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February 9, 2010
Netherlands ease to six-wicket win
Posted
57 minutes ago in Netherlands
Netherlands 146 for 4 (Zuiderent 43*, Kervezee 39) beat Canada 142 for 7 (Billcliff 37, Seelaar 2-18) by six wickets
Scorecard
Netherlands began their campaign at the World Twenty20 Qualifiers with a six-wicket win over Canada at the Dubai International stadium. Netherland's batting echoed their strong allround bowling performance, as Bas Zuiderent built on a solid 57-run opening partnership to guide his side home in the 20th over with an unbeaten 43.
Canada soon had reason to rue their decision to bat first this afternoon, as John Davison drove Edgar Schiferli uppishly and into the hands of a diving Tom de Grooth at cover in the first over. Rizwan Cheema then edged Mudassar Bukhari onto his own helmet attempting a pull and was forced to retire injured.
After these early setbacks, Hiral Patel - the 18-year-old batsman whose unbeaten 88 powered Canada's win over Ireland in the Associates T20 Series prior to this tournament - combined well with Geoff Barnett, adding 60 in quick time to steady the Canadian innings. Barnett, who was particularly strong off the front foot today, opened his innings with three fours off Schiferli and dominated the partnership with some aggressive strokeplay.
Barnett was unafraid to loft anything pitched up to him over the off side, but ultimately paid the price for his confidence as he picked out de Grooth on the cover boundary off the left-arm spin of Pieter Seelaar. Patel fell in the very next over to a stunning catch by Daan van Bunge off his own bowling, but Ian Billcliff carried on the momentum with a belligerent 37 on Twenty20 debut. Canada's innings fizzled out after his dismissal, and they will have been disappointed to have scored only 142 after an enterprising effort from their middle order.
Alexei Kervezee and Eric Szwarczynski smashed six boundaries between them in the first 13 balls of Netherlands' chase, and had raced to 50 in the first five overs before Khurram Chohan clung on to a chance at mid off to get rid of Szwarczynski. Kervezee then failed to pick up John Davison's doosra and was neatly stumped by Bagai, but with the required run rate under a run-a-ball, Zuiderent and Peter Borren had time to play themselves in.
After Borren's run out, Ryan ten Doeschate gave Zuiderent admirable support with a breezy 17, and though he fell off the final ball of the penultimate over, Zuiderent sealed the win by lofting a full toss from Chohan to the long off boundary. After a day of upsets in which USA and UAE prevailed in their games against more experienced opposition, the result here was the expected one and Netherlands will take some confidence into their fixture tomorrow.
Comments (0) | Netherlands
Batsmen lead UAE to victory
Posted
4 hours, 45 minutes ago in UAE
UAE 165 for 5 (Haider 59, Onyango 2-32) beat Kenya 150 for 5 (Obuya 42, Raza 2-15) by 15 runs
Scorecard
The UAE batsmen continued a day of upsets at the World Twenty20 Qualifiers, by setting up an unlikely victory against Kenya in Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi.
Following on from USA's victory over Scotland and Ireland's defeat to Afghanistan, the home captain Khurram Khan won the toss and chose to bat. On a flat pitch the openers made light work of the Kenyan bowlers, coasting to 35 inside four overs before Mohammad Iqbal was defeated by Lameck Onyango for 20. Wicketkeeper Abdul Rehman fell soon after to the medium-pace of youngster Nelson Odhiambo. It brought Saqib Ali to join Arfan Haider at the crease and the two calmly put on 61 in eight overs for the third wicket. Left-hander Haider flayed five fours and two sixes on his way to 59, his first Twenty20 International fifty before he was eventually dismissed by the impressive Nelson Odhiambo, caught by Hiren Varaiya.
With the total at 103 for 2 off 13 overs, his dismissal could have sparked a Kenyan revival. Instead Khan came out and clubbed four boundaries from his 19 balls, sharing a 41-run stand in 25 balls with Ali. They fell in quick succession to leave UAE 144 for 5 with 11 balls to go. Naeemuddin Aslam and Shadeep Silva scampered 21 runs to leave UAE with a competitive 165.
Given the form of their top-order in the recent matches, Kenya would have fancied their chances of chasing down the total against an inexperienced team but dangerous opener David Obuya couldn't get away as he was caught by Qasim Zubair off Qadar Nawaz for 2 in the second over.
Steve Tikilo, one of the most gifted and experienced batsmen in Associate cricket, then looked to arrest the momentum stroking four quick boundaries. Having raced to 25 from 18 balls he was trapped lbw to Silva's left-arm spin. Silva struck again in his next over, removing Alex Obanda in the same fashion for 13, to leave Kenya facing a daunting 116 from 11.5 overs.
Captain Maurice Ouma and Collins Obuya did their best in a 69-run partnership for the fourth wicket, but couldn't score at the rate required. Given the situation they were strangely becalmed and by the time Ouma was dismissed for 39 by Ahmed Raza in the 18th over 47 runs were still needed. Jimmy Kamande and Collins Obuya upped the scoring rate but it wasn't to be. Kenya finished 15 runs short to give hosts UAE a chance of causing a major upset and progressing to their first global tournament since the 1996 World Cup.
Comments (0) | UAE
Allround Nabi scripts Afghanistan win
Posted
6 hours, 5 minutes ago in Afghanistan
Afghanistan 139 for 8 (Nabi 43*, Johnston 2-18) beat Ireland 126 all out (Porterfield 35, Sadiq 3-17) by 13 runs
Scorecard
Mohammad Nabi produced a magnificent allround display to continue Afghanistan's fairytale rise in international cricket with victory over Ireland, in a gripping match at the World Twenty20 Qualifier in Dubai.
In a fluctuating contest, neither side were separated for long until Afghanistan surged to victory with glut of quick wickets at the end. The day began with William Porterfield winning the toss and inserting Afghanistan on a lively pitch in the International Stadium. Trent Johntson, Ireland's evergreen opening bowler, made the most of the bounce available, getting his side off to an ideal start with two quick wickets. Karim Sadiq was bowled in Jonhston's first over before Shafiqullah, lashed out after a couple of dot balls to be caught smartly by John Mooney.
It could have been worse for Afghanistan as a number of chances were spilled before Noor Ali and wicketkeeper Mohammad Shahzad steadied things with a 47-run third-wicket stand in just under seven overs. At 57 for 2 at the half-way stage the foundations had been laid for a decent total but Shahzad was run out by Mooney for 12 before Ali fell soon after. He was dismissed by a full-length diving catch by Paul Stirling as he tried to flick Andre Botha into the leg side. It left Afghanistan reeling at 69 for 4 with just over seven overs to go.
Nabi immediately arrested the momentum with successive sixes off young left-arm spinner George Dockrell, which was followed by another captain Nowroz Mangal. Though Mangal was stumped the next ball, trying to repeat another heave, the damage had been done with 23-runs from the over. As wickets tumbled around him, Nabi's blend of quick running and occasional boundary swiping lifted the total to 139 and he finished unbeaten on 43 from 25 balls.
As a captain opening the innings, Porterfield had an important role in calming the nerves and setting the tone for the run chase. With a four in the first over and successive, massive sixes over midwicket off Shapoor Zadran in the third, he got off to a flyer. Zadran held his nerve, however, and removed Niall O'Brien off the final ball of the third over. Having already taken 14 from the first five legal deliveries, there was no need for O'Brien to try and smite another boundary, it proved his undoing as he was caught by Ali for 2.
Stirling, Ireland's most promising young player, joined his captain as the two calmly lifted the total to 49 off just six overs. At that stage Ireland looked like they could coast home but Sadiq made up for his earlier disappointment with the bat with a crucial double-strike in the seventh over. First Porterfield was bowled by a sharply-spinning offbeak and then Andre Botha was bowled through that gate from one that came back at him for a duck. Kevin O'Brien and Stirling soon followed as Afghanistan took charge to leave Ireland at 98 for 7, still 41 needed from 33 balls.
Johnston and Mooney then wrestled back some of the momentum, putting on 27 in four overs to keep Ireland in the hunt, before Johnston holed out off a full toss from Nabi to leave Ireland needing 14 from the final six balls. They didn't get close as Hamid Hasan ran out Peter Connell from the first ball and castled Mooney off the second to secure Afghanistan a sensational start in their quest to reach a global tournament.
Speaking after the game Porterfield was very disappointed with the way his side, fancied before the tournament, imploded today. "We lost it all round really. I don't think we deserved anything from the game, the way we went at it," he said.
"We didn't bowl badly but we probably gave them 20 or 30 runs with the amount of dropped catches. But even walking off the field, I would have taken 140, I wasn't too disappointed to be chasing that. Just the way we went about it with the bat wasn't good enough. The way we've been preparing for the last two weeks has been nowhere near that standard, and it wasn't good enough."
Comments (1) | Afghanistan
Carl Wright leads USA to victory
Posted
8 hours, 5 minutes ago in USA
USA 121 for 4 (Wright 62, Cush 41) beat Scotland 120 for 7 (Hamilton 41, Darlington 2-19, Dhaniram 1-12) by six wickets
Scorecard
A 97-run partnership between Carl Wright and Lennox Cush helped USA to an unexpected six-wicket victory over Scotland in the opening game of the World Twenty20 Qualifiers at Abu Dhabi.
Coming together after the early loss of Sushil Nadkarni, the pair compiled their runs at better than a run-a-ball to guide USA to within striking distance of victory. Wright struck eight fours on the way to a 57-ball 62, and Cush was no less enterprising, with three fours and a six in his 41.
Wright's dismissal, trapped lbw by Jan Stander with victory in sight, sparked a mini collapse as three wickets fell for no runs. Cush picked out Richie Berrington off Ryan Watson's medium pace, and Timroy Allen - the hero of USA's thrilling one-wicket win over UAE in the warm-ups - fell without scoring as USA slipped to 114 for 4. But Sudesh Dhaniram and captain Steve Massiah played a calm hand to ensure no further blips, sealing the win off the first ball of the 20th over.
Though Wright thoroughly deserved the Man-of-the-Match award for his match-winning half-century, the victory was set up by a solid team effort from USA's bowlers, who took the pressure off their batsmen by pegging Scotland back.
Usman Shuja began in superb fashion, getting rid of the dangerous Kyle Coetzer with his second ball. Orlando Baker then bowled Navdeep Poonia before he could get going, and Rashard Marshall and Wright combined to run out Fraser Watts and reduce Scotland to 42 for 3 in the ninth over.
Dhaniram kept the reins on the middle order with an extremely frugal spell, conceding just 12 runs in his four overs and picking up the vital wicket of Gavin Hamilton for 41. Stander's bright cameo lifted Scotland's score in the closing overs, but a target of 121 was never going to be a stern test, even for USA's brittle top order.
Comments (2) | USA
Keith Dutch to lead MCC in UAE and Oman
Posted
8 hours, 12 minutes ago in MCC
Keith Dutch, the former Middlesex and Gloucestershire offspinner, will captain a young Marylebone Cricket Club team on its tour of United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman starting on February 20.
The team also includes former England A and Gloucestershire player Kadeer Ali on the tour, which is a mixture of 50 over and Twenty20 matches against the UAE and Oman national teams and UAE club teams.
MCC squad: Keith Dutch (Capt.) (Middlesex, Somerset), Tom Allin (Cardiff MCCU), Adnan Akram (Essex), Arfan Akram (Essex), David Balcolmbe (Hampshire), Eddie Ballard (Cambridge MCCU), Gregg Brown (Bath CC), Kadeer Ali (Gloucestershire), Will Gidman (MCC Young Cricketers, Durham), Luke Jarvis (East Bierley CC), Richard King (Loughborough/Northamptonshire), Steve Snell (wk) (Gloucestershire), Jonathon Wightman (Durham MCCU, South Northumberland CC); Tim Robinson (Nottinghamshire & First Class Umpire)
Itinerary: February 20 v Emirates Palace Gentlemen (Twenty20) (Abu Dhabi); February 21 (day/night) v Abu Dhabi XI (50 overs) (Abu Dhabi); February 23 v United Arab Emirates (50 overs) (Abu Dhabi); February 25 v Sharjah XI (50 overs) (Sharjah); February 27 v Fly Emirates (50 overs) (Dubai); February 28 v Oman (Twenty20) (Muscat); March 1 v Oman (50 overs) (Muscat)
Comments (2) | MCC
Hamid Hassan blog - I can't wait for the action to begin
Posted
8 hours, 28 minutes ago in Afghanistan
Hamid Hassan
We are very excited ahead of the World Twenty20 Qualifier after a very good tour of Sri Lanka, where, even though we didn’t win every game, we played well in some of our matches.
Nobody knows what will happen in Twenty20 cricket – we are just all determined to do our best and all contribute whether it is with the bat, the ball or in the field. We were bitterly disappointed to miss out on qualification for next year’s 50-over World Cup, even though we did really well to progress through the World Cricket League, so people at home are really willing us to do well.
They want to watch us play on television in a big international tournament against the likes of England, India and South Africa. The Under-19 team had a chance to play on television during the Under-19 World Cup and the senior team wants to have a taste of the action as well.
We are a much more experienced team than when we played at the World Cup Qualifier last year. We owe a lot to our coach, Kabir Khan, and we have played so much cricket in the past year we feel more comfortable dealing with high pressure situations.
Our fielding has improved a lot compared to when we first played in the World Cricket League and our batting and bowling has developed as well.
I have always enjoyed playing Twenty20 cricket – it is a good challenge for a bowler and if I get the chance to bat I like hitting the ball a long way. I really enjoyed my innings at the ACC event last year when I hit 10 off the final two balls to win a match against the UAE.
The UAE is somewhere that I enjoy playing my cricket and I had a good record with the ball at the ACC Twenty20 last year. I like the wickets, I am used to the warm weather – it is similar to home – and I like spending time in Dubai. Our hotel is not very near any of the shops, but I would like to have a chance to go the shopping malls here if I can as I love to go shopping.
We are expecting to have lots of support, as there are lots of Afghan people living in the UAE, and lots of people came to watch us at the ACC event. I know that my hero, Andrew Flintoff, lives in Dubai and it would be my dream if he came to watch me play in one of the games this week and see me bowl. I have watched him play many times for England on the television, so it would be very special if he came to see me.
I am really looking forward to our first game. It will be a tough challenge on Tuesday against Ireland, who played very well to beat us in Sri Lanka, although some of our players were carrying injuries so perhaps we couldn’t fight as well as normal.
Even though we made a disappointing total, we made them work very hard for their runs, so we are still feeling confident for when we play them at Sports City. After all the preparation and warm-ups, I can’t wait for the action to begin.
Comments (17) | Afghanistan
Lalit Modi plans to bring Twenty20 to USA
Posted
8 hours, 48 minutes ago in USA
Lalit Modi, the IPL chairman, has confirmed plans to stage tournaments outside India, and is keen on staging events in the US.
The second season of the IPL, in 2009, was forced to move from India to South Africa because of security concerns but the success of the tournament has persuaded League chiefs to explore other opportunities.
"There are plans in the works to hold IPL matches overseas and we hope to be able to provide fans all around the world with the live IPL cricketing carnival experience," said Modi. "We are looking at a shorter version of the league post the IPL seasons, which will help us take the game to the fans across the globe. Initially we are looking at markets which have large Indian and cricket loving populations such as USA, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Bangkok, Middle East, Canada and others."
"We will also host a few matches in the US in the next 18 months or so. My team have started examining venues and dates which may be available for this in the summer months. The duration for all these tournaments will be short and compact.
"Along with these markets, South Africa will undoubtedly be high on our priority list after seeing the astounding response we received during IPL season 2009. The remarkable success achieved there will obviously see us want to go back there soon."
Comments (0) | USA
February 7, 2010
Bahamas take Division 2 crown despite loss
Posted
2 days, 6 hours ago in World Cricket League Americas Division
Suriname 187 for 7 (Ramjohn 40, Baker 30, Seeraj 30) beat Bahamas 186 for 9 (Tappin 63, Weakley 36, Ramjohn 3-21) by three wickets
Panama 184 for 3 (Bhakta 54, Tarajia 50, Chohan 45) beat Turks & Caicos Islands 179 (Caesar 65, Ash 52, Tarajia 5-39) by five runs
The Bahamas captured the ICC Americas Division 2 title despite losing a thriller against Suriname on Saturday. Winning the toss, Suriname elected to field in a match reduced to 35 overs due to a wet ground. Bahamas started nervously, with memories of the previous Division 2 event, and crumbled to 19 for 4 after eight overs.
However, a 71-run fifth wicket stand between Ryan Tappin and Jon Barry (33), got the hosts back on track and helped them finish on 186 for 9.
Suriname lost an early wicket during their chase but steady contributions down the order meant the visitors overhauled the target with nine balls to spare.
It was the second instance when Suriname defeated Bahamas in the final game of a tournament. However, this time, Bahamas had a net run-rate that secured the title and promotion for the Division 1 tournament in Bermuda later this year.
In the second game at Windsor Park, Panama easily won over the Turks and Caicos Islands. Panama's skipper Irfan Tarajia capped off a brilliant tournament with an all-round effort. He captured 5 for 39 and then scored a classic 50 which included five fours and four sixes.
His efforts earned him the Man-of-the-Match award as Panama reached their target with seven wickets intact. For the Turks and Caicos, Rohan Ash and captain Ebbion Caesar led the way in getting them to 193 all out in the 39th over. During the reply, Tarajia was supported by Soyab Chohan and Nilesh Bhakta.
The Bahamas Cricket Association held a wonderful closing ceremony and presentation night for the visiting teams. Brazil, who finished last, had the honour of capturing three of the four individual awards. Bahamas will be promoted to the Division 1 tournament scheduled for Bermuda in May-June, while Brazil will be demoted to Division 3 and will to try to re-qualify for Division 2 next year.
Comments (0) | World Cricket League Americas Division
February 6, 2010
Bahamas close in on Division Two title
Posted
3 days, 7 hours ago in ICC Americas
Tony Munro
Bahamas 300 for 6 (Roye 74, Tappin 98, Taylor 38*; Patel 2 for 42, Tarajiya 2 for 70) beat Panama 195 (Chohan 46, Balbulta 27; Ekanyake 6 for 18, Roye 2 for 45) by 105 runs
Brazil 244 for 9 (Caisley 130, Lefevre 46; Saunders 2 for 22, Johnstone 2 for 33, Ash 2 for 41) lost to Turks & Caicos Islands 246 for 4 (Ash 97, Browne 104*; Hartmann 2 for 69 by 6 wickets
Bahamas took a giant stride towards winning the Americas Division Two title with a convincing 105-run win over Panama in the battle of the unbeaten teams in Nassau, Bahamas on Friday.
It now means Suriname must not only win the last day showdown against Bahamas, but win quickly, as must Panama who can theoretically win the tournament if they beat Turks & Caicos emphatically enough to dramatically lift their net run-rate.
The foundation for a large Bahamian total was laid by a 125-run partnership between Howard Roye and Ryan Tappin in 25 overs before Roye was out for 74 from 90 balls including 11 fours and a six. Tappin maintained the pace for Bahamas reaching 98 before he was bowled by allrounder Irfan Tarajiya. The intensity of the Bahamian hitting increased markedly as the last 14 overs produced 129 runs thanks in part to Gregory Taylor (38 from 21 balls including three fours and two sixes) and Narendra Ekanyake (18 from 19 balls).
Panama began their chase confidently hitting 78 runs from 10 overs before the introduction of slow left armer Ekanyake into the attack. He took six Panamanian wickets for just 18 runs in his 10 runs to snare the Man-of-the-Match award.
Continue reading "Bahamas close in on Division Two title"
Comments (1) | ICC Americas
February 4, 2010
Odhiambo's five set up another drubbing
Posted
5 days, 2 hours ago in
Kenya 126 for 0 (Obuya 65*, Tikolo 56*) beat Scotland 123 (Stander 45, Odhiambo 5-20) by 10 wickets
Nehemiah Odhiambo grabbed five wickets to trounce Scotland's top order and set up a reinvigorated Kenya's second 10-wicket victory of the Twenty20 tri-series in Nairobi. Scotland were bowled out three balls short of 20 overs, with Odhiambo taking 5 for 20 before David Obuya and Steve Tikolo once again made short work of the bowling attack to seal the win with more than five overs to spare.
Kenya's spinners have been their main weapon in this tournament, but today it was the seamers that did the damage. Odhiambo picked up both openers in his first spell after Kyle Coetzer and Ryan Watson had made a bright start. His namesake Nelson Odhiambo then bowled Fraser Watts before he had scored, and with Neil McCallum run out he then found the edge of Richie Berrington's bat as a surging Kenya reduced Scotland to 38 for 5.
Then came the fightback, with Gavin Hamilton and Jan Stander adding 65 in quick time to take Scotland past 100. Stander crashed three sixes on his way to 45 before he had his stumps clattered by Nehemiah, who repeated the act with his very next ball, bowling Gordon Drummond for his fifth wicket. After Majid Haq's run-out, Dewald Nel managed to clear the boundary once before he was dismissed in similar fashion to end Scotland's innings.
In a repeat of the last game between these two teams, Obuya and Tikolo charged out of the blocks at the start of the run chase with a masterful display of power hitting. While Nel and Berrington escaped largely unscathed, the rest of the bowlers were dealt with in brutal fashion, with Watson and Drummond coming in for particularly harsh treatment.
Scotland and Kenya meet again in only three days at the World Twenty20 Qualifiers in Dubai. Though they will no doubt face tougher opposition in Dubai, the scale of Kenya's dominance in this warm-up will be an ominous sign for the other teams at the tournament.
Comments (0) |
All-round Afghanistan clinch humdinger
Posted
5 days, 7 hours ago in Associates T20 Series
Afghanistan 143 for 5 (Sadiq 42, Nabi 23, Baidwan 3-23) beat Canada 140 for 6 (Bagai 56) by five wickets
It was another team effort from Afghanistan as they picked up their first win of the tournament, beating Canada by five wickets. It was still anybody's game when Afghanistan needed 36 off the final four overs, before Mohammad Nabi's cameo at No. 6 took them to the brink of victory, and a cool Samiullah Shenwari finished the job with a ball to spare.
Choosing to bat, Canada were propped up by a third-wicket stand of 63 between Abdool Samad and wicketkeeper-captain Ashish Bagai. Bagai went on to score 53 off 42 balls, hitting seven fours, as Canada finished on a disappointing total, given the recent high scores at the SSC.
Openers Karim Sadiq and Noor Ali, making his debut, ensured Afghanistan made a bright start, putting on 66 by the 10th over. But Canada fought back to take three wickets in three overs to reduce to Afghanistan to 105 for 4 in the 16th over. But three fours in Nabi's 12-ball 23 tilted the balance and it was left to captain Nowroz Mangal and Shenwari to see them home in a tight finish.
Comments (3) | Associates T20 Series
Suriname, Bahamas post thumping wins
Posted
5 days, 8 hours ago in World Cricket League Americas Division
Tony Munro
Suriname 384 for 5 (Singh 159, Sewanan 73, Vishram 47, Dudnath 31*; Hartmann 3-77) beat Brazil 220 for 6 (Caisley 45, Islam 27, Lefebvre 67*, Ramjohn 3-34) by 164 runs
Bahamas 363 for 4 (M Taylor 141, Barry 117, Weakley 40, Gilbert 2-62) beat Turks & Caicos Islands 173 for 4 (Ash 60, Browne 54*; Armstrong 2-35) by 190 runs
Three centuries highlighted an avalanche of runs as Suriname and Bahamas scored emphatic wins on day three of the Americas Division Two tournament in Nassau, Bahamas on Wednesday.
Over 1100 runs were scored as Suriname thrashed newcomers Brazil by 164 runs and Bahamas walloped Turks & Caicos Islands by 190 runs. Interestingly, the team batting first has won every game by at least 100 runs in the tournament so far.
Vishaul Singh's 159 off 118 balls was not only the highest individual score of the tournament, but a Surinamese record in non-Test limited-overs internationals. His innings included 20 fours and three sixes as he propelled Suriname to 387 for 5 in 50 overs. Singh combined with Raj Sewanan (73) in an opening partnership of 137 to set the platform. Rudyard Hartmann was Brazil's main wicket-taker with 3 for 77. Brazil replied in spirited fashion, despite captain Greigor Causley (45) being run out. Middle-order batsman Guilherme Lefebvre hit nine fours in his unbeaten 71-ball 67 which typified Brazil's fighting attitude. Shazam Ramjohn took 3 for 34 for Suriname but Singh picked up the Man-of-the-Match award.
There was even more big hitting in the other match on the artificial surface at Windsor Park as Bahamas left-hand opener Marc Taylor smashed 141 runs off just 88 balls. His innings included six fours and 11 sixes, but he had a like-minded ally in Jonathon Barry who hit 117 off 132 balls. Along the way, Barry struck 13 fours and two sixes as he combined with Taylor for a third-wicket partnership of 147, which lifted Bahamas to 363 for 4. Turks & Caicos opted to avoid embarrassment and bat out their 50 overs, compiling 173 for 4 thanks to 60 from Rohan Ash and Douglas Browne's unbeaten 54.
Meanwhile, Panama enjoyed a bye and following Thursday's general rest day, they should be fresh for its crucial encounter on Friday with the other unbeaten team, Bahamas. Last place should be decided as well with Turks & Caicos facing Brazil.
Comments (0) | World Cricket League Americas Division
February 3, 2010
Afghanistan prepare for USA fixture
Posted
6 days, 3 hours ago in Afghanistan
As the Associate nations prepare for the World Twenty20 Qualifier tournament, which begins February 9 in the UAE, there is one fixture in Group A that jumps out at you. In perhaps the most intriguing sporting event of recent times, USA will face Afghanistan.
It's a match that will reverberate beyond the cricketing world as people try to imbue it with a progressive significance. Amidst all kinds of domestic turmoil Afghanistan have risen rapidly to become one of the best Associate nations and they will be desperate to secure a berth in the main World Twenty20, which takes place in West Indies in April.
They were within a whisker of qualifying for the 50-over World Cup last year and have impressed in the Intercontinental Cup, beating defending champions Ireland and the Netherlands.
Continue reading "Afghanistan prepare for USA fixture"
Comments (0) | Afghanistan
Easy wins for Panama and Suriname
Posted
6 days, 9 hours ago in World Cricket League Americas Division
Panama remained undefeated with an easy 111-run win over Brazil on the second day of the Pepsi ICC Americas Division 2 at Windsor Park. Panama elected to bat and after losing their openers on 26, the captain Irfan Tarajia and Soyab Chohan added some stability with a stand of 56. Rajesh Ahir then smashed 79 off 69 balls, with good support from Munaf Kachhalia (41) as Panama posted 291. Rudyard Hartmann had another good day with the ball capturing 3 for 57 while Ravindra Chanchlani took 3 for 36.
Brazil got off to a good start, with their openers Greigor Caisley (49) and Guilherme Lefèvre (28) adding 73. Deodat Randolph top scored with an unbeaten 64 at No.4, but the rest failed to reach double figures as Brazil was dismissed for 180 in the 39th over. Nilesh Bhakta was Panama's best bowler with 3 for 26.
In the other match at Haynes Oval, Suriname breezed past Turks & Caicos Islands with a 109-run victory. Suriname wicketkeeper Anthony Seeraj top scored with an unbeaten 49 to guide them to 263. While there were no large scores, eight batsmen reached double figures.
Turks & Caicos lost wickets at regular intervals and were bowled out for 154 in the 35th over. Opener Errion Charles smashed ten fours in his 70, the top score of the innings. Terbhawan Ranjit captured 6 for 41 in 7.2 overs and not surprisingly, was named the Man of the Match for his efforts.
The third day of the tournament will see Brazil playing Suriname at the Haynes Oval, while Turks & Caicos takes on the home side Bahamas at Windsor Park.
Panama 291 (Tarajiya 47, R Ahir 79, Kachhalia 41, Chanchlani 3-36, Hartmann 3-57, Islam 2-69) beat Brazil 180 (Caisley 49, Lefevre 28, Randolph 64*, Bhakta 3-26, Chohan 1-13, Kachhalia 1-14, Vhora 1-18) by 111 runs
Suriname 263 (Sewanan 35, Patrick 30, Gokoel 31, Seeraj 49*, Doughty 2-20, Saunders 2-29, Gilbert 2-53, Brown 2-59) beat Turks & Caicos Islands 154 (Charles 70; Ranjit 6-41, Dudnath 2-22, Gokoel 1-30, Baker 1-42)
Comments (0) | World Cricket League Americas Division
February 2, 2010
Panama and Bahamas coast to victory
Posted
1 week ago in World Cricket League Americas Division
Panama 303 (Bhakta 48, Tarajiya 47, Chohan 69; Singh 3-35) beat Suriname 181 (Sewanan 31, Amir 4-28) by 122 runs.
Bahamas 304 (Peters 62, Taylor 40, Tappin 40, Hartman 4 for 57) beat Brazil 112 (Caisley 26, Ekanayake 3-44) by 192 runs.
Expectations of a classic final in the Pepsi ICC Americas Division 2 Championship between Suriname and Bahamas took a sudden change with Suriname going down to a convincing defeat at the hands of Panama on day one of the event. It was the third Americas tournament in a row Panama has beaten Suriname.
Panama won the toss and decided to bat on the artificial surface of Windsor Park. A solid opening partnership of 121 between Nilesh Bhakta (48) and Imran Bulbuia set the stage for a large target. The opening stand was followed by useful contributions from Irfan Tarajia (47) and skipper Soyab Chohan (69) as Panama reached a respectable innings of 303 in its 50 overs. Vishaul Singh remained the most successful bowler for Suriname taking 3-35 in six overs.
The defending champions started their reply in a confident manner with openers Vishaul Singh and Deraj Sewanan putting on 61 in ten overs, but when Singh was dismissed, the rest of the batting line up showed little resistance and it was dismissed for 181 all out in the 40th over. Panama's Sailesh Amir was the pick of the bowlers taking 4-28. With its effective all-round performance on the first day, Panama now joins the Bahamas as the teams to watch for in the Championship.
On the turf wicket at the Haynes Oval, host Bahamas had an easy day against newly-promoted Brazil. The South Americans lost their captain Matt Featherstone to an injury prior to the tournament and it was very obvious his batting talent was sadly missed. Bahamas won the toss and elected to bat on a good strip.
Marc Taylor (40), Ryan Tappin (40) and Jon Barry (47) gave the home side a solid foundation but it was Albert Peters (62), batting at number eight, who entertained the crowd with seven fours and three sixes off 44 balls. Rudyard Hartman was Brazil's most successful bowler taking 4-57. Chasing a target of 305 was never going to be easy for Brazil and it was bowled out to 112 all out in the 33rd over. Greigor Caisley followed his tidy work behind the stumps with a useful 26 with the bat. The home side got a fine bowling performance from Narendra Ekanayake who took 3-44 in five overs.
The second day of the tournament will see Turks and Caicos play Suriname at the Haynes Oval, while Panama tackles Brazil at Windsor Park.
Comments (1) | World Cricket League Americas Division
February 1, 2010
Bahamas, Suriname eye Amercian Division Two honours
Posted
1 week, 1 day ago in World Cricket League Americas Division
Tony Munro
A place in the Americas Championships in Bermuda in May and boasting rights as the region's top Affiliate nation will be up for grabs when the Americas Division Two tournament starts on Monday. Hosts Bahamas and 2008 Division Two champion Suriname are expected to be the main contenders for the trip to Bermuda, in what will be a continuation of the rivalry from the previous tournament.
Suriname caused a shock when it inflicted a 148-run loss on the tournament favourites in 2008, snaring the Affiliates' spot at the Americas Championships in the process. The South Americans have retained the bulk of that squad, including 19-year-old allrounder Troy Dudnauth, who was player of the tournament. Dudnauth, who also took 5 for 21 against Bahamas, is one of the six Suriname-born players in the squad.
Continue reading "Bahamas, Suriname eye Amercian Division Two honours"
Comments (5) | World Cricket League Americas Division
January 31, 2010
Afghanistan prevail in rain-affected match
Posted
1 week, 2 days ago in Afghanistan
Afghanistan prevailed in a rain-affected game at Colombo, with Canada falling 8 runs behind the required Duckworth/Lewis score as they reached 96 for 2 in 12 overs. Afghanistan's total of 185 for 5 was thanks largely to the efforts of Karim Sadiq, who top-scored with 67 on Twenty20 debut before two powerful cameos by captain Nowroz Mangal and Mohammad Shahzad boosted Afghanistan's total.
Sadiq and Noor Ali got the better of Canada's bowling attack in the first of the Afghan innings, cruising to 76 in the tenth over before Ali picked out Rizwan Cheema off Sunil Dhaniram's left-arm spin. Sadiq proceeded to his half-century, clearing the boundary twice along the way, but with almost seven overs remaining in the innings he fell to Khurram Chohan.
Chohan also accounted for Raees Ahmadzai before Mangal and Shahzad went ballistic, thrashing 44 runs in under three overs. Both were dismissed in consecutive overs, but by then the damage had been done and Canada faced the prospect of a stiff run chase.
Cheema, opening the batting with Trevin Bastiampillai, lofted five sixes in his 39 to set the pace of Canada's innings before he was trapped lbw by legspinner Samiullah Shenwari. With his dismissal Canada's innings lost momentum, however, and Abdool Samal and captain Ashish Bagai failed to hit a single boundary in their 27-run partnership. With 90 runs required off the final eight overs the match looked set for an explosive denouement, but the weather intervened to seal the result in Afghanistan's favour.
Comments (1) | Afghanistan
Scotland edge Uganda in thriller
Posted
1 week, 2 days ago in Kenya Twenty20 Tri-Series
The second game of the Kenya Twenty20 Tri-Series between Uganda and Scotland ended in dramatic fashion, with the scores tied before Jan Stander sealed a win for Scotland in the Super Over. Arthur Kyobe carried his bat in Uganda's run chase with an unbeaten 51, but Ryan Watson's last gasp dismissal of Dennis Tabby ensured the match went to the one-over eliminator.
Uganda recovered well from their mauling at the hands of Kenya in the first match of the series to restrict Scotland to 109 for 8. Tabby removed opener Fraser Watts and Kyle Coetzer in his opening spell, but Scotland still looked set for a decent total when they reached 66 for 3 in their first 10 overs.
They stumbled against Uganda's spin in the second half of their innings, however, with the 16-year-old Henry Ssenyondo picking up three wickets for just 20 runs. Frank Nsubuga showed his experience, stemming the flow of runs and picking up the important scalps of Gavin Hamilton and Watson, while Deusdedit Muhumuza's medium pace also proved frugal.
With his fellow opener Roger Mukasa falling in the first over, Kyobe played a lone hand for most of Uganda's innings. Captain Akbar Baig joined him to provide a brief spell of stability, but Ross Lyons and Majid Haq worked steadily through the Ugandan middle order before Ssenyondo and Kyobe swung the match back Uganda's way with the largest partnership of either innings. Their 44 took Uganda to 99 before Haq bowled Ssenyondo to spark panic in the Ugandan ranks.
With only 11 runs needed in four overs, Watson and Richie Berrington's nerveless death bowling got the better of Uganda's tail, and with Tabby dismissed off the final ball of the innings the match was taken into a Super Over. Haq kept Uganda to just six runs in their over before Stander sealed the result by smashing Nsubuga for a boundary with two balls to spare.
Comments (0) | Kenya Twenty20 Tri-Series
January 30, 2010
Spinners set up Kenyan rout
Posted
1 week, 2 days ago in Uganda
Scorecard
The Kenyan spinners made light work of a young Uganda line-up in the opening fixture of the Kenya tri-series Twenty20 tournament at the Gymkhana Club Ground in Nairobi. The event, which also features Scotland is an important warm-up for the Twenty20 Qualifier, staged in Dubai and Abu Dubai, which starts next month.
Continue reading "Spinners set up Kenyan rout"
Comments (2) | Uganda
January 29, 2010
Associates need big matches - Saini
Posted
1 week, 4 days ago in Canada
Ranjit Saini, Cricket Canada's interim president, has told Cricinfo the real solution to developing Associate countries was to get their sides to play against high-profile opposition.
"Sponsors want to be seen and we didn't have enough domestic TV and newspaper coverage to offer that. From our perspective, how do we get a Shahid Afridi or Sachin Tendulkar to Canada?"
In almost three years since the 2007 World Cup, Canada have only met a Full Member twice, both games coming against West Indies in August 2008.
Saini feels, given the competition with other countries as well, it's the responsibility of the ICC to ensure Associates get attractive fixtures. "Every country wants India to play, every country wants big players to play against them, but if the ICC and the Full Member nations sees value and want cricket in the smaller countries then a solution will have to be reached.
"If we don't get full member nations to play against us then we will continue to struggle."
Comments (2) | Canada
World Twenty20 Qualifier squads finalised
Posted
1 week, 4 days ago in Associates
The squads for the World Twenty20 Qualifier tournament in Dubai and Abu Dubai between February 9 and 15 have been announced.
The tournament will see 17 matches take place in the five days, played Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium and the Dubai International Cricket Stadium at Dubai Sports City, where the final will be staged.
Continue reading "World Twenty20 Qualifier squads finalised"
Comments (3) | Associates
Namibia join Zimbabwe Twenty20 Cup
Posted
1 week, 4 days ago in Namibia
Zimbabwe Cricket has invited Namibia to take part in its revamped Twenty20 competition.
Click here for more.
Comments (3) | Namibia
Insulin, supersonic flight and Twenty20
Posted
1 week, 4 days ago in Canada
We have all become used to the hyperbole of most press releases, but Cricket Canada's interim president Ranjit Saini raised the bar to a new level with a message to the media surrounding the streaming of a Twenty20 match between Canada and Sri Lanka A.
"We at Cricket Canada are now getting ready to move forward and take the leap of faith and welcome the entire cricket world to land and help us grow. We have created a complete world in itself. Canada is a global community and each one of you will feel at home."
And from there Saini really warmed to his task.
"We are a humble and confident society. Innovation and determination are our natural traits. We are a noble nation and a perfect society. We made the first supersonic aircraft of the world, invented insulin and are leaders in robotics. A natural resource rich country that leads peace missions around the globe."
Comments (0) | Canada
January 28, 2010
Nel and Lockhart seal Scotland win
Posted
1 week, 5 days ago in ICC Intercontinental Cup
Scotland raced to their second win of the 2009-10 Intercontinental Cup on the 4th day at Nairobi Gymkhana despite Maurice Ouma's battling century. Scotland made light work of their target, with Douglas Lockhart and Ewan Chalmers sealing an eight-wicket win just after lunch after Dewald Nel's maiden first-class five-for wrapped up the Kenyan tail.
Kenya began the morning session in a dire position, with a slim 73-run lead and only three wickets still standing. Ouma, on 106 overnight, continued in a positive vein while Elijah Otieno, who has no pretensions as a batsman, gave him admirable support at the other end. The pair added 31 runs in just over 15 overs before Otieno, who had survived for 71 balls, edged Nel through to wicketkeeper Simon Smith.
His dismissal broke Kenya's resistance, with Ouma falling in Nel's next over for a hard-fought 130 - his best effort in first-class cricket. James Ngoche, in his debut game for the national side, was dismissed soon after as Kenya folded for 323 to set Scotland a paltry 109 for victory.
An early wicket could have put some pressure on the Scottish side, but it was not to be as Lockhart and Kyle Coetzer eased to 70 before Ngoche found Coetzer's edge. Qasim Sheikh, the first innings centurion, was run out without scoring this time round, but with only 31 runs still needed the result was already all but sealed. The experienced Lockhart went to his half century, while Chalmers cracked four boundaries in his short innings to wrap the game up in the 33rd over.
This win takes Scotland to the top of the points table, six points clear of second-placed Afghanistan. They will now remain in Kenya for the one-day tri-series, with Uganda being the third participant, before heading to the United Arab Emirates for the World Twenty20 qualifiers in February.
Comments (0) | ICC Intercontinental Cup
Cricket Canada insists it will be ready to host 2012 Under-19 World Cup
Posted
1 week, 5 days ago in Canada
With the Under-19 World Cup reaching its climax, Ranjit Saini, Cricket Canada's interim president, has insisted his country will be ready to host the 2012 edition, despite concerns the country does not have the necessary 12 grounds demanded by the ICC.
In 2009 Kenya were controversially stripped of hosting rights to the 2010 Under-19 World Cup after the ICC claimed its grounds would not be ready in time. The decision caused anger in Kenya and claims the move owed more to commercial pressures than logistical ones.
At the moment Canada could face similar treatment, but Saini said that redevelopment will take place in time. "We have the necessary 12 grounds, but some need upgrading and we will be approaching the government for a grant. This will deliver the infrastructure upgrade that Canadian cricket needs. The city of Toronto has accepted it so we're confident. I think we have a good chance."
Comments (0) | Canada
Nepal WCL Division Five squad announced
Posted
1 week, 5 days ago in Nepal
Tony Munro
Nepal will be without two of its best batsmen, Paresh Lohani and Sharad Vesawkar, when it hosts the World Cricket League Division Five tournament next month.
Lohani, the 29-year-old opener, has made himself unavailable, while Vesawkar, a 21 year-old middle-order batsman, has been omitted due to what sources have described as ‘poor health and form’.
“I cannot attend the closed-camp training due to my personal reasons and I don’t think it’s fair to contend for a position in the national team without training,” Lohani was quoted in the Cricket Nepal website.
Vesawkar was the only player not retained from the squad which finished fifth at the Asian Cricket Council Twenty20 tournament in the United Arab Emirates after scoring 11 runs in his three innings.
The WCL Division Five will be played from February 20 to 27 and feature Fiji, Bahrain, Jersey, Nepal, Singapore and United States.
Nepal squad: Paras Khadka (capt.), Gyanendra Malla (vice-capt.), Binod Kumar Das,
Dipendra Chaudhary, Shakti Prasad Gauchan, Mahaboob Alam, Basant Regmi, Mahesh Kumar Chhetri, Naresh Bahadur Budhaayer, Binod Bhandari, Sanjam Regmi, Amrit Bhattarai, Anil Kumar Mandal, Rahul Kumar Vishwakarma.
Comments (8) | Nepal
Uganda fall agonisingly short
Posted
1 week, 5 days ago in Uganda
Tony Munro
Uganda were agonisingly close to scoring their first win of their four-match tour of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) but lost the second Twenty20 match to the home side by two runs in Dubai on Wednesday.
In the team for his slow left-armers, tailender Henry Ssenyondo faced the last ball from Qasim Zubair needing three to win, attempted to pull off good length delivery but missed and was bowled to hand UAE victory.
A win for Uganda had seemed likely when Frank Nsubuga (3 for 9) and Ronald Ssemanda (2 for 18) limited UAE to 112 for nine. Opener Arfan Haider (20) was his team's top scorer, as the hosts never got going.
In their reply, Uganda lost wickets at regular intervals but even when skipper Akbar Baig was run out for 12, leaving Uganda at 65 for five, they still only needed 48 balls from 54 balls. Benjamin Musoke (32) was driving the surge towards the target, but when he was bowled by Ahmed Raza, the last of the recognised batsmen was gone and Uganda were 96 for seven.
UAE 112 (Arfan Haider 20; Frank Nsubuga 3 for 9, Ronald Ssemanda 2 for 18)beat Uganda 110 (Benjamin Musoke 31) by two runs
Comments (0) | Uganda
January 27, 2010
UAE cruise to win over Uganda again
Posted
1 week, 6 days ago in UAE
Tony Munro
It was a new format, but the outcome was the same with United Arab Emirates (UAE) maintaining their superiority over Uganda, winning the first Twenty20 in Dubai on Tuesday by eight wickets.
Uganda rebounded from the early loss of captain Akbar Baig (3) thanks to experienced pair Roger Mukasa and Frank Nsubuga who put on 55 in eight overs before Mukasa (29 from 29 balls) was bowled by Fayyaz Ahmed leaving Uganda at 58 for 2.
Ahmed, the Gujarat-born slow left-armer, took the key top-order wickets of Mukasa, Arthur Kyobe and Frank Nsubuga to return 3 for 18 from his four overs. Veteran allrounder Benjamin Musoke chipped in with a breezy 22 from 16 balls which included two fours but received little support as Uganda finished on 119 for seven.
There was a brief hiccup in the UAE reply when young Ugandan fast bowler, Dennis Tabby, removed openers, Mohammad Iqbal and Arfan Haider (both for 11), reducing UAE to 24 for 2.
Haider's innings set the tone for the rest of his team; he hit a six and a four before he was dismissed. Saqib Ali and Khurram Khan continued in kind, smashing 96 runs in 12.1 overs to ease UAE home with 4.1 overs to spare. Along the way, Saqib struck three fours and a six while Khurram hit five fours.
The final game between the teams is a Twenty20 on Wednesday.
Uganda 119 for 7 (RG Mukasa 29, AS Kyobe 31, B Musoke 22; Fayyaz Ahmed 3 for 18, Qadir 2 for 29) lost to UAE 120 for 2 (Saqib 44*, Khurram 46*, D Tabby 2 for 10.
Comments (3) | UAE
January 26, 2010
Canada cricket reaches for the SkyDome
Posted
2 weeks ago in Canada
Cricket Canada has outlined ambitious plans to become a centre for staging international matches as part of a bid to raise the profile of the game, and a scheme for an indoor event features highly.
"We are working on investment in our infrastructure, money from government, and in addition we want some good international fixtures," Ranjit Saini, Cricket Canada's interim president, told Cricinfo. "We want to create a unique Canadian cricket event that people can look forward to every year.
"Annually we could have an event in the SkyDome [the Rogers Centre in Toronto], trying to create a mix of entertainment and cricket, that cricket lovers throughout the world can look forward to.
"It could be a sixes tournament like Hong Kong or could be Twenty20 as well, but we want to bring in an entertainment angle to it - perhaps with audience participation in some respect - but it's very early planning so that's all I'd want to say at this stage."
Canada has a difficult task attracting international cricket, not least because of the long winters when the country is covered in snow, but Saini felt that this could work to their advantage.
"We'd want something for the coming year. There are two proposals, one for summer and one for winter. My preference is for winter, because we're covered under snow and there could be real excitement with an indoor event, recognised throughout the world as a unique fixture."
Despite the ambitious idea, Saini is yet to make approaches to potential partners. "We haven't spoken to formally to any cricket board or TV company as yet, but we had an initial meeting with some interested parties in India on December 16."
Comments (0) | Canada
Uganda hold off spirited UAE
Posted
2 weeks ago in Uganda
Uganda held off a spirited bowling display from United Arab Emirates to ensure their match ended in a draw on the fourth day at Abu Dhabi. Arshad Ali's hundred, with able support from Saqib Ali's fluent 77, had allowed UAE to declare at 282 for 9 to set Uganda an unlikely target of 271 to chase in their second innings.
Amjad Javed, Qasim Zubair and Shoaib Sarwar then combined to reduce Uganda to 36 for 5 less than 20 overs into the innings, but Ronald Ssemanda and Frank Nsubuga's impregnable defences salvaged a draw.
Click here for the full report.
Comments (0) | Uganda
Ahmadzai inspires Afghanistan win
Posted
2 weeks ago in ICC Intercontinental Cup
Afghanistan pulled off their second win in the Intercontinental Cup, defeating defending champions Ireland by seven wickets to propel themselves to the top of the table.
Click here for the full story.
Comments (2) | ICC Intercontinental Cup
Canada start with a loss
Posted
2 weeks ago in Canada
Canada lost their opening match of their stay in Sri Lanka, going down by six wickets to a Sri Lanka A team who cruised to their target of 180 with almost 18 overs to spare.
Canada managed 175 for 9 in their 50 overs, and even that represented a recovery from 75 for 5. The Sri Lankans started briskly and never let up, Gihan Rupasinghe leading the way with an unbeaten 74.
Comments (1) | Canada
UAE draw first blood with thumping win
Posted
2 weeks ago in UAE
Tony Munro
UAE 50 for 1 (Arfan 29*, Iqbal 12) beat Uganda 49 (Ben Musoke 12, Nawaz 4-16, Amjad 2-23, Ahmed Raza 2-2) by nine wickets
United Arab Emirates (UAE) thrashed Uganda by nine wickets and with 44 overs to spare, in the first one-day match at the Sharjah Cricket Ground on Monday. Being put in, Uganda crumbled to 49 all out in 29.4 overs with allrounder Benjamin Musoke (12) the only batsman to reach double figures. Dubai-born bowler Amjad Javed caused early inroads removing experienced opener Roger Mukasa and captain Asad Baig to reduce Uganda to 10 for 2. Fellow opening bowler Qadar Nawaz, making his one-day debut, then capitalised to take 4 for 16 from 10 overs.
When UAE batted, another debutant made an impact as Arfan Haider belted 29 from 18 balls including thee fours and two sixes to propel UAE past Uganda's total in just six overs. Deusdedit Muhumza, in his first match for Uganda, took the consolation wicket of Mohammad Iqbal.
The two teams play the second match of the series in Dubai on Tuesday, with the last game scheduled the following day.
Comments (2) | UAE
January 23, 2010
Afghanistan, Nepal, Hong Kong target Asian Games
Posted
2 weeks, 3 days ago in Asian Games
Tony Munro
Afghanistan, Nepal and Hong Kong are the latest non-Test countries to indicate they will apply for inclusion in the cricket section of the Asian Games in Guangzhou in November.
Potential participants must apply to the Asian Cricket Council to take part in the men's and women's tournaments, to be played using the Twenty20 format.
India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are expected to field teams, although there is doubt their squads will be full strength. As the hosts, China are an automatic inclusion, while Japan had earlier said they will apply.
Eligibility is restricted to passport holders. The Asian Hong Kong Cricket Association General Manager, Danny Lai, told the Asian Cricket Council website this wouldn't be a problem for the men's team. "We will have no problems, all the Pakistanis have Hong Kong passports,” he said. “The best of the Under-19s currently in New Zealand for the World Cup will feature as well as the seniors in the squad we send to Guangzhou."
Comments (0) | Asian Games
January 22, 2010
Withdrawals blight South Asian Games
Posted
2 weeks, 3 days ago in ACC news
Afghanistan and India's Under-21 sides have withdrawn from the South Asian Games cricket tournament. The decisions mean only three Test teams remain - Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka - along with two others - Maldives and Nepal. They will play a round-robin competition with the top two teams playing off. The tournament starts on January 31 and run to February 7.
Comments (0) | ACC news
January 20, 2010
UAE favourites against Uganda
Posted
2 weeks, 6 days ago in ICC Intercontinental Cup
Tony Munro
Uganda and United Arab Emirates (UAE) will contest the outright lead in the ICC Intercontinental Shield when their four-day match begins in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
Both teams won their only matches in the tournament, Uganda beating Bermuda by seven wickets last August in Bermuda and UAE defeating Namibia by four wickets in Windhoek last month.
UAE are arguably favourites on the basis of home advantage and recent form.
The teams:
Uganda: Akbar Baig (capt), Arthur Ziraba, Lawrence Sematimba, Benjamin Musoke, Davis Arinaitwe, Roger Mukasa, Arthur Kyobe, Frank Nsubuga, Waiswa Charles, Dennis Tabby, Ronald Ssemanda
UAE: Khurram Khan (Capt), Arfan Haider, Arshad Ali, Saqib Ali, Naeemuddin Aslam, Abdul Rehman, Fayyaz Ahmed, Amjad Javed, Qasim Zubair, Moiz Shahid, Shoaib Sarwar
Comments (0) | ICC Intercontinental Cup
January 15, 2010
Fiji and Samoa face off
Posted
3 weeks, 4 days ago in East Asia-Pacific
Fiji and Samoa will contest the Women's Challenge Series between February 2 and 5 in Apia, Samoa to determine the team that shall complete the pool for the 2010 ICC
EAP Women's Cricket Trophy. The winner is to be determined in a three game 50-over
series to be played at the pristine Samoa Gardens Ovals in Apia, Samoa.
Continue reading "Fiji and Samoa face off"
Comments (0) | East Asia-Pacific
Moce win Fiji's inaugural women's championship
Posted
3 weeks, 4 days ago in Women's cricket
The Moce Islanders have won the inaugural National Women’s Cricket Championship despite a slight hiccup on the final day.
Continue reading "Moce win Fiji's inaugural women's championship"
Comments (0) | Women's cricket
January 14, 2010
A cricket-playing island without an airport
Posted
3 weeks, 5 days ago in St. Helena
Tony Munro
It is possibly the remotest cricket outpost in the world, and its national team is set to travel by ship to take the field for the first time.
St. Helena, with a population of 4000, is located about midway between Africa and South America. It boasts of a ten-team league, but no airport, and plans to send a squad to a Twenty20 tournament in Montserrat later this year.
When St. Helena’s officials attended the ICC Centenary Ball in London last year, they got there by the most direct route, a two-week South Atlantic voyage aboard the RMS St. Helena which stops in Tenerife.
The British Government recently delayed plans, yet again, to build an airport on the island, which is situated around 1700 km west of Luanda, Angola.
Should plans for St.Helena to make its ICC debut in 2011 at the Africa Third Division tournament come off, the team will most likely jump aboard the ship on its southbound journey via Ascension Island to Cape Town - eight days in all.
Barbara George, the secretary of the St. Helena Cricket Association, says that while there have been matches played against visiting Royal Navy ships, there has never previously been a need to pick an elite squad to represent the island.
"My guess is the team or squad will be chosen from a pool of the best players on the island and at present would be dominated by players from the three top teams – Levelwood C, Jamestown B and St Matthews A, with the remaining made up from the other teams."
Comments (1) | St. Helena
January 12, 2010
Ireland-Afghanistan brought forward
Posted
4 weeks ago in ICC Intercontinental Cup
The ICC has confirmed that the ICC Intercontinental Cup match between Afghanistan and Ireland, due to be played in Dambulla, Sri Lanka, has been moved forward by two days. It will now be played from January 21 to 24 at the same venue.
With presidential elections due to take place on January 26, which had originally been scheduled as the final day of the game, Sri Lanka Cricket requested the move for reasons of security and logistics.
Comments (22) | ICC Intercontinental Cup
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