Bermuda resurrected hopes of a top two finish with a thumping 87-run win over Suriname on Tuesday afternoon at Indianapolis World Sports Park. David Hemp was named Man of the Match for his unbeaten 72 off 57 balls as he teamed with captain Janeiro Tucker for an unbeaten 90-run stand to give their side an easily defendable 142 for 2 after winning the toss and batting first.
The wide margin, achieved by bowling out Suriname for just 55 in 18.1 overs, boosted Bermuda's net run rate from -1.829 to +0.859, which is two tenths of a point better than USA, though Bermuda has two points to USA's four. However, a Bermuda win over USA on Thursday would put both teams level on points with Bermuda ahead on the net run rate tiebreaker to set up a tense finish to the tournament.
Suriname had a pair of early breakthroughs when medium pacer Troy Dudnath yorked opener Dion Stovell for 2 and left-arm spinning allrounder Sauid Drepaul trapped an indecisive Oliver Pitcher on the crease for 8 in the eighth over. It was smooth sailing though for Hemp and Tucker with Hemp flaying the Suriname attack repeated to the cover boundary. The 44-year-old former captain finished with six fours and one six in his knock.
Tucker had one six in his 43 not out in 41 balls but was superb at getting singles to give Hemp most of the strike as Suriname toiled in the heat on what was by far the warmest day of the tournament thus far with temperatures climbing into the 80s. Offspinner Gavin Singh was the only bowler able to genuinely restrict the pair, bowling a tight line to finish with 0 for 11 in his three overs.
Suriname's first wicket fell two balls into the chase when Shazam Ramjohn tried pulling medium pacer Stefan Kelly but a top edge eventually came down into the hands of the keeper Christian Burgess. Muneshwar Patandin offered a low return catch to Stovell to fall for 7 in the fourth over before Stovell seized on Drepaul's lack of foot movement to pin him on the crease for 5 to make it 17 for 3.
Bermuda stuck with spin most of the way as the pitch, which was being used for its sixth match in three days, finally started to show signs of wearing down with a series of balls keeping low to give Suriname even more trouble. Gavin Singh was the only batsman to cross double-digits and finished with 15.
Delray Rawlins bowled the cheapest spell to finish with 1 for 9 in four while Jacobi Robinson and Stovell claimed 2 for 10 in four overs each. Joshua Gilbert had the final two batsmen caught in the deep to end the match as the offspinner finished with 2 for 4 in 1.1 overs.
