Bayuemas Oval, Kuala Lumpur (Bahrain won toss): Bahrain (2pts) beat Bermuda (0) by 30 runs (DLS method)

Bermuda’s Challenge League Play-off tournament ended tamely with a rain-affected loss to Bahrain.

Bermuda finished the Super Six stage as the only team with zero points and in the cricketing wilderness with ICC funding set to be reduced in the wake of a disappointing series of performances.

After the Bahrain loss Kamau Leverock, who did not feature in the match, announced his international retirement, while coach Cal Waldron still seemed keen to take some positives.

“Unfortunately, we didn’t get the victory but there were still some good showings today,” Waldron said.

“We held them to a decent total considering where they were. We pegged them back in the last ten and stood a decent chance in chasing down a good total.

“The rain held us up for two hours but they made a chase of it, they wanted to go after it but unfortunately we were 30 runs short.

“It wasn’t a good day result-wise but it was a good day with some of the things I saw.”

Bermuda made two changes with Chare Smith and Zeko Burgess replacing Dominic Sabir and Leverock.

Bahrain, who won the toss and elected to field, lost an early wicket when Shahbaz Badar was smartly caught by wicketkeeper Jarryd Richardson off the bowling of Jermal Proctor for three with the score 11 for one in the fifth over.

At the end of the next over Richardson dropped an easier chance off Cejay Outerbridge’s bowling with Sohail Ahmed on one, but with the score at 53, Ahmed was well-taken on the second effort by Allan Douglas Jr off his own bowling for 21 in the 21st over.

Captain Delray Rawlins, Douglas, Smith and Outerbridge kept the bowling tight with Bahrain only scoring 63 runs by the halfway stage of their innings.

Opener Prashant Kurup and Haider Butt continued to slowly build the innings, putting on 70 runs for the fourth wicket and taking the score to 123 when Butt (39) lost his patience, hitting Douglas for a line drive to mid-wicket, where Chare Smith held on to an excellent head-high catch running to his left.

With Bahrain nicely placed for a late overs onslaught, they lost two quick wickets with terrible running between the wickets.

First, Ahmer Bin Nasir (26) failed to get back in time, beaten by bowler Proctor’s under-arm flick and then Kurup, who had batted nicely for his 72, attempted a similar run but also failed to make his ground, this time beaten by Chris Douglas’s flick from short cover.

With Bahrain on 181 for five in the 42nd over, the players were then forced off by rain, delaying play by 20 minutes, and upon resumption, Bahrain decided to accelerate by going for sixes but quickly lost their remaining in the process.

One outstanding dismissal was that of Sathaiya Veerapathiran (25), who was eventually caught by Rawlins on the mid-wicket boundary after substitute fielder Marcus Scotland initially caught the ball but relayed it back into play to his captain before his momentum carried him over the rope.

Bahrain were bowled out with four balls to spare setting Bermuda a target of 239.

Derrick Brangman (four for 48) was the main beneficiary of Bahrain’s failed acceleration tactic, with Douglas picking up two for 41 and Smith and Proctor grabbing a wicket each.

A heavy downpour shortly after Bermuda started their innings delayed the match by two hours and nine minutes with a revised target of 162 off 25 overs according to the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.

However, within the first ten overs Bermuda had lost half their batters with 59 runs on the board.

In the fourth over Terryn Fray was bowled for four and two balls later Tre Manders’s nightmare tournament was brought to an end, cleaned bowled by Rizwan Butt without scoring.

Chris Douglas lofted to mid-on for 17, leaving Bermuda 44 for three after seven overs.

Bahrain sensed the moment to attack with their spinners and Bermuda duly wilted with Allan Douglas (7) playing across the line to be caught at short third man, Zeko Burgess (1) trapped leg-before and Rawlins hitting a skier to cover for 30.

Jermal Proctor (3) was given out lbw leaving Bermuda 68 for seven in the fourteenth over and the match all but over.

Derrick Brangman (40 not out) and Jarryd Richardson (24) delayed the inevitable and helped Bermuda avoid complete embarrassment by putting on an eighth-wicket partnership of 61, which was ended in the final over.

Spinner Abdul Majid Abbasi (three for 13) and opening bowler Rizwan Butt (two for 32) claimed bowling honours for Bahrain.

"It was a tough tournament all-round,“ captain Delray Ralwins said. ”A lot to go back and reflect on.

"Twenty-five overs is still a fairly long time to get yourself in. It was unfortunate that some guys couldn’t get going, but credit to Bahrain.”

Bermuda finished bottom of the Super Six table with Kuwait (10pts), Italy, Tanzania and Bahrain (all with 6pts) making the top four and advancing to the Challenge League proper.

Vanuatu were the other side to miss out, finishing above Bermuda with two points.