Bermuda's Charlie Marshall was understandably a disappointed man on Wednesday evening immediately after his side's narrow defeat in the rain affected opening Red Stripe Bowl game against Jamaica.

But it was a disappointment that must have been tempered by the realisation that they had taken one of the stronger Caribbean teams to the brink.

The skipper stressed the performance proved the talent was there but of course it's always comforting to find out your not the only one who thinks so.

Jamaica coach Robert Haynes, for one, praised Bermuda's efforts and those of the captain.

"The Bermudians definitely gave us a harder game than we expected,'' said Haynes yesterday.

"Coming out there trying to score 106 in 25 overs, people expected them to do well but I thought they really showed some guts.

"It's just that I thought they lacked the experience to win and the Jamaican bowlers having more experience at this level really bowled well.'' His words of praise for Marshall were not just confined to his batting.

"He is a player who hits the ball very hard,'' said Haynes. "And I think if he had just played a bit straighter to Chris Gayle, who doesn't really turn the ball but gets it drifting into the batsmen, it would probably have been a different game.

"But I must give him credit, not just for the way he batted, but also the way he led the team. I think if Bermuda play like that throughout the rest of the tournament they will have a good chance and not just this season, but in the years to come.'' Allan Douglas, Bermuda's coach, was upbeat too though he knows how close Bermuda have come to victory in recent years without ever tasting that triumph.

He said: "We're really disappointed, we didn't get the win because everybody wanted it so badly.

"But you know we can build on that because we have done very well.

"I don't think the disappointment will get to us and affect us in the future matches because the boys will look back and say `hey we were just THAT short'.

"And I don't think it's so much a lack of experience as of playing regularly at this level. I say to Guyana and the Windward -- watch out, it's going to happen.'' Marshall, himself a tremendously competitive and confident figure, is just hopeful that some other members of the team can find that confidence in themselves.

"We just have to play cricket like we played back in Bermuda,'' he said. "We must make sure the opposition doesn't get to us. A lot of the guys get intimidated over certain individuals and they shouldn't. Everything I have preached and lectured to the guys since we have been out here is that they are just as human as us.'' He continued: "I think when I first came to the Red Stripe four years ago we played against some excellent cricketers in the Caribbean, now the region is having a problem with its cricket and I am quite sure we can win one of the games while we are here.'' Charlie Marshall: "Hits the ball hard''.