Sir Vivian Richards Stadium (United States won toss): United States (2pts) beat Bermuda (0) by 23 runs

Bermuda were left to rue what might have been after coming up short in their ICC T20 World Cup Americas Qualifying tournament opener against regional powerhouse United States in Antigua yesterday.

The national team produced a battling display on the back of superb bowling from Kamau Leverock, the captain, and batting from Tre Manders and Delray Rawlins at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.

However, it ultimately wasn’t enough as Herbie Bascome’s team lost by 23 runs to start their campaign on the back foot.

But it all could have been so different with tighter bowling during a critical stage of the US innings and a bit more discipline with the bat with the game on the line.

Despite losing top-order pair Allan Douglas Jr (10) and Dion Stovell (0) cheaply in the powerplay, Bermuda remained on track replying to the Americans’ 172 all out thanks to a 75-run partnership between Rawlins and Manders.

The pair dragged their team back in contention after the early setback with some polished strokeplay and excellent running between the wicket to keep the game hanging in the balance.

But the game took a dramatic turn when Rawlins (45) was caught on the square-leg boundary sweeping hard at the left-arm spin of Nisarg Patel, having brought up Bermuda’s hundred on the previous ball.

Things then quickly went from bad to worse as Leverock lasted only three balls before falling to a sprawling catch at back point and Manders spooned a full toss straight back into the hands of off spinner Steve Taylor to fall one shy of a deserved fifty.

Macai Simmons stroked an unbeaten 18 lower down the order but the damage had already been done.

In the end the task proved beyond the reach of Bermuda who were left stranded at 149 for eight, well shy of their target, in a match marred by several interruptions of play, as tempers flared between the opposing teams.

Taylor (two for 21) and seamers Ian Holland (two for 21) and Rusty Theron (two for 31) led the US attack.

Bermuda’s demise can also be greatly attributed to some tight bowling at the death from Ali Khan, who claimed one for 12 from his allotted four overs.

However, the seamer’s superb exploits with the ball were perhaps overshadowed by an heated exchange with Bermuda wicketkeeper Okera Bascome that resulted in a lengthy delay as officials sought to restore calm.

Bermuda’s disappointment with the bat undone all of their hard work in the field earlier having staged an outstanding fightback after the Americans got off to a flyer.

Openers Taylor (25) and Monank Patel (30), the captain, added 53 for the first wicket as Bermuda’s bowlers struggled with their line and length on a placid track.

Aggressive knocks from former West Indies player Xavier Marshall (19) and Aaron Jones (50) then kept the pressure on.

However, the Americans completely lost their way and paid the price for some reckless strokeplay as Bermuda’s fielders took their chances superbly in the field.

Leverock led from the front on the way to a haul of four for 28 with his seam bowling.

The all-rounder made the initial breakthrough in the fifth over when he induced Patel into picking out Rodney Trott at mid-wicket.

He then picked up the wickets of Jaskaran Malhotra (11), Karima Gore (12) and Saurabh Netravalkar (2) in his second spell to bring the curtains down on the Americans’ innings.

Leverock received good support from spinners Trott and Rawlins, who claimed two for 31 and two for 28 respectively.

The American innings was indebted to five penalty runs awarded when the ball came into contact with a glove that wicketkeeper Okera Bascome discarded during a run-out attempt.

Bermuda will now seek to bounce back at the first opportunity in their next outing against Bahamas tomorrow.

• Bermudian-based umpire Emmerson Carrington is among the cabal of officials in Antigua for the six-day tournament. He was on-field umpire for the Canada v Bahamas match on Sunday and Bahamas v Argentina yesterday, and was third umpire for the Bermuda match.

SCOREBOARD

United States

S Taylor c Okera Bascome b Douglas 25

*†M Patel c Trott b Leverock 30

X Marshall c Manders b Jones 19

A Jones c Okera Bascome b Rawlins 50

J Malhotra c Sabir b Leverock 11

I Holland c Sabir b Rawlins 4

N Patel c Manders b Trott 5

K Gore c Manders b Leverock 12

M Khan c Leverock b Trott 0

R Theron not out 7

S Netravalkar b Leverock 2

Extras (w 2, pen 5) 7

Total (19.5 overs )172

Fall of wickets: 1-53, 2-57, 3-99, 4-123, 5-141, 6-141, 7-162, 8-162, 9-169.

Bowling: Jones 4-0-35-1; Rawlins 4-0-28-2; Leverock 3.4-0-28-4; Douglas 2-0-13-1; Trott 4-0-31-2; Stovell 1-0-17-0; Onias Bascome 1-0-15-0.

Bermuda

T Manders c and b Taylor 49

A Douglas Jr b Holland 10

D Stovell st M Patel b Holland 0

D Rawlins c Taylor b N Patel 45

*K Leverock c Jones b Taylor 3

M Jones b Theron 1

Onias Bascome b Khan 6

M Simmons not out 18

†Okera Bascome b Theron 7

D Sabir not out 1

Extras (lb 6, w 3) 9

Total (8 wkts, 20 overs) 149

R Trott did not bat.

Fall of wickets: 1-27, 2-27, 3-102, 4-111, 5-115, 6-117, 7-125, 8-144.

Bowling: Theron 4-0-31-2; Netravalkar 3-0-28-0; Holland 4-0-21-2; Khan 4-0-12-1; Taylor 3-0-21-2; Gore 1-0-16-0; N Patel 1-0-14-1.

Umpires: L Reifer and A Maddela.

Third umpire: E Carrington.

Other matches:

Sir Vivian Richards Stadium (Bahamas won toss): Bahamas 121 (18.2 overs; M Taylor 60; T Rossi 3 for 19); Argentina 109-5 (20 overs; P Baron 66). Bahamas (2pts) beat Argentina (0) by 12 runs.

Coolidge Cricket Ground (Canada won toss): Canada 234-3 (20 overs; N Dhaliwal 69 not out, H Patel 51, R Singh 42, R Pathan 37); Belize 89-6 (20 overs; K Young 42; C Pervez 3 for 7). Canada (2pts) beat Belize (0) by 145 runs.

Coolidge Cricket Ground (Belize won toss): Belize 143-8 (20 overs; B Stephenson 69; K Ahir 3 for 22); Panama 131-8 (20 overs; B Stephenson 3 for 25). Belize (2pts) beat Panama (0) by 12 runs.

P W L NR Pts NRR

United States 3 3 0 0 6 4.7462

Canada 2 2 0 0 4 6.6750

Bahamas 2 1 1 0 2 -2.7500

Belize 3 1 2 0 2 -4.8336

Argentina 1 0 1 0 0 -0.6000

Bermuda 1 0 1 0 0 -1.1500

Panama 2 0 2 0 0 -2.4409