Germany: Inter-Regional finals plus regional reports

The finalists of Germany's inter-regional championship will be decided this weekend when North, West, Berlin and North Rhine Westphalen play off in the semi-finals.

This follows South's elimination in the play-offs.

North's Dilip, hailing from Alster club in Hamburg, demonstrated ominous form for the finals with four wickets in as many balls in his side's 19 run play-off win over North Rhine Westphalen. North totalled 107 before skittling NRW for 88.

Meanwhile, the club scene in Germany continues its consolidation with the addition of new clubs in the Berlin and North Rhine Westphalen leagues.

Staaken II and a team from the British Embassy has entered the Berlin League, joining Berlin CC, DSSC Berlin, Victoria Berlin and Staaken I. DSSC Berlin, the traditional powerhouse of Berlin cricket, is again expected to feature prominently.

Weiden, last year's champion and Crefeld I, remained undefeated at last report, in the race for the 2000 North Rhine Westphalen title. They head a nine team field which has been boosted by the addition of new clubs, Bruggen and Crefeld II. Other teams are Dusseldorf, Bonn, DJK Cologne, RASU, Gutersloh, SV Weiden (Cologne) and Crefeld.

Frankfurt Stars head the West League, having won four of its six matches. Trailing is Frankfurt CC, with three wins from its six matches. Rodgau and Hanau could yet challenge for the title, with two wins from four matches. Hassloch Cosmopolitans is the other competing team.

Alster took an early lead in the North league by virtue of the bonus points system. It is expected to be threatened by fellow Hamburg club, Pak Alemi, last year's runner-up in the German national club championship. Other clubs are Bremen, Hamburg Youth and Hamburg Cricket Verein.

South league clubs, Munich CC, Pak Orient, Bavarian CC and Tegernsee will compete in the Munich Cricket Association league alongside Munich International, Sri Lankan Freundenkreis, the European Patent Office and new side, Lufthansa CC.

The English Cricket Board ran a coaching course in Hamburg in May, the first one ever in Germany.

Players from Hamburg, Goettingen and Berlin participated. Under the tutorlage of Jim Cotterill, who also coaches the German U-15 and U-19 teams, and former Derbyshire fast bowler Ole 'Stan' Mortensen, the course was rated by German cricket officials as a success.

Not only did most of the participants pass their exams and qualify as ECB Level I coaches, the experience of two strenuous but very rewarding weekends of intensive cricket practice covering virtually all aspects of the game was judged to be highly beneficial.

Officials hope the ECB will continue the programme and also give some thought to having its coaching manual and other materials translated.

Lastly, Germany's veterans will play their annual friendly against Denmark's Over 40s on 8 July in Hamburg.