Ireland captain William Porterfield has expressed satisfaction at the way his team’s bowlers have been able to bowl out oppositions in the ICC Intercontinental Cup after defeating Hong Kong by 70 runs on Friday for a fourth consecutive win in the tournament. “This was more like a sub-continent pitch and to take wickets on such […]
via Ireland Comfortably Perched At Top In ICC Intercontinental Cup — newfanzoneblog
Ireland travels to Townsville in Australia to play in a crucial third round ICC Intercontinental Cup match against Papua New Guinea (PNG), which begins on Sunday, 31 January. Ireland needs, at least, a draw, with a first innings lead, if it wants to regain the top spot in the four-day first-class competition, which is a pathway to Test cricket.
Ireland is currently on 40 points, six behind Netherlands, having played one less game. An outright win against PNG would earn Ireland 20 points, taking it to 60, while a draw with a first innings lead would add nine points to its tally, enough to take it ahead of the Dutch.
In contrast, victory for PNG would lift it to 40 points, putting it level with its opposing team Ireland, and earn it a four-position promotion up the table.
What is equally relevant to both teams is the opportunity to build on their goal of winning the ICC Intercontinental Cup and qualifying for the ICC Test Challenge, which will be played against the 10th-ranked Test side on a home and away basis in 2018. A win in this series could make the Associate Member side the 11th Test nation.
PNG’s previous record in the ICC Intercontinental Cup reads one loss and one win. The loss came at the hands of Afghanistan in Sharjah late last year by a margin of 201 runs. However, PNG will look for inspiration from its famous victory which came against the current top-ranked side, Netherlands, last summer.
PNG captain Jack Vare-Kevere said the result against Netherlands is an indicator that PNG is capable of getting past even the best teams in the competition.
“Our players don’t play as much four-day cricket as Ireland or Netherlands, however, we are not over-intimidated by these top-ranked teams. We are starting to understand our strengths and weaknesses in this format.
“The players are now really enjoying playing in the longer format and they want to learn and improve every time we play against these strong countries,” said the 29-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman.
PNG players are ranked amongst the top performers in the ICC Intercontinental Cup.
Mahuru Dai is the second highest scorer with 278 runs, behind Ireland’s Ed Joyce who has 436 runs. Amongst the bowlers, PNG medium-pacer Loa Nou is fifth overall with nine wickets in the tournament so far, and no wonder both the coach and captain believe it is possible to win this contest against Ireland.
That belief is holding strong despite knowing that fast bowler Boyd Rankin is returning to Ireland colours and is armed with the experience of a Test, 44 ODIs and 17 T20 Internationals.
PNG coach Dipak Patel said: “Our players welcome the challenge of playing against a player that has played Test cricket. Only time will tell if Boyd’s selection will make a difference.”
Opposite coach John Bracewell believed Rankin will make a huge difference to Ireland’s campaign. “Rankin is a big factor not only because he is an international player, but because he is an internationally proven bowler.”
Buoyed by Boyd’s return, Ireland already enjoys a blemish-free record in the ICC Intercontinental Cup to date, pulling off convincing wins against both Namibia and the UAE. In June last year, it defeated the Asian side by an innings and 26 runs, and in October it handed a similar fate to Namibia winning by an innings and 107 runs.
Ireland though is not making the mistake of under-estimating its opposition. “PNG is obviously a strong side, and although it doesn’t have much match experience, it is clearly a side going forward. We don’t rate it as banana skin, we rate it as true contenders and give it that respect.
“Every match is important to us regardless of whether it is against the Netherlands, PNG or UAE. Our aim is to win and if we win our games, we win the league.”
Another third round fixture between Afghanistan and Namibia will start on 10 April. The venue is yet to be confirmed.
In the forthcoming ICC World Cricket League Championship matches, Nepal will host Namibia at the University Oval, Kathmandu, for two 50-over games. These matches will be played on 16 and 18 April. The top sides from the ICC WCLC will progress to the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier, which will be held in Bangladesh in 2018.
Squads
Ireland (from)
William Porterfield (c), Andrew McBrine, Kevin O’Brien, Niall O’Brien, Andrew Balbirnie, George Dockrell , Ed Joyce, Tim Murtagh, Stuart Poynter, Boyd Rankin, Paul Stirling, Stuart Thompson, Gary Wilson, Craig Young
Coach – John Bracewell
PNG (from) – Jack Vare-Kevere (c), Charles Amini, Sese Bau, Mahuru Dai, Hiri Hiri, Vani Vagi Morea, Alei Nao, Loa Nou, Nosaina Pokana, John Boge Reva, Lega Siaka, Chad Aiwati Soper, Assadollah Vala, Norman Oreta Vanua
Coach: Dipak Patel
On-field umpires– Buddhi Pradhan and Vineet Kulkarni
Match Referee- Stephen Bernard
Fixtures- ICC Intercontinental Cup
10-13 April – Namibia vs Afghanistan, venue tbc
Fixtures- ICC World Cricket League Championship
16 April – Nepal vs Namibia (50 over), University Oval, Kathmandu
18 April – Nepal vs Namibia (50 over), University Oval, Kathmandu
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the third round schedule of the ICC Intercontinental Cup and ICC World Cricket League Championship.
Ireland is undefeated in the Intercontinental Cup with a maximum of 40 points from its victories over UAE and Namibia after round two of seven. They stand 14 points clear of the Netherlands in second place, with Afghanistan five points back in third place on 21 points. Hong Kong will face Scotland, while UAE play host to the Netherlands (21-24 January) before leaders Ireland travel to face Papua New Guinea in round three of the tournament in Townsville, Australia (31 January – 3 February).
The winners of the ICC Intercontinental Cup will qualify for the ICC Test Challenge, which will be played against the 10th-ranked Test side on a home and away basis in 2018. If the ICC Intercontinental Cup winner wins the four-match ICC Test Challenge, then it will secure Test status until the next edition, which will take place in 2022.
Meanwhile, there is a four-way tie at the top of the ICC World Cricket League Championship between Hong Kong, Kenya, Netherlands and Scotland who are all on six points after four games. The top four sides of a total of eight participating in the competition will progress to the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier, which will be held in Bangladesh in 2018.
Live Scoring:
Live scoring will be available for all matches on http://www.icc-cricket.com and there will also be match reports from each of the ICC Intercontinental Cup / World Cricket League Championship matches.
Third round matches:
Hong Kong v Scotland
21-24 January 2016 – Four-day ICC Intercontinental Cup, Mission Road
26 and 28 January – ICC World Cricket League Championship, Mission Road
UAE v Netherlands
21-24 January – Four-day ICC Intercontinental Cup, Abu Dhabi
27 and 29 January – ICC World Cricket League Championship, Abu Dhabi
Papua New Guinea v Ireland
31 January – 3 February – Four-day ICC Intercontinental Cup, Tony Ireland Stadium, Townsville
Afghanistan v Namibia
10-13 April – Four-day ICC Intercontinental Cup, tbc
Nepal v Namibia
16 and 18 April – ICC World Cricket League Championship, University Ground, Kathmandu (subjection to infrastructure/security assessment/approval)
Papua New Guinea v Kenya
April / May tbc – ICC World Cricket League Championship
UAE and Hong Kong will be aiming to secure the opening points in their ICC Intercontinental Cup campaign when they face each other on Wednesday, 11 November, in pursuit of their dreams for Test status. The four-day first-class fixture will be played in the ICC Academy in Dubai.
The duo will square-off against each other in a second round ICC Intercontinental Cup fixture with the possibility of both sides moving ahead of third from bottom Afghanistan, which will face Papua New Guinea (PNG) in Sharjah later this month, also in a second round clash.
The UAE and Hong Kong have met only once in the competition, back in April 2005 at Sharjah, when the UAE won a low-scoring contest by seven wickets with Khurram Khan scoring twin fifties in the match.
This is UAE’s sixth appearance in the Intercontinental Cup (having also featured on one occasion in the ICC Shield) and in 28 appearances to date have won seven matches, lost 11 and drawn 10 times. Hong Kong is making its second appearance in the Intercontinental Cup (after first appearing in 2005) and in three games thus far have yet to record a win, having lost twice and drawn once.
In the first round of fixtures, United Arab Emirates (UAE) fell to an innings and 26 runs defeat to Ireland in Malahide in June, while Hong Kong lost to Namibia by a 114-run margin in May.
This outcome will put back on track either side’s ambitions of winning the ICC Intercontinental Cup and qualify for the ICC Test Challenge, which will be played against the 10th-ranked Test side on a home and away basis in 2018. If the ICC Intercontinental Cup winner wins the ICC Test Challenge, then it will secure Test status until the next ICC Test Challenge, which will take place in 2022.
The four-day match will be followed by two 50-over matches at the ICC Academy in Dubai. These matches will be part of the ICC World Cricket League Championship from which the top sides will progress to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2018 Qualifier, scheduled to be held in Bangladesh.
Looking ahead to the series, recently-installed UAE captain Ahmed Raza said: “We have a good mix of young and experienced players and I’m really excited to work alongside them on our Intercontinental Cup and ICC World Cricket League Championship campaigns against Hong Kong. Our preparation leading into the series has been really good and I hope that will reflect in the results. Our squad have a couple of new faces, which is quite exciting as we are starting to build for the next Qualifiers in 2017.
“Personally, it is a proud moment for me to be named as the captain of UAE. I’ve led UAE as a caretaker in the past and had reasonable success coming from it. Thanks to the selectors and head coach who have shown faith in my skill as a leader.”
Hong Kong captain Tanwir Afzal added: “We have really focused on our physical conditioning and worked hard on improving our specific fielding skills and roles in the various formats we will be playing.
“It’s great to see the young cricketers like Chris Carter getting opportunities to play in these tournaments as they bring a different dynamic to the squad.”
Squads
UAE (from): Ahmed Raza (captain), Amjad Ali, Shaiman Anwar, Nasir Aziz, Abdul Shakkor Bangash, Qais Farooq, Asif Iqbal, Raja Adeel Iqbal, Umair Ali Khan, Sreekumar Laxman, Usman Musthaq, M Naveed, Swapnil Patil (wicketkeeper) and Youdhin Punja.
Hong Kong (from): Tanwir Afzal (captain), Nadeem Ahmed, Haseeb Amjad, Jamie Atkinson, Waqas Barkat, Chris Carter (wicketkeeper), Mark Chapman, Babar Hayat, Aizaz Khan, Nizakat Khan, Waqas Khan, Ehsan Nawaz, Anshuman Rath, Kinchit Shah and Ninad Shah.
Umpires – Vineet Kulkarni and Sarika Prasad
Match Referee – Dev Govindjee
Intercontinental Cup points table
Teams Mat Won Lost Draw Pts
Ireland 2 2 0 0 40
Netherlands 2 1 1 0 26
Namibia 2 1 1 0 20
PNG 1 1 0 0 14
Scotland 2 0 1 1 13
Afghanistan 1 0 0 1 7
Hong Kong 1 0 1 0 0
UAE 1 0 1 0 0
ICC World Cricket League points table
Team Played Won Lost N/R Points
Kenya 4 3 1 0 6
Netherlands 4 2 0 2 6
Scotland 4 2 0 2 6
Hong Kong 2 1 1 0 2
UAE 2 1 1 0 2
Namibia 4 1 3 0 2
Nepal 2 0 2 0 0
PNG 2 0 2 0 0
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has today announced an exciting month of multi-format fixtures across the United Arab Emirates (UAE) this November as part of the ICC’s ongoing commitment to developing international cricket at all levels.
Supported by the ICC’s Development department, the teams will compete in a range of different formats, including T20, 50-over, two, three and four-day matches, as teams bid to progress in the ICC Intercontinental Cup (I-Cup) and the World Cricket League Championship (WCLC).
Some countries will also be preparing for the ICC World Twenty20 India 2016, while others will play some “friendlies” against Pakistan and England who will be stepping up their preparations in the shorter formats of the game following the completion of the three-Test series in Sharjah (1-5 November).
Looking ahead to the series of matches, ICC Chief Executive David Richardson said: “November promises to be an exciting month for cricket followers across the UAE. The matches to be played involving our top Associate Members are part of ICC’s commitment to developing more competitive teams at the highest level. The Intercontinental Cup and World Cricket League Championship are the pathways for Associate Members to Test cricket and the ICC Cricket World Cup respectively,” Mr Richardson said.
“In addition the T20 matches will provide important preparation for the teams who have qualified for the ICC World Twenty20 India 2016. With Pakistan and England competing in a keenly-contested series, we are delighted that Pakistan will face Nepal and Hong Kong, while Hong Kong and UAE will play against England, in some warm-up games.”
UAE Coach Aqib Javed is excited with the prospect of competing across multi-formats this month. The former Pakistan bowler, who was part of the squad which lifted ICC Cricket World Cup 1992, believes that the squad is in good shape ahead of the month’s games.
“November presents a great opportunity for UAE cricket,”, Aqib reflected ahead of the month’s fixtures. “After a tough few weeks in the UK and Ireland in the last round of the I-Cup and WCLC, we feel as though we’re moving in the right direction. We have full-time contracts in place for the first time and a full-time selection panel. And the chance to play a two-day match against Pakistan is a brilliant opportunity.
“There’s Hong Kong in the I-Cup, then the two WCLC games before a big one against England. We have mixed up the squad and there are four or five new guys, including a 16-year-old fast bowler called Yodhin Punja who is very promising. We know that we have to support our youngsters and we can experiment a bit and hopefully get some wins along the way. It’s a great time for UAE cricket and there’s a lot to be excited about.”
Pakistan coach Waqar Younis, whose side will face Nepal in a 50-over clash in Abu Dhabi on 8 November and Hong Kong in a 20-over tie at the ICC Academy on 23 November, believes these are an important couple of games.
“It is clear to see the great strides that are being made among the emerging teams in world cricket,” the Pakistan coach said.
“We are excited to face Nepal and Hong Kong as they are relatively new opponents, but we know that they have a lot of quality individually and collectively. Both games will also present us with opportunities to adapt to the shorter formats of the game coming off the back of a challenging Test series against England. We are also mindful that the Hong Kong game especially will provide great opportunities to our players with the ICC World Twenty20 2016 now just a few short months away.
“Pakistan understands and embraces its responsibility to assist developing nations and we are excited by the opportunity to do so in the UAE this month.”
Live Streaming:
There will be live streaming from the ICC World Cricket League Championship matches between Nepal v PNG from Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi on http://www.icc-cricket.com
Live Scoring:
Live scoring will be available for all matches on http://www.icc-cricket.com and there will also be match reports from each of the ICC Intercontinental Cup / World Cricket League Championship matches.
Fixtures:
Thursday 5 November
Day 1 of 2: Hong Kong v Nepal (Abu Dhabi Oval 1)
Friday 6 November
Day 2 of 2: Hong Kong v Nepal (Abu Dhabi Oval 1)
Saturday 7 November
Day 1 of 2: UAE v Oman (Ajman)
Sunday 8 November
Day 2 of 2: UAE v Oman (Ajman)
50 Over: England XI v Hong Kong (Abu Dhabi Oval 1), Pakistanis v Nepal (Abu Dhabi Oval 2)
Wednesday 11 November
1st ODI: Pakistan v England (Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi, d/n)
Intercontinental Cup (Day 1 of 4): UAE v Hong Kong (ICC Academy 1)
50 Over: Nepal v Danube CC (ICC Academy 2)
Thursday 12 November
Intercontinental Cup (Day 2 of 4): UAE v Hong Kong (ICC Academy 1)
50 Over: PNG v Oman (ICC Academy 2)
Friday 13 November
2nd ODI: Pakistan v England (Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi, d/n)
Intercontinental Cup (Day 3 of 4): UAE v Hong Kong (ICC Academy 1)
Saturday 14 November
Intercontinental Cup (Day 4 of 4): UAE v Hong Kong (ICC Academy 1)
50 Over: Nepal v Oman (Abu Dhabi Oval 1), PNG v Danube CC (Abu Dhabi Oval 2)
Monday 16 November
Day 1 of 3: Afghanistan v Oman (Ajman)
World Cricket League Championship: Nepal v PNG (Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi), UAE v Hong Kong (ICC Academy 1)
Tuesday 17 November
3rd ODI: Pakistan v England (Sharjah, d/n)
Day 2 of 3: Afghanistan v Oman (Ajman)
Wednesday 18 November
Day 3 of 3: Afghanistan v Oman (Ajman)
World Cricket League Championship: UAE v Hong Kong (ICC Academy 1), Nepal v PNG (Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi)
Friday 20 November
4th ODI: Pakistan v England (Dubai International Cricket Stadium, d/n)
Saturday 21 November
Intercontinental Cup (Day 1 of 4): Afghanistan v PNG (Sharjah)
T20I: Hong Kong v Oman (Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi)
Sunday 22 November
Intercontinental Cup (Day 2 of 4): Afghanistan v PNG (Sharjah)
T20I: UAE v Oman (Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi)
Monday 23 November
Intercontinental Cup (Day 3 of 4): Afghanistan v PNG (Sharjah)
T20: England XI v UAE (Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi, d/n), Pakistanis v Hong Kong (ICC Academy 1)
Tuesday 24 November
Intercontinental Cup (Day 4 of 4): Afghanistan v PNG (Sharjah)
Wednesday 25 November
T20I: Hong Kong v Oman (Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi)
Thursday 26 November
T20I: England v Pakistan (Dubai International Cricket Stadium), Hong Kong v Oman (Zayed Cricket Stadium)
Friday 27 November
T20I: England v Pakistan (Dubai International Cricket Stadium)
Saturday 28 November
T20I: Afghanistan v Hong Kong (Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi)
Sunday 29 November
T20I: Afghanistan v Oman (Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi)
Monday 30 November
T20I: England v Pakistan (Dubai International Cricket Stadium), Afghanistan v Oman (Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi)
Reigning champion Ireland has opened up a 14-point gap at the top of the ICC Intercontinental Cup table after defeating Namibia by an innings and 107 runs in the second round clash, which concluded in Windhoek on Tuesday.
In a largely one-sided encounter, a 326-run second-wicket stand between left-handers Ed Joyce (205) and skipper William Porterfield (186) proved to be the difference as it helped Ireland declare its first innings for 570 for six while replying to Namibia’s 251. Trailing by 319 runs, Namibia fell to defeat with more than two sessions remaining after being bowled out for 212 in its second innings.
Speaking after the match, a delighted Joyce said: “We couldn’t have started the tournament any better with two innings victories against two good sides. The bowlers deserve a huge amount of credit for taking 20 wickets on what was a very flat surface and our aim was to bat once, which we also achieved.
“All in all, it was a thoroughly professional performance and we move on to our next challenge against PNG with a lot of confidence.”
A disappointed Namibia captain Stephen Baard reflected: “It was a disappointing result for us because we are a much better team than the result would show. In saying that, Ireland played well and outplayed us in every department.
“They are a quality outfit and we had to be at our best throughout the four days to give ourselves a chance. Unfortunately, it was not the case. So it’s time to regroup and come back stronger for the next fixture.”
Paying tribute to his side and the experienced Joyce on a fine performance, Porterfield said: “It was great to come here and get the 20 points we desired.
“For the bowlers to go out there and take 20 wickets on a very good pitch and to win the game with over two sessions to spare was a great effort. Also a special mention to Ed Joyce on scoring his second double hundred in as many matches in the competition to set up the win.”
Namibia had won the toss and opted to bat with its skipper Stephan Baard starting brightly before he was trapped LBW to Tim Murtagh (two for 44) for 21. The departure of Xander Pitchers (31) to Kevin O’Brien (one for 21) had the hosts on the ropes, before Jean-Pierre Kotze steadied the ship with an impressive 78 from 152 balls. The 21-year-old left-hander struck 11 boundaries in total, while a late flourish by tail-ender Christopher Coombe (35), who shared in a 49-run partnership with Bernard Scholtz (16 not out) as Namibia scored 251.
Apart from Murtagh, George Dockrell took two for 50), John Mooney picked up two for 55 and Craig Young snapped up two for 63), while Stirling (one for 13) also produced a disciplined spell where no runs were conceded from his first seven overs.
After the early loss of opener Stirling (15) in reply, Joyce joined Porterfield at the crease and helped Ireland pass Namibia’s total and build a sizable lead. By the time Joyce departed, with his fluent knock coming off just 201 balls, he had registered his second successive double-century in the ICC Intercontinental Cup, having previously scored 231 against UAE in Malahide in round one. There were also useful quick-fire contributions from Mooney (53 not out off 60 balls) and Kevin O’Brien (45 not out off 55 balls) to help Ireland build a lead of 319.
In the second innings, the African side was on the back-foot from the off and Murtagh ripped through the top order to restrict the hosts to 12 for four, with the Middlesex seamer finishing with four for 18 that gave him match figures of six for 62. He was well supported by Dockrell (three for 55) and Stirling (two for 27).
For Namibia, Kotze was the top scorer with 48, while JJ Smit (45), Zane Green (35), Sarel Burger (34) and Gerrie Snyman (31) were the other main run-getters.
This outcome has strengthened Ireland’s ambitions of winning the ICC Intercontinental Cup and qualify for the ICC Test Challenge, which will be played against the 10th-ranked Test side on a home and away basis in 2018. If the ICC Intercontinental Cup winner wins the ICC Test Challenge, then it will secure Test status until the next ICC Test Challenge, which will take place in 2022.
Namibia will now face Kenya in two 50-over ICC World Cricket League Championship matches in Windhoek on 30 October and 1 November.
Meanwhile, in the next round of Intercontinental Cup games, UAE welcomes Hong Kong to Dubai, while Afghanistan will be hoping to register its first points of the campaign when it hosts undefeated Papua New Guinea in Sharjah.
Upcoming fixtures:
UAE v Hong Kong
11-14 November – ICC Academy, Dubai
Afghanistan v Papua New Guinea
21-24 November – Sharjah
Scores in brief:
Ireland beat Namibia by an innings and 107 runs in Windhoek
Namibia 251 (Jean-Pierre Kotze 78, Christopher Coombe 35, Xander Pitchers 31; Tim Murtagh 2-44, George Dockrell 2-50, John Mooney 2-55, Craig Young 2-63) and 212 (Jean-Pierre Kotze 48, JJ Smit 45; Tim Murtagh 4-18, George Dockrell 3-55, Paul Stirling 2-27)
Ireland 570-6 declared (Ed Joyce 205, William Porterfield 186, John Mooney 53 not out, Kevin O’Brien 45 not out; Sarel Burger 2-73, Christopher Coombe 2-92)
Points Table
Teams Mat Won Lost Draw Aban Pts
Ireland 2 2 0 0 0 40
Netherlands 2 1 1 0 0 26
Namibia 2 1 1 0 0 20
PNG 1 1 0 0 0 14
Scotland 2 0 1 1 0 13
Afghanistan 1 0 0 1 0 7
Hong Kong 1 0 1 0 0 0
UAE 1 0 1 0 0 0
Rival skippers aiming to build on opening round of victories…,
Namibia and Ireland will go head to head on Saturday in pursuit of their dreams for Test status in the four-day first-class ICC Intercontinental Cup, which will be played in the Wanderers Stadium, Windhoek.
The duo will square-off against each other in a second round ICC Intercontinental Cup fixture in Windhoek from 22 October, with possibility of both the sides moving ahead of the Netherlands. Netherlands leads Namibia and Ireland by six points, but in the scenario of the side winning the match after conceding a first innings lead, the Dutch will drop to third as in this situation the side that wins the match will collect 13 points while the side that claims the first innings lead will get seven points.
In the first round fixtures, reigning champion Ireland defeated the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by an innings and 26 runs in Malahide in June, while Namibia recorded a 114-run victory over Hong Kong in May. Namibia will once again be aiming to make home advantage count against William Porterfield’s experienced side.
This outcome will strengthen either side’s ambitions of winning the ICC Intercontinental Cup and qualify for the ICC Test Challenge, which will be played against the 10th-ranked Test side on a home and away basis in 2018. If the ICC Intercontinental Cup winner wins the ICC Test Challenge, then it will secure Test status until the next ICC Test Challenge, which will take place in 2022.
Looking ahead to the four-day game which starts in Windhoek on Saturday, Namibia skipper Stephan Baard, who is set to feature in his 36th first-class match, said: “The Intercontinental Cup competition is an unbelievable experience and playing against the top Associate side is always an exciting prospect.
“We have been working hard over the last few months and we are looking forward to the challenge that Ireland will bring. It’s going to be a tough, but I feel we are ready to compete and even come out on top.”
Ireland captain William Porterfield said: “It’s great to be going to Namibia to get back into I-Cup action. It has been a while in coming around since our game against the UAE, but after our performance in that game everyone has been looking forward to putting in another big performance.
“We know what is at stake come the end of the competition, but we have to take things game by game, and even session by session, in order to pick up the points required.”
In the ICC World Cricket League Championship, it will be an all-African affair when Namibia welcomes Kenya in two 50 Over games at the same venue on 30 October and 1 November. The top four sides from this tournament will progress to the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier, which will be held in Bangladesh in 2018.
Squads
Namibia (from) – Stephan Baard (captain), Sarel Burger, Christopher Coombe, Niko Davin, Michiel du Preez, Zane Green, Zhivago Groenewald, Jean-Pierre Kotze, Xander Pitchers, Bernhard Scholtz, Johannes Smit, Christiaan Snyman, Gerrie Snyman, Raymond van Schoor and Helao Ya France.
Ireland (from): William Porterfield (captain), Andrew Balbirnie, George Dockrell, Ed Joyce, John Mooney, Tim Murtagh, Andy McBrine, Kevin O’Brien, Niall O’Brien, Stuart Poynter, Paul Stirling, Stuart Thompson, Gary Wilson and Craig Young.
Umpires – Adrian Holdstock, Wynand Louw and Jeff Luck (Reserve Umpire)
Match Referee – David Jukes
Fixtures
Namibia v Ireland
24-27 October – Four-day ICC Intercontinental Cup, Wanderers, Windhoek
Namibia v Kenya
30 October and 1 November – ICC World Cricket League Championship, Wanderers, Windhoek
Intercontinental Cup Table
Team Played Won Lost Draw Points
Netherlands 2 1 1 – 26
Ireland 1 1 – – 20
Namibia 1 1 – – 20
PNG 1 1 – – 14
Scotland 2 – – 2 13
Afghanistan 1 – – 1 7
Hong Kong 1 – 1 – 0
UAE 1 – 1 – 0
ICC World Cricket League Table
Team Played Won Lost N/R Points
Netherlands 4 2 0 2 6
Scotland 4 2 0 2 6
Hong Kong 2 1 1 0 2
Kenya 2 1 1 0 2
UAE 2 1 1 0 2
Namibia 2 1 1 0 2
Nepal 2 0 2 0 0
PNG 2 0 2 0 0
Netherlands and Scotland go head to head next week in the longer formats of the game in pursuit of their dreams for a Test status as well as a place in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 when they lock horns in the four-day first-class ICC Intercontinental Cup and the ICC World Cricket League Championship.
The European rivals, who shared the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier trophy a couple of months ago in Malahide to qualify for next year’s ICC World Twenty20 in India, square-off against each other in a second round ICC Intercontinental Cup fixture in Voorburg from 8 October, which will be followed by two 50-over matches in the ICC World Cricket League Championship to be played in Amstelveen on 14 and 16 September.
In the Intercontinental Cup, Netherlands with seven points sits in sixth place, while 2004 winner Scotland is fourth on 13 points. This means the side that collects 20 maximum points will jump to the top of the table. This outcome will surely inject fresh impetus to their ambitions of winning the ICC Intercontinental Cup and qualify for the ICC Test Challenge, which will be played against the 10th-ranked Test side on a home and away basis in 2018. If the ICC Intercontinental Cup winner wins the ICC Test Challenge, then it will secure Test status until the next ICC Test Challenge, which will take place in 2022.
In the ICC World Cricket League Championship, a sole possession of top spot will be up for grabs as both sides share number-one position with four points each. The top sides from this tournament will progress to the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier, which will be held in Bangladesh in 2018.
Rival captains Peter Borren of Netherlands and Scotland’s Preston Mommsen agreed that July’s tournament will have no bearing in the forthcoming matches and both sides will have to start from scratch.
“I don’t think us sharing the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier 2015 title has any relevance at all to the ICC Intercontinental Cup match. That was a different format. Both teams had a fantastic tournament, but this is a new series, and that is where our focus is now,” said the 32-year-old Borren, who will be playing his 22nd first-class match.
He continued: “Our four-day cricket has been a disappointment to me for some time. Our white ball cricket has been great, but we haven’t cracked the longer version. Four-day cricket is difficult, I would love to see an improvement in the mental application that the format requires. Other than the 20 points, I would really love to see our batters spend entire sessions at the crease and to see our bowlers come back hard in their third spells of the day.”
Mommsen, the 27-year-old top-order batsman, said: “We played some good cricket during the Twenty20 qualifier, so did the Dutch. Of course, it was a shame we couldn’t complete that final. However, that was a different format while different skills will be tested over the next few days, especially in the four-day format. Whenever we play the Dutch, we know we have to be at our best and the next few games will be no different.
“Indeed, this competition (ICC Intercontinental Cup) now creates a pathway to Test cricket, so every game we play, every point we can take, will be crucial to us moving closer to Test cricket. We have to remain focused on playing solid and consistent cricket. There’s no point looking too far ahead, but, of course, that remains a bigger goal for this team.”
Mommsen said his side had the ability to succeed in the longer versions of the game. “We have some special talent coming through, especially with the ball, so we’re looking forward to seeing how our younger players develop over the next few years as they start to get more and more opportunities.
“This is a team that definitely has the skills and ability to play a winning brand of cricket in the longer version of the game. It’s been very positive, and we’ve shown a lot of intent. There’s no reason why certain aspects of our white ball game cannot be transferred into our four-day cricket. We have an exciting squad and we will continue to adopt that style of cricket.”
Squads
Netherlands (from) – Peter Borren (captain), Rahil Ahmed, Wesley Barresi, Mudassar Bukhari, Ben Cooper, Quirijn Gunning, Vivian Kingma, Paul van Meerkeren, Roelof van der Merwe, Stephan Myburgh, Max O’Dowd, Michael Rippon, Pieter Seelaar and Matthijs van Schelven.
Scotland (from): Preston Mommsen (captain), Richie Berrington, Kyle Coetzer, Matthew Cross, Joshua Davey, Alasdair Evans, Hamish Gardiner, Michael Leask, Con de Lange, Matthew Machan, Calum MacLeod, Gavin Main, George Munsey, Safyaan Sharif, Robert Taylor, Craig Wallace and Mark Watt.
Umpires – Peter Nero and Chettihody Shamshuddin
Match Referee – David Jukes
Intercontinental Cup Table
Team Played Won Lost Draw Points
Ireland 1 1 – – 20
Namibia 1 1 – – 20
PNG 1 1 – – 14
Scotland 1 – – 1 13
Afghanistan 1 – – 1 7
Netherlands 1 – 1 – 6
Hong Kong 1 – 1 – 0
UAE 1 – 1 – 0
ICC World Cricket League Table
Team Played Won Lost Points
Netherlands 2 2 0 4
Scotland 2 2 0 4
Hong Kong 2 1 1 2
Kenya 2 1 1 2
UAE 2 1 1 2
Namibia 2 1 1 2
Nepal 2 0 2 0
PNG 2 0 2 0
Grant Bradburn: “We are under no illusions that our familiar foes, the Netherlands, will be tough opponents in both formats”
Aqib Javed: “To play in these high profile competitions are priceless opportunities for the leading Associates”
The International Cricket Council (ICC) today announced the second round schedule of the four-day first-class ICC Intercontinental Cup, which is a pathway for Test cricket, as well as the ICC World Cricket League Championship, which provides an opportunity to the participating teams to play in the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2018 and subsequently qualify for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019.
The second round of the ICC Intercontinental Cup will start on 8 September when Scotland will travel to Voorburg, a town in the outskirts of Amsterdam, to lock horns with the Netherlands. In the first round, Scotland, which won the inaugural tournament in 2004, had to settle with a draw against Afghanistan, while Netherland was surprised by Papua New Guinea, which came from behind to win the match by five wickets.
The first-class match will be followed by the two 50-over matches, which will be part of the ICC World Cricket League Championship. These games will be played on 14 and 16 September at the VRA Cricket Ground in Amstelveen.
Former New Zealand all-rounder and Scotland coach Grant Bradburn, looking forward to the Dutch game, said: “After a solid start to both of these campaigns this season, with first innings points against Afghanistan and two wins over Nepal, we are looking to take our performances to the next level in our next round of fixtures.
“We are under no illusions that our familiar foes, the Netherlands, will be tough opponents in both formats. It was disappointing for our final clash in the T20 Qualifiers to be washed out, so we look forward to once again locking horns during this series.”
October will see Namibia host defending champion Ireland for the four-day first-class ICC Intercontinental Cup match in Windhoek, from 24-27 October. Both sides made winning starts to the tournament with Namibia defeating debutant Hong Kong by 114 runs at the same venue, while Ireland defeated the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by an innings and 26 runs victory in Dublin.
In November, the UAE and Hong Kong will go head to head in Dubai from 11-14 November in the ICC Intercontinental Cup match, which will be followed by two One-day Internationals on 16 and 18 November, while former champion Afghanistan will host Papua New Guinea (PNG) in Sharjah from 21-24 November in the same tournament.
In addition to the ICC Intercontinental Cup matches, there will be two more second round matches in the ICC World Cricket League Championship with Namibia and Kenya playing in Windhoek on 30 October and 1 November, and Nepal hosting PNG in Kathmandu on 28 and 30 November. However, the venue of Nepal-PNG match is subject to security and infrastructure assessment and clearance.
UAE coach and former Pakistan fast bowler Aqib Javed once again highlighted the importance of the ICC Intercontinental Cup and the ICC World Cricket League Championship. “To play in these high profile competitions are priceless opportunities for the leading Associates. These tournaments help you hone your skills, continuously access your progress in a competitive environment, get a flavour of top level cricket and at the same time qualify for Test cricket and the ICC Cricket World Cup.
“The Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) has prepared a roadmap to international cricket and the ICC Intercontinental Cup and the ICC World Cricket League Championship provide us the platform to stay on course to achieve our objectives.”
The four-day first-class ICC Intercontinental Cup is competed by the top eight Associate sides. The side that wins the round-robin tournament spread over two-and-a-half years will play the 10th-ranked side on the ICC Test Team Rankings (as at 31 December 2017) in the four-match ICC Test Challenge during 2018. If the Associate Member wins the series, to be played on a home and away basis, then it will become the 11th Test nation.
The eight-team ICC World Cricket League Championship is contested by the same sides which are participating in the ICC Intercontinental Cup except Afghanistan and Ireland, which have been promoted to the ICC ODI Team Rankings. These two sides have been replaced by Kenya and Nepal, which had finished third and fourth, respectively, in the ICC World Cricket League Championship Division 2.
The finalists of the ICC World Cricket League Championship will have an opportunity to play in the ICC’s pinnacle event – the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 – if they finish in the top two of the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2018.
Second round matches:
Netherlands v Scotland
8-11 September – Four-day ICC Intercontinental Cup, Voorburg
14 and 16 September – ICC World Cricket League Championship, VRACG, Amstelveen
Namibia v Ireland
24-27 October – Four-day ICC Intercontinental Cup, Wanderers, Windhoek
Namibia v Kenya
30 October and 1 November – ICC World Cricket League Championship, Wanderers, Windhoek
UAE v Hong Kong
November 11-14 – Four-day ICC Intercontinental Cup, ICC Academy, Dubai
*16 and 18 November – ICC World Cricket League Championship, ICC Academy, Dubai
*(As both Hong Kong and the UAE have ODI status, these two 50-over matches will be classified as One-Day Internationals)
Afghanistan v Papua New Guinea
21-24 November – Four-day ICC Intercontinental Cup, Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Nepal v Papua New Guinea
28 and 30 November – ICC World Cricket League Championship, University Ground, Kathmandu (subjection to infrastructure/security assessment/approval)
ICC Intercontinental Cup 2015-17 (first round results and points table)
Namibia (272 and 232-5d) beat Hong (203 and 187) by 114 runs in Windhoek
Ireland (492) beat UAE (213 and 253) by an innings and 26 runs in Dublin
Scotland (233) drew with Afghanistan (135) in Stirling
Netherlands (209 and 223) lost to Papua New Guinea (128 and 305-5) by five wickets in Amstelveen
Points Table
Team Played Won Lost Draw Points
Ireland 1 1 – – 20
Namibia 1 1 – – 20
PNG 1 1 – – 14
Scotland 1 – – 1 13
Afghanistan 1 – – 1 7
Netherlands 1 – 1 – 6
Hong Kong 1 – 1 – 0
UAE 1 – 1 – 0
ICC World Cricket League Championship (first around results and points table)
15 May – Namibia (195-9) beat Hong Kong (194-9) by one wicket
17 May – Hong Kong (113-2) beat Namibia (109) by eight wickets
22 June – Netherlands (125-5) beat PNG (122-9) by five wickets (D/L)
24 June – Netherlands (297-6) beat PNG (212) by 85 runs
25 June – UAE (173-5) beat Kenya (171) by five wickets
27 June – Kenya (270-6) beat UAE (205) by 65 runs
29 July – Scotland (235-7) beat Nepal (232-5) by three runs
31 July/1 Aug –Scotland (111-1) beat Nepal (167) by nine wickets (D/L)
Points table
Team Played Won Lost Points
Netherlands 2 2 0 4
Scotland 2 2 0 4
Hong Kong 2 1 1 2
Kenya 2 1 1 2
UAE 2 1 1 2
Namibia 2 1 1 2
Nepal 2 0 2 0
PNG 2 0 2 0
Six places up for grabs for ICC World Twenty20 2016 in India
$300m to be invested in development of the game between 2016-23
1.4 million male and female participants across emerging nations
On the eve of another exciting opportunity for the best Associate and Affiliate Members (AMs) to qualify for a major ICC event, the success of the ICC Development Programme is illustrated by the fact that there are now more people playing cricket outside the 10 Full Members than ever before.
Indeed, the number of cricketers has increased in those countries three-fold in just the past six years to the point where there are now 1.4 million male and female participants currently involved in formal cricket programmes beyond the traditional boundaries.
As the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier, hosted by Ireland and Scotland, is set to start tomorrow, the truth is the Associate game has never been so buoyant as it is today. This is due, in no small part, to the phenomenal financial investment that flows from ICC into its Members, both in terms of direct funding and also opportunities afforded through high-performance programmes and tournaments.
The ICC’s Development Programme was launched in 1997. Then, there were 26 Associate and 10 Affiliate Members. Seventeen years later, the ICC has 95 Members (below the 10 Full Members), including 57 Affiliate and 38 Associate Members.
There has been a substantial increase to the funding of the ICC Development Programme. Between 1998-2007, USD $65million was invested in the ICC Development Programme. In the recently concluded rights cycle, this was increased to USD $250million and in the next cycle approximately USD $300million will be invested.
The results of this investment are evident. There were approximately 277,637 participants in countries below the Full Members in 2005. This number climbed to 410,248 at the end of 2008. At the end of 2014, the number of participants in countries below Full Members stood at 1.4million.
ICC Chief Executive David Richardson said: “Cricket around the world is in rude health with more people playing the game outside the Full Members than ever before. This is a tribute to the hard work, passion and dedication of people within the Associate and Affiliate Members as well as the significant financial and other resources passed on from the ICC.
“As the final preparations are put in place for the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier 2015, this is another special opportunity for those Associates to claim a place at a major ICC event. The ICC World Twenty20 2016 in India will no doubt be a spectacular tournament. No fewer than six places are available for the best sides outside of the Full Members and I know that competition will be fierce over the next three weeks or so as we determine exactly which teams will be traveling to India next year.”
The ICC Development Programme is tasked with building a bigger, better global game by assisting the 95 AMs grow and improve the standard of cricket within their territories. This is done through direct funding, the funding and management of qualification pathways to major events and the provision of guidance and advice in the crucial areas of administration, domestic participation, high performance, education, fund-raising and promotion. This includes senior men’s and women’s cricket as well as the youth game.
Mr Richardson added: “The ICC is committed to growing the game beyond the historical heartlands and our Development Programme is reaping the rewards of its investment. All over the world, people are taking up cricket for the first time and, through the game’s unique spirit, lives are being changed for the better.
“While this qualifying tournament is all about Twenty20, the ICC is also working to improve the quality and depth of ODI cricket and Test cricket. Indeed, the ICC Intercontinental Cup is the clear pathway to Test cricket for the Associates and the decision to include the top Associates in the One-Day FTP with the Full Members provides a great opportunity for the best AMs to break into the hierarchy of the ODI game.”
“It’s a pathway to Test cricket and we have to take every opportunity we can get”
Ireland captain William Porterfield has paid tribute to Ed Joyce, who scored a record-breaking 231 against the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which turned out to be the cornerstone of the reigning champions’ an innings and 26 runs victory in an opening-round match of the ICC Intercontinental Cup 2015-17 in Malahide, Dublin.
Joyce’s 232-ball innings included 29 fours and three sixes, and together with Paul Stirling (146), the left-hander put on 231 runs for the second wicket. Such was the dominance of Joyce that he scored 229 runs out of 420 for three which the home side amassed on day one of the four-day first-class match.
Ireland was bowled out for 492 on day two but then fast bowler Craig Young returned match figures of seven for 110 and left-arm spinner George Dockell recorded match figures of seven for 141 as the UAE was skittled for 213 and 253.
Shaiman Anwar, UAE’s star performer at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, was the top scorer with 57 in the first innings, while wicketkeeper Swapnil Patel with 63 was the top scorer in the second innings.
“Ed Joyce’s record score for Ireland was a great effort,” said Porterfield in his post-match comments, adding: “Paul Stirling also played well and really pleased for him to get 146. They set up the game for us.
“To have someone with Ed’s class and experience coming in at number three is massive for us. Not going to work every day but it comes more often than not in this form of the game.
“He’s also great for all the other batters; talking about his experiences, playing in different conditions against different bowlers will be a great help moving forward. We have quite a lot of travelling in this competition, so we will come up on a few different surfaces.”
Porterfield also praised the efforts of Dockrell. “It was a pretty flat and slow pitch as the game went on. Great that George Dockrell picked up his reward with seven wickets. He had to bowl 60 overs which wasn’t the plan, but it allowed me to rotate the seamers,” he said.
Porterfield once again reiterated the importance of the ICC Intercontinental Cup 2015-17. “The ICC Intercontinental Cup is a massively important competition.
“We spoke about it briefly after the England game, it’s a pathway to Test cricket and we have to take every opportunity we can get. It will be difficult to take 20 wickets in some matches, so it was important to get the maximum 20 points in the first match.
“We have to take that into our next match although we now have to wait over four months.”
The UAE coach and former Pakistan fast bowler Aqib Javed said the defeat highlighted his side’s lack of experience in the longer format of the game.
“The game didn’t go the best way. I think the difference between the teams was professionalism. Back home, the structure does not support the longer version of the game. Seventy per cent play only T20 and 50 overs, and there is no concept of four-day cricket, except in the ICC Intercontinental Cup. In contrast, 70-80 per cent of the Ireland team is playing regular county cricket.
“We have been doing well in T20 and 50 overs, and if you ask somebody to be there for 150 overs, it’s impossible. It’s about your past experience. Our capacity for staying on the ground is about 60 overs and after that, the body gets really tired and the brain stops working, so that’s when they start making mistakes.”
Joyce, reflecting on the match and his innings, said: “It’s a great start to the competition for us. The UAE certainly made us work hard for the win, showing great application to their batting but it was just a case of being patient and the wickets came. I thought the bowlers stuck to their task well given it was a very good batting track.
“We were always in control after scoring nearly 500 in our first innings, and it was really pleasing to make 231 and break Eoin Morgan’s record for the highest individual score.
“This is a great chance for Ireland to achieve Test status and the strength of our team for the game shows just how seriously we’re taking these games. We’ve a lot of experience in our ranks and I think we showed that over the four days.
“We’re aware it’s just the first game of seven, and we’re already looking forward to playing Namibia in the next series later in the year – it should be quite a match.”
Scotland v Afghanistan
The match between former champions Scotland and Afghanistan was affected by rain and only one innings was possible. Scotland, batting first, scored 233 with captain Preston Mommsen scoring 77. In turn, Afghanistan was dismissed for 135 with Samiullah Shenwari scoring 51 not out and left-arm spinner Con de Lange taking three for 21.
The result gave Scotland 13 first-innings lead points while Afghanistan had to settle for seven points.
Reflecting on the match, Afghanistan captain Asghar Stanikzai said: “The weather was terrible, and we would have loved to have played a four-day game, but the weather disturbed things. As parts of the game we competed, but it wasn’t enough (for a first-innings lead) but we are still a very good side and we believe that we can still make it to the final.”
Scotland captain Mommsen commented: “It was a tough four days and obviously the weather has had a huge influence on the game, but very satisfying to come to day four and take those two remaining wickets and secure a winning draw effectively.
“I am very happy with the performance and unfortunately there was no chance of getting a full result, but obviously against a strong team like Afghanistan, so we’ll take the points.”
Forthcoming first round match:
16-19 June – Netherlands v Papua New Guinea (PNG)
Round two (dates/venues to be confirmed)
Netherlands v Scotland
Nepal v PNG
Namibia v Kenya
UAE v Hong Kong
Namibia captain Nicolaas Scholtz aiming to reap “fruits” of team’s dedication
Hong Kong captain James Atkinson excited about pathway “to eventually try to play against a Test playing nation”
The four-day first-class Intercontinental Cup 2015-17, which is a pathway for Test cricket, kicks off at the Wanderers, Windhoek, when Namibia plays host to Hong Kong in the opening round action on Sunday, 10 May. Both the sides have confirmed their squads for this fixture.
The side that wins the round-robin league tournament will play the bottom-ranked Test team on the Reliance ICC Test Team Rankings in the ICC Test Challenge in 2018.
Ireland will defend the title of the tournament, which also features former winner Afghanistan, Netherlands, Papua New Guinea (PNG), 2004 champion Scotland and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
This will be Namibia’s sixth appearance in the competition with its best performance being runner-up in the 2007-08 edition. To date, it has played 27 matches, winning 14, losing nine and drawing three.
Namibia also participated in ICC Cricket World Cup 2003, but lost all six of its matches. In 2009 Namibia uniquely won the ICC Intercontinental Shield for the four teams placing seventh through 10th in the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2009. Since the 2006-07 season, Namibia has participated in the second tier of South African first-class and list A cricket.
Led by Nicolaas Scholtz, the squad also includes veteran all-rounder Gerrie Snyman who has scored two double-centuries in the competition – both against Kenya – and his innings of 230 in the 2008 match at Sharjah came out of an all-out total of 282.
Looking ahead to the start of the ICC Intercontinental Cup 2015-17 competition, Scholtz said: “We as Namibia are looking forward to hosting Hong Kong and to play good competitive cricket.
“It is the first time they will be playing in Namibia, and I truly believe they will enjoy our warm Namibian hospitality. We are well prepared and the guys have been putting in the hours and it’s truly appreciated and we will look to reap the fruits of this dedication. Best of luck to everyone.”
The first recorded game of cricket in Hong Kong took place in 1841 and Sunday’s game will mark its second appearance in the competition, after taking part 10 years ago in 2005. In that event, Hong Kong lost to the UAE and drew with Nepal, but failed to qualify for the semi-finals.
In ODI cricket, Hong Kong participated in the Asia Cup in 2004 (in Sri Lanka) and 2008 (in Pakistan). Hong Kong successfully qualified for the ICC World Twenty20 2014 via the qualifier in the UAE the previous year and it memorably defeated host Bangladesh at Chittagong, but lost its other two matches to Afghanistan and Nepal.
Hong Kong will be led by former Warwickshire wicketkeeper Jamie Atkinson and has in its ranks a host of players, including promising 16-year-old all-rounder Waqas Khan, who have represented their sides at the Under-19 and senior levels.
Atkinson, looking ahead to the tournament opener, said: “The Intercontinental Cup gives Hong Kong a chance to play first-class cricket on a regular basis. It provides a pathway for the best team in the competition to eventually try to play against a Test playing nation at the end of the cycle.
“The squad is raring to go after a pre-tour in South Africa. Everyone has been working hard at training and in matches to best prepare for the upcoming game against Namibia. We’ll be aiming to make a good start to the both the ICC Intercontinental Cup as well as the one-day ICC World Cricket League Championship, with every result important to final standings.”
Squads:
Namibia (from): Nicholas Scholtz (captain), Stephen Baard, Sarel Burger, Christopher Coombe, Michau du Preez, Gerhard Erasmus, Zane Green, Zhivago Groenewald, Robert Herridge, J.P Kotze (wicket keeper), Xander Pitchers, Bernard Scholtz, JJ Smit, Gerrie Snyman, Tiaan Snyman, Raymond van Schoor, Bredell Wessels, Picky ya France
Hong Kong (from): Jamie Atkinson (captain / wicket keeper), Tanwir Afzal, Irfan Ahmed, Nadeem Ahmed, Haseeb Amjad, Waqas Barkat, Babar Hayat, Mohammad Aizaz Khan, Waqas Khan, Roy Lamsam, Adil Mehmood, Nizakat Khan Mohammad, Ehsan Nawaz, Ali Skhawat
Match Referee: Dev Govindjee (South Africa)
Umpires: Andrew Wynand Louw and Adrian Holdstock
ICC Intercontinental Cup first round fixtures:
10-13 May – Namibia v Hong Kong, Wanderers, Windhoek
2-5 June – Ireland v UAE, Malahide
2-5 June – Scotland v Afghanistan, Stirling
16-19 June – Netherlands v Papua New Guinea, Amsterdam
ICC World Cricket League Championship first round fixtures:
15 May – Namibia v Hong Kong, Wanderers
17 May – Namibia v Hong Kong, Wanderers
22 June – Netherlands v Papua New Guinea, Amsterdam
24 June – Netherlands v Papua New Guinea, Amsterdam
25 June – Kenya v UAE, tbc
27 June – Kenya v UAE, tbc
25 July – Scotland v Nepal, tbc
27 July – Scotland v Nepal, tbc
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