By RON FANFAIR
A Canadian cricket team has failed to advance to the play-offs of a global tournament for the second time in the past three weeks.
Without its three most productive batsmen, Canada's batting crumbled twice against Bermuda in the Americas zone of the second annual International Cricket Council (ICC) Intercontinental Cup three-day tournament at Toronto Cricket Club ground last week.
Losing by 49 runs coupled with Bermuda's easy innings and 105-run win over the Cayman Islands means that the national side will not return to the global three-day play-offs for ICC Associate teams in Namibia next month. The national junior team also failed to advance to next year's Under-19 World Cup.
Canada finished second in last year's inaugural tournament behind Scotland which will also miss this year's play-offs after bowing out to Ireland by three runs last week in Aberdeen.
Canada's manager Mike Henry said he's disappointed that the national side will miss the play-offs even though skipper John Davison, Ian Billcliff and Desmond Chumney were unavailable for the regional qualifying games against Bermuda and the Cayman Islands. Chumney pulled out at the last moment with soreness in his right knee while Davison injured his finger three weeks ago.
Billcliff, who teaches in New Zealand, was unable to get time off for the series.
"We started off well and secured a good lead, but then Bermuda batted well in their second innings," he said. "Some questionable umpiring decision also did not help our cause. Then again, that went both ways, so we can't complain."
But for a productive partnership in each innings that involved rejuvenated all-rounder George Codrington, occupation of the crease never seemed to be a priority for most of the batsmen as Canada plunged to its first defeat against Bermuda in six years.
Codrington and wicketkeeper/batsman Ashish Bagai put on 69 for the seventh wicket to give Canada a useful 82-run first innings lead after left-arm medium-pacer Umar Bhatti dismantled Bermuda's batting in the first innings, claiming a career-best 8-40 off 17.5 overs.
Bagai, who was not included in the original squad even though Henry said he informed the selectors that Bagai would return home on time from an internship in the U.S., carved out a purposeful innings of 76 that included 10 boundaries.
Bermuda stumbled again in its second innings, losing five wickets for 116 runs before 30-year-old Janeiro Tucker, who former Australian captain Bobby Simpson once said was the most talented player he has seen, and wicketkeeper/batsman Dean Minors changed the course of the game with a match-winning 119-run sixth-wicket stand.
Tucker, who registered a century against the United States in the ICC Trophy tournament in Ireland in July, scored 123 off 195 balls while Minors hit 66 off 146 balls with two sixes and nine fours.
Set 230 for victory in 68 overs, Canada fell without resistance for a disappointing 181 in the 57th over. Codrington again batted sensibly for 40 while newcomer Qaiser Ali of Quebec top scored with a mature knock of 52.
The right-handed batsman and off-spinner, who attracted the attention of the national selectors with two half centuries in last month's inter-provincial championships, said he's happy to be in the Canadian team.
"I knew I had the ability to compete at this level," he said confidently. "All I wanted was the opportunity to show what I can do."
Ali, who migrated from Pakistan six years ago and is a Canadian citizen, also impressed coach Rupert Gomes.
"I saw him for the first time in the nets prior to the Bermuda game and knew that he had to play," said Gomes.
The final game in the Americas zone qualifying tournament featuring Canada and the Cayman Islands started yesterday.
Bermuda will take on Kenya and Ireland will meet the United Arab Emirates in the Associates three-day semi-finals October 23-25 in Namibia. The finals will be played from October 27 to 30.