If there was one positive to be taken from Bermuda?s defeat to Zimbabwe on Thursday, it was the sight of vice-captain Irving Romaine passing 50 for the first time on tour.

Just over a year ago, Romaine was regarded as little more than a bits and pieces cricketer whose powerful but inconsistent batting, part-time off-breaks and occasional wicketkeeping stints had failed to convince the selectors that he was worthy of a permanent place in a full-strength national side.

The Bailey?s Bay stalwart has flourished, however, under the guidance and support of Gus Logie and it is now difficult to imagine how the top order could function at all effectively without him at either three or four.

But despite this commendable progress, Romaine is still acutely aware that as one of the team?s leading batsmen, he has so far failed to regularly convert good starts of 20 and 30 into match-winning scores ? though in his defence, he is certainly not alone in this regard.

A case in point was Romaine?s innings against Canada.

Having looked imperious for his 25, dominating their bowlers from the start and looking poised to guide Bermuda to a comfortable victory, he suddenly advanced down the track to the spin of John Davison and chipped the ball straight down deep mid-on?s throat ? leaving Bermuda in a hole at 73 for six, chasing only 150.

It was a poor shot in the circumstances, particularly with two men set back for the shot and with only three and a half runs an over required for victory.

Suitably chastised by Logie and assistant coach Clay Smith that evening, Romaine returned to the Queen?s Park Oval the following day against Zimbabwe intent on making amends.

?I got a real scolding from Gus and Clay that night, but I knew already that I had thrown my wicket away at a crucial time and I was very upset about it,? he said.

?What made it worse was that I was feeling really good out there and didn?t really feel that I could get out ? which I guess is a dangerous time.

?I have always been a naturally aggressive player and sometimes I find it difficult to back off those instincts and say, ok, let?s just take it easy and not do anything rash, because if I just bat sensibly for 20, 25 overs I should have at least 50.

?So against Zimbabwe it was a case of me trying to prove that I have the necessary patience to go out there and bat responsibly.?

Against a disciplined attack, Romaine showed he could do just that, keeping the ball on the turf for the most part and taking full advantage of anything offline in an innings of 62 off 96 deliveries.

Capable of shots all round the wicket, it was the purity of his offside play that was the highlight, piercing a well-set field on five occasions with some impressively clean strikes off both front and back foot.

?I was really happy with the way I played in the end,? he admitted.

?Again I felt very comfortable facing their bowlers and though we didn?t really have a chance of winning the game, it was important that at least one of us put their bowlers under some pressure and I think I managed to do that.

?Gus and Clay had actually challenged me to score 80 ? so I guess you could say I failed them again, but at least I went out there and showed that I can do the business.?

Even if he was not vice-captain, Romaine could still claim to be the heart and soul of the national side through the sheer force of personality.

Whether sitting at the dinner table, practising in the nets or competing out on the park, Romaine is the spark which his team-mates look to, to ignite their enthusiasm and resolve.

He is also a respected mentor to several of the squad?s younger players, though he is the first to point out that this responsibility and experience has made him a better player too.

?I?m focused a lot more on my cricket and mentally I think I?m stronger than I used to be,? he said.

?I like to laugh and have fun, and I still do to a certain extent. But I know when it is time for the laughter to stop and I take my role as vice-captain very seriously.

?I think a lot more about the game now from a analytical point of view as well and having played a lot of cricket at national team level against good players I have learnt to adapt my game to what is required.

?When I was playing club cricket all the time, I just wanted to go out there and hit boundaries. Now though I have learnt that rotating the strike is so important at an international level and because you get fewer bad balls, you have to find ways to get something off the good balls by opening the face and running the ball down to third man or looking to find the gaps and running well.

?I see some of the younger players making the same mistakes that I used to when I was just making my way into the side, and I see it as my role to help them learn and get better. I always want to feel as if I?m making a contribution.?