[naviga:font color="RED"]USA Under 19's 230

Bermuda Under 19's 166

Bermuda must beat Canada on Saturday if they are to have any chance of making next year's Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand.

The Island's youngsters slumped to their first defeat of the Americas Regional Championships in Canada yesterday, losing to tournament favourites USA by –64 runs.

With only the top two teams progressing to the global qualifier in September, Andre Manders' side must win both of their remaining games, against Bahamas tomorrow, and Canada a day later.

But for a time yesterday it looked like Bermuda might pull off an impressive victory and give themselves some breathing space.

The bowlers fought back to bowl USA out for 230, after the Americans, who at one stage were 186 for two, looked like getting a big total.

Chris Douglas grabbed four wickets, and Jordan DeSilva three, as USA lost five wickets in –18 balls to collapse to 217 for seven.

With Kavon Fubler, Lateef Trott, Greg Maybury and Joshua Gilbert also keeping things tight with the ball, the USA were eventually out for a lot less than they would have expected to make at one point.

Before yesterday's game, Manders had said his side would need to 'bring their A game', if they were to have any chance of winning.

And while the bowlers held up their end of the bargin, not for the first time this week, the majority of the batsman didn't hold up theirs.

Skipper Terryn Fray (42) and Trott (39) put on 58 for the first wicket, before Trott and Regino Smith (7) both fell in the space of ten runs.

Fray and Douglas (26) steadied the ship and seemed to be steering Bermuda towards victory.

The experienced pair put on 54 for the third wicket, and at 122 for two, Manders' team looked comfortable with 20 overs remaining.

However, USA struck back, and Fray and Douglas were both dismissed in the space of three runs.

Still, at 125 for four, Bermuda would have fancied their chances of scoring the 106 runs they needed with the likes of Maybury and Kamau Leverock still to come.

But silly mistakes have plagued this team in the tournament, and while the tailenders bailed the side out against Cayman, yesterday the wheels fell off.

Leverock was out for a duck, and Maybury made just two runs as the middle order once again collapsed without troubling the scorers.

Kevon Fubler (6) and Jordan DeSilva (0), also failed as the Island's youngster's slumped to 150 for seven.

Only Deunte Darrell (13) really made a start, but by the time he came to the wicket the game was as good as over.

Joshua Gilbert (8) and Sinclair Smith (5*) did their best to give Bermuda's total an air of respectability, but any hope Manders' side had of winning had long since passed.