January 30, 2013 at 5:54 p.m.
Bermuda gunned down between the wickets
Aside from a 19-over thrash last week, the inclement weather on the Caribbean island has kept the boys hemmed indoors for the entire trip.
But despite an intense week of gym work, net sessions and analysis, coach Gus Logie was once again left to lament the failure of his players to get the basics right on a consistent basis.
There were a total of five run-outs on the scorecard including three consecutive ducks (Malachi Jones, Delyone Borden and Arthur Pitcher jnr) as Bermuda scrambled for victory in the latter stages, with the run rate approaching ten-an-over.
Clay Smith (37), David Hemp (35), Janeiro Tucker (28) and Lionel Cann (30) all contributed to Bermuda's total of 196 but nobody came through with the big score required to win the match.
And coach Logie insisted that too many of his side's problems, particularly in the batting department, were of their own making.
"It was a rusty performance, perhaps the cobwebs of being inside all week showed.
"Running between the wickets is a basic thing, we have to get right. Batsmen have to go on and get big scores once they are in, we have to bat out our overs.
"That's all we are trying to do - play basic cricket.
"I still feel batting is our strength. We played nine or ten batsmen and chasing a total of 240 against any side, particularly a club side, you would back yourself to get it. That is where we keep falling down."
There were some tidy performances from the bowlers with spinners Dwayne Leverock and Delyone Borden sharing five wickets as Wanderers were pegged back after a flying start, which saw them reach 160 for one.
Kevin Hurdle and Lionel Cann also came to the party as the Trinidadian side were restricted to 244 all out.
But Bermuda, with Dean Minors and Clay Smith, opening up, never got to grips with the run chase and left themselves too much to do in the final overs.
"We had a few unnecessary run outs at the end. These things can happen in the helter skelter of a run chase, with the run-rate up at nine or ten an over.
"But the crucial run-outs were Dean Minors and Irving Romaine earlier in the innings. They gave their wickets away.
"Clay batted well for 37 and played some good shots but once again everyone got starts and nobody went on to get a big score.
"When you are in you have got to stay in and make sure you get a big one."
"The form is good, the guys are hitting the ball well, we just need more consistency and for guys to take responsibility once they are in.
"Five days a go we batted for 19 overs against the same side and everything went well, we had a guy score a hundred. It's a matter of doing things right on a more consistent basis."
He said the game had also been about giving the players some time in the middle, in game situations. Kwame Tucker and Azeem Pitcher even turned out for the opposition to give them a run out, with the latter taking two neat catches.
He said the players had been working hard in Trinidad and would go to Kenya later this month confident of putting in a better performance than when they last visited the African nation, going down 3-0 in a one-day series in November.
"There is no substitute for hard work. The guys down here have been through the mill and they will be a lot fitter for it. We may not have seen the results today but I'm sure we will see it in the future."
Bermuda has another work out on Thursday against Clico Preysal, the club side that visited the island last year, before heading home on Friday.[[In-content Ad]]
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