Bermuda can secure their spot in the final ICC T20 World Cup Qualifier in Dubai in October and November with a victory over the United States at White Hill Field today.

A six-wicket win over the Cayman Islands coupled with the US suffering their second loss of the tournament against Canada at the same ground yesterday has placed Herbie Bascome’s side on the verge of clinching one of the two places up for grabs.

Bermuda edged the US by six runs in their opening match of the tournament and will be hoping for another win in the second meeting between the two countries in the space of five days.

The Bermuda Cricket Board has announced that all of the remaining games will be played at White Hill Field because North Field is deemed unfit by the ICC.

“We are looking to get a result which will guarantee us qualification,” Terryn Fray, the Bermuda captain, said. “We will be happy with that.”

Bermuda got back to winning ways after their previous match against Canada was abandoned as a no result.

Onias Bascome claimed four wickets with his seam bowling as Cayman were restricted to 116 for nine after winning the toss and electing to bat.

Bermuda replied with 117 for four with Delray Rawlins leading the run chase with a knock of 49 and dominating a 70-run, fourth-wicket partnership with Kamau Leverock (28 not out) that carried the home side to the brink of victory.

“I thought the guys bowled, fielded and batted well today,” Fray added. “It was a good all-round performance.”

Cayman were poised at 85 for one before Bascome blew away their top and middle order to stem the flow of runs. He was brought into the attack at the start of the fifteenth over and took only three balls to open his wicket tally as Rawlins claimed the first of three catches off Bascome’s bowling to send Gregory Strydom back to the pavilion.

Bascome then pucketed the wickets of Troy Taylor, Conroy Wright and Chad Hauptfleisch in his next over to finish with four for ten.

“I thought Onias bowled real well today through his variations,” Fray said. “We knew once we got one or two wickets they would start to fall. Onias just came in and bowled stump to stump and waited for the batsmen to make a mistake.”

Bascome received good support from opening bowler George O’Brien Jr and off spinner Rodney Trott, who claimed two wickets each.

Wicketkeeper Chad Hauptfleisch top scored for Cayman with 42 from 39 balls.

Bermuda got their reply off to a shaky start after Fray and wicketkeeper Okera Bascome were dismissed cheaply before Rawlins and Onias Bascome provided stability via a 30-run, third-wicket stand.

Bascome seemed set, but was bowled hitting across the line for a run-a-ball 22, which included three fours and a six.

However, Cayman’s joy was short-lived as Rawlins unleashed a vicious assault on the bowlers to keep the scoreboard ticking over.

The Sussex all-rounder brought up Bermuda’s 50 with a huge six over long-off and took particular liking to leg spinner Alistair Ifill, whom he smashed for three successive sixes in the twelfth over to take him to 49.

Rawlins was denied a second half-century of the tournament when he was held at long-on off the bowling of seam bowler Troy Taylor the next over. He hit five sixes and a four.

“Delray came good again with the bat,” Fray added. “It’s almost expected of him now, but that’s the way he plays and he came good for us.”

Rawlins was the last Bermuda batsman out as Leverock and Deunte Darrell knocked off the remaining runs with 28 balls to spare. Alessandro Morris, the Cayman Island’s captain, was the pick of his side’s bowling with two for 17.

“We had a good start, but in the end I thought we came up about 30 runs short,” Morris said. “Full credit to Bermuda. I think they stuck with it and they worked as a team and played really well.”

FIFTH GAME

ICC T20 WORLD CUP AMERICAS QUALIFIER

White Hill Field (Cayman Islands won toss): Bermuda (2pts) won by six wickets

Cayman Islands

†C Hauptfleisch c Rawlins b Onias Bascome 42

Y S D Seneveratne c Douglas b Trott 19

D Cato run out 20

G M Strydom c Rawlins b Onias Bascome 0

T Taylor c Rawlins b Onias Bascome 3

C Wright b Onias Bascome 0

P Manning not out 7

L H B Harrington-Myers c Leverock b Trott 2

K R Ebanks b O’Brien 3

*A Morris b O’Brien 0

A F Ifill not out 6

Extras (b 1, lb 2, nb 1, w 10) 14

TOTAL (9 wkts; 20 overs) 116

Fall of wickets: 1-32, 2-85, 3-85, 4-98, 5-98, 6-99, 7-105, 8-110, 9-110.

Bowling: O’Brien-4-1-15-2; Pitcher 1-0-10-0; Jones 3-0-22-0; Trott 4-0-15-2; Rawlins 4-0-25-0; Leverock 1-0-16-0; Onias Bascome 3-0-10-4.

Bermuda

†Okera Bascome c Taylor b Ifill 6

*TS Fray lbw b Morris 0

Onias Bascome b Morris 22

D M W Rawlins c Wright b Taylor 49

K S Leverock not out 28

D A P Darrell not out 5

Extras (w 7) 7

Total (4 wkts; 15.2 overs) 117

J E Pitcher, R J Trott, A C Douglas, M O Jones, G H O’Brien did not bat.

Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-6, 3-36, 4-106.

Bowling: Morris 4-0-17-2; Ebanks 3-0-19-0; Ifill 3-0-33-1; Wright 1-0-9-0; Manning 1.2-0-9-0; Harrington-Myers 1-0-13-0; Taylor 2-0-17-1.

Umpires: Jacqueline Williams (West Indies), Harry Grewal (Canada).

Reserve Umpire: Emmerson Carrington.

Match Referee: Reon King (West Indies).