January 30, 2013 at 5:54 p.m.
Bermuda chalks up another big win
Bermuda chalks up another big win
Skipper Irving Romaine returned to form with the bat to lead from the front, scoring 59 as Bermuda piled on 237 for 9, against Tuks Academy.
Spinner Dwayne Leverock then led the demolition job with the ball taking 4 for 11 as Bermuda's spinners proved too good for their inexperienced opponents, skittling them for 67.
Coach Gus Logie said it had been a satisfactory end to the first leg of the tour. The team moves on to Johannesburg today, where they will play an official warm-up match against Namibia at the weekend, before the tournament begins against UAE in Potchefstroom on Wednesday.
Logie took encouragement yesterday from the performances of his spinners, Leverock and Rodney Trott, who finished with figures of 3 for 14.
The coach believes the South African wickets - which are traditionally fast and bouncy - may be more suited to Bermuda's slow bowling attack than many had anticipated.
"This is the back end of the South African cricket season and the wickets don't quite have the pace that everyone alluded to.
"It is taking a bit more spin and the slow bowlers will hold a bit of sway, especially when the ball gets old.
"There will still be that pace and bounce but the wear and tear over the season will offer some assistance to the slow bowlers. I think we even saw that in the Test series between South Africa and Australia."
Leverock and Trott were the star performers with the ball yesterday while most of the batsmen made solid contributions.
The coach conceded that yesterday's opponents were not the toughest side his team will come up against in the next three weeks but he was pleased, nonetheless, with his team's 11th victory in 13 games in the run-up to this tournament.
"They were a young side but they are in an academy because they are talented players and they are training to be professional cricketers. They lacked that bit of experience but they were not short of ability.
"Scotland lost to a young team this week in a similar match so if you're not on your game you can be beaten."
A different kind of test awaits when Bermuda faces a strong Namibian side at the weekend.
The Africans have been competing in South Africa's amateur league in preparation for this tournament.
They qualified for the World Cup in 2003 and were desperately disappointed to miss out in 2007. They beat Bermuda in two warm-up games prior to that tournament and have kept their squad largely intact since then.
They beat Bermuda comprehensively in a four-day game at the National Sports Centre last year and dominated the ICC Intercontinental Cup until they were beaten by Ireland in the final.
They have not been as successful, though, in the one-day game, a flaw that captain Louis Burger alluded to an interview with the International Cricket Council last week.
"The four-day format is good because you play a lot of cricket without the same pressure on you. When batting you have plenty of time and with the ball there tends to be a wider margin of error," said 31-year-old Burger.
"We are playing in the South African amateur tournament which means we play a three-day game followed by a one-day game so we have been getting good practice in both formats.
"There are a few adjustments to be made from one to the other and also with the conditions. The shorter format puts a bit more pressure on you but everyone is adapting well. I think it's important we make that adjustment when it really matters. If we can, I don't think there's any reason why we cannot make the top four of this tournament and get on our way to the World Cup."
Logie believes the clash with Namibia will provide a decent barometer for how Bermuda might do in the World Cup qualifiers.
"Playing against a team like Namibia is always a challenge but we have our own game plans and the main thing is to see the players go through the right processes."
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