USA 271-7; Bermuda 241 all outBermuda ended their Pepsi ICC World Cricket League (WCL) Division 3 campaign on a losing note at Lords yesterday.The hosts lost by 30 runs against Americas rivals USA in this third and fourth play-off contest.Led by half-centuries from Steven Taylor (97) and Orlando Baker (72), USA piled up 271 for seven in their allotted overs after electing to bat on a flat track.Pakistani born off-spinner Muhammad Ghous then returned superb figures of 4-43 as Bermuda were bowled out in 48.4 overs.The outcome assured USA of finishing third among the six countries represented in the tournament with hosts Bermuda finishing fourth.The Americans might have rued their decision to bat first after they were quickly reduced to 15 for 2 after losing opening bat Akeem Dodson (4) and skipper Steve Massiah (0) in the space of eight deliveries as Southampton Rangers duo Dion Stovell and Janeiro Tucker enjoyed early success with the new ball.Taylor and Baker stopped the rot via a 156 run third-wicket partnership that shifted the pendulum firmly back in their team’s favour.Stovell eventually made the big breakthrough in the 32nd over when he had danger man Taylor caught by deputising Bermuda skipper Rodney Trott in the covers off a soft delivery. The opening batsman struck 11 fours and a six before falling three runs shy of what would have been a deserved century.Baker tried his best to keep the runs flowing in Taylor’s absence but was eventually dismissed in the 38th over after offering Stovell a low return catch.Stovell struck again ten balls later when he rattled Barrington Bartley’s (1) stumps to leave USA poised at 199 for 6.But some heavy hitting from Japen Patel (34) and Elmore Hutchinson (33 not out) who added 62 runs for the seventh wicket in 9.5 overs carried the Americans to a total that ultimately proved beyond Bermuda’s reach.Stovell returned superb figures of 4-38 to lead a Bermuda bowling attack that used eight bowlers in vain to try and dismiss USA.Set a target of 272 to chase after, Bermuda’s reply got off to the worst possible start when opener Stovell (0) was judged leg before for a golden duck facing the first delivery of the innings.The Americans then tightened their grip on the match after removing Treadwell Gibbons Jr (5) and Tre Manders (18) to leave Bermuda wobbling at 44 for 3 after 11 overs.A 57 run partnership for the fourth wicket between David Hemp (44) and wicketkeeper Jason Anderson (30), one of three changes Bermuda made to their line-up from the one that beat USA the day before at the National Sports Centre to retain their WCL Division 3 status, steadied the ship.But the partnership was eventually broken in the 26th over when Hemp was bowled by a yorker length delivery from seamer Timroy Allen. Anderson fell two overs later after he was caught behind by opposite number Dodson one delivery after hoisting Allen over the mid wicket boundary for a towering six.Middle-order batsmen Janeiro Tucker (34) and Malachi Jones (29) kept the hosts in with a fighting chance of pulling off victory via a 61 run sixth-wicket stand. But once Tucker was bowled by the off spin of Ghous trying to clear the boundary ropes the writing began to appear on the wall as the run rate steadily climbed.Tailender Jacobi Robinson blasted three sixes and two fours in a quick-fire 31 from 14 deliveries before he was stumped by wicketkeeper Dodson charging down the crease to Ghous.Last pair Greg Maybury (15 not out) and Delray Rawlins (9) added 21 runs for the tenth wicket to delay the inevitable until Taylor trapped the latter batsman in front of his stumps to complete his team’s comfortable win.