'We are positive we can get the win'

David Hemp has urged his teammates “to stick to the basics” on the eve of today’s 50 over match with United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Bermuda’s senior national team are fresh off successive wins against UAE’s Under 19s in their opening two tour matches in Dubai earlier this week.

But the true measure of David Moore’s team will be tested today when they face UAE’s senior national team in the first of three 50 over contests in four days.

Bermuda skipper Hemp believes the islanders have a realistic chance of obtaining a “positive” result — but only if they can adhere to the fundamentals of the sport.

He said: “All the things that you generally talk about in terms of cricket you need to do and do consistently against the better sides.

“I think in the past we may have been guilty of doing all of those things but not consistently over a whole game.

“To beat the better sides you have to do all the basics for the whole game. You cannot afford a ten or 15 over period where you are not bowling or fielding consistently and batting well where you lose two or three wickets quickly.

“We need to make sure we are doing the basics over the whole game and then it  comes down to who holds their nerve and handles the pressure of putting up and dealing with the pressure that’s asserted on you.”

Hemp is wary that UAE’s senior team will pose a bigger threat on the day than their Under 19 counterparts.

Still, with the right mentality and execution, the former Glamorgan skipper believes his team can prevail.

He said: “You have to believe when you go into games that you have a chance of winning, if you don’t believe you can win then there’s no point in taking to the field.

“We are positive we can get the right result — we just have to do the basics well and consistently. If we can do that then we will give ourselves a chance of winning the game.”

Bermuda defeated UAE’s Under 19s by five-wickets and 29 run margins in their opening tour matches in Dubai, with Hemp leading the way with a timely century (105) in the second match at the ICC Global Cricket Academy.

He said: “I was obviously pleased just to spend time at the crease.

“I was a little disappointed to get out when I did with seven overs to go. But it was nice to spend time at the crease and get a feel for the ball on grass again.”

Rodney hurt

While Hemp is pleased to have two wins under his belt, he admits there’s still room for improvement.

He said: “Obviously there’s areas that have come out of the games that we need to improve and move forward. But the fact that we haven’t been playing any cricket or been outside for any practice it’s understandable that there are still areas to work on. And at the moment we are pleased that we’ve got two wins from the first two games.”

One player doubtful for today’s match is all-rounder Rodney Trott, who required four stitches to close a nasty cut to his leg he suffered in a freak incident during Bermuda’s previous match.

Hemp said: “We are hoping that he might be available for selection tomorrow (today). But we won’t find out until he has a bit of a run around in the morning.”