HAMILTON, Bermuda, CMC — Despite his young side’s defeat in all four matches of their just-concluded tour of Canada, Bermuda’s national coach Clay Smith remains upbeat about the island’s chances in an ICC World Cricket League (WCL) Division Four tournament starting in California next month.
Bermuda cricket has been in the doldrums since the island reached the World Cup in the Caribbean in 2007, slipping from Division One to Four in the intervening years as other countries have improved.
Bermuda’s trip to the WCL tournament in Los Angeles, which runs from October 27 to November 4, will be a tough assignment against hosts the United States, Denmark, Oman and Italy.
But Smith, a former Bermuda captain, said he could take some positives from the Canada tour which saw a number of established players — including pace bowler Malachi Jones, who struck with the first ball against India in the 2007 World Cup — stay at home.
The average age of the squad who went to Canada was 22.
The team was led by 25-year-old Terryn Fray in the absence through injury of newly-appointed captain Oliver Pitcher.
“The games were very challenging. As a team we have achieved some of our goals that we set for ourselves, which is positive,” ,” Smith told the Royal Gazette newspaper.
“Obviously with us having to select our final 14 (for Los Angeles) in late September these games are like trials, so we are merely giving players exposure to see who can handle the pressure of playing at a higher level.
“The higher the level, the less room for error. For a young squad that has an average age of 22, I think they have acquitted themselves quite well.
“This tour has shown us where we have to improve as we’re still putting the pieces of the puzzle together so we can be prepared fully for October’s WCL tournament.”
Bermuda began the tour with two defeats at King City’s Maple Leaf Cricket Club against Canada High Performance teams — the first by only two wickets and the second by 53 runs.
These were followed by a five-wicket defeat in Mississauga against the Mississauga Ramblers before enduring a crushing 207-run defeat via Duckworth-Lewis against a Canada Select XI back in King City.