Bermuda Select 161

Brian Lara Select 166/8

He may not have played the breath-taking repertoire of shots that make him one of cricket's most deadly batsmen but Brian Lara showed some other vital characteristics in his first knock on Bermudian soil.

Heading to the crease with his side - the Brian Lara Select - in deep trouble at three wickets for five runs on Sunday night, the West Indies skipper compiled a solid 59 in a match-winning, fourth-wicket partnership of 111 with Philip Burgess, one of a handful of Bermudians on Lara's team.

The result was that when Lara departed - caught by Kevin Hurdle at long-off off Peter Philpott - the score was then 116 for four and his side was well en route to overhauling the 161 for which the Bermuda Select were dismissed in 36.4 overs at the National Sports Centre.

They completed the assignment - compliments of the match's lone six by Charlie Marshall off O.J. Pitcher - quite easily, reaching 166 for eight in 39.1 of their 50 overs.

Welcomed to the crease by a Jacobi Robinson bouncer, Lara looked in good form from the start, timing the ball sweetly as he caressed it across the lush turf.

The compact Trinidadian was never troubled by any of the bowlers though the opening pair of Robinson and Hurdle were not overawed by the reality of the No.1 Test batsman taking guard against them.

Lara moved to 52 with one of his five fours, smacking Robinson to the long-on boundary. As he raised his bat, the world double record-holder received a thunderous ovation similar to that which greeted him as entered the fray with the Bermuda Select having made serious early in-roads. They had sent back opening batsmen, Courtney Browne and Stephen Outerbridge, and No.4 batsman Ryan Hinds for nought, one and one respectively before Lara's arrival at No.5.

At the other end, Burgess, riding his luck well amid two drop chances, blossomed to show that he too knows something about batting.

The Flatts all-rounder combined well with Lara and they motored along steadily despite the Bermuda Select captain, Clay Smith, rotating his bowlers to try and effect a breakthrough.

Burgess, who eventually fell for 47, admitted afterwards that running between the wickets with Lara was challenging as the latter turned many easy twos into quick threes and had him hustling to make his ground.

The occasion will rank among the highlights of his career, he added.

"I really enjoyed it. I was very excited to get an opportunity to bat with the No.1 batsman in the "There were a couple things he was telling me like stay focused and play my shots.

"When he said I was batting at No.3 I said `Okay, I'm going to try and stay at the wicket'. We lost a couple of early wickets and I had to put my head down and show my maturity.

"It was great, unforgettable," said Burgess.

Chuckling, he said he knows his Flatts team-mates will now expect similar of him next season in their bid for promotion.

"I'm going try to get in shape early for next season and play some great cricket. I've been getting 30s and 40s all season and can't go on and get that big score but next season you'll see some big runs from me."

Another player with reason to boast was Philpott who snagged the prized wicket in a haul of four for 21 off eight overs.

"I knew he would try to go after me so I was trying to keep a steady line and length. As I got my rhythm I knew I could bowl the other guys because I was bowling straight at the stumps," said the left-arm spinner.

Hurdle also had good figures, taking three for 30 off his ten overs and Robinson, one for 54 from nine overs.

Apart from Lara and Burgess, Marshall - fresh from his heroics in Saturday's Eastern Counties final - was the only other player to feature with the bat, making 22 not out.

In Bermuda Select's innings, Pitcher top-scored with 41. The talented youngster had seemed set for a fifty but, trying to belt Lara over cover, was dismayed to see Hinds pluck his shot out of the air.

Pitcher shared the team's best stand of 34 with Philpott for the sixth wicket. The latter, who made 22, and Robinson, 21, were the next top scorers with the bat but there were also 37 extras.

West Indies fast bowlers, Mervyn Dillon and Fidel Edwards, were the pick of Lara's attack, snapping up three for 21 off 8.4 overs and three for 25 off eight overs respectively. The skipper chipped in with two for 39 from five overs.

In a brief ceremony after the match, Lara thanked Bermudians for their hospitality and outpouring of goodwill, vowing his first trip to the Island would not be his last.