I am waiting for my son to represent the country

Port of Spain, Mar 17 (UNI) Bermuda despite getting a pasting from Sri Lanka in their opening Cricket World Cup have not given up saying "we are here to play and enjoy".

Bermuda players and their families along with supporters are having a rocking time here. "We have qualified for the World Cup, we are not here on any body's charity" said Bermuda fans.

It is not every day that a nation of 60,000 gets to play in any event at the world level, and as skipper Irving Romaine said disarmingly after opening game, "It's special just to be here and mixing with all the cricketing world's stars." Along with the team, there is a group of supporters who have travelled here to watch their lads in action. Among them is Karen Lottimore, mother of opening batsman Stephen Outerbridge. Although the 24-yearold did not get to play in the Sri Lanka game, Karen's certain he will get his moment in the sun against India.

"That's my baby," she says, proudly pointing to Stephen's biography in the team handbook. "He just loves cricket. Even as a two year old, he would wear a cricket cap and drag his bat around the house, making sounds like he was hitting the ball." Today, Stephen is a qualified Level 2 coach after a stint with the International Cricket Council's Winter Training Camp in 2005 and studies Sport and Exercise Science at Cardiff UCCF in Wales. "I used to go out in the backyard and play with my boys. Stephen followed his elder brother, who also plays cricket but my younger boy was better.

"I was their first coach," she adds grinning. "They couldn't get me out. I used to slap the ball all around the yard and sometimes out of it too." Cricket in Bermuda goes back a long way, says Karen and has a Cup competition between the island nation's three parishes that is the top level of competition. Her father died when she was just six, but he played the game too. "From what I hear of my father, he was a good cricketer and my boys have got it from him, I guess," she says smiling.

So who is her favourite cricketer? "After my son, Brian Lara.

And I just love the West Indies team. Stephen is a huge fan of Brian too." "I do watch Indians and there are lot of support for India in Bermuda, Sachin is very popular but my support will always be for the West Indies," she added.

UNI