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Clay Smith has been putting Bermuda's batsmen through their paces in speed sessions against the bowling machine.

Former skipper Smith has been working in the nets with the top order for the past month, cranking the speedometre up to 80mph.

The veteran St. George's batsman, rated by some as Bermuda's best ever, has been brought in as assistant coach for the Americas tournament.

He said his main role had been to work with the batsmen over the past month and hone their technique in readiness for bouncy, concrete wickets in Fort Lauderdale.

"I've been doing a lot of work with them in the nets at BHS, using the bowling machine to get them used to that extra pace and bounce.

"We have a good crop of young batsmen and I've tried to pass on some of my knowledge wherever I can. I don't like to over-coach. The guys are keen and they're willing to listen. I just pass on a few tips here and there, whenever I feel it's necessary."

Smith, who has been running sessions with coach Gus Logie off the island this week, admitted that training had been tough with the weather and field restrictions confining the squad to the Bermuda High School gym.

But he said he was confident that the five players who had been training at the Brisbane Academy in Australia through the winter could lead the team to success in Florida next week.

"The guys who have been in Australia look really sharp. They are going to be key players for us in this tournament.

"We have a very good chance. We've got a very strong batting department and spin could be our trump card."

He said the return of Glenn Blakeney was another big boost for the squad. But Smith, who has played with the hard-hitting batsman in several St. George's Cup Match squads, cautioned the Blakeney fan club not to expect too much from him on his return to the squad.

"Glenn adds something special. He's a very versatile type of player. He can be disciplined and he can be explosive. He's perfect for one-day cricket. But we don't want to put too much pressure on him. This is his first tour for a few years so we shouldn't expect too much too soon."

Full Squad

Irving Romaine, Rodney Trott, Glenn Blakeney, Chris Douglas, Delyone Borden, Tamauri Tucker, Oronde Bascome, Stephen Outerbridge, Stefan Kelly, Jekon Edness, David Hemp, Justin Pitcher, Dwayne Leverock, Lionel Cann.[[In-content Ad]]

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