NSC (day one of four) – UAE, 192-2, with eight first innings wickets remaining, lead Bermuda, 56, by 136-runs.

There aren't the words to adequately describe how awful Bermuda were yesterday.

The Island's cricketers sunk to an all-time low with a shocking performance against United Arab Emirates on the first day of their Intercontinental Shield match at the National Sports Centre.

And the best that can be said for the entire day, is that because they were batting first, their woeful first innings display, when the capitulated for a paltry 56, meant they didn't have to follow on.

In many ways it might have been better if they had followed on, because they wouldn't have then subjected their supporters to a bowling performance that was as ill-disciplined and thoughtless as their batting.

By the end of play UAE had already built a 136-run lead, ending the day at 192-2, with opener Ashrad Ali unbeaten on 75. His opening partner Abdul Rehman made 65, nine more than Bermuda made altogether.

In contrast, Bermuda's first innings total, which would of been a lot worse if not for Chris Foggo's 29, was the country's lowest total in the competition, easily eclipsing the 91 they made against Uganda last year.

"Disappointing isn't the word, unfortunately," said Moore. "What is disappointing is that we looked like we had prepared quite well, the issue is that our decision making was terrible, and irresponsible and reckless.

"The problem is that when you play eight bad shots, the two good balls you get in the innings hurt you even more.

"I'm more disappointed with the decision making and the responsibility that was shown today. I just didn't see enough that would show me that we were making the progress that I would have expected."

Out of luck and short on confidence, Fiqre Crockwell (one) was the first batsman out yesterday. Stuck in his crease, he was bowled by Tahir Butt having faced just three balls. It went downhill from then on.

From two for one, Bermuda were quickly reduced to 25 for three as first Outerbridge (one) and Hemp (three) were sent back to the pavilion. While Hemp got a good ball from Quasim Zubair that sucked him forward and then held it's line, Outerbridge tried to knock the cover off the ball with an expansive drive and was bowled.

Any hopes Bermuda might of had of rescuing the situation ended when Irving Romaine played a rash sweep shot to spinner Ahmed Raza, got a leading edge, and was caught.

From then on it was a procession of silly shots and careless batting as Bermuda's batsmen came and went, until finally Joshua Gilbert got himself run out 20 minutes after lunch to bring the innings to a close.

The bowling was little better. To a man Bermuda's bowlers failed in even the most basic aspects of the art.

They didn't bowl to line and length, they drifted down the leg side, they failed to bowl wicket-taking balls, and worst of all, the rueful shrugs when the ball disappeared over the boundary rope smacked of a side that didn't care.

"Our discipline has let us down, I'm not looking for excuses, I want people to bowl on one side of the wicket," said Moore. "I don't care if they are chasing 56 or 560, we've got to bowl one side of the wicket, we've got to build pressure, and I didn't think today we built any pressure with our bowling."

UAE on the other hand are almost half way to getting the 14 points they need to go top of the Intercontinental Shield table and hopefully book their place in November's final in Dubai.

A four through the covers from Rehman took UAE past Bermuda's total and got them the six first innings batting points, and they will be more than confident of wrapping up the win well before the final session on Thursday.

Rehman was finally out, lbw to Rodney Trott, with the score on 94, and when he departed first Khurram Khan (28) and then Saqib Ali (23 not out) took over alongside Ashrad Ali.

Khan was the only other UAE batsman to get out yesterday. Enjoying the Bermuda bowling, he got after one from Gilbert and was caught on the boundary by Trott. It left UAE on 140 for two.

"I'm still pinching myself," said UAE coach Colin Wells. "If someone had told me this would be the situation at the start of the day I would have told them not to be so silly.

"I'm obviously very, very pleased, but we realise there is still a lot of hard work to do."

Scoreboard

Bermuda v UAE

Bermuda first innings

C Foggo c Khan b Raza 29

F Crockwell b Javed 1

S Outerbridge b Javed 1

D Hemp c Patil b Zubair 3

I Romaine c Raza b Silva 5

S Rayner b Silva 2

R Trott b Silva 0

J DeSilva lbw Javed 6

S Kelly c Khan b Raza 0

J Gilbert run out (S Ali/S Patil) 2

C Burgess not out 0

Extras (4lb, 2w, 1nb) 7

Total (all out: 31.3 overs) 56

Fall of wicket: 1-2, 2-7, 3-25, 4-39, 5-41, 6-46, 7-46, 8-46, 56-9

Bowling: A Javed 6-3-10-2, T Butt 9.3-1-25-1, Q Zubair 5-2-8-1, S Silva 6-3-4-3, A Raza 4-2-5-2, S Ali 1-1-0-0.

UAE first innings

A Rehman lbw Trot 65

Ashrad Ali not out 75

K Khan c Trott b Gilbert 28

S Ali not out 23

Extras (1lb) 1

Total (for two wickets: 61 overs) 192

Fall of wickets: 1-94, 2-140.

Still to bat: S Patil, Amjad Ali, A Javed, S Silva, Q Zubair, A Raza, T Butt

Bowling: J DeSilva 8-2-27-0, S Kelly 16-0-40-0, S Outerbridge 2-1-7-0, R Trott 20-2-64-1, S Rayner 7-0-25-0, J Gilbert 8-1-28-1.

Umpires: R Dill & R Austin

Third umpire: A Fubler