MUSCAT, Oman, CMC – Rain brought much-needed relief to Bermuda’s battle-weary cricketers when their Cricket World Cup Challenge League B match against Kenya at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground, Ministry Turf 2 ground was abandoned, each team picking up a point.
Sunday’s weather intervention brought an official end to a confidence-sapping, eight-match losing streak across all competitions, including six defeats in the recent T20 World Cup Qualifier in neighbouring United Arab Emirates.
When the umpires halted play with 3.2 of the allotted 50 overs remaining in the first innings, the eighth-wicket pair of Justin Pitcher (29) and Sinclair Smith (26) had gone some ways towards repairing another middle-order stumble in a 48-run stand that lifted Bermuda to 230 for seven and the promise of a competitive total.
Tre Manders had earlier made 51, his third successive half-century in Oman. Delray Rawlins added a scratchy 35, Kamau Leverock smashed a typically quick-fire 30 and the reliable Onias Bascome made 26.
Manders may have had the top score but he also outstripped his more decorated colleagues in being the most pleasing on the eye, with his three fours during a 19-run over from seam bowler Emmanuel Ringera in the company of Sussex all-rounder Rawlins the obvious highlight.
Growing in assurance on the front foot and back, Manders brought up his fastest half-century in Oman from 55 balls, with eight fours.
He had already outlasted Rawlins in a 68-run partnership for the third wicket when an error in judgment led to him being bowled playing back to a ball from leg spinner Collins Obuya (2-35).
Leverock seemed on course for a third straight half-century of his own before being deceived by the impressive Lameck Onyango (3-52) and holing out to long-on.
By then, though, the rate was approaching 10 an over, Bermuda’s 50 having been brought up in the fifth over.
Leverock perished two overs later after hitting three fours and two sixes in his 20 balls faced.
Kenya moved up the table on Monday by thrashing Jersey by seven wickets. Uganda are top after four successive wins.
Bermuda’s first point leaves them bottom with two matches to come against Jersey on Wednesday and Italy the following day.
Each team will play 15 matches in total in the next two years, with only the group winner moving on to the next stage of qualification for the 2023 World Cup in India.
