Beyond the Test World
Kenya's cricketers on the road to nowhere
Colin MacBeth
Cricinfo
25-Feb-2013
Colin MacBeth
The idiocy of some Kenyan cricketers knows no bounds. Having driven brinkmanship to a new dimension when they refused to toe the line and sign contracts, they crawled back to Cricket Kenya (CK) caps in hand seeking preferment; and when offered a deal they could easily have accepted, spat it back in the face of those offering it. This, they said, was an act of solidarity with certain 'spent' players who are past their sell-by date and could no longer be considered for contracts.
More significantly, the players' action – and the consequent sacking of several, especially from Kongonis (Nairobi Club) and Rift Valley Rhinos (Rift Valley Sports Club), who refused to play ball with CK, is devoid of reason and could seriously jeopardise the ongoing 'Elite' Premier and EA Cup competitions.
The cry will go up: “This isn't cricket”; but indeed it is, and increasingly so these days. The commercialisation of the sport has become very much part of the fabric, with salaries and conditions taking priority over sporting achievement. And none is suffering more than Nairobi Buffaloes' (NPCA) captain Collins Obuya, who,played for Uganda's Tornados last year and was the only player who came back from his country's disastrous 2011 World Cup campaign in India and Bangladesh with his reputation intact and his head held high; and is now reportedly in receipt of death threats because of his willingness to side with CK's strategy to improve the game.
Full postTanzania win indoor tournament
Tanzania won the inaugural BMTL indoor tournament, beating Kenya by eight wickets in the final at Dar es Salaam
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
Tanzania won the inaugural BMTL indoor tournament, beating Kenya by eight wickets in the final at Dar es Salaam. Tanzania made 125 from their 16 overs, and Kenya fell nine runs short of victory. The third side in the competition were Sri Lanka.
Full postTeams named for ICC World Cricket League Division 6
The International Cricket Council has announced the 14-man squads for the six teams – Nigeria, Kuwait, Fiji, Guernsey, Jersey and Malaysia - participating in ICC World Cricket League Division 6 next month in Malaysia.
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
The International Cricket Council has announced the 14-man squads for the six teams – Nigeria, Kuwait, Fiji, Guernsey, Jersey and Malaysia - participating in ICC World Cricket League Division 6 next month in Malaysia.
The finalists of the event, which will be played from 17 to 24 September, will be promoted to ICC World Cricket League Division 5 which will be staged in Singapore in early 2012.
The tournament will be played on three grounds in Kuala Lumpur, Kinrara Oval, Selangor Turf Club and Bayuemas Oval. These venues were also used for the ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup which was held in Malaysia in 2009.
The full squads are as follows:
Full postAnother US election shambles
The bickering and confusion that has been a hallmark of much of US cricket in recent years continues to undermine attempts to bring the structure of the game onto a professional footing
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
The bickering and confusion that has been a hallmark of much of US cricket in recent years continues to undermine attempts to bring the structure of the game onto a professional footing. The squabbling within the Atlantic Region following the decision not to issue the results of elections in July is another example of the dysfunctional state of affairs.
On July 26 elections were held and within 24 hours an email from Sheldon Ellis, the coordinator, said the votes had been collated, but instead of the results being released soon after, Sheldon Mollineau, the outgoing secretary, took a decision to withhold them.
Ellis stated that he had been called by Gladstone Dainty, the controversial president of the USA Cricket Association, who had instructed him not to release the results. Ellis, who is claimed to be very unhappy, said that if the matter was not resolved he would nevertheless send the results to the secretary of the region.
Seven leagues with the Atlantic Region requested Ellis to release the results to the secretary, which he did on August 3. But Mollineau, rather than forward them as expected, simply sat on them, citing Dainty’s request as the reason.
Full postNepal TV deal underlines cricket's popularity
The appeal of cricket in Nepal has been underlined by the news that national broadcaster Nepal Television has renewed its deal to cover all the country’s international matches.
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
The appeal of cricket in Nepal has been underlined by the news that national broadcaster Nepal Television has renewed its deal to cover all the country’s international matches.
The three-year contract, which is only worth US$8000pa, gives the broadcaster the right to cover all matches organised by the Nepal board.
It means that Nepal remains the only Associate in Asia to offer national matches on free-to-air television.
Cricket in Nepal remains a major sport, with the media carrying extensive reports on major tournament. Crowds for major matches rival those seen in Full member countries.
Full postHansra guides Canada to victory
Canada won the Auty Cup with a 34-run victory over USA in Toronto, but the visitors battled back after a poor opening day to ensure the game remained competitive, even if the seemingly narrow winning margin was slightly deceptive.
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
Canada won the Auty Cup with a 34-run victory over USA in Toronto, but the visitors battled back after a poor opening day to ensure the game remained competitive, even if the seemingly narrow winning margin was slightly deceptive.
In a bid to prevent negative play in the two-day match, it was agreed the first innings would be limited to 45 overs a side and the second to 40 overs. The result of this was that Canada's first-innings lead of 73 meant that barring a second-day collapse, they were always likely to be able to post too many runs for the USA to chase.
Full postTen teams for World Cup qualifier
The 2011 Women's World Cup Qualifier will feature 10 teams and be played at four venues in Dhaka, the ICC has said
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
The 2011 Women's World Cup Qualifier will feature 10 teams and be played at four venues in Dhaka, the ICC has said. The tournament is scheduled between November 14 and 25.
The four venues will be the Sher-e-Bangla stadium, Narayanganj Osmani Stadium, Bangladesh Krira Shikkha Protishtan (Bangladesh Institute of Sports) 1 and BKSP 2. Hosts Bangladesh will be joined by South Africa, Sri Lanka, Netherlands, Zimbabwe, USA, West Indies, Pakistan, Ireland and Japan to battle it out for the four remaining spots at the 2013 Women's World Cup in India. England, Australia, India and New Zealand already qualified for the event because they were the top four teams in the 2009 Women's World Cup.
The teams for the qualifiers will be split into two groups. Bangladesh play Pakistan in the first game of the tournament on November 14 at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium.
Group A
South Africa, Sri Lanka, Netherlands, Zimbabwe, USA
Full postSouth Africa, Sri Lanka, Netherlands, Zimbabwe, USA
Roy Dias to coach Oman
Roy Dias, the former Sri Lanka batsman, has confirmed he will take over as Oman's coach
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
Roy Dias, the former Sri Lanka batsman, has confirmed he will take over as Oman's coach. Dias, who played 20 Tests and 58 ODIs in the eighties, has plenty of experience supervising upcoming nations, having spent the past decade in charge of the Nepal team.
Full postNetherlands top European Women’s Twenty20 competition
In a hard-fought and generally low-scoring Twenty20 competition on the European Women’s Championship opening day all three teams finished with a win and a defeat, but it was the Dutch hosts who came out on top on net run rate, thanks to a comfortable
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
In a hard-fought and generally low-scoring Twenty20 competition on the European Women’s Championship opening day all three teams finished with a win and a defeat, but it was the Dutch hosts who came out on top on net run rate, thanks to a comfortable victory over Scotland.
Scotland had caused an initial upset by beating Ireland in the first game of the day, after Irish skipper Isobel Joyce had elected to bat after winning the toss. Ireland’s batters found the conditions difficult against a steady Scottish attack, and battled their way to 72 before they were dismissed in exactly 18 overs, only Joyce herself, with an enterprising 28-ball 29, gaining any real measure of control. Keeper Mary Waldron (16) was the only other Irishwoman to reach double figures, while Kari Anderson with three for 20 was the most successful of the Scottish bowlers. There were two wickets apiece for Kathryn White, Leigh Kasperek (whose four overs cost just six runs) and Lois Wilkinson.
Scotland found scoring equally difficult, with Kim Garth taking 1 for 4 for Ireland in her four overs and Amy Kenealy claiming two for 12. White top-scored with 23, but when she became Joyce’s third victim (for just 7 runs) the Scots faced an uphill battle.
Nine were still needed from the last two overs, but Fiona Urquhart took some of the pressure off with some calculated strokeplay, and in the end Scotland managed to take the winning single off the very last ball of the game, with two wickets in hand.
Full postSponsor boost for Kenyan tournaments
Cricket Kenya’s news east Africa tournaments have received a boost with news that paint manufacturer Crown Berger has been signed up as the competition sponsor.
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
Cricket Kenya’s news east Africa tournaments have received a boost with news that paint manufacturer Crown Berger has been signed up as the competition sponsor.
The deal is worth 1.5 Kenyan Shillings (US$16,000) and is to support both the Twenty 20 East Africa Premier League and 50-over East Africa Cup.
Full postMost Read
Writers