The Israel Cricket Association has announced that India A will play three one-day matches in Israel as part of the country’s 60th anniversary celebrations.

The ICA confirmed that the Indian board had agreed to the tour during which what was described as a “full-strength A side” will play against an Invitational XI featuring players from a number of countries, including Adam Bacher.

Seven overseas cricketers are reported to have accepted the invitations and the squad will be supplemented by local players.

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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As revealed by Cricinfo last month, the 2011 World Cup will be shortened and the main victims of the change will be the Associate countries who will have their numbers cut from six to four.

"It is a move we both feared and expected and it's not great news for the Associates," Warren Deutrom, the chief executive of the Irish Cricket Union, told Cricinfo. "Neither is it a great vote of confidence in the ICC's own High Performance Programme.

Click here to tell us what you think of this? Is it the start of the gradual elimination of smaller countries from the World Cup or a necessary and welcome move?

Israel will have their first ever cricketer present at an International Cricket Council (ICC) Academy following the call-up of Solomon Varsulkar, reports the Totally Jewish website. Click here for the full story.

Croatia defeated Israel by five runs in a play-off in Tel Aviv on Sunday to secure promotion to European Division Two.

In the first cricket international to be held in Israel, Croatia batted first and made 152 for 7, the innings underpinned by 51 from their captain, John Vujnovich.

In reply, Israel slumped to 7 for 3 before Isaac Massil and Herschel Gutman added 62 for the fourth wicket, but as they pushed for quick runs wickets fell. They were still up with an asking rate that kept below six an over, and with two overs remaining they needed 12 - and six off one - with their final pair at the wicket. But Croatia took that wicket to secure promotion.

“The significance for Israeli cricket is amazing,” said Stanley Perlman, President of the Israel Cricket Association and captain for the historic match. “It was the first time that any country has come to play an international game of cricket in Israel and it was a great occasion. Our visitors from Croatia followed in the footsteps of their football and basketball teams who are regular visitors.

“The event was a huge success and we hope it is the start of more teams coming to play here in Israel."

Richard Holdsworth, the ICC regional development manager, who was also match referee, said: "The following and publicity this match has received is great news for the promotion of the game in Israel. Several hundred boys and girls watched the match live at the stadium, and many participated in a lunchtime cricket demonstration match.

"The future of the game is about these young people, and they were thrilled with their experience of being part of the first ever international match played in Israel".

Croatia now head to Guernsey in July 2008 for the Division Two event while Israel head back to Division Three.

Israel have announced their squad for the World Cricket League match against Croatia. As the Haaretz website reports:

Israel will be captained by Stanley Perlman. The side also includes plenty of other experienced players. All rounders Isaac Massil and Sanjay Gupta will both be key players in the middle order, and there will be big expectations from Herschel Gutman to perform with bat and ball.

The ICC Europe Cricket Committee (ECC) have confirmed Ireland as the host for next year's European Division One Championship.

They lasted hosted the tournament in 2002 when 12 teams participated. In the past five years, however, six more countries have joined including Europe's four High Performance Program countries: Denmark, Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands. Norway - who won Division Two in 2006 - also join Italy.

The previous championship, hosted by Scotland in 2006, crowned Ireland as the European Champions and 2008's event will also feature three official one-dayers.

Meanwhile it was also confirmed that Guernsey will host the Division Two Championship in August, a six-team tournament which includes France, Germany, Gibraltar and Jersey. The sixth place will be decided later this year when Croatia meet Israel on November 18.

Israel will host Croatia in November for a play-off game to gain entry into the second division of the ICC’s World League tournament in 2008.

The match, to be played on either Sunday November 11 or 18, with the Monday set aside as a rain day, is being embraced by the Israel Cricket Association, with chairman Stanley Perlman delighted at the opportunity to host an international match.

"We have been trying to host international cricket in Israel for many years now, and hope that the visit of the Croatian team will pave the way for other countries to tour in the future," Perlman said. "We will invite the Croatians to play a couple of friendly matches before the game against our national team as well."

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"

Ramle shocked Lions Lod yesterday with a 35-run win:

Ramle pulled off a surprise 35-run win over Lions Lod, although the result should have little impact on the league title. A half century from opener Asher Penkar, and middle-order contributions from Isaac Talkar (22) and Shimon Penkar (24) gave Ramle a first innings score of 158 after they had won the toss. Janet DeSilva was the best of the Lions bowlers, taking four for 12 in his eight overs. Isaac Massil took two for 14.

Lions Lod lost wickets on a regular basis, and although David Massil (36) played well down the order, his effort was too little too late. Most of the damage had already been done by Samuel Borgawker (4 for 27), as Lions limped to 123 all out.

In Division 2, Beersheba A defeated Dimona C by 3 wickets, Eilat beat Ra'anana 2, and in Division 3 Negev Academy defeated Rishon Lezion 3.

Read more at The Jerusalem Post

srael's cricketers have become victims of the escalating crisis in the Middle East after they were forced to cancel their European Championship game with Jersey, which was due to played at Glasgow Academicals CC today, after they were targetted by the local Federation of Student Islamic Societies (FOSIS).

A rather vague press release issued by the European Cricket Council on Wednesday claimed that he match was off because the ground was unavailable.

But in The Jerusalem Post, Stanley Perlman, the president of the Israel Cricket Association, said that Cricket Scotland officials had received anonymous calls on Wednesday warning that the safety of the Israel players could not be guaranteed. He added that Glasgow police had approved a Muslim demonstration at "a Glasgow cricket club field" for approximately 2,000 demonstrators.

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The European Cricket Council's European Cricket Championships, which are being held in Scotland, are the first to be organised under the auspices of the International Cricket Council’s World Cricket League.

The tournament will feature 13 countries in two divisions playing 30 matches in seven days at 12 west of Scotland grounds, starting on Thursday (August 3).

The Division 1 sides - Scotland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Denmark and Italy - will play a round-robin tournament, from which there is no relegation. The three matches involving the first three named teams are deemed by the International Cricket Council as official One-Day Internationals, and will be played at Ayr Cricket Club, where ground facilities have been upgraded with support from South Ayrshire Council.

Scotland’s other two matches will be played at New Anniesland (against Denmark) and Hamilton Crescent (against Italy).

Division 2 consists of eight teams - France, Germany, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Hellas (Greece), Israel, Jersey and Norway - who will play in two initial pools of four, followed by crossover semi-finals and four ranking finals - and one team will be promoted to the first division in two years’ time. The facilities at all grounds have been equipped with additional weather protection and other enhancements, thanks to a range of local authority grants and commercial support.

A huge bonus is available for the Division 2 teams, with the winners not only promoted to the European Division 1 in 2008, but also a place in the new ICC World Cricket League Division 5 in 2007-08. This team will receive $20,000 towards preparation of that event, the venue of which is still to be decided.