Bermuda coach impressed with attack-minded batsmen

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (CMC):

Bermuda's new Indian head coach Niraj Odedra says he has been impressed by how their batsmen have attacked the opposition bowlers on their way to huge wins in their opening two matches of the five-team ICC T20 World Cup Sub-Regional Qualifier here.

Bermuda crushed the Cayman Islands by 96 runs on Saturday and hosts Argentina by 110 runs on Sunday. New captain Delray Rawlins scored unbeaten half-centuries in both games and also picked up five wickets, including a four-wicket haul against Argentina.

Bermuda's other three batsmen in the top four - Kamau Leverock, Tre Manders and Terryn Fray - each scored a half-century at the weekend, although Leverock, the former captain, made only three on Sunday.

Odedra said: "Things have been going really well.

"Batting is what we have been concentrating on. The focus will be on that only and with Delray coming in, it's only going to get stronger. I was quite confident about it, quite positive and the boys have done very well.

"They are expressing themselves better than they have been in the past.

"I have been telling the guys to let their instincts rule. If your instinct says that ball is there to hit, then go with your instinct. Fearless cricket is good but you have to have a bit of responsibility as well."

The 25-year-old Rawlins is Bermuda's most prominent player, an experienced left-arm spinning all-rounder who currently plays professionally for English county Sussex.

He struck a blistering 25-ball unbeaten 67 in Bermuda's 220 for two against Argentina to earn Player-of-the-Match honours and followed up by taking four for 11 with his left-arm spin.

"Our aim is to complete the job in hand by winning this tournament," Rawlins said following Sunday's second win.

"I had a lot of fun out there today trying to express myself, which is something I encourage all the players to do.

"We were good out there. Tre and Terryn batted really well and then I was able to come in.

"The coach (Odedra) gave me stick earlier on saying my batting wasn't good enough and so I wanted to prove him wrong.

"It felt like a big-pressure match with the home crowd here, but credit to us, we played really well and deserved the victory."

Bermuda lead the standings with four points, two clear of Panama, who they face today after yesterday's rest day.

The Bahamas, also on two points, sit in third place after beating Panama by four wickets in their only game so far. The Bahamas take on the Caymans in today's other match.

The top three teams will join Canada for the regional finals in Bermuda in September, with the winner of that tournament clinching a qualification spot at next year's T20 World Cup to be co-hosted by the West Indies and United States of America.