Suriname take revenge on Bermuda but face relegation

INDIANAPOLIS, United States (CMC) – Suriname avenged a crushing mid-week defeat by turning the tables on Bermuda on the final day of the four-nation ICC Americas Division One Twenty20 qualifying tournament at Indianapolis World Sports Park on Saturday. Suriname won by seven wickets with an over to spare as both teams finished with a 1-5 record.
It was the second time Suriname have upset Bermuda in the past two years, having defeated them by five wickets in a Division One T20 match in Florida in March 2013.
But victory on Saturday could not prevent Suriname from facing relegation back to Division Two because of a far inferior run rate to Bermuda’s.
Tournament winners Canada, meanwhile, completed a 6-0 clean sweep by beating United States (4-2) by 23 runs in the day’s second match.
Having chosen to bat first, Bermuda lost Dion Stovell in the second over for two before David Hemp (28) and Tre Manders (21) steadied the ship by adding 52 for the second wicket.
Muneshwar Patandin dented Bermuda’s hopes when he had Hemp stumped by wicketkeeper Khemraj Jaikaran standing up to the medium pacer.
Two balls later Manders fell to Patandin (2-18) and Bermuda never found any momentum, closing on 99 for seven, as slow bowler Wasim Akram Haslim, later named man-of-the-match, shackled them with three for 15.
He then turned the screws on Bermuda, who bundled out Suriname for 55 on Tuesday, by adding 60 for the first wicket.
Bermuda captain Janeiro Tucker had a hand in all three Suriname wickets to fall, having Patandin caught for 21 in the 12th over, running-out Haslim for 39 and then bowling Gavin Singh for a duck with his gentle medium pacers.
That left Suriname 68 for three, midway the 14th over but their batsmen held their nerves. With the scores level captain Mohindra Boodram lofted a six down the ground off the last ball of the 19th over. Boodram finished unbeaten on 26, having added 35 for the fourth wicket with Shazam Ramjohn.
Opener Ruvindu Gunasekera played a starring role in Canada’s second victory of the week over the U.S., hitting three sixes and a four in his 48-ball 54 and adding 60 for the second wicket with Nitish Kumar (25) as their innings closed on 127 for six.
Leg-spinner Timil Patel, who removed man-of-the-match Gunasekera at the end of the 16th over, finished with three for 20.
The U.S. lost openers Steven Taylor for 18 and Fahad Babar for 33 and never threatened to challenge Canada, closing on 104 for eight, as Jimmy Hansra and Nikhil Dutta picked up two wickets apiece.