Ireland Takes On PNG Aiming To Regain The Top Spot In The ICC Intercontinental Cup

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.

7 July 2015; Stuart Thompson, Ireland, makes a delivery to Jatinder Singh, Oman. ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier 2015, Warm-up Match, Ireland v Oman. Stormont, Belfast. Picture credit: Brendan Moran / ICC / SPORTSFILE

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

UAE and Hong Kong aim to get on ICC Intercontinental Cup points table

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

ICC Intercontinental Cup 2015-17, photo credit ICC:Noel DeSouza

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

ICC Looks Forward To Exciting Month Of Cricket In UAE

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).

David Richardson, photo credit icc.cricket.com

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.”

zayed cricket stadium: credit icc

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)

Bradburn Disappointed, Roux Delighted As Borren And Van Der Merwe Put Their Side On Top Of The ICC Intercontinental Cup

Scotland coach Grant Bradburn has expressed his disappointment at losing a tightly-contested ICC International Cup match against Netherlands but at the same time he has praised the home side for holding its nerve to win the battle between the joint-winners of the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier 2015.

Scotland, chasing 201 runs to record a come from behind victory in a match dominated by the bowlers, was in tatters when Netherlands left-arm spinner Roelof van der Merwe (three for 52) reduced it to 52 for five. Richie Berrington (59) and wicketkeeper Rob Taylor (52) then lifted their side to 145 for five by adding 93 runs for the sixth wicket.

Just before lunch on the final day on Friday, Michael Rippon accounted for Berrington and then, after the break, Netherlands captain Peter Borren ripped the heart out of Scotland’s lower middle-order with figures of four for one in 20 deliveries as the visitors were sent packing for 156.

Netherlands’ 44 runs victory, its first since 2008 in this competition, earned it 20 maximum points, which has put it on top of the points table – six ahead of defending champions Ireland and Namibia. The two sides will face off each other in their second round fixture in Windhoek from 24 October.

Bradburn, the former New Zealand off-spinner, said one more partnership would have done the trick for his side.

“It was an intense three days play and, of course, disappointing not to finish on the right side of the ledger. But we have to tip the hat and say they scrapped well in the dog-fight and did enough to get over the line,” said Bradburn after 40 wickets fell in the last three days of cricket following a wash-out of the opening day’s play.

“We knew from early on in the game that runs were going to be hard to come by and you were going to have to work really hard to earn runs, with the track keeping on the lower-side and little bit of seam and spin in the first few days.

“We just lacked another really big partnership, like we had between Richie and Rob, and were undone by the break really, with Richie getting out just before lunch and then Peter Borren doing the damage to finish us off.

“We were out-scrapped in the end, and just needed to hold on for a bit longer during our innings,” said Bradburn.

Dutch coach Anton Roux was delighted with his side’s victory and paid tribute to Borren and van der Merwe.

“Borren has played over 100 matches for the Netherlands, and he always knows what he is doing. He showed his skills as captain once again today, picking up four wickets, and turning the game on its head,” Roux said, adding: “Van der Merwe has put in a great bowling performance for us, and his inputs with the bat were also vital.

“Overall, it has been a fantastic all-round effort from the guys. This was a true old-fashion four-day win for us.”

Roux, however, admitted that batting was a concern for him. “The batting is still a bit of an issue. It will be our next big challenge, to buck up as individuals and work on big batting performances.

“Once the individuals get their eye in, the big hundred or big scores that bury the other teams and give us wins will be important for us. We are working on it, and the guys are aware of it, so I believe we are very close to seeing some good performances with the bat too.”

Netherlands and Scotland will now play in two 50-over ICC World Cricket League Championship matches in Amstelveen on 14 and 16 September.

Looking ahead to the two games, Roux said: “For the upcoming one-day matches, our preparation will not be too different from what it has always been like. We are getting together again on Sunday, and will discuss on few things we want to work on.”

Scores in brief:

Netherlands beat Scotland by 44 runs in Voorburg

Netherlands 210 (Roelof van der Werve 73, Stephan Myburgh 35, Michael Rippon 30; Josh Davey 3-36, Safyaan Sharif 2-34, Con de Lange 2-39, Alasdair Evans 2-57) and 123 (Michael Rippon 37, Stephan Myburgh 31; Josh Davey 3-43, Richie Berrington 2-7, Safyaan Shafiq 2-8)

Scotland 133 (Rob Taylor 46, Safyaan Sharif 32; Vivian Kingma 4-36, Paul van Meerkeren 2-20, Roelof van der Werwe 2-49) and 156 (Richie Berrington 59, Rob Taylor 52; Peter Borren 4-1, Roelof van der Merwe 3-52)

Points 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

Final Preparations Underway For Sides Dreaming Of Passage To World Twenty20 In India #wt20q

Scotland aims for early home advantage in ICC WT20 Qualifier 2015; Namibia set sights on bright start in Group A

After what has been the driest June in Dublin for 40 years, a more familiar dampness has returned in the past couple of days. While this might be good news for thirsty reservoirs and hay-fever sufferers, it has left the teams preparing for the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier 2015, which will be played in Ireland and Scotland from 9 to 26 July, anxiously consulting the local met offices.

But the host teams themselves will not be concerned about how a bit of rain might affect the conditions, being a normal hazard of the cricket season in these parts. And for Scotland left-arm spinner Con de Lange, he will be hoping a little bit of dampness in the pitches might help him ply his trade more effectively.

7 July 2015; Sultan Ahmed, Oman. ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier 2015, Warm-up Match, Ireland v Oman. Stormont, Belfast. Picture credit: Brendan Moran / ICC / SPORTSFILE

“It’s a tricky one being a spinner in Twenty20s,” said the 34-year-old. “You can either be a hero or a villain. You need to suss out the surface you’re playing on very quickly. That will determine the pace you’re going to bowl at, your angles of attack, your field placing, all that kind of thing.

“At the end of the day, you are going to get hit for boundaries. It’s all about finding a way of dealing with that and making sure you’re ready for the next ball,” he said.

The top six sides from the 18-day tournament, during which 51 matches will be played, will join the 10 Full Members for the ICC World Twenty20 India 2016, which will be held from 11 March to 3 April next year.

The sides that top the two groups will automatically qualify for the ICC World Twenty20 India 2016, while those that finish second and third in each of the two groups will play cross-over matches with the two winners joining the table-toppers for the India tournament.

De Lange is determined that Scotland will qualify the simple way by topping Group B, a difficult task considering Afghanistan, UAE, Netherlands, Canada, Kenya and Oman lie in wait.

7 July 2015; Stuart Thompson, Ireland, makes a delivery to Jatinder Singh, Oman. ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier 2015, Warm-up Match, Ireland v Oman. Stormont, Belfast. Picture credit: Brendan Moran / ICC / SPORTSFILE

“We have prepared really well for this. I think we’ve been really thorough and very specific in areas of the T20 game. I feel we’ve covered those things very well and I sense there is a lot of confidence out of our preparation coming into this tournament.

“We are looking to win every single game we play and we are confident that we can do well in this tournament. We want to finish top of our group and move on from there. To play in the World Twenty20 in India would be massive for us. Most of this group of players have done well at other world events so there is some good experience there. Playing in India would be fantastic. It’s completely different from any other country I’ve been.”

Across in Group A, Ireland will go into the tournament as favourite to top the pool, especially with home advantage, but any mistake or complacency will be seized upon by a group full of teams aiming to take that top spot, namely Namibia, Nepal, Hong Kong, PNG, USA and Jersey.

A typically ebullient Namibian Gerrie Snyman is a case in point. The big-hitter from Windhoek said: “I’m really happy to say that the Namibian squad in this tournament is pumped up, everybody is in real-good form, even the youngsters. Our bowlers are hitting good lines and good lengths, our batsmen are really stepping up to the plate and looking good. I reckon all our game plans have just come together.”

Never short on confidence – this is the batsman who bludgeoned 230 out of his team’s total of 282 in an ICC Intercontinental Cup victory over Kenya in 2008 – he says it is time Namibia went a step further in this competition, having narrowly missed out on qualification twice before.

Nepal v United Arab Emirates – ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier 2015 Warm-up Match

“Sometimes you need a bit of luck in this game… We have played really well in the two previous tournaments and just missed out at the final hurdle to Afghanistan and Ireland. So we are ready to go all the way now.

“It’s a tough tournament and it might come down to whoever can handle the pressure the best. I reckon the cricket we’ve played in the South African first-class league has really got us to a good standard so we can deal with that pressure and find our way to the top of our group.”

It’s a side with plenty of familiar faces. All-rounder Craig Williams, who Snyman describes as “absolutely world-class”, will spearhead the batting and has an uncanny knack of picking up wickets with his right-arm medium pace. Captain Nicholas Scholtz will have plenty of experienced campaigners around him including Louis Klazinga, Raymond van Schoor, Sarel Burger and the self-styled “happy-go-lucky” Snyman as well as some fresher faces like Michau du Preez Jason Davidson and Chris Coombe.

If they can adapt to the slower, lower Hiberno-Caledonian conditions, the Africans may well be the outfit most likely to knock Ireland off their perch.

Forthcoming Fixtures:

Thurs, 9 July – Scotland v UAE, The Grange, Edinburgh (1000-1310); Netherlands v Afghanistan, The Grange, Edinburgh (1415-1725)

Porterfield Pays Tribute To Joyce As Ireland Starts Title Defence With An Innings Victory

“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.

Ed Joyce
photo credit: Will
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/legalcode

“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

Papua New Guinea Claims Top Prize In Pepsi ICC Development Programme Annual Awards 2014

Papua New Guinea (PNG) has taken the top prize in the Pepsi ICC Development Programme Annual Awards 2014, claiming the Best Overall Cricket Development Programme award.

PNG had a tremendous 2014, with its senior men’s team achieving One-Day International (ODI) status, while the PNG Women’s side qualified for its first ever ICC Women’s World T20 Qualifier. This on-field success has, however, been underpinned by a highly successful domestic development programme that has resulted in significant participation growth over the past decade. There are now close to 200,000 cricket participants in PNG.

Keith Dennis, former chairman of Jersey Cricket Board, was posthumously awarded the Lifetime Achievement award thanks to his efforts in developing cricket in Jersey dating back to the 1950’s. Mr Dennis sadly passed away during 2014 whilst supporting Jersey in its successful ICC World Cricket League Division 5 campaign.

The Spirit of Cricket Award was given to Thailand to acknowledge its work with underprivileged Hill tribe children and orphans in Northern Thailand, providing them with education alongside cricket activities.

This picture was taken during a coaching session at Villa 21/24 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. This session was part of the ICC’s Social Responsibility Project – “Caacupe”. The picture illustrates how cricket can be used as a tool for integration by bringing the sport to the underprivileged and providing them with options to maintain a healthy life. This particular picture shows an attempted run out in the streets of Barracas.

Argentina picked up the photo of the year award (see attached) for its photo capturing street cricket being played in Buenos Aires.

Other winners were Ahmad Feisal Tajuddin of the Malaysia Cricket Association, who won the Volunteer of the Year award thanks to his work growing cricket at all levels in Malaysia and Habib Mugalula from the Uganda Cricket Association who won the Women’s Cricket ‘Behind the Scenes’ award for her work developing Women’s cricket in Jinja, Uganda.

The judging panel featured ICC Chairman Mr Srinivasan and former Presidents Mr Alan Isaac and Mr Mustafa Kamal.

ICC’s Head of Global Development Tim Anderson said: “I’m pleased to be able to congratulate the 2014 Award winners who have all demonstrated incredible dedication to growing our sport. It’s particularly encouraging that PNG’s rise is being driven by outstanding local development structures, alongside strong local partnerships.”

“It’s also important to note the diversity of this year’s winners, who, together with the Associate Members who recently competed in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, are demonstrating the strength of cricket’s development outside its traditional territories.”

All Pepsi ICC Development Programme Annual Awards 2014 winners receive a cricket equipment grant to its national cricket body.

The prizes are as follows:

· Best Overall Cricket Development Programme ($5,000)
· Lifetime Service Award ($2,000)
· Volunteer of the Year ($2,000)
· Women’s Cricket Behind the Scenes Award ($2,000)
· Spirit of Cricket Award ($2,000)
· Photo of the Year ($1,000)

The 2014 winners are:

· Best Overall Cricket Development Programme – Papua New Guinea
· Lifetime Service Award – Jersey
· Volunteer of the Year – Malaysia
· Women’s Cricket Behind the Scenes Award – Uganda
· Spirit of Cricket Award – Thailand
· Photo of the Year – Argentina