Beyond the Test World
California runs USA's first inter-school competition
The California Cricket Academy will run the USA’s first inter-school championship among Cupertino middle schools starting on February 27
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
The California Cricket Academy will run the USA’s first inter-school championship among Cupertino middle schools starting on February 27. In the first round there will be three middle schools but the organisers expect more middle and elementary schools to join the program in coming months. CCA launched school program last year by distributing cricket instruction material and cricket kits to about eight schools in Cupertino and neighboring schools. CCA graduates took up the challenge to start clubs in their respective schools and as a result now they are ready to start school championship program. The first phase of the program will be with hard tennis balls, but regular cricket equipment will be introduced in the second phase.
Visit www.calcricket.org to review Cupertino Interschool program details and results as they become available.
Full postBig playing increase beyond the Test world
The number of people actively participating in cricket outside the Test-playing countries increased 17% in 2007, according to the ICC.
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
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.
Full postTikolo leads Aces to Twenty20 title
Eastern Aces won Kenya's inaugural Elite Twenty20 league with back-to-back wins in the weekend's matches.
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
Eastern Aces won Kenya's inaugural Elite Twenty20 league with back-to-back wins in the weekend's matches.
Click here for the reports, scorecards and final table.
Full postLashings head to Abu Dhabi
Lashings World XI will take on two sides in Twenty20 matches in Abu Dhabi this week
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
Lashings World XI will take on two sides in Twenty20 matches in Abu Dhabi this week. The lashings squad boasts a total of 471 Test caps between them and include Graeme Hick, Philip DeFreitas, Devon Malcolm, Ed Giddings, Chris Silverwood, Adam Hollioake, Marvan Atapattu, Dinesh Mongia, Chris Cairns and Grant Flower.
“I cannot tell you how bowled over we are at the unexpected surprise that is Abu Dhabi itself and the fabulous and fantastic Emirates Palace, where we are staying,” said David Folb, chairman of Lashings.
Full postAssociates bear the brunt of World Cup decision
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 .
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
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?
Full postFidel and the full toss
A letter in Scottish newspaper The Herald following the resignation of Fidel Castro.
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
A letter in Scottish newspaper The Herald following the resignation of Fidel Castro.
The photo of Fidel Castro (Diary, February 20) has him holding what appears to be a cricket ball: thus his frown. However, a few years ago in Barbados I saw him attempt cricket, but on his terms. He was travelling to unveil a memorial when he spied a cricket game. Suddenly, all the security cars and media were put into a spin as they were diverted to the cricket pitch. There, Fidel wanted to bat and the Barbados PM bowled at him. "Stop," called Fidel. He couldn't handle the bouncing ball and demanded it be delivered full, like in baseball. The Barbados PM complied and Fidel whacked it. Then he wanted to bowl. But being Fidel he pitched as in baseball. And no amount of appealing to the rules by the Barbadian PM could get him to bowl. Like his life, he played the game but with his rules. Incidentally, he has subsequently brought in cricket gear and coaches to develop the game in Cuba.
USACA board elections set for March 29
The USA Cricket Association has announced the timeline for the election of its board of directors.
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
The USA Cricket Association has announced the timeline for the election of its board of directors.
Nominations for executive board members open today (February 19) and close on February 26. All nominees will have background checks completed by March 7 and the final list of valid nominations will be circulated on March 8. The elections themselves will be held on Saturday, March 29 in Washington DC.
Full postBermuda make 13 ... and lose in four balls
Bermuda's women carved an unwanted niche in the international record books with one of the most abject performances in the game's history
Will Luke
25-Feb-2013
Bermuda's women carved an unwanted niche in the international record books with one of the most abject performances in the game's history. In their opening match of the World Cup Qualifiers at Stellenbosch University, they were bowled out for 13 and then South Africa took only four balls to sweep to a ten-wicket win.
Read the full report at Cricinfo.
Full postTurks and Caicos win Americas Regional Championship
The Turks and Caicos Islands beat Belize in a dramatic climax to the ICC Americas Division 3 Championship on Saturday and, with their superior net run-rate over Chile, they took the tournament
Will Luke
25-Feb-2013
The Turks and Caicos Islands beat Belize in a dramatic climax to the ICC Americas Division 3 Championship on Saturday and, with their superior net run-rate over Chile, they took the tournament. The full report is at Cricinfo.
Full postEnglish warm to icy conditions
The last time an English team played in a World Cup Final was 1992 and we have bemoaned the performance of our one-day side ever since, but all that changed last Friday when an English team - Brighton and Hove CC - went one better than Graham
Will Luke
25-Feb-2013
The last time an English team played in a World Cup Final was 1992 and we have bemoaned the performance of our one-day side ever since, but all that changed last Friday when an English team - Brighton and Hove CC - went one better than Graham Gooch's team in Australia all those years ago. Well, sort of.
The Ice Cricket World Cup may not yet be inked in to everyone's sporting calendar, but after the events in Riga, Latvia this weekend, it is certainly on the rise, and what's more it was two English teams in the final while the Australians and Indians failed to make it out of their group.
Alan Curr reports from the Ice Cricket World Cup in Riga, Latvia. Click here for the full report on Cricinfo.
Full post