Bermuda 169-9 Ireland posted the biggest team total on the opening day of the 12th International Youth Tournament yesterday when they hammered hosts Bermuda by 116 runs at Somerset.

At one stage Ireland, winning the toss and batting first, looked well on their way to a score of 300. But some good catching by the Bermuda team late in the Ireland innings kept them to 285 with two overs remaining.

However, even that was too much for the Bermuda batsmen, though they made a gallant effort, posting 169-9 in their 50 overs.

Ireland, with strong batting right through their order, received the perfect start when Simon Carruthers and Joe Morrissey put on 103 in 16 overs for the first wicket.

Carruthers stroked seven fours and a six in his 53 while Morrissey just missed out on his team's second 50 when he failed to punish a short delivery from wrist spinner Justin Robinson and hooked a catch to Don Vickers at mid-wicket to finish on 48.

Robinson was in the thick of the action on the field as his direct hit at the bowler's end also accounted for the run out of Ireland's leading batsman Ed Joyce for 18. Then he held catches to dismiss David Finlay for 34 and Mark Hutchinson for six.

But inbetween the runs kept flowing from Shane Moore, the wicketkeeper, who contributed 40, Andrew Cousins 20 and tailender Dwaynne McGerrigle who scored a dashing 27.

McGerrigle is already earning a reputation in Ireland for his big hitting and he went after the bowling in the final 10 overs to hit three sixes and a four in a short stay which ended with a good catch by substitute Dale Benjamin at short mid-wicket.

Quinton Sherlock, wicketless in his first spell, returned to finish with three for 47 off eight overs while Jaja Millett had two for 45 and Coolridge Durham two for 48.

Ireland scored between five and six runs an over throughout their innings with the last eight overs producing 68 runs.

The asking rate of 5.72 was always too steep a challenge for the Bermuda youngsters even after Chris Foggo (16) and Durham (20) put on 43 for the first wicket.

Those runs came in 15 overs by which time the asking rate had crept up to 6.94 an over.

Ireland's captain Joe Clinton broke the opening stand with two wickets in his fourth over as Durham went to a low catch at backward point by Morrissey and three balls later Jaja Millet was caught behind.

In the next over Foggo gave a return catch to spinner Neil Anderson in his first over and suddenly the score read 43-3.

Azeem Pitcher and Quinton Sherlock added 46 in 12 overs for the fourth wicket but wickets fell regularly again after that partnership was broken on 90.

Before long that became 97-7 as the middle order collapsed after Sherlock went for 27.

Pitcher stayed around for 127 minutes for his 20 as occupying the wicket became the aim.

Ricardo Brangman helped build a respectable total with 36 not out in the tailend, hitting three fours and a six by the close.

Clinton finished with four for 16 to lead the Ireland bowlers while Joyce took two for nine.

Today's second day of matches will all be played in the East End as Bermuda take on defending champions England at Sea Breeze Oval, Scotland meet Denmark at Wellington Oval and Ireland play Canada at St. David's.

Other IYT match reports, see Page 23.