ICC Winter Training Camp batsmen shine but the sun does not

A quick-fire century from Abdool Samad set the ICC Winter Training Camp (ICC WTC) on their way to an excellent total of 303-8 off 50 overs against the North-West Dragons in Potchefstroom yesterday (Sunday) but the rain came before they could find out if it was enough for victory.

This was the fifth in an eight-match programme for the ICC WTC squad, a 24-man camp based in Pretoria for players from the top six Associate countries. Today's day-night match against the same opposition in the same venue was abandoned without a ball being bowled due to the bad weather.

Sunday's batting performance will have impressed head coach Tim Boon, though. Samad faced just 91 balls for his 104, an innings that included 12 fours and two sixes at the sizable Sedgars Park ground in Potch. The Canadian put on 107 for the first wicket with Ireland's William Porterfield (47) and then another 115 for the second with Scot Omer (46) Hussain.

Although the wickets fell at regular intervals after that, the momentum was maintained with John Mooney (30 off 37 balls), Alex Kervezee (16 off 19) and Ashish Bagai (13 off 12) making sure that the 300 mark was passed. Although each of the Dragons' bowlers took some punishment there was a bright spot for the hosts in the form of 23-year-old leg-spinner Jimmy Kgamadi who took 6-50 (he was also involved in the run out of Samad).

In reply North-West Dragons did not have as good a start as their opponents, losing 17-year-old left-hander Yusef Bulbulia with just 21 runs on the board but Kgamadi and Christiaan Jonker steadied things, putting on 96 before Jonker fell just before the rains came. The match was shaping up nicely with the home team needing a further 187 to win with 33.2 overs and eight wickets remaining but, like today's wash-out, the rain was to be the only winner.

The ICC Winter Training Camp involves 24 players, four from each of the top six Associate Members, in seven weeks of intensive mental and physical coaching on all aspects of the one-day game. Top coaches including former Test players Rod Marsh, Kepler Wessels and Gary Kirsten have been available to impart their knowledge and expertise to the players, overseen by head coach Tim Boon. This is the second year the ICC has run the camp which takes place in the hpc (high performance centre) in Pretoria.

Remaining fixtures:
November 15 v Northerns, LC de Villiers Oval, Pretoria
November 16 v Northerns, LC de Villiers Oval, Pretoria

ICC Winter Training Camp, high performance centre Pretoria, ongoing until Friday November 17. Players: Kwame Tucker, Irving Romaine, Kevin Hurdle, Stefan Kelly (all Bermuda); Sunil Dhaniram, Kevin Sandher, Abdool Samad, Ashish Bagai (all Canada); Kevin O'Brien, Kenny Carroll, William Porterfield, John Mooney (all Ireland); Morris Ouma, Tanmay Mishra, Hiren Varaiya, Nehemiah Odhiambo (all Kenya); Daan van Bunge, Mark Jonkman, Alexei Kervezee, Muhammad Kashif (all Netherlands); Omer Hussain, Ross Lyons, Johan Dewald Nel, John Blain (all Scotland).