All three of the Island's golfers at the World Amateur Team Championships in Malaysia improved on their opening day scores in the second round yesterday - but Bermuda still slipped down the standings.

At the half-way mark of the 72-hole championship being played on two courses at the Saujana Golf and Country Club on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, Bermuda are tied for 49th in the 62-team field, having entered the second round 46th.

As on the first day, it was Nick Mansell who returned Bermuda's best score yesterday, shooting a five-over par 77 on the Bunga Raya Course to add to the 79 he returned on the Palm Course (also par 72) on Thursday.

His combined 12-over-par total of 156 left him in 97th place from 187 players in the individual standings.

Teenager Jarryd Dillas also bettered his first round score of 80 as he carded 79 at Bunga Raya for a 15-over-par total of 159. He is now placed 118th overall.

Together their totals have put Bermuda on a score of 315 (27 over par), 29 shots behind joint leaders France and the USA.

For the second successive day, Bermuda's third team member Tim Carr struggled. His 83 at Bunga Raya combined with 85 on Thursday left him at 24-over-par 168 and in 160th place overall.

The Bermuda trio return to Palm for the third round today and will play the final round at Bunga Ray tomorrow.

France provided the highlight of the second round as they overcame a five-stroke deficit to move into a tie with defending champions, the USA.

"We told our players that you have to manipulate the course," said French coach Anne Leconiat. "You can't be aggressive."

Using a three-under-par 69 from Gregory Bourdy, which included five birdies and two bogeys, and a three-over-par 75 from Eric Chaudouet, France shot even-par 144. Bourdy was tied for the low individual round of day with Mao-Chang Sung of Chinese Taipei, Tim Wilkinson of New Zealand and Thomas Ortner of Austria.

The USA, seemingly running away to another victory after an impressive opening round, lost all of their cushion on the Bunga Raya Course.

Hunter Mahan, with an even-par 72, and Ricky Barnes, with a five-over-par 77, registered the counting scores for the Americans.

"It was a tough day," said US captain O. Gordon Brewer Jr. "Hunter (Mahan), fortunately, kept us in it. He's been very steady."

"We got away with a terrible day," said Barnes, the 2002 US Amateur champion. "It's not like we're in 20th place and we have ten shots to make up."

Following France and the USA, three strokes back, are Argentina at one-over-par 289. Tied for fourth and four shots behind are Austria and England at two-over-par 290.

The Austrians made the largest move up the leaderboard with a jump of 14 spots on the merits of the day's best total of four-under-par 140. Notably, Slovakia, while near the bottom of the standings, managed a 20-stroke improvement from the first to second day (179-159).