Weakened Scotland face Bermuda

9 July 2008

Captain Ryan Watson is among those rested by Scotland © Getty Images

A Scotland side shorn of many of its big names has made its way across the Atlantic to take on Bermuda in Hamilton in a four-day first-class match in the ICC Intercontinental Cup, starting tomorrow.

The Scots are without regular captain Ryan Watson, along with Gavin Hamilton, Glenn Rogers and John Blain, all of whom are rested. Former captain Craig Wright is also absent with a back injury.

Scotland will hope to have Wright back for the Intercontinental Cup match with Canada which starts on 16 July.

Despite their absentees, Scotland will hope to have move up the eight-team table where they currently lie fifth - to qualify for the final they need to finish in the top two.

They will then compete in the European Division One tournament at the end of July, including ODIs against the Netherlands and Ireland, the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier in Ireland at the beginning of August, another Intercontinental Cup match against Kenya, two ODIs against the Africans and then another one against England, in Edinburgh on 18 August.

Bermuda coach Gus Logie is likely to keep faith with the same squad that produced his side’s first win in the latest of the tournament, a 106-run success over Canada earlier this week.

The man who made the big difference was the larger-than-life left-arm spinner Dwayne Leverock who bagged match figures of 10-129, including 5-60 in the second innings as Canada foundered chasing 258 for victory.

The match the first four-day ICC Intercontinental Cup match in Bermuda since July 2004. Since then Bermuda has been working to produce a surface worthy of international matches and earlier this year the ICC deemed it fit for purpose.

Bermuda (from): Irving Romaine (captain), Oronde Bascome, James Celestine, Jekon Edness, Chris Foggo, Kyle Hodsoll, Stefan Kelly, Dwayne Leverock, George O'Brien, Stephen Outerbridge, OJ Pitcher, Samuel Robinson, McLaren Smith, Ryan Steede, Rodney Trott, Tamauri Tucker.

Scotland (from): Fraser Watts (captain), Richie Berrington, Gordon Drummond, Gordon Goudie, Majid Haq, Dougie Lockhart, Ross Lyons, Gregor Maiden, Neil McCallum, Dewald Nel, Qasim Sheikh, Colin Smith (wicketkeeper), Sean Weeraratna.