Namibia underlines ICC Trophy potential; Danish bonding and Ugandan bowling highlights in South Africa; Canada off to Sri Lanka; Final selection trials this weekend for USA, Fiji

Namibia has reaffirmed its favouritism to reach the second phase of the ICC Trophy with credible performances at home against 1999 World Cup qualifiers

Scotland. A win thanks to the duo of Duckworth & Lewis and a narrow loss by just three balls and as many wickets indicated the men from South West Africa have maintained the sort of discipline which should see them snare the second phase berth allocated to the top place getter in Pool A of the Second Division.

BTTW will have a full report of the tour in the next edition.

Denmark won three matches and lost two on their short visit to the Western Cape area of South Africa. Coach Ole Mortensen told BTTW he said the team developed a great sense of unity on the trip. Again, BTTW will have an in depth report in the next edition.

Brief results:

St.Augustines 210-5 (50 overs) lost to Denmark 212-7 (45.4 overs) by three 
wickets/26 balls
Western Province Academy 182-8 (50 overs) lost to Denmark 183-8 (48.5 overs) 
by 2 wickets/7 balls
Western Province Under 19s 205-9 (50 voers) def. Denmark 166 (48.2 overs) by 
39 runs
Denmark 242-8 (50 overs) def. Boland Under 19s 186-9 (50 overs) by 56 runs
Denmark 74 (27 overs) lost to Boland Academy 76-2 (14.2 overs) by eight 
wickets/214 balls
Denmark 219 (50 overs) def. Western Cape University 193-9 (50 overs) by 26 
runs

Two totals below 100 on its tour of South Africa suggest batting may be an issue for Uganda, at its ICC Trophy debut in June/July this year.

Considered by some to be the 'dark horse' of Pool B of the ICC Trophy Second Division, the East Africans won two and lost three matches. It was skittled for 47 in its final match against South African Universities, who required less than eight overs to overtake the target.

While the quality of the opposition is not known to BTTW, Uganda took at least nine wickets in each of the other four matches, indicating its bowling has potential. Yet again, more on the tour in the next edition.

Brief results:

Gauteng XI 203-4 (50 overs) def.   Uganda 89 (29.3 overs) by 114 runs
Gauteng XI 94 (37.1 overs) lost to Uganda 95-2 (31 overs) by 114 balls/eight 
wickets
Lanasia 161-9 (50 overs)   lost to Uganda 164-7 (32.2 overs) by 106 
balls/three wickets
Northerns XI 177 (39.1 overs) def. Uganda 172-9 (40 overs0 by 60 balls/one 
wicket
Uganda 47 (24.5 overs) lost to South African Universities 49-1 (7.4 overs) 
by 254 balls/nine wkts

The next few weeks will be vital for the preparations of three First Division countries for this year's ICC Trophy - Canada, the United States and Fiji.

Respected batsman, Joe Harris has been reappointed Canadian skipper for its short tour of Sri Lanka later this month. Canada will play eight matches in 11 days. The side will be coached by 29-year-old Jeff Thomas, an opening batsman for Queensland in three First Class matches during the 1993/94 season. Thomas has been the club professional at the Toronto Cricket Club for four years. BTTW will talk to Thomas in the next edition.

The itinerary -
30/04/01 - Vs Western Province XI      Kadirana
01/05/01 - Vs Colts XI                 Moratuwa
03/05/01 - Vs Academy XI               P Sara
04/05/01 - Vs Academy XI               Moors
06/05/01 - Vs Southern Province XI     Galle
07/05/01 - Vs Southern Province XI     Galle
09/05/01 - Vs Acadeny XI               Kandy
10/05/01 - Vs Academy XI               Kandy

The squad - Joe Harris (Ontario) (Captain), Brian Rajadurai (Ontario) 
(Vice-capt.), Ashish Bagai (Ontario), Desmond Chumney (Ontario), Austin 
Codrington (Ontario), Melvin Croning (Ontario), Nicholas Degroot (Ontario), 
Muneeb Diwan (New Brunswick), Nicholas Ifill (Ontario), Nigel Isaacs 
(Ontario), Davis Joseph (Ontario), Ishwar Maraj (Ontario), Barry Seebaran 
(British Columbia), Sanjay Thuraisingam (Ontario).

Final squads for the 24 teams contesting this year's ICC Trophy are unlikely to be revealed prior to the International Cricket Council's May 15 deadline.

The ICC appears to have given countries an edict not to make squads known, so subsequently, little will be disclosed before then.

Fiji and the United States will finalise their squads in the next two weeks, with both holding major selection trials this weekend.

The main event of the Fijian cricket calendar, the Crompton Cup, will double as the final chance for outside chances to impress Fijian selectors. Fiji is ikely to stick closely to the squad which finished second to the New Zealand Maoris at the recent Pacifica Cup in Auckland, New Zealand.

US selectors will view 52 possibles in a series of selection trials this weekend. US Cricket Association official, Kamran Khan, indicated, however, the squad would not be disclosed before May 15.

Former Indian all-rounder Syed Abid Ali will oversee the squad's preparation and ICC Trophy campaign in Toronto, Canada.

A collective sigh of relief has greeted Roland Butcher's arrival in Bermuda in early April to organise its attempt to regain its status as one of the major contenders at the Associate level.

There is believed to be some consternation at the lack of practice matches prior to the Trophy, although the Marylebone Cricket Club is sending a squad for several games next month.

Meanwhile, Second Division combination, West Africa, will select its 14 at the conclusion of its annual quadrangular featuring Gambia, Ghana, Sierra Leone and Nigeria. The titles start on April 21.

East and Central Africa has named former Natal spinner, Baboo Ebrahim, as coach for its assault on the Second Division of the ICC Trophy.

Israel has announced that Herschelle Guttman, believed to be from South Africa, will coach it at the Trophy, as well as taking a long term development role in the Holy Land.

Gibraltar will train with dual squads - its United Kingdom contingent under the eye of Warwickshire CC coaching staff member, Richard Cox, with 'Rock' based national team players under the supervision of local officials.

Still on the Second Division, BTTW has learned through the grapevine from non-European sources, that most teams in that Division consider it virtually impossible for them to qualify for the final phase of the Trophy.

Irish national team captain, Kyle McCallan's thoughts on his team's ICC Trophy preparatory tour of South Africa appear elsewhere in this edition of BTTW. Argentine Cricket Association Development Officer, Grant Dugmore, also reports on Argentina's stoush with the visiting Marylebone Cricket Council. I would have liked to bring you news on Namibia's matches against the MCC, but the Namibian Cricket Board officials with tours in quick succession, have had little time to provide the relevant info.

In the each of the remaining issues prior to the tournament, BTTW will bring you news from all 12 First Division countries, as well as the three real contenders in the Second Division, Malaysia, Namibia and Nepal, in addition, of course to keeping a watch on the remaining nine countries in the Second Division.

© 2001 CricInfo Ltd