ICC Academy Ground, Dubai (Papua New Guinea won toss): Papua New Guinea beat Bermuda by ten wickets

Bermuda captain Dion Stovell bemoaned a lack of discipline from his players after a batting collapse of major concern resulted in the Gombey Warriors slumping to defeat in their opening match of the ICC T20 World Cup Qualifier this morning.

“I don’t think we stuck to our game plan today,” the captain said after the heavy loss. “I just feel sometimes we’re indisciplined, both on the field and off the field, and at times it shows. PNG bowled excellently at the top and it’s tough trying to recover from 11 for five. It’s time to go back and rethink our game.”

Having been put into bat, Bermuda’s batsmen stumbled out the gate, with Okera Bascome (six) and Janeiro Tucker (four) falling inside the first two overs.

Things went from bad to worse and then to the stuff of nightmares the next over, as Norman Vanua took three in three balls, completing a remarkable hat-trick. The Papua New Guinea man first sent Stovell packing for one, before dismissing Kamau Leverock and Deunte Darrell for successive golden ducks.

The procession of wickets left Bermuda 11 for five after only three overs and staring down the barrel as early as the midway stage of the first powerplay.

It gave Stovell immediate food for thought just one game into the tournament.

He said: “It’s about discipline at the top — when to rotate, when to score boundaries and when to take stock in the middle. We’ve not had the best of preparations, but we can’t use that as an excuse. We’re here in a tournament and we’re here to do a job.”

The tumble of wickets briefly halted with a 17-ball counter-attack by Delray Rawlins, but once he and Malachi Jones departed for 25 and 11 respectively, Bermuda were 58 for seven with more than half their innings still to go.

Rodney Trott provided admirable late resistance with 19, but by the time he was run out as the last wicket to fall, Bermuda had succumbed to 89 all out, with 16 balls unused.

They were always up going to be against it.

The southwestern Pacific outfit made light work of the resulting chase, knocking off the runs in 10.2 overs and without loss.

Stovell challenged his side to prove their capability as they go in search of a first appearance at a T20 World Cup, starting with the match against Singapore tomorrow (7.10am Bermuda time).

“In the team we have a lot of ability and a lot of potential,” he said. “It’s time to take these games and show the world the talent we have here.

“At the end of the day, credit to PNG. I thought they bowled and batted excellent. I just think we got outplayed today.”

Stovell had himself been an injury concern after suffering bruising to his ribs in the final warm-up match against Hong Kong but was passed fit this week, ensuring he led out Bermuda at Dubai’s ICC Academy.

Oronde Bascome, whose domestic season was blighted by injury, was also hurt in that defeat by Hong Kong, jarring his knee and pulling a hamstring in the field. The 31-year-old missed the PNG match and is not expected to be fit until after the weekend.

“Oronde has another two to three days out,” said Stovell, whose team play six games in seven days across their group A fixtures.

SCOREBOARD

Bermuda

†O Bascome c Ura b Pokana 6

*D C Stovell b Vanua 1

J J Tucker lbw b Kila 4

D M W Rawlins b Vala 25

K S Leverock c Doriga b Vanua 0

D A P Darrell lbw b Vanua 0

M O Jones b Amini 11

R J Trott run out 19

A C Douglas c Ura b Ravu 12

O G L Bascome c Hekure b Pokana 9

D L Brangman not out 0

Extras (w 2) 2

Total (17.2 overs) 89

Fall of wickets: 1-6, 2-11, 3-11, 4-11, 5-11, 6-43, 7-58, 8-72, 9-87.

Bowling: Pokana 3-0-18-2; Kila 1-0-5-1; Vanua 2.2-1-14-3; Bau 1-0-3-0; Vala 2-0-10-1; Siaka 1-0-11-0; Amini 4-0-13-1; Ravu 2-0-10-1; Hekure 1-0-5-0.

Papua New Guinea

T P Ura not out 33

*A Vala not out 53

Extras (lb 1, w 3) 4

Total (no wkt, 10.2 overs) 90

L Siaka, C J A Amini, S Bau, †K Doriga, N Vanua, D Ravu, N Pokana, J Kila and R Hekure did not bat.

Bowling: Jones 1-0-9-0; Brangman 2-0-21-0; Trott 1-0-8-0; Leverock 2-0-12-0; Rawlins 2-0-19-0; Stovell 1.2-0-8-0; Tucker 1-0-12-0.

Umpires: C M Brown (New Zealand) and R Black (Ireland).

Match referee: G H Pienaar (South Africa).

Other matches

Group A

ICC Academy Ground No 2, Dubai (Scotland won toss): Scotland 170-6 (20 overs; T B Sole 33 not out, C S MacLeod 30); Kenya 139-8 (20 overs; J A Karim 51; R D Berrrington 3 for 17). Scotland (2pts) beat Kenya by 31 runs.

ICC Academy, Dubai (Netherlands won toss): Netherlands 140-6 (20 overs; R N ten Doeschate 59; J N Frylinck 3 for 25); Namibia 96 (19 overs; B D Glover 3 for 15, P A van Meekeren 3 for 16). Netherlands (2pts) beat Namibia by 44 runs.

Group B

Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi (Jersey won toss): Jersey 184-4 (20 overs; J W Jenner 57 not out, N A Greenwood 43); Nigeria 115-7 (20 overs; A M Oyede 39). Jersey (2pts) beat Nigeria by 69 runs.

Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates won toss): Ireland 125 (20 overs; P R Stirling 72; Rohan Mustafa 4 for 18); United Arab Emirates 129-5 (17 overs; Rohan Mustafa 39). United Arab Emirates (2pts) beat Ireland by five wickets.