Next week's ICC annual get-together promises to have more than its fair share of politicking, posturing and controversy. But, unless there is a major about-turn, it should also be a watershed for the Associates and Affiliates.

In 2009, income from the ICC's six-year media deal with ESPN-Star, worth over US$1 billion, kicks in, and while the game's big boys will still keep the lion's share, the rest will see substantial increases in their incomes.

Continue reading "Future bright beyond the Test world"

Chilean National Development Officer, Patricio Caamano, is currently finalising plans to run
a high performance program throughout the winter months for the Under-13, Under-15 and Under-19 national team squads. It will be the first time that Chile has run such a program and is expected to see a vast improvement by the Chilean junior squads in international competition for the 2008-09 season.

The academy will be based at Chile’s principal training facility, Las Casa Roja, and will see the three squads working on batting, bowling, fielding, fitness and tactics. The academy will run from June to September.

From the ICC Americas newsletter

The 2007-08 season got off to a good start with six teams now competing for the Metropolitan Cup after the addition of newcomers Estacion Central. La Reina CC currently lie in first position after a strong showing with 4 wins out of 5. More youth have come into the matches in the form of native born Chileans. The second half of the season is about to kick off with Santiago CC and Las Condes CC snapping at La Reina’s heels.

The Chilean Condors played host to touring side Craigengower from Hong Kong in January. It was a golden opportunity for the captain of the national selection (Simon Shalders) and President of the ACC (Guy Hooper) to do some talent scouting for the ICC Americas Division 3 Championship. Craigengower put up a brave fight but the Chilean team was far too strong and in form to ever feel threatened by the tourists.

They say every good book or movie should have a dynamic beginning, a solid middle to keep your interest and a surprise and thrilling ending. If the 2008 Americas Division 3 was a movie or book it had the perfect script.

Continue reading "Turks & Caicos edge thriller in Americas Championship"

The number of people actively participating in cricket outside the Test-playing countries increased 17% in 2007, according to the ICC.

The research, carried out by the ICC's development program, was collated from 33 Associate and 58 Affiliate members. It showed that there were 338,051 male and female players in those countries in 2007, an increase of 49,158 on the previous year. Since 2002, when there were 144,047 participants, there has been a 135% rise.

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Chile maintained their unbeaten record with a 54-run win over neighbours Peru on the third day of the ICC Americas Division 3 tournament in Argentina. Chile were pressed all the way and at 68 for 6 appeared to be on course for a low score. But Tim Messner (57) and Kamran Zeb (41) added 75 runs for the ninth wicket as Chile climbed to 203 all out. Peru had troubles of their own as they slumped to 5 for 4, and despite a sixth-wicket stand of 62 between Ahmed Nadeem (53) and D. Lakdal (49) they were bowled out for 149 in 38 overs. In the other game Brazil slid to their third loss in as many days as they were bowled out for 169, a total Turks and Caicos Islands passed for the loss of five wickets.

Chile now have three wins from three games and need to beat Brazil in their final game on Friday to win the tournament.

Remaining matches

Friday 15 February - Belize v Peru, Brazil v Chile

Saturday 16 February - Belize v Turks & Caicos Islands, Brazil v Peru,

Chile dominated the first two days of the ICC Americas Division 3 tournament in Argentina, beating pre-tournament favourites Belize by 26 runs on the opening day after posting 271 for 6, with their captain Simon Shalders leading the way with an 84-ball 104. In the day’s other game, Peru, only admitted to ICC membership in 2007, went down to an eight-wicket defeat to Turks & Caicos Islands combination, whose veteran captain Ralph Doughty took 4 for 18 in 9.2 overs.

On the second day Chile powered to an eight-wicket win over Turks and Caicos Islands. Turks and Caicos were bowled out for 252, with Donvan Mathews’ 68 the top score. Chile's Paul Woolocombe lead the chase with an unbeaten 104 with captain Simon Shalders scoring 69. In the other match Belize beat Brazil by 138 runs, bowling out the Brazilians for 55.

Delegates from Chile’s cricket playing schools, along with development staff, met in Santiago on December 28, 2007 to review the year’s activities and plan ahead for the next 12 months. Eight delegates representing a total of twelve schools attended the meeting – the first of its kind in Chile. High on the agenda was a review of the inaugural Homework Club School Cricket League, which was launched last September in an attempt to encourage more children to take the step up from softball to hardball cricket. The initiative was applauded by the nine participating schools, with plans to increase the number of fixtures next year and the possibility of starting in August 2008. Several other hardball tournaments were scheduled for March to May as Chile prepares to send Under-19, Under-15 and Under-13 sides on international tours over the coming months. However, the most important detail to come from the meeting was the delegation’s decision to make 2008 the year to focus on the Spirit of Cricket and ensuring that all children have fun playing cricket and want to keep coming back. With over 2,000 children involved in Chile’s development program and an excellent development staff headed by NDO David Mauro, 2008 promises to be another good year for Chilean cricket.

From ICC Americas’ regional newsletter

Michael Meade reports on a busy start to the season in Chile

Continue reading "Chile season off to a flier"

The strong MCC A side, which visited Papua New Guinea and New Zealand during the first half of March, returned home undefeated. The first four matches were close-fought contests. However, the final two matches of the tour, against an Otago Country XI and Auckland Emerging Players XI, were won by seven wickets and 57 runs respectively. The touring team consisted of six first-class cricketers, including England wicketkeeper Geraint Jones.

Later in March an MCC B tour to Brazil and Chile took place. The team played six matches, two against Brazil, followed by four against Chile.

It won't get many column inches in the mainstream cricket press, but the World Cricket League, which started in Nairobi yesterday and continues into next week, features the best of the rest, the six sides just under the ten Test-playing countries. For the two finalists, the rewards are bountiful - a place among the big boys in the inaugural Twenty20 World Championship in South Africa this September, along with $250,000. For countries used to surviving on annual handouts from the ICC of less than $200,000, that's big money.

Continue reading "A long way from home"

Tony Munro, Cricinfo's Beyond the Test World columnist, has written about Chile and their forthcoming preparations for the ICC tournament