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News from cricket around the world Tony Munro - Jan 19 1999 Welcome to the first edition on what is hoped to be a monthly unofficial column devoted to goings-on in cricket at the non-Test level. If you would like cricket information from your country included in this column please contact the author at: tonym@wr.com.au In this month's edition, news from: Kenya, Namibia, Vanuatu, Fiji, Maldive Islands, Samoa, Mexico, Belize, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, Uganda, Indonesia and Spain. Kenya will field all of its overseas contingent for its vital World Cup preparation matches against the touring MCC next month. Vice-captain Maurice Odumbe and star batsman Steve Tikolo will return home from club duties in Bangladesh while wicket-keeper/batsman Kennedy Otieno, opening bowler Martin Suji and Thomas Odoyo join the team from Johannesburg. These players are part of a 21-man squad training under national coach, Alvin Kallicharran. The MCC team, featuring several players with Test experience, arrives in Kenya on February 17 for a series of matches which are an integral part of Kenya's World Cup build-up. It will be one of the key tests of the national team's new brand of professionalism. "We have a five year sponsorship with Kenya Breweries and this allows our players to go professional. We can then concentrate on getting the percentages right with things like running between wickets and fielding," KCA official, Robbie Armstrong said. The MCC will play matches against Kenya A, Kenya under 19s, and a Coastal Selection, as well as four one day "internationals" against the national team. Kenya will then contest a triangular tournament against Bangladesh and Zimbabwe in Dhaka starting on March 17.
Fine all-round performances from the Kotze brothers, Dean and Bjorn, highlighted Namibia's drawn UCB Division Two three-day match against Orange Free State A in Windhoek last week. The Kotze brothers had helped get Namibia into a sound position before rain caused play to be abandoned on the final day. The match finished with Nambia 67-2 chasing 210 for victory. The Kotzes combined to limit OFS A to 199 in their first innings, with Bjorn pinning down the early batsmen with 9-1 off 11 overs. Dean then capitalised taking 66-4 off 21 overs. Fellow opening bowler, James Kirtley, bowling good line and length, conceded a miserly 13-1 from 12 overs. Herman Wessels (62) and Dewald Pretorius (44), who proved to be Nambia's nemesis over the four days, top-scored for OFS A. Namibia replied with 194 all out with Dean (38) and Bjorn (26) among the main contributors. Melt van Schoor (36) and skipper Danie Kuelder (33) also made runs. For OFS A Pretorius was the destroyer with 22-4 off 25 overs. Bjorn (18-2), who opens both the batting and bowling, and Dean (35-2) again combined, to limit OFS A to 214, with Jan Berrie Burger also chipping in with 38-2. Namibia were 67-2 needing 210 before rain halted play. Namibia and OFS A shared the bonus points with 6 each. Batting on a damp pitch, Namibia were skittled for 64 all-out to lose by 10 wickets in their UCB Division Two one-day match against OFS A. Overnight rain had delayed the start due to the pitch being waterlogged. When play did commence, that man Pretorius took full advantage, removing four top order batsmen, and finishing with 14-4 off eight overs. Openers Gerald Fourie (21*) and Andrew Gates (44*)took advantage of improving conditions to guide the OFS A to victory. UCB Bowl Division Two matches are not First Class. Namibia's next matches are against Boland in Paarl, with the three-day match commencing on February 12, and the one-dayer on February 15. Next month's edition of this page will bring you all the facts Details: 3-Day Match - OFS A 199 (H.Wessels 62, D.Pretorius 44; D.Kotze 66-4) Namibia 194 (D.Kotze 38, M.van Schoor 36, D.Kuelder 33, B.Kotze 26; D.Pretorius 22-4) OFS A 214 (B.Kotze 18-2, D.Kotze 35-2, J.Berrie Burger 38-2) Namibia 67-2 (D.Seagar 38*) Match Drawn. 1-Day Match - Namibia 64 (D.Pretorius 14-4) OFS A 65-0 (G.Fourie 21*, A.Gates 44*) Orange Free State A won by 10 wickets. Meanwhile, on the domestic front, Namibian cricket continues to grow, as leagues in the Western, Northern and Central parts of the country are this season being contested for the first time. In some cases, players are making return trips of 900kms for games.
The Vanuatu Cricket Association is eager to cater for those Australasian cricketers needing their annual winter 'fix' by hosting the inaugural Vanuatu Sixes, to be held in Port Vila on May 12-16. The tournament is open to teams of all standards, from club and pub teams to a bunch of mates wanting a bit of fun in the sun. Preliminary round matches will be conducted prior to finals. The finals will precede the annual visit of the Ginger Meggs X!, a motley collection of past Australian Test players and rising stars. The Ginger Meggs X! players will be available to mingle and offer advice on how to fix that nagging technical fault. The rules will be similar to that of the Super-8 format. Twelve nominations will be accepted on a first-come, first-secured basis. Nominations close at the end of February. The Sixes is primarily a social affair with time available for other recreation such as golf, tennis, deep sea fishing, duty free shopping and so on. Participants are encouraged to bring their families with them for a taste of Vanuatu. Organisers will offer incentives for entertaining play/players. For further information contact: Mark Stafford, President of the Vanuatu Cricket Association, C/-BDO Chartered Accountants and Advisors in Port Vila. Fax (678) 22317. PO Box 240, Port Vila, Vanuatu. Email: BDO@vanuatu.com.vu or in Australia Jim Slavin, Millennium Travel, Sydney. Ph.: 02-92110944, fax: 02-92111066. Email: millennium@nettrade.com.au Millennium Travel has packages for three venues which include return economy airfares flying Air Vanuatu ex-Sydney, 7 nights accomodation, return airport/hotel transfers and Australian & Vanuatuan departure taxes, starting from $A939.
If you are Fijian-born and think you have untapped potential at international level, then the Fijian Cricket Association would love to hear from you. ICC rules allow countries to field players who were born in that country, regardless of present residential status and the FCA is confident there may be grade cricketers in Australia and New Zealand unaware of their possible international status. If you think you might qualify please call Peter Knight in Suva on (679) 300321 (h) or 301079 (w). You could follow the path worn by former New South Wales and Victorian born all-rounder Neil Maxwell. Lautoka-born Maxwell was drafted for Fiji's 1997 ICC Trophy campaign. Four overseas cricketers the Fijian Cricket Association should have no trouble locating for international duty are Waisake Tukana (24 years old), Seci Sekinini (also 24), Iniasi Cakacaka (20) and Tavo Soravakatini. Tukana, who hails from Merce in Fiji's eastern islands, is spending the 1998-99 season at the New Zealand Cricket Academy after being selected as one of the better prospects at the 1997 ICC Trophy. Suva based Sekinini, 24, a batsman who bowls off-spin, Cakacaka, a 20 year-old batsman who keeps wickets at club level, and Sorovakatini, are all playing for the Goulburn Workers Cricket Club in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, as the part of the FCA's drive to give their younger players overseas experience. Sorovakatini is part of the famous Fijian cricketing family which includes Fijian captain Lesi and fellow national players Asaeli and Joespha. The present Fijian domestic season has been hindered by the usual problems of wavering player numbers and the burgeoning rugby Sevens season, which limits ground availability.
The ever increasng ICC family is likely to get at least two more additions when it holds its Annual meeting in June this year. The Maldive Islands and Samoa are in the planning stages of placing applications for Affiliate membership. "Our application will probably depend on what happens with a visiting ICC official in March," Maldive Islands Cricket Board of Control secretary, Mr Ahmed Didi, said. The Maldives are no strangers to international competition having competed in the past two ACC Trophy competitions. The local league will start in March with "about five teams". This year there will be a push to expand cricket into the outer islands. This column will feature more news on cricket's rebirth in Samoa and their bid for ICC Affiliate status next month.
International cricket, of sorts, will be played in Mexico City this northern summer, when a Mexico City XI hosts the Belize national cricket team. The Mexico City XI will comprise staff from the city's foreign diplomatic community. Meanwhile, the Belize season will kick off with what is being billed as a "cricket marathon", on January 30 and 31st. The season proper commences a week later with 14 teams split into two zones expected to compete.
Botswana, Gambia, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda are among the 14 countries which have been earmarked as beneficaries of the Africa Cricket Association's 1999 development programme. The ICC Development Officer designated to Africa, Mr Hoosain Ayob, said "experienced South African coaches will spend four to five days in some countries." As part of the secoind year of the development programme, there will be:
Singapore may host a one-day international triangular tournament this year, pending further negotiations. The island nation last held a tournament in April 1996 when India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka competed for the Singer Trophy. The Asia Youth Cup (Under 19s) will be held in Singapore on June 7-13 and will act as a qualifying tournament for the World Cup Under 19s in Sri Lanka in January, 2000. The senior domestic season commences on February 21, finishing in late September.
Sri Lanka's Hatton National Bank look set to take out the National Paints Gold Cup for Sharjah Ramadin Festival following a convincing march into the semi-finals of the 12 team 35-over floodlit competition. Rebounding from a first-up loss to Emirates Airlines in the Group matches, H.N.B.has emerged as favourites to take out the event which also attracts teams from other United Arab Emirates centres such as Abu Dhabi and Dubai, as well as neighbouring Oman. H.N.B's international trio, Kumara Dharmasena, Russell Arnold and Sanjeewa De Silva, have been the key contributors, with Arnold hitting 51 not out in H.N.B.'s eight wicket quarterfinal win over Expats. Expats, after crumbling to 45-6, recovered to score 118-9 in their allotted 35 overs, with Zakir Hussain (50) receiving valuable assistance from the tail. Dharmasena, Arnold and De Silva each chipped in with two wickets. In reply, H.N.B. made 120-2 in just 34.4 overs. At the time of writing, the semi-finals were about to be played with Emirates Airlines meeting Abu Dhabi's Union National Bank and Emirates Bank facing the rampaging H.N.B. This column will bring you all of the details in next month's edition.
The Uganda Cricket Association commenced its season in the second week of January with an eight-team pre-season knockout tournament. The knockout, which runs until the end of January, includes six teams from Kampala and two from Jinja, in the eastern part of the country. The same eight teams will contest the League proper. The main contenders are African-based team, Nile C.C., who's key player is national team opening bowler, Kamyck Kenneth, and Kampala Indians C.C., guided by Nehul Bebodi. The national team will remain dormant until the East and Central African Championships, in Tanzania, likely to be held in September.
The Jakarta Cricket Association title remains undecided following a fracas over the scheduling of the Grand Final. The JCA is likely to reschedule the Grand Final for either January 31 or February 7, after originally awarding the title to Indorama on walk-over. This came after Ceylon C.C.. requested the JCA postpone the match from January 10 until a later date when members of Jakarta's cricket community will have returned from their Christmas-New Year holidays. Due to a communication breakdoiwn, the match was awarded to Indorama. Ceylon C.C. officially protested and the match has now been rescheduled. Indorama had come from fourth place on the League table to snare a Grand Final berth with a surprise six-wicket win over the previously unbeaten I.S.C.I in the semi-final, chasing only 132. Ceylon easily disposed of North Jakarta in the other semi-final. Eight teams contested this season's League - Ceylon, Countrywoods, Gandhi International School, Indorama, International Sports Club of Indonesia (I.S.C.I), North Jakarta, Rebels and Texmaco. The league was played on a reduced basis this year, due to the uncertain political and social climate in Indonesia. Each team played each other once and not twice, as in previous seasons. The season started with on September 12/13 with the annual Jakarta Sixes. The 14 teams included sides from Bali and Bandung. Rebels C.C. "A" beat the I.S.C.I in the Cup Final while North Jakarta defeated Texmaco in the Plate final. Thanks: Randy Reckerman
Any official of non-Test playing countries will tell you ground availability is one of their biggest hurdles and Spanish cricket is facing the same problem. In the "Win Some, Lose Some" Department, cricket in Spain has a new ground in Javea, situated on the Costa Blanca and in the province oif Alicante. The ground, situated in the centre of town, is yet to be completed. In 1996, Javea was the first club to complete the Spanish League and Cup double. On the minus side, the game has lost the vital Cantama ground, sold for redevelopment. There are hopes that a Spanish entrepreneur will build a large sports complex, thus replacing a ground which played host to numerous Southern clubs, including Combined Colleges, Costa del Sol, Malaga, Marbella and Mijas. In next month's edition, we hope to bring news from Denmark, Kenya, Mauritius, Namibia, Samoa, Thailand, United Arab Emirates plus others. Remember to check out the CricInfo sites for Austria, Bangladesh, Canada, Hong Kong, Israel, Netherlands and the United States. |
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