Guyanese Montfort helps spin Canada HP to victory

Guyanese off-spinner Mark Montfort claimed five wickets as a Canada High Performance XI beat Bermuda by two wickets in their opening tour match at Maple Leaf Cricket Club, Canada.

Montfort’s five for 34 from 9.3 overs helped dismiss Bermuda for 228 inside 45 overs before an unbeaten 119 from 120 balls by their Sri Lankan-born captain Srimantha Wijeratne guided the home side to victory with seven overs to spare.

All-rounder Kamau Leverock was unlucky to be on the losing side after taking the batting and bowling honours for the visitors, following up his 63-ball 70 at number six with four for 38 from eight overs.

A left-handed batsman who bowls right-arm fast medium, Leverock, 21-year-old nephew of burly former Bermuda slow bowler Dwayne Leverock, featured in a fifth-wicket stand of 102 with vice-captain Dion Stovell (54) and then reduced Canada to 49 for four before Wijeratne, batting at number five, took control.

Wijeratne found a useful partner in Varun Sehdev, who earlier took three for 25, as the pair added 88 for the fifth wicket.

Bermuda, who will face the same opponents at the same venue on Saturday before taking on Mississauga Ramblers on Tuesday and a Canada select team next Wednesday, are using the tour to prepare for an ICC World Cricket League Division Four tournament to be held in Los Angeles between October 27 and November 4. Bermuda’s opponents will be the United States, Denmark, Oman and Italy.

Summarised scores

Bermuda 228 in 44.3 overs (Kamau Leverock 70, Dion Stovell 54; Mark Montfort 5-34, Varun Sehdev 3-25), Canada High Performance XI 230-8 in 43 overs (Srimantha Wijeratne 119 not out; Kamau Leverock 4-38, Greg Maybury 2-52). (CMC)