Tony Munro

Cuba, the Falkland Islands and the hosts, Mexico, are among the four countries set to make their official debuts at the World Cricket League Americas Division Four next year.

The other participant will be fellow debutante, Costa Rica in the event tentatively scheduled between May and September.

Cuba were to make an international debut of sorts in the 2008 Stanford 20/20 tournament before an embargo by the US Government blocked their involvement.

For the Falkland Islands, it will be one of two tournaments they will play next year. The other is a triangular involving three locations named after Viscount Falkland, the commander of part of the Royalist forces at the Battle of Newbury in 1643 in the English Civil War between King Charles I and Oliver Cromwell. The triangular, to be played at Falkland in Fife from July 19-24 will feature Falkland (Fife), Falkland (Newbury, Berkshire) and the Falkland Islands. The tournament is part of Falkland Fife CC's 150th anniversary celebrations. Incidentally, the islands were named for Viscount Falkland as his son was the Secretary of State for the Admiralty when Captain John Davies sighted the Falkland Islands in 1682.

Meanwhile, in the coming 2009-10 season separate Twenty20 tournaments are to be played at the Islands' capital, Stanley, and military base at Mount Pleasant, with the winners of both meeting in a final. The traditional highlight of the season, the South Atlantic Ashes, between the Governor's XI (representing the civilans) and the Commander of the British Forces XI (representing the military) will be played as a three-match series in January, February and March.

Tony Munro

Brazil warmed up for the World Cricket League Americas Division Three tournament starting in Santiago on Friday with a 3-0 one-day series win over Mexico in São Paulo last weekend. Brazil won the first two matches fairly easily, but the dead rubber was more even, Mexico falling just 16 runs short.

In the first match, Brazil captain Matt Featherstone showed good form ahead of the Americas Division Three tournament in Santiago, Chile, hitting an unbeaten 100. The former Kent Cricket Board player received solid support from Greigor Caisley (56) and Rubab Ulisam (52 not out). Spinners Travis McNaught (4-3 in the second game) and Viren Nirula (six wickets in the third match) also bowled well in the series for Brazil.

Continue reading "Brazil ease past Mexico"

Andrew Murgatroyd

Last weekend four Central American nations met on the fields of Academia Britannica Cuscatleca (aka British School ) in El Salvador to compete for the second Easter Cup.

Named after the time of year when the first edition was played, it involved hosts El Salvador, defending champions Costa Rica, Easter Cup newcomers Mexico and favourites Belize, the Twenty20 event was a first time the small Central American nation had hosted an international.

The sun shone brightly, and with a wind keeping the fielders cool and the bails wobbling, the tournament was set.

Continue reading "Belize take Easter Cup in El Salvador"

By Yasir Patel

	Cricket in Mexico City © Yasir Patel

Cricket has been played in Mexico since 1827. It has mainly comprised of foreign expatriates just looking for a ‘knock’ on a free day. However, recent developments show a change in this pattern.

Currently Mexico City has four teams. There are also teams in Cancun and Puebla, with the aim of developing two more teams in Puerto Valleta and Guadalajara. The main cricket is played at the multi-sport Reforma Club in Naucalpan, which also hosts football and tennis. It has kindly let the association use its ground for free.

The current club captain is Yasir Patel, a British citizen who teaches mathematics at Lancaster School. Mexico City comprises of approximately 60 players of which there are only five Mexican born players.

The season consists of a cup competition (Brian Gay Trophy) where each team plays the others once, a league, started over 10 years ago, where teams play each other twice and the season opening 6-a-side tournament which helps integrate new players into the club. The current champions of both major competitions, going into the new season, which starts today, are the Aztecs.

Continue reading "New season kicks off in Mexico"

By Yasir Patel

Cricket has been played in Mexico since 1827. It has mainly comprised of foreign expatriates just looking for a ‘knock’ on a free day. However, recent developments show a change in this pattern.

Currently Mexico City has four teams. There are also teams in Cancun and Puebla, with the aim of developing two more teams in Puerto Valleta and Guadalajara. The main cricket is played at the multi-sport Reforma Club in Naucalpan, which also hosts football and tennis. It has kindly let the association use its ground for free.

The current club captain is Yasir Patel, a British citizen who teaches mathematics at Lancaster School. Mexico City comprises of approximately 60 players of which there are only five Mexican born players.

The season consists of a cup competition (Brian Gay Trophy) where each team plays the others once, a league, started over 10 years ago, where teams play each other twice and the season opening 6-a-side tournament which helps integrate new players into the club. The current champions of both major competitions, going into the new season, which starts today, are the Aztecs.

Continue reading "New season kicks off in Mexico"

The Mexico Cricket Association Junior Schools tournament took place on June 8, 2008 with teams from Lancaster, Edron, Victoria and Lomas Altas taking part. The games were played in excellent spirit and many promising female players took part, according to ICC Americas.

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"

February is the busiest month of the year for the Mexico Cricket Association and 2008 has been no different with the four MCA teams in the middle of a hotly contested 2008 League Championship while preparations are also underway for the year’s biggest fund-raising event, the Spring Ball, on March 8.

The Ball, which usually attracts around 200 members and guests to the Reforma Athletic Club, is a black tie dinner held in conjunction with a tour match between the MCA and the Houston Memorial Cricket Club. The proceeds of ticket sales and raffles contribute the lion’s share of the MCA’s income during the year and this year’s event already appears to be a financial success with strong ticket sales and solid support from the business community led by British Airways, who are offering a free return ticket to London for one of the club’s raffles.

The matches between the MCA first and second teams and the Houston Club – with a social round of golf as prelude – promise to be enormously competitive as Houston will be keen to reclaim the trophy wrested from their grasp when a MCA team toured last November. This was only the second time in 29 years the team from Mexico was successful in beating Houston on the American club’s home turf.

Continue reading "Review of Mexican cricket, February 2008"

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.

Click here for the full story.

On a beautiful sunny day under blue skies, a group of around 40 enthusiastic youngsters from four different schools in and around Mexico City got together at the Reforma Athletic Club for the sixth time in two years to play inter-schools cricket. This initiative, promoted by the Mexican Cricket Association as part of a development plan aimed at getting Mexicans involved in cricket at grass roots level, has been enormously successful in these early stages.

The standard of cricket has risen dramatically since the first event was held and some genuine talent is beginning to appear and develop. Perhaps more importantly, all of the boys and girls who have participated have shown a level of enthusiasm and a respect for the spirit of the game that would be an example to many seasoned players - no questioning of decisions, high levels of sportsmanship and excellent relationships between the teams have been characteristics of the tournaments played so far.

There is definitely a sensation that this is the beginning of something significant. Credit must be given to the teachers, parents and members of the MCA who have supported this program. There is a real possibility of Mexico being able to field a team of Mexicans in the not too distant future.

From ICC Americas' regional newsletter

Mexico, the host country, captured the second Central America Championship with wins against Costa Rica and El Salvador, who were playing their first ever internationals. Costa Rica defeated El Salvador, with Ben Smith making 102 of the 253 runs then rolling them for 81, to finish second.

Continue reading "Mexico takes Central America Championship"

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's weekly column has been published today. This week, he looks at Mexican cricket, news from Taiwan and the Central American Championships. Read it here. If you want to contact Tony, either email him or leave a comment below.