Bayuemas Oval, Kuala Lumpur (Bermuda won toss): Italy (2pts) beat Bermuda (0) by 157 runs

Bermuda’s road to the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup got off to a bumpy start as they were heavily defeated by Italy in the opening match of the Challenge League Play-off in Malaysia.

Set 306 to win, Bermuda lost four middle-order wickets for 17 runs in the space of seven overs that effectively ended the match as a contest.

Under extremely hot and humid conditions, Bermuda elected to field with openers Nicholas Maiolo and Marcus Campopiano posting 60 runs in the first ten overs.

The sign that this would be a difficult day for Bermuda came when they failed calamitously to effect a run-out when both batters were at the same end — wicketkeeper Sinclair Smith inexplicably unable to gather a throw on the half-volley from Chris Douglas.

Captain Delray Rawlins introduced himself into the attack in the fourteenth over and he soon achieved the breakthrough by bowling Maiolo for 38 with the score at 83.

Anthony Mosca joined Campopiano and the pair set about laying the foundation for a big total, regularly scoring boundaries during their 119-run partnership for the second wicket.

Campopiano reached his century (101) in the 37th over, but was out leg-before in the next over, sweeping against the left arm spin of Derrick Brangman.

With Italy 241 for two in the 42nd over, Bermuda were looking at a chase in excess of 350, but regular wickets slowly pulled the exhausted fielding team back into the match.

Kamau Leverock claimed five for 58 from his ten overs despite earlier leaving the field for treatment to his right thigh.

He denied Italy their second century maker of the match as Mosca (95) was well taken on the mid-wicket boundary by Allan Douglas Jr running to his left.

Rawlins with two for 56 and Derrick Brangman (one for 49) were the other wicket-takers as Italy ended with 305 for eight from their 50 overs.

Bermuda’s reply got off to the worst possible start in the first over when debutant Marcus Scotland was bowled by Stefano di Bartolomeo, indecisively playing on without scoring.

Chris Douglas joined Terryn Fray and the pair quietly took the score to 48 in the twelfth over when Douglas, who was on 28, succumbed to the oppressive conditions and was carried off on a stretcher suffering from heat exhaustion.

The left-hander, who also retired hurt in the warm-up but because of an arm injury, did not return.

This triggered a middle-order collapse as Tre Manders was bowled for nought, Rawlins holed out to long-on for six, Kamau Leverock offered no shot to an unorthodox ball and was bowled for one and Allan Douglas Jr was also bowled for one. Spin proved all their undoing and Bermuda, already under pressure, were now reeling at 69 for five after 20 overs.

With the backbone of the batting gone, in-form Fray helped himself to a well-played half-century as partners came and went, Sinclair Smith (12) and Zeko Burgess (11) providing token resistance.

Fray was last man out for 73 as Bermuda finished on 148 in 36.2 overs.

Italy spinners Rakibul Hasan (three for 35) and Fida Hussain (two for 20) were the chief destroyers, with opening bowler Di Bartolomeo (two for 31) also contributing.

A disappointed Bermuda coach Cal Waldron said afterwards: “It quite didn’t go the way we wanted it to. On the field I think that’s where we made the task even more difficult for us.”

With regard to the conditions, he added: “It is hot here. I’m not trying to make excuses but the heat, it takes a toll on one’s body. We went away from our game plan and they ended up getting the better of us in the field scoring 300 runs.

“It wasn’t a task beyond us. We knew they weren’t a strong bowling unit. Terryn batted through the innings; we just never got a partnership. That pretty much let us down.”

Captain Rawlins was similarly downbeat after a sound defeat. “Disappointing as a unit,” he told The Royal Gazette. “Obviously you want to start well and start with a win. Some good individual performances; Kamau getting five wickets, Terryn getting runs again and showing his class.

“I think we bowled well as a team. It was a pretty good wicket but it was just a shame we couldn’t put it together with the bat and get over the line.”

Looking forward to the rest of the tournament, he added: “The good thing about the sport that we play is that the games come thick and fast, so you have another opportunity to go again and put things right.

“It’s just important for us to learn from what we did wrong and improve by 1 per cent on the things that we did right. We’re looking forward to Sunday and hoping we can put our wrongs right.”

Bermuda are bottom of group A with an onerous net run-rate, and now have two days to prepare for their next match against Saudi Arabia, who defeated Kuwait by 97 runs in the other match.

In group B, Bahrain beat Vanuatu by 109 runs.