Clay Smith smashed yet another international ton in Namibia yesterday but Bermuda still go into the final day of their Intercontinental Cup semi-final in need of a trademark comeback.

Smith, doing his best to emulate Steve Tikolo?s captain?s innings of 220 on Sunday, constructed an immaculate 126 not out at the United Sports Ground in Windhoek to help Bermuda to an impressive 346-9 in their 90 overs.

Half-centuries from Dean Minors and Irving Romaine ensured a better second day for the underdogs but the Kenyans notched up 85-1 in their second innings in a 26-over spell at the end of the day to leave them 142 runs ahead.

Decisively, in a match that appears destined to drift into a draw, the Kenyans are three bonus points ahead after the first innings and have already built a one point lead for the second innings with one-and-a-half batting points to Bermuda?s half a bowling point.

This leaves Gus Logie?s men in need of an early morning wicket-fest if they are to keep the game close, a cause not helped by a failed gamble at the end of their innings that left them a further bonus point adrift.

It had been an inauspicious start to the day?s play for the Island side with not only heavy cloud cover sparing the Kenyans the roasting Bermuda had suffered on opening day but another opener was also lost cheaply.

Bermuda went in to their monumental run chase at 13-1 after 13 overs, having lost Curtis Jackson to a close catch the previous evening and, continuing the recent tradition, fellow opener Kwame Tucker was clean bowled by Thomas Odoyo leaving Bermuda reeling on 19-2 in only the third over of the day.

But Saleem Mukuddem then joined overnight survivor Irving Romaine at the crease and between them they forged the first meaningful partnership of the innings.

Although the wicket was still a joy for the batsmen, Romaine had to survive a second dropped catch ? this one at gully ? and a couple of mis-hits and false strokes before helping to advance the score past 50.

As both players were just getting comfortable, Mukuddem played and missed and was lbw off Odoyo for 24 in a patient 44 balls ? a partnership of 53.

Romaine was then involved in a second 53-run partnership for the fourth wicket, combining with Clay Smith who took no time in settling in, banging a four and a six in his first three deliveries.

At this stage the run rate was still lagging at just two-an-over but over the next 14 overs the two burly batsmen picked up the scoring, despatching boundaries to both sides of the wicket.

But just when Romaine and Smith were digging in and threatening to put up the sort of fourth-wicket partnership that was the backbone of the Kenyan total, another wicket fell.

Romaine, who swore to himself all the way up the steps to the pavilion, was fooled by a ball keeping low off Odoyo and was trapped leg before for 56, having reached his half-century seven overs earlier in 105 balls.

?I should have reached 100,? was his only printable comment.

Vice-captain Janeiro Tucker then joined the free-flowing Smith at the crease for the final overs before lunch, which was taken at 142-1 with the Bermuda skipper poised for a vital afternoon?s work on 46.

Again the partnership was flourishing, with the skipper on his half-century, when Lameck Onyango struck ? Tucker becoming the third lbw victim of the day for a promising 30, with all the frustration and anger that entails.

But wicketkeeper Dean Minors then teamed up with Smith ? the only two survivors from the side that lost to Kenya in the ICC Trophy in 1994 ? and Bermuda really started keeping the scorers busy.

Over the next 17 overs, the power-hitting of Minors and Smith?s precision pushed Bermuda passed 200 and all the talk under the Bermuda canopy was of reaching 400.

But everything changed in the 71st over with Smith?s men on 262-6 and the momentum very much in their favour.

After a day of rejected appeals on Sunday, the fourth lbw of yesterday?s play was granted ? this time off Tikolo ? despite what looked like a substantial step up the wicket by Minors.

There was disbelief as the finger was raised and the ?keeper was forced to trudge off having amassed his third fifty of this year?s Intercontinental Cup (51 in 53 balls).

And worse was to follow when Lionel Cann?s attempt to go against habit and push for a single the very next ball rather than go for the big hit resulted in a top edge as he was caught and bowled by the delighted Kenyan captain.

In those two balls, Bermuda?s chase for 400 was all but defeated although Hasan Durham came in to excel in the number nine role.

He helped his skipper past a well-deserved century (145 balls, 15 fours) and with a mixture of luck and some very good cricket, the two of them propelled Bermuda onto 328-7.

At this stage, a declaration would have left Bermuda just two bonus points behind the Kenyans. But Logie was insistent they push on for 350 and the further half-point that would give them.

But with 22 runs needed in 22 balls, Bermuda instead lost Durham lbw ? the fifth of the day ? to Tikolo and then Dwayne (Sluggo) Leverock was caught attempting to go over the top in the final over to give Kenya two more bowling half-points and leave Bermuda now three behind.

Smith, fittingly, ended the innings with a perfectly-executed sweep round the corner to give him 126 not out and Bermuda 396, four shy of their bonus ? although a good ten minutes of post-stumps discussions had to take place over scoring discrepancies before that total could be confirmed.

The Kenyans went in for the final 26 overs of the day and made the most of the still-true wicket although opener Kenneth Obuya survived a close call in the fifth over off Mukuddem when the ball didn?t quite carry to a diving Kwame Tucker at midwicket.

But the breakthrough did come in the 12th at 54-0 with Cann making up for his earlier duck, getting Maurie Ouma caught behind by Minors for 23.

The Kenyans finished the day on 85-1, picking up one-and-a-half bonus points to Bermuda?s half, leaving the Island side four behind.

The only hope for Logie?s men in the final day is to take wickets and take them cheaply ? no mean feat with paceman Kevin Hurdle still out with illness and a Tikolo-friendly wicket.

Kenya could bat out the day to take a winning draw but even if they do put Bermuda back in, there could be a massive total on the board in terms of both points or runs if the wickets don?t come early and often.

But the mood was resilient and bright as Bermuda left the field, pleased that Kenya?s dominance wasn?t repeated and that ? the benign wicket aside ? a big total had been posted against the top side outside the Test-playing world.

In the other semi-final, Ireland were well on their way to a comprehensive victory. They followed their first innings of 350 for seven by smashing 306 for one (Bray 169 no, O?Brien 118 no) in their second innings. UAE were dismissed in their first innings for 189.