Beyond the Test World
Cayman Islands, Bermuda score victories
Wins for Cayman Islands, Bemuda and Canada on the second day of the ICC WCL Americas Regional Division One Round-up
Siddhartha Talya
25-Feb-2013
Cayman Islands thrashed Bahamas by 111 runs at the Southampton Rangers Cricket Club Ground in Bermuda after Bahamas put up another disappointing batting display. Chasing 272 to win, Bahamas were bowled out for 160 with no batsman making more than 30.
With extras and captain Gregory Taylor being the joint highest scorers at 28 runs apiece, Bahamas were never in the game. Cayman Islands offspinner Kevin Bazil took figures of 4 for 26 and was ably supported by fellow offspinner Alessandro Morris, who took 3 for 41.
Earlier, Cayman Islands were boosted by three half-centuries on a damp wicket from opener Ramon Sealy, Ryan Bovell and Ronald Ebanks to set a challenging total of 271. Player of the Match Sealy hit 11 boundaries during his 65 from 74 deliveries. Bovell and Ebanks then added 62 runs for the fifth wicket before Bovell fell for 52 from 56 deliveries. Despite a late collapse, Ebanks finished the innings unbeaten on 51 off only 39 balls with six boundaries and three sixes.
Bermuda crushed Argentina by a huge margin of 166 runs after Argentina folded for 116 chasing a stiff target of 283 at the Sea Breeze Oval.
Full postKabul keep semi-final hopes alive with win
Kabul kept alive their hopes of a semi-final place in Afghanistan's 50-over Etisalat Trophy, beating Kunar by three wickets in their Group C match in Kabul on Sunday, Panjshir and Laghman have already qualified for the semi-finals.
Tony Munro
25-Feb-2013
Kabul kept alive their hopes of a semi-final place in Afghanistan's 50-over Etisalat Trophy, beating Kunar by three wickets in their Group C match in Kabul on Sunday, Panjshir and Laghman have already qualified for the semi-finals.
Kunar, from the country's east, won the toss and elected to bat first. Aspirations of a high total were dented when they lost three wickets in reaching 50. Kunar never fully recovered and were all-out for 130 in 32.3 overs.
Afghanistan under-19 captain Noorulhaq Malikzai had a handy game, taking a key wicket in the Kunar innings and chipping in with 23 in Kabul's reply. Kabul needed just 29.1 overs to overtake the Kunar total.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board will decide on Monday which teams are playing that day. It is believed Ghazni, the fifth team in Group C may have a first round bye and the two successful teams in Group C, Kabul and Logar, may play each other. This has not been finalised.
Full postUSA crush Argentina in opener
USA hammered Argentina by 119 runs in their Division One match of the ICC World Cricket League Americas Region in Bermuda
Sahil Dutta
25-Feb-2013
USA hammered Argentina by 119 runs in their Division One match of the ICC World Cricket League Americas Region in Bermuda. Twin centuries by Orlando Baker and Aditya Thyagarajan propelled USA to a mammoth 347 for 6 in 50 overs at the St George's Cricket Club. Coming in after a mini collapse left USA at 91 for 4, Thyagarajan's century was the more brutal of the two, his 159 runs coming from only 119 deliveries, with 21 boundaries and three sixes. Opener Baker was the last batsman to be dismissed after scoring 113 from 108 deliveries, sharing a 213-run partnership with Thyagarajan.
An asking-rate touching nearly seven an over was always going to prove tough for
Argentina and they lost wickets regularly to finish on 228 for 9. In a chase where they needed batsmen to stay longer at the crease, Argentina's best stand was 75 runs for the fourth wicket between Gary Savage and Grant Dugmore. Adrian Gordon took 4 for 38 in eight overs for USA, a spell which included the wickets of the Argentina openers.
Bermuda brushed aside Bahamas by seven wickets with more than 20 overs to spare after Bahamas were dismissed for 128 batting first at the National Stadium in Hamilton. Player of the match Kevin Tucker took figures of 8-3-9-3 as five Bahamas batsmen failed to score. But for No. 8 Narendra Ekanayake's unbeaten 52, Bahamas would not have crossed 100, after being 19 for 5 at one stage. Ekanayake was supported by Dwight Weakley, who was the only other batsman to reach double figures, making 28 and sharing a 42-run seventh wicket stand. The state of the Bahamas innings could be gauged from the way opener Hamilton Gilliard scratched around for 57 deliveries for only 6 runs. The Bermuda batsmen didn't face any trouble in knocking off the small target, reaching it in just 28.1 overs, with only opener Fiqre Crockwell failing to make runs.
Canada completed a comfortable eight-wicket win against Cayman Islands, chasing the target of 133 with 20 overs to spare at St David's Cricket Club. In a game that was shortened to 41 overs, Cayman Islands were guilty of poor running between the wickets. Four batsmen were run out in an uninspiring batting performance, in which only one batsman crossed 20, as Cayman Islands were restricted to 132 for 9. Canada fast bowler Khurram Chohan wrecked the top order with 3 for 18 from eight overs. Though Cayman Islands captain Saheed Mohamed made 51, he lacked support from his team-mates, and the innings never recovered after Chohan had reduced them to 27 for 4.
Full postAmericas Division One kicks off in Bermuda
The Americas Division One tournament starts in Bermuda on Friday, with four of the six countries going into the event possibly with one eye on upcoming World Cricket League (WCL) commitments.
George Binoy
25-Feb-2013
The Americas Division One tournament starts in Bermuda on Friday, with four of the six countries going into the event possibly with one eye on upcoming World Cricket League (WCL) commitments.
Canada are taking part in the WCL Division One tournament in early July in the Netherlands, while Argentina, Cayman Islands and United States are playing in WCL Division Four in Italy, possibly in August.
Canada have rested captain Ashish Bagai and its Australasian-based contingent from the competition in Bermuda. Bagai is expected to play in Division Four although whether John Davison and Ian Billcliff will make that trip is as yet unknown.
The Cayman Islands have rested their premier batsman, Pearson Best, for this tournament, but coach Theo Cuffy told Cricinfo he will play in WCL Division Four.
Full postKhost beat Balkh in controversial encounter
A team which had originally been eliminated, has been reinstated to Etisalat Afghanistan Domestic fifty-over tournament, the country's main inter-provincial tournament, after its supporters staged a four-hour pitch invasion demanding a change to the
Tony Munro
25-Feb-2013
A team which had originally been eliminated, has been reinstated to Etisalat Afghanistan Domestic fifty-over tournament, the country's main inter-provincial tournament, after its supporters staged a four-hour pitch invasion demanding a change to the events rules for determining semi-finalists according to a report on The Cricket Post website.
The report tells how Khost supporters' sit-in only ceased once the Afghanistan Cricket Board altered the rules so Khost would continue competing in the tournament. Under the original format, the two winners in each group with the highest run-rate were to proceed to the semi-finals. Khost was originally eliminated as they were third in Group A on run-rate behind Panjshir and Balkh.
It was expected that Panjshir and Balkh would play off on Saturday's match at the National Youth Cricket Ground in Kabul for a place in the quarter-finals. Khost, originally third in Group A objected chiefly on the grounds that Khost's provincial representative was not present at the ACB meeting where the tournament rules were decided.
The report alleges pressure from ministers in President Hamid Karzai’s cabinet, tribal leaders and parliamentarians was exerted on the ACB. The report then says ACB sources told The Cricket Post that they were asked not to upset Khost’s spectators. Sources added, ACB had feared Khostis riot may lead to a fight in the ground.
Full postMohammad Noor sets up Balkh's victory
Playing in front of a large crowd, Balkh have won the final game in Group A of the Afghanistan domestic 50-over inter-provincial tournament with a 21-run win over Maidan Wardak at the National Youth Cricket Ground in Kabul on Friday.
Tony Munro
25-Feb-2013
Playing in front of a large crowd, Balkh have won the final game in Group A of the Afghanistan domestic 50-over inter-provincial tournament with a 21-run win over Maidan Wardak at the National Youth Cricket Ground in Kabul on Friday.
After being sent in, Balkh began like a team in a hurry, belting 21 runs from the first three overs. However the northerners were unable to pace their innings with sensible shot making and their innings crashed spectacularly from 115 for 1 in 13 overs to 145 for 7 in 25 overs. Mohammad Noor led the Balkh onslaught, top-scoring with 51, the tournament's first half-century.
Persistant Maidan Wardak bowling finally restricted Balkh to 170 all out from 34.4 overs after a much higher total had seemed likely.
The innings of Maidan Wardak, hailing from the province to the immediate east of Kabul, followed a similar story to Balkh's, smashing 27 in their first three overs. Balkh captain Abdullah Mazari took four wickets to instigate a Maidan Wardak crash, losing eight wickets for 128 runs, and eventually to 149 all-out in 42.2 overs.
Full postPanjshir and Khost stay alive
Panjshir and Khost stayed alive in the Etisalat Afghanistan Domestic 50-over tournament, Afghanistan’s main domestic event, by winning their respective matches at the National Cricket Stadium in Kabul
Tony Munro
25-Feb-2013
Panjshir and Khost stayed alive in the Etisalat Afghanistan Domestic 50-over tournament, Afghanistan’s main domestic event, by winning their respective matches at the National Cricket Stadium in Kabul. In two low-scoring affairs, Panjshir beat Helmand by five wickets on Wednesday, while Khost beat Baghlan by 29 runs on Thursday.
There are 24 provinces taking part in the tournament, with teams divided into four groups of six. Each team plays one match in the group stage, with the teams with the highest run-rate from each group progressing to the semi-finals. The tournament continues until June 8 and Afghanistan’s national team players are representing their provinces.
In Wednesday’s game, Panjshir, from the country's north-east, won the toss and put Helmand, from the south, in to bat. The decision to bowl was vindicated as Helmand lost two wickets in the first seven overs before collapsing for 126 all out.
Panjshir, mindful of the importance of run-rates in determining the semi-finalists, raced to their target of 127 in just 19 overs, losing five wickets in the process. The win keeps them in contention for a place in the last four, while Helmand has been eliminated.
Full postBermuda to host Americas Championship
The Division One Championship will comprise six teams: Bermuda, USA, Canada, Cayman Islands, Argentina and Bahamas
Siddhartha Talya
25-Feb-2013
Bermuda will be hosting the 2010 ICC Americas Regional Division One Championship. The competition will begin on May 28 and will be followed by a Twenty20 tournament in June.
The Division One Championship will comprise six teams: Bermuda, USA, Canada, Cayman Islands, Argentina and Bahamas. The Bermuda Cricket Board has also signed an agreement with Fresh TV to provide live coverage for a game each day.
The board’s vice-president Allan Richardson said: "The BCB is delighted to secure the rights to host the ICC Americas Regional Division 1 Championship. It has been a challenge securing the tournament within ICC budget and it is thanks to many of our local providers who have helped us to make this happen. Bringing international cricket to Bermuda is a priority to showcase our local talent and to generate enthusiasm for our National Sport for all ages.
"We are extremely pleased to be pursuing a TV strategy with Fresh TV to enhance and promote the game of cricket for everyone in Bermuda. Coverage of this event provides a unique opportunity to reach the entire community by giving them the choice of coming to the game to support their team or to follow the action on TV."
Full postMacedonia to host EuroTwenty20
Macedonia is set to take a giant leap forward in its cricket development this summer as it prepares to play host to an invitational European Twenty20 tournament.
Sahil Dutta
25-Feb-2013
Macedonia is set to take a giant leap forward in its cricket development this summer as it prepares to play host to an invitational European Twenty20 tournament.
National teams from Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Bulgaria and Russia as well as a Croatia ‘A’ side will descend on the country’s capital Skopje to contest the third unofficial EuroTwenty20 event from July 10 – 17.
Cricket was first played in Macedonia in 2007 and the enthusiasm for the sport has reportedly increased greatly with the aim of working towards ICC Affiliate Member status over the next few years.
Ray Power, chairman of the British Business Group Macedonia, who is developing cricket in the country and helping to organise the tournament, is hopeful the event will help generate further interest in the game and increase participation.
Full postJapan wins EAP Women's Trophy Final by nine runs
After four consecutive days of hot weather, the sky opened up and consistent rain greeted the players as Japan and Papua New Guinea took the field for the East Asia-Pacific Women's Trophy final
Tony Munro
25-Feb-2013
After four consecutive days of hot weather, the sky opened up and consistent rain greeted the players as Japan and Papua New Guinea took the field for the East Asia-Pacific Women's Trophy final. Japan captain Ema Kuribayashi won her fourth toss in a row, electing to bat first against an experienced PNG line-up.
Japan found the conditions difficult at the start, and coupled with an outstanding spell of bowling from PNG opening bowlers Pauke Siaka and Tanya Ruma, found themselves at 36-1 after 20 overs when play was stopped due to rain.
Play resumed briefly after the first rain delay, but the skies opened again soon after leaving Japan only 42 overs to bat. Ema Kuribayashi (21) was run out soon after the resumption of play, bringing the reliable Katrina Keenan to the crease, however when partner Kurumi was dismissed without scoring, Japan were struggling at 53-4.
Keenan began patiently, pushing singles and running well between wickets, before unleashing an almighty attack on all bowlers towards the end of the innings that included five boundaries and two enormous sixes.
Full post