Amari Ebbin admitted valuable lessons have been learnt after Bermuda suffered successive defeats in warm-up matches ahead of their ICC Cricket World Cup Challenge League B campaign in Uganda.

Ahead of facing Kenya in their opening encounter in the second leg of group matches on Saturday, Cal Waldron’s side endured less than ideal preparations following up a 117-run defeat by club side Aziz Damani by going down to a 55-run loss against Ceylon Lions.

Despite the setbacks against the Ugandan domestic sides, Ebbin, one of a number of new faces called up to the squad in the absence of a host of key players, including Delray Rawlins, is confident the team can only benefit as a collective from the experience.

“Obviously, the results were disappointing but I believe it was a mixture of things,” Ebbin said. “Having only just arrived in Uganda, we were rushed into the warm-up games earlier than we expected and had no real time to prepare.

“It was a learning curve for sure, especially for the new players in our squad. The level of quality of the opposition was a bit of surprise. They were both really good teams with experienced former professionals.

“It was tough start to the tour, but we can all learn from the experience and grow as a group moving forward.”

Waldron, in charge of the team for the first time, faces a baptism of fire in Uganda as Bermuda aim to improve their standing in the group. Bermuda have one point gained from a no result in an abandoned match against Kenya, having suffered defeats by Uganda, Jersey, Hong Kong and Italy.

Hosts Uganda top the table after the first leg, which was played in Oman in December 2019, with a perfect record of five victories. The third and final leg of the group stage will be played in Jersey in August.

Ebbin is adamant performances will improve as the cohesion grows among the squad with the more experience they gain playing together.

“That experience will be key for a lot of the squad ahead of that first game against Kenya,” he added. “You could see improvements from the first warm-up match in the second, and we can definitely keep building on that.

“You always learn more from the setbacks and there is definitely a lot more to come from this team because the only way is up for us.

“We have the ability within the squad and I think it’s a case of adapting, buckling down and showing what we can do. I know what this team is capable of and that cohesion will come with time.

“Many of us haven’t played together, so we still need to build that chemistry and understanding of each other with every game that we play. Those improvements are building and I’m in no doubt everything will come together soon.

“This is an amazing opportunity and experience for all of us. It’s all about adapting as individuals and as a team. I think we’re all more motivated than ever to push on and prove what we can do as a team.”