‘We must learn lessons’

Arnold Manders believes Bermuda’s batsmen will have learnt valuable lessons from their ICC WCL Division 3 warm-up defeat to Oman.

The home team’s batting capitulated to 26 for seven in the practice match ahead of the main event, which starts here on Sunday and also features Uganda, Italy and Nepal. 

The hosts eventually reached 134 all out thanks mainly to a half-century from Malachi Jones.

Bermuda then ran Oman close, getting them eight down but it wasn’t enough to prevent defeat.

Coach Manders said there were still positives to take from the loss but warned his batsmen they must improve their ability to assess the game situation out in the middle. 

He said: “I’m a little worried [about the batting] but if you look at it we still have David Hemp to come in and Stephen Outerbridge to come in and that strengthens the batting.

“I think the players have to own up and realise we have targets and we set goals in our innings of where we want to be at but sometimes they take too long to assess the situation.

“Right from the start, they should have been able to pick it wasn’t going to be a good one-day wicket.

“This time of year you don’t expect it anyway but it was a little surprising because we played on it in February and it played a lot better than it did on Monday.

“Hemp and Stephen bring that to the team because they are able to assess those things — Janeiro [Tucker] tried but we didn’t have anybody else to help the other players out. 

“We’re disappointed with the loss but it’s a friendly game and it gave us a chance to look at Oman and we know what we can do.

“Hopefully, the players have learned.”

 Manders insisted, though, it was important to also focus on the character of the team and their ability to compete despite that dreadful start. 

He said: “We didn’t apply ourselves early, the wicket was a little two-paced, playing a little low, and we didn’t adjust to it.

“We were 26 for seven so as a coach if you get to 134 someone has set up and applied themselves, which is what we’re looking for.

“The wicket got easier as the day went on and I think with a bit better field placing we could have pulled the match off but we missed a couple of areas, we were too slow. Instead of being proactive we are reactive, waiting for stuff to happen.

“I was a little disappointed but pleased with the fight coming back from 26 for seven and getting eight out — we should have won the match. It’s not bad. It’s something to gauge and I hope the players learned something from it.” n