Dubai , 9 July 2008
Patience, hard work and experience are the three things Bermuda ’s Dwayne Leverock rates as the most valuable arrows in his quiver. The left-arm spinner took 10 wickets as he bowled his side to victory against Canada at King City , Ontario on Tuesday.
Although he will turn 37 next Monday, the big prison officer is still the go-to guy for captain Irving Romaine and is probably bowling better now than at any other time in his career.
“A lot of what I do is about patience,” said Leverock as he prepared for the ICC Intercontinental Cup match against Scotland at the National Stadium, Hamilton, which starts on Thursday.
“It’s about being able to assess the wicket and the batsman and being able to exploit flaws in each. I like to vary my length just ever so slightly so that the batsman plays the wrong shot without knowing it. A little up, a little back, I have a look at the pitch and work out what it can do for me,” said Leverock.
In the second innings of the game against Canada , Leverock took 5-60 to help skittle the home side for 151, earning the visitors a 106-run win, Bermuda ’s first in the latest staging of this tournament.
Leverock’s haul also gave him match figures of 10-129, the second 10-wicket haul of his career following on from the 11-72 he captured against the Cayman Islands in August 2005. He also made a vital 29 not out in Bermuda ’s second innings to help turn the tide in his side’s favour and was deservedly named man of the match.
The win has breathed new life in Bermuda ’s campaign. It remains bottom of the table and is out of the equation for a top two finish and a place in the final but it is now level with Canada on 26 points and only 22 points behind the fourth-placed Netherlands .
“We have been playing very well in the past few weeks and we’re definitely moving in the right direction,” he said.
“There are a lot of good young players coming through now but also there are a few of us older guys around to show them the ropes. I want to teach them the value of hard work. It doesn’t come easily and if you want it, you really have to work for it. I think the young guys realise that and we have a good gel in the team,” he said.
“I am not finished playing this game yet. I feel I still have a lot to offer the team. My body will tell me when it’s time to give up but that time is not now.”
Leverock is expecting a big crowd to come out to support the national side for the game against Scotland , particularly because it is the first time an ICC Intercontinental Cup match has been staged in the country since July 2004.
“I am just concentrating on my preparations for the match – that is what I am working towards – but I hope there will be a big crowd out to support us. There is no reason why we can’t get 6,000-8,000 people there to watch at the weekend. It could be a great atmosphere,” he said.
ICC Intercontinental Cup table (as of 9 July)
P W L D Pts
Namibia 5 5 0 0 82
Kenya 4 3 1 0 66
Ireland 3 2 0 1 49
Netherlands 5 3 2 0 48
Scotland 4 1 1 2 32
UAE 7 1 5 1 29
Canada 5 1 4 0 26
Bermuda 5 1 4 0 26
Six points for first innings lead
14 points for a win (so, maximum of 20 points per match)
Three points for a draw
Top two sides qualify for the final at a venue to be confirmed
Upcoming matches:
9 (today) – 12 July – Netherlands v Ireland
10 – 13 July – Bermuda v Scotland
16 – 19 July – Canada v Scotland
The ICC Intercontinental Cup has quickly grown in stature and profile since its inception three years ago and now the ICC’s premier first-class tournament is an integral part of the Associate Members’ cricket schedule.
Having previously been designed around a two-group, three-day format, the event has evolved into an eight-team, round-robin and truly global tournament featuring four-day cricket which gives those teams who do not play Test cricket the chance to experience the longer form of the game.
Scotland won the first ICC Intercontinental Cup in 2004, beating Canada in the final, while Ireland has been victorious in both events since then, beating Kenya in the 2005 decider and Canada in the 2006-07 event.
The final of the ICC Intercontinental Cup 2007-08 will take place in November 2008 at a venue yet to be confirmed.
ICC MEDIA RELEASE
Custom Search