The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas men’s national cricket team returned home from the International Cricket Club’s T20 World Cup Sub Regional Qualifier in Bermuda over the weekend with a second-place finish and a berth in the second round.

Host Bermuda won the title with a 2-0 win-loss record, while The Bahamas was 2-1 - the same identical record as Panama who got third. Belize was fourth at 1-2 and Brazil came in last at 0-3.  All of the teams, with the exception of Brazil, were awarded a point on their ledger. The team, coached by Andy Moles, included Turan Brown as captain, Gregory Taylor II as vice captain, Marc Taylor, Julio Jemison, Festus Benn, Everett Haven, Ricardo Patten, Renford Davison, Jonathan Barry, Shawn Fowler, Keith Burrows, Akash Gulati, Orville Howell and Ahil Amburose.

Bahamas Cricket Association president Greg Taylor Sr said there was a change in the fixture with The Bahamas originally scheduled to play Bermuda in the last game on June 27.

Instead, The Bahamas had to play Bermuda on the first day of competition on Saturday, June 20. "It rained all day. The teams were in place, but we couldn't get any games on that day," Taylor Sr said. "Therefore, the four teams scheduled to play that day got a point each. "But the team performed very well. We had outstanding performances from just about everybody."

Taylor Sr singled out the efforts from Turan Brown, who in his first try as the team captain, made it to the next round.

Brown was named Man of the Game in The Bahamas' victory over Belize and Marc Taylor got the other one for the win over Brazil.

Against Panama, Taylor Sr said it seemed like everytime they didn't play up to standard, they (Team Bahamas) got beat. "That's the second time in 24 years that Panama has beaten us."

With that being their only loss, The Bahamas qualified for the second round of the T20 World Cup Sub Regional Qualifier early next year to determine who goes to the World Cup in 2028.

"We have a good chance of doing that," Taylor Sr said.

"We have another tournament coming up in September at the North America Championships, so that should keep us going and in shape."

With the team just returning home, Taylor Sr said they intend to take a couple of weeks off before coach Moles gets the players back on The Bahamas Cricket Club’s pitch to start preparing for the tournament.