Bermuda 275- 8

Ireland 276-6A match Bermuda might just as easily have won slipped out of their grasp at the Jaffrey’s Sports Ground yesterday as they were again left to rue a less than impressive bowling performance.

Ireland, who had beaten Bermuda comfortably in their last two ICC Trophy encounters, were made to fight all the way on this occasion as they eventually reached their target with just eight balls to spare.

But they were assisted in no small part by both indisciplined bowling and blunders in the field which left Irving Romaine and his men sitting at the bottom of the pile after the second round of World One-Day League matches.

Having posted a challenging total of 275 off their 50 overs - their best ODI score in several months - Bermuda’s attack were unable to defend it, although Dwayne Leverock and his ever-reliable spin and medium pacer Janeiro Tucker both made a brave attempt.

Others such as pace bowler Kevin Hurdle, who conceded 29 in three wild, wicket-less overs and young Delyone Borden, who snatched two scalps but gave up 58 runs in eight overs, must shoulder much of the blame for the four-wicket loss.

Coach Gus Logie had spoken after Monday’s ten-wicket thrashing by Kenya about the batsmen’s responsibility to put a total on the board which his bowlers could realistically defend.

And yesterday they responded magnificently, led by openers Clay Smith (52) and Dean Minors (51) who combined for a stand of 79 in less than 14 overs — a whirlwind start which the rest of the early order continued to build on.

Skipper Romaine contributed 26, Lionel Cann 44 and David Hemp 35.

And while the innings seemed to lose direction during the middle overs when a score in excess of 300 still appeared on the cards, there can have been few complaints about the eventual total of 275.

But ultimately it still wasn’t enough, with Ireland opener and man of the match William Porterfield (112) stroking a chanceless and beautifully-paced century to steer his side to victory.

The Irish might have been pressed even more had not Saleem Mukuddem and Romaine both spilled fairly straightforward catches, although to be fair Bermuda’s batsmen also had some escapes: Kenneth Carroll putting down Lionel Cann twice on the boundary and failing to hold a difficult chance provided by Minors.

Put into bat having lost the toss on a cool, cloudy morning, Bermuda — Smith in particular — quickly showed that they meant business. While partner Minors seemed content to play an anchor role, Smith, perhaps still smarting from his third-ball duck against the Kenyans, went after the Irish pace attack with a vengeance.

He banged two fours in the first over, smashed skipper Trent Johnston for a six in the third over and by the sixth over had put 40 on the board with Minors still to get off the mark.

But after bringing up his half-century, which included two sixes and seven fours, in the 13th over, Smith departed. After adding just two more and with the total on a healthy 79, he was trapped lbw by Kyle McCallan for 52.

New bat Romaine and Minors, however, continued to keep the scoreboard ticking over with some lusty blows, Minors finally emerging from his shell.

The hundred came up in the 19th over with a lofted straight four from Minors, and although the pace slowed somewhat, they took their partnership to 80 and the score to 159 before, in the 32nd over, Minors was undone by the spin of Andrew White as he offered the bowler a simple return catch.

But with 18 overs remaining at that point and with wickets in hand, Bermuda might still have sensed a big total.

Even after Romaine out for 26 in the 35th over, caught in the deep by Kevin O’Brien off White, Cann and David Hemp proceeded to push the score along.

Cann, making the most of his two escapes, took his tally up to 44 before hitting into the hands of McCallan at mid-wicket off Kevin O’Brien and Hemp, aware there were wickets in hand and only four overs remaining, also went for the big hit once too often as he was snapped up by Carroll off O’Brien for 35.

Tucker was bowled by Andre Botha for 12, Mukuddem caught by William Rankin off Botha for seven and Malachi Jones also bowled by Botha for two as Bermuda’s tail-end went down swinging.

Hurdle’s unbeaten ten inside an over consisted of a six and a four as Bermuda finished on a perfectly respectable 275.

Mukuddem then gave Bermuda a perfect start as Ireland began their reply, sending down a maiden first over.

But much like Smith and Minors, Irish openers Porterfield and Carroll soon got into their stride, even surpassing Bermuda’s impressive early run rate — though they were assisted by a succession of wides and no balls.

The extras column would eventually swell to an unacceptable 31, including 16 wides and seven no balls.

Having helped put on 70 in 12 overs, Porterfield was dropped by Mukuddem at deep mid-off off Jones and it was to prove a costly miss.

The first wicket fell at 78 in the 15th over as Mukuddem went some way to making amends, snaring Caroll off Jones for 28.

Just one run later, Jones took a superb catch in the deep to dismiss new bat Eoin Morgan for a duck off Tucker.

And when a third wicket tumbled in the 25th over with the score on 135 — Tucker taking a magnificent running catch off Leverock’s first over to dismiss Niall O’Brien for 25 — it was still anybody’s game. But a partnership that virtually settled it in Ireland’s favour was then compiled by Porterfield and Kevin O’Brien as they pushed the score over 200.

The pair put on 89 for the fourth wicket and when O’Brien went for 54, caught by Jones at mid-wicket off Leverock with the score on 224, with nine overs still remaining victory was in sight.

Bermuda made it closer than it probably should have been as Borden, while proving expensive, had Botha caught by Jones for nine and clean bowled McCallan for four.Porterfield completed a well-deserved century in the 47th over with just 20 runs required but it was skipper Johnston who ensured there would be no late dramatics as he walloped two huge sixes in an unbeaten 13 to wrap up the win in the penultimate over. Porterfield finished with an unbeaten 112, making him a worthy recipient of man-of-the-match honours. Leverock was probably the pick of Bermuda’s bowlers, grabbing two for 34 off ten but Tucker’s one for 43 off ten and Jones’ one for 38 in seven were also commendable efforts.

As for Hurdle and Borden, their report card will no doubt read: “must do better.”