Beyond the Test World
Vettori and Bracken praise minnows' enthusiasm
Six teams will take the first step on the road to qualification for the 2015 World Cup on Sunday when the ICC World Cricket League Division 7 gets underway in Guernsey, and the minnows have been given a boost in spirit and profile by two high-profile
Will Luke
25-Feb-2013
Six teams will take the first step on the road to qualification for the 2015 World Cup on Sunday when the ICC World Cricket League Division 7 gets underway in Guernsey, and the minnows have been given a boost in spirit and profile by two high-profile names lending their support.
Click here to read the tournament preview.
Full postBahrain hammer Isle of Wight
Bahrain got into their stride in preparation for their Division 7 World Cup 2015 qualifiers in Guernsey, beating an Isle of Wight XI by 131 runs at Newclose, Isle of Wight, on Wednesday.
Will Luke
25-Feb-2013
Bahrain got into their stride in preparation for their Division 7 World Cup 2015 qualifiers in Guernsey, beating an Isle of Wight XI by 131 runs at Newclose, Isle of Wight, on Wednesday.
The Gulf side posted 320 for 5 in 50 overs as they took apart the home side. Isle of Wight struggled to reach a competitive score, making 189 for 9 in their 50 overs, with Tommy Barton of Lymington getting 49 and Charlie Sutton 33.
Information and scores kindly provided by Colin MacBeth
Full postIreland and New Zealand in Twenty20 warm-up
Ireland and New Zealand will gain valuable practice ahead of the ICC World Twenty20 when they contest a warm-up match at Derby on May 27.
Andrew McGlashan
25-Feb-2013
Ireland and New Zealand will gain valuable practice ahead of the ICC World Twenty20 when they contest a warm-up match at Derby on May 27.
Irish Cricket chief executive Warren Deutrom said: “We’re delighted to be preparing for our ICC Twenty20 World Cup campaign against such masterly practitioners of the short-form of the game as New Zealand.
“Of course, the County Ground will be familiar to many of our county-based players as well as to our coach, Phil Simmons, who spent many summers just down the M1 at Leicestershire.
“We hope that the Derbyshire public comes out in droves during the half-term holiday to watch an excellent contest and, of course, Irish fans will be hoping this is the start of another terrific campaign when the team can once again create more than a few upsets and grab the cricket world’s attention.”
Full postNigeria thwarted by visa delay
Nigeria’s participation in the ICC World Cricket League Division 7 tournament, which takes place in Guernsey from May 17, was in the lap of the gods after it was revealed that players were struggling to obtain visas to enter the UK.
Andrew McGlashan
25-Feb-2013
Nigeria’s participation in the ICC World Cricket League Division 7 tournament, which takes place in Guernsey from May 17, was in the lap of the gods after it was revealed that players were struggling to obtain visas to enter the UK.
Speaking to Cricket Europe, Endurance Ofem, the side’s 16-year-old wicketkeeper, said that the British High Commission had not processed applications for visas. “As things stand now, realistically, we might not be making the UK tour but we can only hope that the embassy releases our passports with visas. The players are disappointed at the British High Commission but remain focused for the job at hand.”
Full postJapan coach confident ahead of Guernsey tournament
Japan coach Richard Laidler is hopeful that his side can do well in the World Cricket League Division 7 tournament which gets underway on Sunday in Guernsey.
Will Luke
25-Feb-2013
Japan coach Richard Laidler is hopeful that his side can do well in the World Cricket League Division 7 tournament which gets underway on Sunday in Guernsey.
“I am looking forward to coming back to the Channel Islands. It is always exciting to play in international competition as we don’t get much recognition in Japan,” said Laidler. “To give the boys a chance to show how cricket is a global sport is fantastic and we are looking forward to playing in the event. I really hope we can finish first or second and go into Division 6. After playing in Jersey last year we had a chance to understand the standard that we are actually up against and we know what we will have to come up against.”
Laidler admitted that Afghanistan’s recent success, having risen from Division 5 last year to gaining ODI status in the recent ICC World Cricket League, was a great inspiration to Associate and Affiliate members.
“It is a fantastic story and the competition is really well done by the ICC as it does give teams a chance to go up the rankings. Being from the EAP region we used to only play against the same teams, but we are now getting an opportunity to play against everybody, and that gives you a lot of encouragement if you want to play better teams,” said Laidler.
Full postThe new, tough Hamilton era
Gavin Hamilton is only three weeks into his tenure as Scotland captain but, according to Glenn Rogers, the allrounder, his impact has been immediate.
Will Luke
25-Feb-2013
Gavin Hamilton is only three weeks into his tenure as Scotland captain but, according to Glenn Rogers, the allrounder, his impact has been immediate.
Click here for the full story and to leave your comments.
Full postKent to host Dutch warm-up
Canterbury will be staging the Twenty20 World Cup warm-up match between Bangladesh and Netherlands on May 28.
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
Canterbury will be staging the Twenty20 World Cup warm-up match between Bangladesh and Netherlands on May 28.
Admission is £10 for adults and £5 for juniors with members admitted free. The gates will open at 1.00pm with the game itself getting underway at 3.00pm.
Full postIntercontinental Cup could include Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe Cricket has told Cricinfo that it is working with the ICC on proposals that it enters a team into the 2009-10 Intercontinental Cup
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
Zimbabwe Cricket has told Cricinfo that it is working with the ICC on proposals that it enters a team into the 2009-10 Intercontinental Cup. The tournament features the leading eight Associates who play each other in four-day first-class matches spread over more than a year, with the top two playing-off in a final at a neutral venue.
The idea that Zimbabwe, who have been suspended from Test cricket since 2005, participate in the competition was one of the proposals put forward to the ICC to enable their cricketers to prepare for an eventual return to the Test arena. A ZC spokesman said that the board were “in principle agreeable” and it was sorting out the “finer details” with the ICC.
An ICC source said that were Zimbabwe Cricket to agree it could create potential difficulties for it. “It would, in effect, admit that they were at Associate level, and unless they do very well, there would be a compelling argument for them to be stripped of their Full Member status. Imagine the situation where Ireland or Scotland, whose funding from the ICC is a fraction of Zimbabwe’s, beat them. There could be calls for that anomaly to be resolved.”
There are also issues over where games would be played as some countries involved in the competition still have serious political reservations over travelling to, and hosting, Zimbabwe. Those, however, are not believed to be insurmountable.
Full postPapua New Guinea appoint general manager
The ICC’s East Asia Pacific arm have appointed the Australian Bill Leane as Papua New Guinea’s general manager
Will Luke
25-Feb-2013
The ICC’s East Asia Pacific arm have appointed the Australian Bill Leane as Papua New Guinea’s general manager. “We at Cricket PNG are very excited at the appointment
of such a highly skilled and experienced candidate such as Bill to the position of general manager,” said Mick Nades, the chairman of Cricket PNG. “We are sure that he will take cricket to a new level in Papua New Guinea.
“With a number of tournaments scheduled later this year, earmarked improvements for facilities and administration still to come, and the continuing development of cricket at the grass-roots level, it is an extremely exciting time to take on this role,” said Leane.
Full postKenya dismiss Under-19 criticism
Cricket Kenya has dismissed criticism in some sections of the media following the poor performance of the Under-19 side in the recently concluded Africa Championship
Martin Williamson
25-Feb-2013
Cricket Kenya has dismissed criticism in some sections of the media following the poor performance of the Under-19 side in the recently concluded Africa Championship. Kenya, who will host the U-19 World Cup in 2010, finished fourth.
“It’s easy to snipe, but the side was without the bulk of the first-choice players,” a board official told Cricinfo. “The tournament was scheduled in the middle of school exams, and many of the boys’ parents, understandably, refused to allow their sons to miss those to take part. Given we are already guaranteed a spot [at the World Cup] it was hardly a make-or-break event.”
The top two teams - Uganda and Sierra Leone – progressed to the next stage of the qualification process for the U-19 World Cup, but Kenya automatically get a place as hosts.
Full post