January 30, 2013 at 5:54 p.m.
Logie: We weren't good enough
The national team were comprehensively beaten by the Netherlands in Potchefstroom today - a result which sealed their fate in this tournament.
They now lose their one-day-international status, are relegated from Division One of the World Cricket League and face a 9-12th place pay-off with Oman, Denmark and Uganda to determine just how far down the world divisions they fall.
It has been a swift and dramatic fall from grace for a side that only two years ago were competing against India and Sri Lanka in the World Cup.
And coach Logie was left to give a brutally honest assessment of his squad's performance.
"It's very disappointing we haven't achieved any of the objectives we set out for ourselves.
"We just weren't good enough. In spite of a few individual performances here and there, collectively we just weren't good enough.
"Everybody knew what had to be done. It hasn't been done. We all have to take blame for it and that's the end of the story."
It was left to David Hemp today to hold the side together. He followed his unbeaten hundred against Kenya with another excellent half-century as Bermuda chased 305 for victory.
Supported by cameos from Glenn Blakeney (42) , Stephen Outerbridge (25) and Fiqre Crockwell (21) Hemp attempted once again to haul Bermuda off the canvas.
But fast bowler Edgar Schiferli, who had already sucker punched Bermuda with a stunning 17-ball 41 in the final few overs of the Dutch innings, delivered the knockout blow - getting the vice-captain caught behind for a determined 81 in the 45th over.
Bermuda's tailenders mustered just nine runs from the last five overs as the Dutch snuffed out the dying embers of a dismal qualifying campaign to complete a decisive 63-run win.
Earlier Holland had piled on 70 runs in the final five overs - an onslaught that ultimately proved decisive.
They had been struggling on 194 for 7 but Bermuda could not deliver the killer blow. And a sustained display of power hitting from the 10th wicket pair propelled them to a total of 304 - a target that was always going to be difficult to chase.
It had been a familiar story in the field with opening bowlers Stefan Kelly and Jacobi Robinson taking a fearful beating from the Dutch top order as they raced to 64 for the first wicket inside nine overs.
Sluggo, Janeiro Tucker and Rodney Trott - aided by some careless batting from the Netherlands - pulled Bermuda back into contention, reducing them to 137 for 5 and then 194 for 7, before that telling late intervention from Schiferli took the game away from them.
Lionel Cann was pushed back to the top of the order alongside Hemp in a desperate bid to get the run chase off to a flying start. But he managed only a brief blitz, before being bowled by Ryan ten Doescahte for 21.
Fiqre Crockwell picked up where he left off crashing 23 from 15 balls and Stephen Outerbridge (25) and Glenn Blakeney (42) briefly threatened to lift Bermuda to a victory that would have taken them to the Super 8s.
But a more sustained onslaught was needed and with wickets tumbling at regular intervals, Bermuda did not have enough big hitters in hand for the final ten overs.
Hemp tried to change his game and pushed the accelerator with a couple of big shots. But he needed more support and when he finally succumbed, edging to the keeper going for another big hit, it was game and tournament over.
The UAE did Bermuda the favour they needed and beat Afghanistan, meaning victory today would have been enough to see them through.
But Logie admitted they had not deserved to be in the top eight.
"Our preparation was good coming in. Everbody was on top of their game ready to do battle.
"We just didn't perform well in the first few games and that put paid to most of our chances.
"It comes down to how much we wanted it as individuals and as a team. Some wanted it passionately and others didn't."
Reflecting on the loss of ODI status, Logie said the past four years had been a 'missed opportunity' for Bermuda and the grounds, facilities and overall quality of cricket had not really improved as a result.
And he said the players would now have to pick themselves up for the 9th-12th play-off, which starts with a 'semi-final' on Saturday against Oman and concludes on Monday with the 9th/10th and 11th/12th play-off.
"We still have two more games to play and we have just got to make sure that we're ready for it," added Logie.
The next two games will determine whether Bermuda is relegated to Division Two or Division Three of the World Cricket League.
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