Leverock still going strong

	Dwayne Leverock: 'My body will tell me when it's time to give up but that time is not now' © AFP

Dwayne Leverock turns 37 next Monday, but he has no plans to quit in the near future. His recent 10-wicket haul against Canada shows how vital he is to Bermuda's cause and they will once again be looking towards him during the Intercontinental Cup clash against Scotland, which starts in Hamilton on Thursday.

"We have been playing very well in the past few weeks and we're definitely moving in the right direction," said Leverock. "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 added. "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."

He claimed 10 for 129 at King City, the second 10-wicket match haul of his career, and he picks out patience, hard work and experience as the three key reasons to his success.

"It's about being able to assess the wicket and the batsman and being able to exploit flaws in each," he said. "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."

The victory against Canada breathed new life into Bermuda's campaign. They remain bottom of the table and are out of the equation for a top two finish and a place in the final, but they are now level with Canada on 26 points and only 22 points behind the fourth-placed Netherlands.

Leverock is hoping a big crowd will come out to support the national side for the game against Scotland, particularly because it is the first time an 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," he said. "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."