January 30, 2013 at 5:54 p.m.
Sluggo has Scots in a spin
Spin king Leverock picked up four wickets, including the prize scalp of skipper Fraser Watts who was on 93, as Bermuda enjoyed a successful homecoming. Sluggo now has 14 wickets in the past two matches, including 10 against Canada last week.
Times have changed dramatically since Bermuda last played in front of their home supporters four years ago, but one thing remains constant as the grass - the biting spin bowling, the incredible work rate and the joyous victory jigs of the charismatic slow bowler.
Leverock had plenty to smile about yesterday with the pitch offering turn and bounce early on.
And the big spinner nagged away relentlessly bowling almost half of Bermuda's overs to finish with figures of 4 for 100 as Scotland were reduced to 240 for 7 to leave the match delicately poised going into day two
If the few hundred spectators that crowded the boundary with their tents and colourful parasols were expecting 20-20 style fireworks from their team yesterday they would have left disappointed.
What they did get was an enthralling day's cricket that ebbed and flowed throughout and, at times, became what coach Gus Logie refers to as a 'war of attrition'.
Much now depends on today's opening session with Bermuda skipper Irving Romaine hoping that pacer George O'Brien will recover from a slight knock, that kept him from fielding yesterday evening, to blow away the tail-end.
Scots captain Fraser Watts, meanwhile, believes his lower-order bats can eke out the necessary runs to push the first-innings total over 300 - a score he believes would put them in control of the game.
Watts, who works for the Bank of Scotland, was the hero for his side yesterday. He took few chances, preferring to work the singles and wait for the bad ball. Ironically it was a bad ball that got him - a rank long-hop that Watts described as 'the worst ball Leverock bowled all day'.
He miss-hit his attempted pull and Stephen Outerbridge pouched the catch in the deep. At that point the Scots had been in command on 182 for 4. The rest of the top order were restricted to supporting roles. All got good starts, hanging around long enough for Watts to compile his innings, but nobody managed to go on and nail a big score.
First to fall was opener Dougie Lockhart, caught behind off Leverock by Jekon Edness for 22. Quasim Sheikh soon followed, nicking a full delivery from O'Brien to the keeper.
All-rounder Richie Berrington was undone by a fine piece of keeping from Edness who stumped him off the bowling of Rodney Trott for 11.
Wicket-keeper Colin Smith briefly threatened to take the game away from Bermuda with a brisk 17, before he became Leverock's second victim of the day, looping a gentle catch back to the burly slow bowler.
Even then, with Neil McCallum and Watts milking the spinners, Scotland looked in control. But as the old Geoffery Boycott adage goes - 'add two wickets to the score and suddenly things aren't looking quite so clever'.
182 for 4 quickly became 208 for 6 as Sluggo got rid of Watts, caught in the deep, and then McCallum, bowled round his legs attempting an ill-judged sweep. Oronde Bascome took a fine diving catch on the boundary to get rid of Weeraratna for 2 and give Trott his second wicket of the day, bringing Bermuda right back in it with the Scots on 240 for 7 at stumps.
Majid Haq, unbeaten on 44 at the close, will be the key wicket this morning as Irving Romaine's men attempt to finish the job when play starts at 10:30am.[[In-content Ad]]
Comments:
You must login to comment.