Bermuda 197-8 GEORGETOWN, Guyana -- Bermuda's cricketers completed their warmup for tomorrow's Shell/Sandals opener against the Windward Islands with a narrow two-wicket win over a strong Demera Cricket Club side yesterday.

After struggling at 15-3 at one stage when a couple of "questionable'' decisions went against captain Albert Steede (lbw) and Jeff Richardson (caught behind), the Bermuda batsmen dug deep to pull off victory with four overs to spare.

The Demera side is one of the strongest club teams in Guyana, being the team of Test players Roger Harper and Carl Hooper. As well as fielding three players just back from England they also had two youth players in their team.

Batting first, Demera posted 192-9 in 49 overs with opener L.Cash scoring 37 youth player S.Massiah 35 and T.Dowling 26.

Opener Roger Blades was the best of the seven bowlers used by Bermuda, taking four for 38 off his 10 overs with one maiden while spinner Arnold Manders had two for 24 from 10 overs with a maiden. Clay Smith got the other wicket, giving up 14 runs in six overs with one maiden.

The other bowlers used were Anthony Braithwaite (0-34 from five overs), Janeiro Tucker (0-32 from six), Bruce Perinchief 0-23 from eight) and Kameron Fox (0-19 from four).

Bermuda lost early wickets as opener Charlie Marshall went without scoring, Steede for one and Jeff Richardson for a duck.

Opener Clay Smith, who scored 51, and number five bat Janeiro Tucker (26) began to turn the innings around with a useful stand. That partnership ended when Tucker slipped in mid-crease after a misunderstanding with Smith and was run out.

After that veteran Arnold Manders followed up with 35 useful runs before Roger Blades completed a fine all-round performance by scoring 28 not out, including a six to win the game. Dean Minors scored nine, Braithwaite three and Perinchief six not out.

"The players took their time and batted well,'' said manager Delby Borden last night from the team's hotel.

"It was a real team effort. The team spirit is there and this is one of the best teams as far as team spirit. Everybody is helping each other and there wasn't any arguing.'' Borden admitted the players are finding it hard adjusting to the humidity, with Blades having problems with bronchitis.

"Bob (Simpson) is working on that real hard, the training is strenuous,'' Borden explained.

The two wins were a confidence booster going into tomorrow's match against the Windwards which will contain Test batsman Junior Murray and fast bowler Cameron Cuffy.

"A lot of the locals didn't expect us to beat them,'' said Borden of yesterday's win in front of a big crowd.

"They (Guyanese) are treating us very well, we couldn't ask for better treatment.'' The Bermuda team will have a final training session this afternoon before finalising their team for tomorrow's tournament opener at Enmore ground which is about 15 miles from the team's hotel.

The match will start at 10.30 Bermuda time and ZBM radio is planning to bring live coverage of the Bermuda matches.

On Saturday, Bermuda's second match will be against Barbados at the Test ground Bourda.