Beyond the Test World
Obanda stars in Eastern Aces win
Alex Obanda struck an unbeaten 51 from 41 balls to lead Eastern Aces’s emphatic nine-wicket win over Northern Nomads, on the second day of Kenya’s inaugural elite Twenty20 competition
Will Luke
25-Feb-2013
Alex Obanda struck an unbeaten 51 from 41 balls to lead Eastern Aces’s emphatic nine-wicket win over Northern Nomads, on the second day of Kenya’s inaugural elite Twenty20 competition. The Nomads only managed 105 for 8 in their 20 overs - Shashikant Sanghani top-scoring with a 23-ball 37 – with Nelson Odhiambo picking up 2 for 11. Eastern Aces romped home in the 14th over, with Steve Tikolo cracking 48 from 36 balls after the early loss of Newton Muthee.
Full postBrazil cause upset
Brazil caused the big surprise on the fourth day of the ICC Americas Division 3 tournament with a 37-run win over previously unbeaten Chile
ESPNcricinfo staff
25-Feb-2013
Brazil caused the big surprise on the fourth day of the ICC Americas Division 3 tournament with a 37-run win over previously unbeaten Chile. Brazil came into the match on the back of two defeats in two while Chile, with three wins in three, just needed victory to take the title. Matt Featherstone, who runs the country's cricket development programmer, was Brazil's hero with 152 off 109 balls as they piled up a daunting 359 or 6, adding 145 for the third wicket with Viren Narula (81). Paul Wollocombe (66) and Simon Shalders (80) led a spirited chase but it was too much for Chile. Belize kept their hopes alive with a 34-run win over Peru
Chile's defeat means that Turks & Caicos Islands or Belize will now pip them to the title if they win their meeting on the final day, as they both have better net run rate.
Full postTwenty20 starts with huge win for Chiefs
Kenya's elite Twenty20 competition got off to a low-key start as Western Chiefs crushed Southern Stars by nine wickets in a woefully one-sided game at Nairobi Gymkhana
Andrew McGlashan
25-Feb-2013
Kenya's elite Twenty20 competition got off to a low-key start as Western Chiefs crushed Southern Stars by nine wickets in a woefully one-sided game at Nairobi Gymkhana. Stuck in to bat, Southern Stars limped to 57 all out in 15.4 overs, never recovering from crumbling to 3 for 3 inside nine balls. Western Chiefs were barely troubled and an unbeaten 31 from Jadavji Jesani helped them home with almost nine overs in hand.
Full postChile remain on course for title
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
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
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,
Full postFriday 15 February - Belize v Peru, Brazil v Chile
Saturday 16 February - Belize v Turks & Caicos Islands, Brazil v Peru,
MCC finish tour with win over Argentina
MCC finished their tour of Argentina with a win against the national side
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
MCC finished their tour of Argentina with a win against the national side. Although they failed to bowl Argentina out twice, they won by virtue of a first-innings lead. MCC batted almost all the first day of the two-day game in scoring 378 for 9, built on fifties from Peter Trego, Martin George and Martin O’Reilly. Argentina batted slowly on the second day in making 223, but they had Paul Ferguson’s 60 to thank for bailing them out from 78 for 7. They reached 63 for 1 in their follow on.
MCC 378 for 9 (Trego 65, George 54, O’Reilly 53) beat Argentina 223 (Ferguson 60, Trego 5-76) and 63 for 1 on first innings.
Full postAfrican countries benefit from Afro-Asia format change
The Afro-Asian Cup, the second staging of which took place in Bangalore in June last year, looks likely to undergo a radical overhaul of its format.
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
The Afro-Asian Cup, the second staging of which took place in Bangalore in June last year, looks likely to undergo a radical overhaul of its format.
The event has raised valuable funds for the African Cricket Association and the Asian Cricket Council, but it has been less than a hit with audiences and has been roundly condemned as an unnecessary burden in an already packed international calendar. The third Afro-Asian Cup was initially scheduled to be held in Kenya in June 2008 but Cricinfo was told several weeks ago it was unlikely to go ahead.
But while there had been speculation the event would be ditched completely, it is now reported that the organisers are to propose a new format which would involve matches being on a country basis rather than continent v continent, as is the case now.
There is already an Asia Cup - the itinerary for the 2008 event in June was revealed earlier this week - and to run alongside that there would be a new Africa Cup. That would be likely to feature South Africa, Zimbabwe and Kenya, as well as other countries such as Namibia and Uganda. The winners from the two continents, and possibly the runners-up as well, would then progress to the finals.
Full postCricket Kenya launches elite league
Despite the civil unrest inside Kenya following the disputed presidential elections in December, Cricket Kenya has announced that its Elite Cricket League will begin this weekend.
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
Despite the civil unrest inside Kenya following the disputed presidential elections in December, Cricket Kenya has announced that its Elite Cricket League will begin this weekend.
The league, which is sponsored by Sahara Computers and also underwritten by the African Cricket Association, will feature the best 60 players from across the country. They will be divided between four sides - Northern Nomads, Southern Stars, Western Chiefs and Eastern Aces - to ensure that the teams are as evenly balanced as possible. Each of the squads will contain four nationally-contracted players.
Click here for the full story and click here for the match schedule.
Full postChile dominate Americas tournament
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
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
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.
Full postNew Uganda chairman speaks of need for change
Dr Kato Sebbaale, the new chairman of the Ugandan Cricket Association, has spoken about his plans for the future after ousting William Kibuuka Musoke at a heated AGM last week.
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
Dr Kato Sebbaale, the new chairman of the Ugandan Cricket Association, has spoken about his plans for the future after ousting William Kibuuka Musoke at a heated AGM last week.
"My victory wasn't a surprise because it looks like everyone was looking for a change," Sebbaale told the New Vision newspaper. "It's like people were suffering deeply before and they are kind of happy that there is a change and that's a challenge because I must really show them the change."
Musoke’s time at the helm ended in bitterness – at the AGM he unsuccessfully attempted to block votes from clubs supporting Sebbaale on minor technicalities and then is believed to have been behind an advertisement in a national newspaper immediately after his removal announcing “the death of Ugandan cricket”. He was also widely accused of squandering advances made in Ugandan cricket and there is no doubt that the sport’s image has suffered in recent months.
"One of my major mandate this year is to try and clean up our image because without it you lose it all," Sebbaale admitted. "Thankfully, I have got a strong team who are very big corporate people, are in business and know how to handle people.
Full postDenmark take 2008 Indoor Championship title
Denmark have won the 2008 European Indoor Championship in Finland, beating old foes Portugal in a thrilling encounter
Will Luke
25-Feb-2013
Denmark have won the 2008 European Indoor Championship in Finland, beating old foes Portugal in a thrilling encounter. Denmark scrambled a two-wicket win off the penultimate delivery, overhauling Portugal's total of 132.
Hamid Shah was their hero in the decider with an unbeaten 28, sharing a match-winning partnership with Taha Ahmed (25*), after they were precariously placed at 65 for 3. For Paulo Buccimazza, the captain of Portugal, there was the consolation of being awarded Player of the Tournament after finishing as the leading run scorer in the competition, and once again in the final showed his quality making an unbeaten 38.
Such was Denmark's strength that they sailed through the competition unbeaten - eight games in total. Finn Kleissl, the captain, marshalled his squad superbly, and their disciplined bowling, backed up by athletic fielding, was a powerful combination which ensured their deserved success.
The host nation Finland finished a very encouraging third, and was just reward for the hard work the side put in to prepare for their debut as a host nation. They also unearthed a star, the wicketkeeper Jonathan Scamans, who was one of the standouts in the event.
Full post