Beyond the Test World
The rise of cricket in New Jersey
Cricket’s popularity in the USA continues to rise, no more so than in New Jersey according to the Daily Record .
Will Luke
25-Feb-2013
Cricket’s popularity in the USA continues to rise, no more so than in New Jersey according to the Daily Record.
And cricket is fast emerging in this country, after lying dormant for some two centuries under the wraps of old Philadelphia money, snoozing behind the walls of the Merion Cricket Club, or across the tracks at Quaker-strong Haverford College, where young scholars have been "cricketing" since 1833. Cities have always seen their immigrant newcomers bring pastimes to U.S. playing fields. The first recognized, modern baseball game, descended from cricket and a game called "rounders," was played in 1846 at Hoboken's Elysian Fields. […]
"The unique thing about cricket is you bring so many different peoples from so many walks of life, so many nationalities, ethnicities, religions," said Rouse, whose novel "Sticky Wicket, Volume I -- Watkins at Bat" is a cricketing story set in the imaginary Fernwood, N.J., which Rouse modeled after a Cherry Hill or an Edison.
"These are people who ordinarily would not have much in common. But you mention cricket and they all can identify with it," said Rouse, a college educator.
Cricket's rise is not without conflict. There are more teams vying with one another for playing space, and thereafter vying for the same space -- called "the pitch" in cricket parlance -- with other more-common sports, such as soccer or softball.
Full postNairobi chaos hampers Kenya's progress
The ongoing problems inside the Nairobi Provincial Cricket Association - Kenya's largest and most influential province - continue to rumble on and are now having a detrimental effect on local cricket.
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
The ongoing problems inside the Nairobi Provincial Cricket Association - Kenya's largest and most influential province - continue to rumble on and are now having a detrimental effect on local cricket.
As if to underline the shambles, it has emerged that one Super League club has been docked 80 points for not fulfilling its fixtures even though seven players were on international duty. The NPCA maintains a typical shroud of secrecy about the matter.
Full postBrampton Masters take Toronto league
By Eddie Norfolk
ESPNcricinfo staff
25-Feb-2013
By Eddie Norfolk
Brampton Masters captured the Toronto and District Cricket Association Premier Championship with a powerful 164-run win over Toronto CC. Opening batsman Albert Gopie (5), Brent Lezama (53) and their Canadian international Henry Osinde (5 wickets for 21 runs) spearheaded this success.
Cowichan strode to the Victoria and District Cricket Association (Vancouver Island, British Columbia) title with a seven-wicket win over Albion. Daniel Vann hit an undefeated 127 in the play-off final, after making 79 not out in the semi-final against Colts. Vann’s innings included 17 fours and eight sixes.
Millwoods took the Edmonton and District Cricket League (Alberta) Premier Play-off final with a 108-run win against regular-season leaders Victoria Park.
Full postStandard continues to rewrite the history book
The Standard’s overtly pro-KCA rhetoric continues unabated in a report on the farewell party thrown for outgoing coach Roger Harper.
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
The Standard’s overtly pro-KCA rhetoric continues unabated in a report on the farewell party thrown for outgoing coach Roger Harper.
Earlier this week we reported how a disturbingly one-sided column praising the old Kenyan Cricket Association came out just when the former KCA chairman Sharad Ghai appears to be on the comeback trail in Nairobi.
But the latest Standard take on history will raise wry smiles and/or anger among those connected to Kenyan cricket in recent years. Referring to the 2005 board elections, Mutwiri Mutuota says:
Former officials of Kenya Cricket Association were forced out office and replaced by CK in an acrimonious change of guard. Many top players either relocated to other countries or retired, leaving a very young team that needed direction. Still, players were not afforded as many top games as they would have wished. Indeed, this has been a sore point in the playing unit to-date.
Cricket Kenya launches national league
Cricket Kenya is set to announce the launch of a national elite league with matches starting this November.
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
Cricket Kenya is set to announce the launch of a national elite league with matches starting this November.
In the aftermath of Kenya's performances at the ICC World Twenty20 there was widespread media criticism of the fact that there was no such competition, but it emerges that the board's plans were already at an advanced stage.
Full postHectic Nigerians start season early
The Nigerian Cricket Association has brought forward the start of the new season because of the hectic schedule facing it.
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
The Nigerian Cricket Association has brought forward the start of the new season because of the hectic schedule facing it.
NCA president Kwesi Sagoe said the season would start on October 7 and flagged the Club Cricket Committee League, the Super Four and the proposed Twenty20 tournament among competitions which will be run.
He said in addition to the tight domestic schedule, Nigeria will be hosting the Second North/West African Cricket Tournament in April or May 2008, and will participate in an Under-15 tournament in Gambia and another Under-13 tournament in Ghana.
Full postUSA Under-15s to tour India
overseas tour by a US junior side to a major Test-playing nation.
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
overseas tour by a US junior side to a major Test-playing nation.
The US team was selected strictly on the basis of player performances in the 2007 US National Junior Championships. Three top players from the Under-13 national championship squads were selected to give them exposure for future leadership at the Under-15 level in 2008 and beyond. The rest were drawn from the top performers in the U-15 Nationals, and include players from all across the USA.
Full postThe deafening silence worries US stakeholders
It is almost three months since the various factions fighting for control of cricket in the USA met in Washington and, with Ken Gordon, at the time the chairman of the West Indies Cricket Association, mediating, thrashed out a deal to broker a
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
It is almost three months since the various factions fighting for control of cricket in the USA met in Washington and, with Ken Gordon, at the time the chairman of the West Indies Cricket Association, mediating, thrashed out a deal to broker a solution.
The main agreement was that an independent panel would review the much-criticised new constitution and once that had been agreed on, fresh elections would follow by the end of the year. A natural follow-on from that would be the ICC readmitting the US to the international fold.
But, as with anything involving the USA Cricket Association, there has been silence ever since. In fairness, one of the conditions of the agreement was that things would not be chewed over in public, but nevertheless, it has been impossible to find out anything that has been happening.
It was expected that the constitution review would be completed by now and that the fresh document would be circulated to stakeholders for their perusal. However, after three months of an uneasy peace, reports are starting to circulate that all is not well.
Full postUSA lose opening match in India
USA lost their opening match in the Moin-ud-Dowlah Gold Cup in Hyderabad
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
USA lost their opening match in the Moin-ud-Dowlah Gold Cup in Hyderabad. In a match affected by rain, USA made 122 in 44.1 overs and Karnataka eased to a seven-wicket win with 20 overs to spare.
The US side have been given a warm welcome in the city and when rain prevented training they invited one of their opponents to a game of football which the USA won 8-1.
Full postKenya's opportunists seize their moment
A stinging attack on Cricket Kenya appears in today’s Standard which is completely understandable given the dismal performance of the national team in the ICC World Twenty20
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
A stinging attack on Cricket Kenya appears in today’s Standard which is completely understandable given the dismal performance of the national team in the ICC World Twenty20. However, the rhetoric of piece is depressingly reminiscent of that trotted out by supporters of the old KCA who attempt to rewrite history to show how much better things were in the old days.
Kenya have apparently failed to turn the gains of a sensational performance in the 2003 World Cup when they became the first non-test side to reach a World Cup semi-finals. Officials adopted a business-as-usual attitude when they were supposed to turn around the sport from the crutches of a supposed one-man dictatorship as they used to pontificate during their years in the ‘opposition’.
All cricket fans have been hearing are whining and procrastination. Where is the much-touted youth programme? Even the Central Province branch, which was apparently used to propel the incumbents to high office, is becoming moribund.
Sure, there are some serious issues that have to be addressed. The editorial seems to blame the current leadership for failing to build on the success in 2003 and also for the failures of the team in the latest tournament. How quickly people forget that two years ago the players were on indefinite strike, sponsors had deserted the team in droves and nobody wanted anything to do with Kenyan cricket.
Full post