Bermuda beat Canada to reach tri-nations final

Bermuda 153 for 7 (42.3 overs, Minors 46*, Davison 3-18) beat Canada 157 for 9 (Codrington 45*) by three wickets (D/L target 151 off 44 overs)
Scorecard

George Codrington on his way to 45 not out, an innings which was almost enough to bring Canada victory © ICC

Canada limped out of the ICC tri-nations One Day International tournament after losing to by three wickets to Bermuda at the Queen's Park Oval in Trinidad on Wednesday.

Wicket-keeper Dean Minors and Lionel Caan put up an unbroken eight wicket stand of 64 to take their team home over the Canadians, Bermuda will join Zimbabwe in Saturday's final after meeting the Africans on Thursday at the same venue from 9.30 local time.

Canada lost to both teams in the space of as many days in contrasting fashion, but since they have failed to win either of their matches, they have earned an early trip home from the tournament.

Canada won the toss and elected to bat and should have been glad to have posted a fair total of 157 for nine, having at one stage been reduced to 91 for eight. But George Codrington shepherded the tail to good effect with a workman-like unbeaten 45 to keep his team in the contest.

Bermuda were in trouble early on, losing their first wicket with just two runs on the board. Daniel Morgan was lbw for one to Sanjay Thuraisingam, then, it was 18 for two when Kevin Sandher shattered Kwame Tucker's (5) stumps.

Saleem Mukaddem (5) and Azeem Pitcher (3) perished shortly as Bermuda tottered to 32 for four, and after some short resistance from Irving Romaine (25) and skipper Janeiro Tucker (17) Canada were on top.

With seven wickets down (Hasan Durham was run out for one) and victory slipping away from the islanders' grasp, Lionel Cann joined Dean Minors at the wicket and the pair put on a partnership of 54 for the eighth wicket to see Bermuda home with an over to spare.

Minors put on a valiant match high 46 not out, scoring five fours and a six, to keep the scores ticking over. Cann also kept up the tempo and finished not out on 42.

The best bowler for Canada was skipper John Davison with figures of three for 18 from a maximum nine over, but his effort was not enough to keep his team's chances of a final berth alive.

Codrington was the Canadian batsman most responsible for the match being as close a contest as it was. He steadied the innings at the end, sharing in partnerships of 30 and 36 with Kevin Sandher (9) and Henry Osinde (11 not out) respectively to see his team through their allotted 49 overs, after rain a rain delay saw the innings reduced by one over.

In the end it was not enough, though, and the resolute pair of Minors and Cann made sure Gus Logie's men had the edge.