 35 they made against Sri Lanka in Harare in 2004.
It had all started so well for Bermuda with Kevin Hurdle quickly among the wickets clean bowling Ed Joyce with a full-length in-swinger to put some jitters in the England camp in the third over.
Hurdle then snared Michael Vaughan, superbly caught by David Hemp off a poorly placed pull-shot for 18, as England struggled early on.
The steady clatter of wickets was punctuated by boundaries, though, and things looked bleak for Bermuda as Ian Bell and Kevin Pietersen stepped it up putting on 81 for the fourth wicket as England accelerated to 112 inside 20 overs.
But a superb reflex catch from Irving Romaine off Malachi Jones sent Bell, who had lived dangerously throughout, back to the pavilion for 46.
Then Dwayne Leverock entered the fray for a mesmerizing spell that put England right on the back foot.
First he found the edge of Paul Collingwood's wafting bat, then the coup-de-grace - a beautifully flighted delivery which beat Kevin Pietersen before Dean Minors pulled off a neat stumping.
At that stage England were on 133 for five and starting to get a little worried.
Levrock and Borden continued to keep it tight and when the young St David's spinner, who celebrated his 22nd birthday yesterday had Flintoff caught on the boundary for 24, there were very brief optimistic whispers of an upset.
The score at that stage was 186 for six, already in the light of sober analysis beyond what Bermuda were likely to get against England's quicks, but for a time at least Bermuda dared to dream.
But Jon Lewis pulled his team out of the mire with a beautifully paced 76 that included two consecutive sixes off Borden, who bowled very tidily to begin with before falling victim to big-hitting towards the end.
He did pick up two more wickets though, with Paul Nixon and Lewis caught on the boundary going for big shots.
By that time though the damage had been done with Lewis sparing his team's blushes to post an imposing 286 for 8.
Bermuda were never likely to chase down the target but would have hoped to make a considerably better fist of it than they did.
Umpire Rudy Koertzen is nicknamed 'slow death' for his tendancy to linger on his decisions, before slowly raising the finger to give a batsman out.
But Bermuda's demise was swift and brutal as they failed to cope with England's pace, swing and accuracy.
But they didn't help themselves with a series of miscued shots that made a tough situation even tougher.
England took full advantage with Jon Lewis the main tormenter taking three for seven off four while Flintoff and Anderson took two a-piece as Bermuda collapsed like a house of cards to 45 all-out.
Old Rudy's trigger-finger can't have had such a strenuous work-out in a long time.
Now it's on to Zimbabwe at Arnos Vale on Thursday to build on a good bowling display and with much to improve in the batting.
