With Somerset Cricket Club bathed in late afternoon sunshine, Bermuda cantered to a straightforward eight wicket victory over Argentina in the first round of the Americas Championship yesterday.

St.David's' OJ Pitcher confirmed his reputation as Bermuda's brightest young talent with a delightful innings of 98 - filled with elegance, timing and shots all around the wicket.

Though rarely stretched by a South American side clearly at odds with the alien conditions, Clay Smith's team were reassuringly solid in all departments, hardly breaking sweat during the 31.2 overs it took to pass the visitors' below-par total of 182 for eight from their 50 overs.

Apart from the excellent Pitcher, fellow opener Glenn Blakeney also looked in commanding form and displayed his usual repertoire of powerful clean hitting before top edging a sweep shot to the fielder at deep square leg for 38.

Another St.David's youngster, Delyone Borden who batted at three, was a little slow to get going, struggling to time the ball at first on a depressingly slow, dust-bowl of a wicket.

But inspired by Pitcher - his more fluent partner - the 19-year-old eventually came into his own with several meaty drives down the ground and finished the game unconquered on 30.

Much was made before the tournament got underway of the possibility that Bermuda would rely too heavily on their three senior batsman, Blakeney, Smith and Charlie Marshall, to post competitive totals.

But yesterday both Pitcher and Borden proved that they have the ability to score runs at a higher level and as some of the Bermuda public who came to the ground yesterday were heard to remark, the future of Bermudian cricket does indeed look to be safe in the hands of these two young talents.

Earlier, skipper Smith won the toss and elected to field, hoping to exploit any early-morning demons which the wicket might offer.

And although both opening bowlers Kevin Hurdle and Saleem Mukuddem began somewhat sloppily in terms of length and direction, it was not long before Bermuda's bowlers began to assert themselves upon an often brittle Argentinian batting line-up.

Mukuddem opened the Island's account by bowling opener Lucas Paterlini with a well-disguised slower ball, while 25 runs later, the impressive Dennis Archer (3 for 31) cleaned up Matias Paterlini with a beauty which jagged back sharply from outside off-stump.

Meanwhile Gaston Arizaga, who flew in to Bermuda on Monday from Holland where he is currently playing and coaching, played well for his 35 before holing out to Mukuddem from the off-spin of Borden, while the introduction of Dwayne Leverock (1-27), who snapped up a sharp one-handed return catch off Pablo Ferguson from only his third delivery, changed the nature of the game.

With wickets falling around him, captain Diego Forrester took responsibility for his side's innings.

Running intelligently between the wickets, he was the only Argentine who looked remotely comfortable against the sharp turn being extracted by Leverock, sweeping the burly spinner for two fours and a six from the first over of his second spell.

Supported ably by Derek Culley (20 not out) down the order, Forrester was eventually out, skying a catch to Leverock in the deep off the persistent Archer for 54 - condemning Argentina to an uphill battle to win the game.

Afterwards captain Smith played tribute to Pitcher's match-winning innings.

“It was a first-class knock,” he said. “Obviously it is unfortunate that he did not get his hundred at the end but these things happen. But he has proven that this is not the Blakeney, Marshall and Smith show and that we have a really good depth of batting in this team. All in all though, it was a pretty decent start and we are looking forward to playing Cayman.”

By comparison, Argentina coach Mike Hesson was somewhat downcast, calling his side's display “comfortably the worst I have seen us play”.

“We batted okay but we bowled very poorly today,” he said. “The guys just did not get the ball into the right areas often enough and we made it easy for Bermuda to pick off the runs - but we have plenty of time and games to improve and we intend to do that.”