ICC Academy, Dubai (Bermuda won toss): Singapore (2pts) beat Bermuda by five wickets

Bermuda all-rounder Janeiro Tucker believes his side were short on luck as they slipped to an agonising last-over defeat by Singapore yesterday.

His side succumbed to a five-wicket loss with just three balls remaining in a much improved performance on the previous day’s rout by Papua New Guinea, as the 44-year-old top-scored with a fine 50 not out from 34 balls.

It was only the country’s second fifty in a full T20 international and it inspired a marked upgrade on the chastening loss to PNG.

“We put everything together today,” Tucker told The Royal Gazette. “We batted well, we fielded well and we bowled pretty good.

“I just think we had some bad luck. There were a couple of calls [against us] at the end, but it’s cricket and we have to take it in our stride and move on tomorrow.”

Bermuda take on Kenya in this morning’s third fixture in as many days desperately in need of a victory.

With four games remaining in group A, they lie in sixth place, one place back from their next opponents on net run-rate with both sides winless.

Scotland sit fourth on two points, while PNG lead Netherlands and Singapore, each on four points and unbeaten after two matches.

But Tucker believes Bermuda can still turn around their campaign should they replicate their stirring performance against Singapore.

“We have to go out and win tomorrow,” he said. “We know our backs are against the wall a little more, but we put in a good effort today and should have won. We tried and that’s all we can do.

“We haven’t played cricket since August, so to come to the tournament and play yesterday was really hard. We had to rebuild and readjust our game plan.

“We had a meeting last night and we talked about what we had to do to get a result today and I thought it was executed really well. We just came up slightly short.”

Earlier, captain Dion Stovell announced two changes at the toss, bringing vice-captain Terryn Fray into the side in place of Derrick Brangman to bulk up a batting order that was bowled out by PNG for just 89 and replacing all-rounder Allan Douglas with seam bowler George O’Brien.

Fray, opening the batting alongside Okera Bascome in place of Stovell, helped to add a far more considered start in what was tough going against a very good Singapore attack that beat tournament favourites Scotland two days previously.

Fray eventually departed for 29 before Tucker combined superbly with Deunte Darrell (18) in a 55-run partnership for the fifth wicket, while Kamau Leverock (18) added some brutal, late hitting to help set Singapore a highly competitive target of 150.

Tucker’s fifty included six fours and a six.

O’Brien then gave Bermuda a dream start, removing opener Surendran Chandramohan for a golden duck with just the third ball of the reply.

Malachi Jones would then account for Singapore’s other opener, Rohan Rangarajan, before a stunning Leverock catch at backward point off the bowling of Rodney Trott and a fine caught and bowled from Tucker put Bermuda firmly on top.

Singapore then rallied in the form of a 75-run partnership for the fifth wicket between Navin Param, who made an unbeaten 72, and Amanpreet Singh (26).

Param, whose 41-ball knock included seven fours and four sixes, expertly held his nerve to see his side home.

SCOREBOARD

Bermuda

†O Bascome c Chandramohan b Mahboob 4

T S Fray b Baskaran 29

* D C Stovell run out 0

D M W Rawlins c Chandramohan b Sidhant 1

J J Tucker not out 50

D A P Darrell b Prakash 18

O G L Bascome c Chandramohan b Prakash 5

K S Leverock c Sidhant b Prakash 18

M O Jones not out 9

Extras (lb 5, w 10) 15

Total (7 wkts; 20 overs) 149

R J Trott and G H O’Brien did not bat.

Fall of wickets: 1-25, 2-25, 3-29, 4-48, 5-103, 6-109, 7-135.

Bowling: Baskaran 4-2-8-1; Janak Prakash 4-0-44-3; Vijayakumar 4-0-25-0; Amjad Mahboob 4-1-35-1; Sidhant 2-0-17-1; David 2-0-15-0.

Singapore

R Rohan b Jones 12

S Chandramohan lbw b O’Brien 0

T H David c and b Tucker 15

Aritra Dutta c Leverock b Trott 9

†Manpreet Singh st O Bascome b Stovell 26

N M S Param not out 72

Janak Prakash not out 6

Extras (lb 3, nb 2, w 7) 12

Total (5 wkts; 19.3 overs) 152

*Amjad Mahboob, Sidhant Singh, S Vijayakumar and V Baskaran did not bat.

Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-21, 3-37, 4-41, 5-120.

Bowling: O’Brien 3.3-0-26-1; Rawlins 3-0-21-0; Jones 3-0-24-1; Trott 3-0-20-1; Tucker 2-0-16-1; Leverock 3-0-25-0; Stovell 2-0-17-1.

Umpires: C M Brown (New Zealand) and Sharfuddoula (Bangladesh).

Match referee: G S Lakshmi (India).

Other matches

ICC Academy Ground No 2, Dubai (Papua New Guinea won toss): Papua New Guinea 197-7 (20 overs; T P Ura 71, A Vala 48; J N Frylinck 3 for 18); Namibia 116 (17.1 overs; A Vala 3 for 19). Papua New Ginea (2pts) beat Namibia by 81 runs.

Group B

Tolerance Oval, Abu Dhabi (Jersey won toss): Canada 176-5 (20 overs; N R Kumar 83, N S Dhaliwal 36); Jersey 123 (17 overs; J W Jenner 56; J O A Gordon 3 for 14, D Heyliger 3 for 20). Canada (2pts) beat Jersey by 53 runs.

Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi (Oman won toss): Hong Kong 102 (20 overs; Nizakat Khan 31; Aamir Kaleem 3 for 14); Oman 106-3 (17.3 overs; Aqib Ilyas 37 not out). Oman (2pts) beat Hong Kong by seven wickets.