Hamid Hassan

The team is in high spirits ahead of our opening match of the World Twenty20.

It will be one of the proudest moments of my life when I stand on the field and listen to the national anthem being played before the match. There may even be a few tears when I am standing with my hand on the chest listening to the music. We actually heard the team practicing the national anthems after we were training and when they finished playing the Afghanistan anthem we all stood and applauded.

I am proud of my team and I know how lucky I am to have the chance to represent my country. We are ambassadors for our nation and to have the chance to play in a world event for Afghanistan against other famous cricket countries is amazing.

It is very exciting that people in Afghanistan will have the chance to watch the game on television – it will be the first live match that I have ever played in. I am really looking forward to the fact that all my friends and family will finally have a chance to watch us in action.

My parents sent me a message today saying that they can’t wait for the game tomorrow. They will be watching the match at home – I think the streets will be very quiet on Saturday night in Afghanistan as everybody will be following the game on television or radio.

It will be a great honour to be on the same pitch as the likes of Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh. There is no Indian player I am particularly looking forward to bowling against but they are all great players. I will just be doing my best to try and bowl some dot balls and try and take some wickets.

I think it is a big advantage that they don’t know anything about us, while obviously we know lots about them as we have watched them all on television a million times and we know how they are going to play.

After training this morning, we had time just to relax this afternoon. My first impressions of St Lucia are that it is an extremely beautiful place and the ground is very nice as well. There won’t be much time for being a tourist as we are here to focus on the cricket and do as well as we can.

In the morning we will have to get up very early, as the game starts at 9.30am, so after praying and breakfast, we will head to the ground. I can’t wait for the action to begin!

Zambia 214 (50 overs) beat Mozambique 194 (49 overs) by 20 runs

Zambia have booked themselves a place in the World Cricket League Division Eight tournament in Kuwait in December. This came after their 20 run win over Mozambique in Benoni, South Africa on the last day of the tournament on Thursday to win the Africa Division Two tournament.

Zambia won the toss and elected to bat. They set a defendable target, posting 214 in their allotted 50 overs. The foundation of the Zambian innings was set by Salvas Palel with a gutsy 69 off 84 balls and Sharif Yousuf who struck a breezy 64 from just 51 balls.

Mozambique made a game attempt at chasing down the Zambian total, with allrounder Mohammed Zulpicus smashing 77 off 67 balls. However, there wasn't enough support and Zambia emerged winners by 20 runs.

Ghana 194 (48.5 overs) beat Sierra Leone 127 (39.3 overs) by 65 runs

The all-West African clash between Ghana and Sierra Leone would have pleased the development-minded featuring two young fully indigenous teams Ghana elected to bat and eked out a painstaking 194 all out. Sierra Leone pursued the target purposefully, but losing early wickets slowed their progress. Captain Lansana Lamin's 45 from 57 gave some hope, but four wickets to Ghana's Lawrence Ateak broke Sierra Leone's innings and Ghana won by 65 runs.

Swaziland 70 for 1 (8.1 overs) beat Malawi 69 (20 overs) by nine wickets

Swaziland ensured Malawi's brief stay in Division Two ended swiftly but painfully with an emphatic nine wicket win. The match lasted 28.1 overs, as Malawi was dismissed for 69 in 20 overs, and then Swaziland needed just 49 balls to pass the Malawian total. Estean Sauerman was the destroyer taking eight Malawian wickets.

Zambia 187 for 7 (50 overs) beat Ghana 125 for 9 (39.4 overs) by 62 runs

Zambia has moved closer to earning a place at the World Cricket League Division Eight tournament by beating Ghana in the top-of-the-table clash of the Africa Division Two event in Benoni, South Africa on Wednesday.

There is a place at the WCL Division Eight tournament in Kuwait in December for the tournament winner and the favourites won the toss and elected to bat on what initially looked like a good batting surface.

Starting off with a slight stutter, Zambia found themselves at 32 for 3 in their ninth over. A fourth wicket partnership of 45 saw them reach 77 after 25 overs. Godfrey Kandela continued his great form for Zambia scoring a workman-like 41 of 80 balls to stabilize the innings. All-rounder Meeth Naik (26) and Sharif Yusuf (22) steered Zambia to 187 for 7 after 50 overs. Kofi Bagabena was the pick of the Ghanaian bowling attack taking 3 wickets for 22.

Ghana's reply was in early trouble, stumbling to began in a doubtful manner 14 for 3 until
a fourth wicket partnership of 36 stabilised the innings somewhat. The nagging consistency in line and length of the Zambian attack stifled the Ghanaian batsmen's efforts to accelerate the scoring rate. Tapson Nyirongo started the initial rot and accounted for the first three batsman. That man, Godfrey Kandela, was the star bowler for Zambia, managing to strangle the Ghana batting and ended up with four wickets for 20 runs. Zambia emerged winners by 62 runs.

Swaziland 130 for 6 (42.2 overs) beat Mozambique 127 (40 overs) by four wickets

In the clash of southern African neighbours, Swaziland won the toss and sent Mozambique in on a sticky wicket. As a result, Mozambique struggled to compile a total of 127. The only partnership of note was the fourth wicket
partnership of 45 which saw Sayed Shah gather a diligent 45 in 100 balls The
Swaziland bowling attack all shared in the wickets. The best of the bowlers were
Mangiliso Mhlabane who returned 3 for 16.

In pursuit of the total of 127, Swaziland began confidently. The sticky wicket had
dried out considerably at this stage which saw the Swaziland middle order of Aziz Patel
(25) and Rashid Haris (25*) maintain momentum. Swaziland passed the
Mozambique total with six wickets down with 46 balls to spare.

Sierra Leone 95 for 5 (25.5 overs) beat Malawi 89 (39.5 overs) by 5 wickets

At Willowmoore, the two promoted teams from Division Three, Malawi and Sierra Leone clashed. Sierra Leone won the toss and elected to bowl on a superb batting track. The Malawi innings never really started due to the superb line and length bowling of Abu Bakarr Kamara. Malawi only managed to score 89 runs. Abu Kamara ripped out the heart of the Malawian batting and ended with four wickets for nine runs in 10 overs, earning himself a well deserved man of the Match award.

Sierra Leone began their run chase positively and they accomplished this in 25 overs thanks mainly to Ibrahim Kobia (26) and Lasana Lamin (26 not out).

Hamid Hassan

After all of our preparation, it is great to finally be in the Caribbean, particularly after all the delays in getting here.

In our rise up the cricket rankings, it had seemed at times that nothing can get in our way, but after the events of the last fortnight it turns out that volcanic ash can! We had been due to arrive in the West Indies for a training camp 10 days ago, but due to all the flight disruptions we ended up having to prepare for the tournament in Sharjah, which was very frustrating.

In our training camp we were very focused on ensuring our preparation was completely focused on Twenty20 cricket. We have a great coach in Kabir Khan and he was helping us learn new shots, as well as improving the way in which we can protect ourselves from being attacked by some of the most aggressive batters.

The journey to the West Indies was very long, as we had to stop in London on the way to get here. It was only the second time in my life that I had flown business class and I really liked the seats on our Emirates plane. I couldn’t sleep much, as I was thinking so much about the coming days, so I watched a couple of movies. It was the first time I had ever seen Avatar, which I really enjoyed, and Night at the Museum, although somebody told me afterwards that I am featured on a programme on the cricket channel so I will have to watch that on the way home.

We had the chance to go into London for a few hours and I went to the London Eye, although I didn’t go on it as I have been there before, and we also walked around Westminster and Piccadilly Circus. Some of the team hadn’t been to London before and Mohammad Shahzad, who is one of our batters, couldn’t believe it when I told him that there is an underground train that goes through London – he thought I was joking, as some of our team had never been on a train before, let alone one below the ground!

A few people at the hotel were really nice as they came up to us and wished us luck – it seems that everybody is getting to know the Afghanistan team now.

I struggled to sleep last night after we arrived late last night and there wasn’t much time to rest this morning as we had some pre-event activities to do this morning which were quite fun. We all had to have our pictures taken and then I had to do a really long interview for television which is something I always enjoy doing.

It was strange having to play a match the day after we had arrived in the country. When I was bowling, my legs felt so heavy, and I was worried that I had lost my pace, but my physio assured me that this is natural when you are jetlagged and that I will be ready for 1st May and the match against India. It was nice to take a couple of wickets, particularly as one of them was a yorker which is my favourite delivery.

We did very well today to beat Ireland, who are a very good team, and Dawlat Ahmadzai showed what a good bowler he is. Although we didn’t start very well in our innings, Mohammad Nabi and Asghar Stanikzai batted really well to take us home to victory.

Although we have played quite a bit of cricket abroad in international tournaments, such as the World Cricket League, apart from playing in Argentina last year we haven’t really played much cricket on this side of the world. It is quite strange to think that while we are playing in the day time here, it is the middle of the night in Afghanistan, although I am sure there were probably lots of people following the scores on the internet.

On Thursday morning we head straight to St Lucia, which we are all very excited about, as we prepare for the biggest match of our lives against India. We will then have a light training session and probably do some swimming tomorrow afternoon, before a final training session on Friday.
I promise to write more ahead of that game, so if you have any questions about the match let me know and I will try to reply to some of them in my next blog.

Zambia asserted itself as a threat in the Africa Division Two tournament in Benoni, South Africa, with a resounding 114-run win over Malawi on Tuesday.

On another wet and damp Benoni day, Swaziland won the other match played, beating Sierra Leone by 30 runs after their target was adjusted after input from Messrs Duckworth & Lewis. Originally a reserve day in the tournament, the two matches played were originally postponed from Sunday. The weather saw both matches reduced to 46 overs each.

Zambia continued their good run of form with a comprehensive win over Malawi. After being sent in, Zambia found themselves in early trouble slipping to 10 for 2 before a third-wicket partnership for 64 runs saw Abib Patel (24) and Marcus Pieterse (34) restore a degree of respectability to the Zambian innings.

Imraan Patel's unbeaten 55 saw the Zambian innings close at 189 all out in the 46th over. Muzikir Khan shorn with the ball for Malawi with a sparkling return of four wickets for 31 runs in his allotted nine overs. Zambia coach Peter Kirsten described Imraan's innings as "a gem."
In the run chase, Malawi found themselves in early trouble at 17 for 4 in the 12th over but
middle order batsmen Muzikir Khan steadied things with 33. Godfrey Kandela was the
destroyer for Zambia, returning three wickets for 15 runs in nine overs. Kandela's spell
prevented the Malawian innings from team establishing any sort of foundation and
were bowled out for 75 runs.

Kirsten added “I am very pleased with the team's performance today, they showed a lot of grit in very trying conditions to set the target of 189.”

In the other postponed match, Swaziland won the toss and put Sierra Leone in to bat
Ibrahim Mansaray top scored for Sierra Leone with 40 off 95 balls. They struggled
to reach 134 all out in their 36th over. Saif Habib was the best Swaziland bowler with three wickets for 22 runs from five overs.

With rain threatening, Swaziland began their innings in aggressive fashion. Opener
Naeem Gull smashed a brisk unbeaten 42 from 57 balls. The policy was rewarded when the umpires called the match off due to rain and Swaziland was awarded the match after Duckworth/Lewis adjustments to win by 30 runs.

Malawi v. Zambia
Zambia 189 for 10 after 45.5 overs
Malawi 75 for 10 after 34 overs
Zambia won by 114 runs

Swaziland v Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone 134 for 10 after 36 overs
Swaziland 84 for 3 after 20 overs
Swaziland won by 30 runs (D/L method)

Ghana, with an average age in the mid-twenties and featuring all locally-born players, have maintained their winning run at the ICC Africa World Cricket League Division 2 in Benoni, beating Malawi by seven wickets.

On a day when the weather allowed all six teams to get on the field for the first time, in the other matches, Zambia emphatically beat Swaziland by eight wickets and Mozambique defeated Sierra Leone by 43 runs.

Ghana won the toss and sent Malawi in to bat. Initially Malawi struggled before the East Africans managed 44 for the third wicket. Thanks chiefly to Mushid Qureshi's 52 from 82 balls, Malawi reached 188 from their 50 overs. In reply, Ghana's openers, James Vifah (76 not out) and Simon Ateak (33) provided a solid platform for their team to mount the chase. Victory for Ghana was achieved in the 38th over with a flourish, Samson Kwesi Awyah hitting a six.

The Peter Kirsten-coached Zambia sent a warning to the other teams in the tournament, with a comprehensive eight wicket victory over Swaziland. This was set up by a superb bowling performance by Mohammed Mitha who returned 4 for 10. He accounted for the entire middle order of the Swaziland batting, which started steadily enough with a 32-run first wicket partnership. Opener Esteen Sauerman was Swaziland's top scorer with 29 in a team total 78.

Zambia’s innings got off to a flying start with an opening partnership of 56 runs in 6.2 overs as openers Allan Insensha (23) and Ashraf Lulat (28) dominated the Swazi bowling. Zambia passed the target in the 11th over.

On a very damp Sahara Park C Field, Mozambique managed to get a very good win over Sierra Leone, who like Ghana, have an average age in their mid-twenties and are totally indigenous.

Sierra Leone won the toss and elected to bowl. Mozambique's first wicket partnership of 49 showed promise however, a steady loss of wickets curtailed any dreams of a big score. The top performers for Mozambique were Mohammed Shahzad (26) and Malik Javid (25). Mozambique set a target of 131 for Sierra Leone, who were promoted after finishing second in last year's Division Three tournament. The Sierra Leone chase was in immediate trouble, losing three wickets for seven runs, and at one stage were 23 for 6. They only managed to score 88 and were bowled out in the 46th over. Christiaan Louw was destroyer in chief for Mozambique with a magnificent 5 for 25 in 9 overs.

In the only fixture played on a rain-affected second day of the ICC Africa World Cricket League Division 2 event, Ghana defeated Mozambique by a comfortable margin at Sahara Park on Sunday.

Ghana's batsmen felt the pressure early on, at one stage struggling at 49 for 4 after 12 overs. A fine middle-order batting display by Lawrence Ateak (37) and Isaac Kofi (23), followed by an unbeaten 48 by Peter Ananya, rescued the innings and got the total to 183 in 47.2 overs. Muhammad Zulfiqar was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3 for 43.

Mozambique saw themselves in early trouble, losing quick wickets in the second and third overs. Syed Kaleem Shah fought back with a valiant 69 but it was not enough as the batsmen choked to tight bowling and were bowled out for 151 in 47.3 overs. Kofi Bagabena returned figures of 3 for 37.

The other two matches between Zambia-Malawi and Sierra Leone-Swaziland were abandoned due to a wet outfield the day before.

Umpires have called off day one of the World Cricket League Division Two tournament in Benoni, South Africa after continuous rainfall made play unlikely.

The games slated to be played on day one were Zambia against Sierra Leone, Malawi playing Mozambique and Swaziland meeting Ghana.

These matches are now scheduled to be held on April 27 which was initially to be the tournament rest day.

Given favourable weather, tomorrow's games will see Mozambique oppose Ghana; Zambia take on Malawi and Sierra Leone play Swaziland.

Colin Macbeth

Jinja Senior Secondary School seized the day and ran out winners by the slenderest of margins in this year's Ugandan girls' schools cricket week.

In front of a crowd of some 400 and dozens of marabou storks, the holders, making hard work of defending their title - last played for in 2008 - faced defeat at 43 for 9 in a bid to reach their 54 target. But panic with a string of wides from Sharon Athoula and makeshift last-over bowler Rachael Timbalian set in amongst their opponents, Kampala-based Kalolo Senior Secondary School, and the champions crept to victory by one wicket.

Kololo were themselves fortunate to be the opponents after winning a thrilling semi-final tie against far-flung Soroti Light Secondary School. The doughty north-easterners, having already disposed of former champions King's College Budo, Kampala's City High School and Ndejje Senior Secondary School, raised their game again to post 69 for 9 (20 overs). Kololo, in a rain-affected reply, lost two fewer wickets in reaching the same total.

For Soroti, Esther Ngavirrie scored a sparkling 23; for Kololo, Kevin Apio a solid 27 to bring her total for the tournament to 152.

"There was some great cricket out there," said Ronald Ssemanda, a Uganda men's squad member who was standing as umpire. His comments were echoed by organisers, coaches and spectators as they cheered their teams to the drop during the afternoon final at Lugogo oval.

Jinja, led by Hellen Naudo, one of a cricketing dynasty whose brother, Charles Waiswa, opens the bowling for Uganda, were lucky to retain their crown and Kololo lucky to meet them.
Other semi-finalists were Gayaza High School, and 10 teams in all, from the breadth of Uganda, took part in the tournament.

"It was a highly successful tournament," said Diana Musiime, the Uganda women's team manager, who organised the event with an inspired team of assistants. "We can only hope for even better things next year."

Now Uganda's women have the regional Under-19's championships in September to look forward to, followed in December by key qualifiers in Nairobi for the next women's world cup, which they aim to reach.

What will be of interest to the observer was that this competitions was run, staffed, officiated, organised and played by locals - not an expat in sight - and that they played sparkling cricket in sparkling whites.

Saleh Bhana

A six off the last ball of the match by rookie Asif Dassu has handed Dadabhai a one wicket win over Ahir 'A' in the final of the Panamanian cricket league on Sunday.

Played before a crowd of around 9,000 of Panama City's Indian community, the match started with Ahir A winning the toss and electing to bat on a very hot afternoon. Ahir captain Jagdish Ahir smashed a very quick half century and was dismissed by a brilliant stumping by Salim Jasat. Despite this, Ahir A managed to post a very good target of 159 runs in their 25 overs.

Dadabhai's reply began with a very aggressive batting by Imran Bulbulia and Harum Bhiku. That was until Bulbulia was hit in the face, via the top-edge of his bat retiring, which forced him to retire hurt and go hospital for seven stitches. Dadabhai's batting after the injury slowed down the and wickets began to fall.

Bulbulia returned to the match with 36 balls and 52 runs remaining. He scored some quick runs until bowled by Jagdish. After this wicket Ahir thought they had the game in their hands. Jagdish was also brilliant at bowling taking three very important wickets trying to take his team to the championship. His figures at bowling was 3 for 22 in five overs.

The last over of the match began with nine runs needed and one wicket remaining, Asif Dassu and Faruk Jasat were in the crease for Dadabhai CC, they took some singles and everything was going to be decided in the last ball of the match with Dassu at strike.

With a six needed to win the match, the rookie Dassu overcame the stress and nervousness of the moment and smashed one of the biggest six ever scored in Panamanian cricket and gave the championship to Dadabhai in a thriller.

Tony Munro

Peter Kirsten, the former South African batsman and ex-Jersey coach, will coach Zambia at the World Cricket League (WCL) Africa Division Two tournament from April 24 to 29 in Benoni, South Africa.

Kirsten coached Jersey in 2008, experiencing first-up success in guiding them to promotion from WCL Division Five on home soil in Jersey. The Division Four campaign in Tanzania was an unhappy one as Jersey won one match out of six to be relegated straight back to Division Five.

The former Derbyshire and Sussex batsman has been in Lusaka since early March, coaching the Zambian squad. He told the Zambia Post newspaper his goal was to see Zambia qualify for Division Eight of the global level of the WCL, which is to be held in Kuwait in December. Zambia was part of the old East African Cricket Conference, also comprising Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.

The squad for the tournament starting this Saturday includes the bulk of the side which finished third in the 2008 Division Two event, behind Botswana and Nigeria. Zambia is the top-ranked team in this tournament.

Zambia's first match is against Sierra Leone on April 24. Also competing are Ghana, Malawi, Mozambique and Swaziland.

Zambia: Abid Patel, Allan Nsensha, Andrew Toms, Ashraf Lulat, Godfrey Kandela, Gladson Kandela, Imran Suleman Patel, Markus Pieterse, Meeth Naik, Mohamed Mitha, Sarfraz Patel, Sarfarajhusen Sopariya, Sharif Yousuf, Tapson Nyirongo

Beach cricket, Nepal style © Alan Curr

Alan Curr

Beach cricket is not something many associate with a landlocked country, but at the Riverside Springs Resort, Nepal this weekend that is just what happened.

It is the second competition of its kind this year, following on from the inaugural event in 2009. In that first edition there were eight teams competing, while this year 34 teams played over the two weekends.

This is a sure sign that cricket in Nepal is growing and comes immediately after the national side won the World Cricket League Division 5 on home turf in February, and followed that up with a runners-up spot in the Asian Cricket Council Championship last month.

The event is the brainchild of former international Aamir Akhtar and his Shangri-La Cricket Academy. Aamir said: “People in this country are passionate about the game, but they rarely get a chance to play in any kind of competitive environment.

“We are delighted with the success so far but wish to make it bigger and better. This year we had celebrity actress Namrata Shrestha as an ambassador which adds great glamour and gives an extra incentive for the boys to perform!”

The slogan for Beach Cricket is 'Serious Fun' and I was amazed at just how seriously many people took the five-a-side competition, played over five overs. There was plenty of diving in the outfield and long bowling run-ups, along with the odd thrown bat after a dismissal.

Winning captain Monish Shrestha from SBI Bank said that is was the kind of competitive cricket he had missed since he finished playing seriously seven years ago, and would very keen to come back next year.

One man who will definitely be back next year is Sandip Kalfe who has taken part in all three competitions and said: “I just love cricket, I would do this every weekend if I could.”

It’s very encouraging that there are people working hard to get others playing the game in Nepal. While the standard was patchy, there were a few current internationals on show and the commitment and enthusiasm was a delight to behold. Long may it continue.

Tony Munro

Sierra Leone have stuck to their successful youth policy in naming the squad to take part in the World Cricket League Africa Division Two tournament in Benoni, South Africa from April 23 to 30.

The promotion of 24-year-old all-rounder Lansana Lamin to the captaincy and the inclusion of nine members of the country's Under-19 squad further illustrate the Sierra Leone Cricket Association's (SLCA) emphasis on junior development. SLCA feel the policy has been vindicated after receiving an ICC award for 'Most Improved Cricketing Standards in Africa'.

The eight-team Sierra Leone 50-over and Twenty/20 domestic competitions have just finished and the players have been enjoying a break before the six-team Division Three tournament starts on Friday.

Abubakarr Kamara, an allrounder who captained Sierra Leone to second place in last year's Africa Under-19 titles, has been named as vice-captain of a squad which has just four players aged over 25. Sierra Leone qualified for last September's Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand but were prevented from taking part due to visa isses. The youngest member of the squad is under-15 player Abass Gbla. Thirty-year-old opener George Kpundeh will provide valuable experience.

The other teams competing in the tournament are Ghana, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland and Zambia.

Sierra Leone: Lansana Lamin (Captain), Abubakarr Kamara (Vice-Captain), Emmanuel Pessima, Abass Gbla, Ibrahim Mansaray, Ibrahim Kamara, Ibrahim Kabia, Julius Quee, Brima Ansumana, Edward Marah, Mustapha Kallon, Alie John Kamara, George Kpundeh, Solomon Fatoma.

Tony Munro

Malaysia captain Suhan Kumar Alagaratnam has credited his team's youthful exhuberance for its sem-final placing at the ACC Trophy in Kuwait last week. It was Malaysia's first semi-final appearance since 2002.

"With an average age of 23 we were clearly the underdogs from the start and just allowed us to play with more freedom," said skipper Suhan Kumar Alagaratnam, himself aged 23.

Coming off just knocking United Arab Emirates out of the tournament, his team were completely unfazed when Nepal set a stiff target to get into the final. "We did not for once thought that we had lost after giving 271 runs and was 2-6 when I walked in and the camp was always chirpy till the last over and everyone of us believed that we can do it."

Alagaratnam and experienced all-rounder, Suresh Navaratnam knew what needed to be done. "The wicket was flat and if we batted out our overs we would come close - when Suresh joined me at the crease we told each other that one of us [must] bat through and make a ton if we were to be a chance but tough luck we lost by 8 runs."

Navaratnam hit a feisty 115 from 103 which included six fours and three sixes to propel Malaysia close to the second major upset in two days after the giant-killing effort the day before to dispose of UAE.

A product of the Malaysia Cricket Association youth system, Alagaratnam added the mix of youngsters with veterans such as Navaratnam and Rakesh Madhavan was a catalyst for the improvement. "The difference this time around that I have seen is the team is well blended with raw young talent and experience."

Alagaratnam said Navaratnam had been determined to bounce back from World Cricket League Division Six tournament where he was not at his best. "He was struggling with a few injuries and he took a break which did him all the good and worked on his game very hard. Suresh has always played well for us and we are very grateful to have a player like him. His form on this tour has been amazing both with the bat and ball. With all his experience I always think he is always informative - he's an inspiration to all the youngsters in the team and is a great team man. As a young captain I'm still learning a lot from the legend."

Malaysia finished off their tournament with a seven run loss to Hong Kong in the third/fourth place play-off. That other veteran in the Malaysian team, Rakesh Madhavan, displayed some exuberance of his own in smashing 129 from 137 deliveries, including four sixes and nine fours. Malaysia didn't win the tournament but it was a confidence booster according to Alagaratnam. "Now that we know we can beat teams like them its the question of maintaining a certain standard and keep playing good cricket like the other strong cricketing nation."

Tony Munro

Afghanistan has vindicated its raging favouritism for the ACC Trophy Elite title with an emphatic 95-run win over Nepal in the final in Kuwait City on Friday.

A mainly pro-Afghanistan crowd of about 5,000 cheered, banged drums and looked on as the two most passionately supported non-Test countries in Asia contested a final where the ball was dominant over the bat.

All-rounder Binod Das in for Mahaboob Alam was the only change for Nepal, while Afghanistan fielded the same team which beat Hong Kong in the semi-final.

After being sent in on a good batting track which suggested 250 was a par score, Afghanistan started slowly against tight Nepal bowling and fielding. Afghanistan were in early trouble when Noor Ali attempted a suicidal single to Gyanendra Malla who scored with a direct hit. Noor Ali run out for 5 - Afghanistan 1 for 14 after 5.4 overs. Two balls later Afghanistan were 2 for 14 when Mohammad Shahzad was caught behind to a length ball from Das. A period of consolidation followed as Karim Sadiq and captain Nowroz Mangal put on 25 runs in six overs before Nowroz was out. A shot off his legs was mistimed and Anil Mandal took a diving catch at leg - Afghanistan 3-39 and Nepal clearly on top.

Two partnerships then swung the game slightly back to Afghanistan. Karim Sadiq had been there since the start and combined with Mirwais Ashraf (59) for the fourth wicket before Ashraf was caught going for his third six. Afghanistan were 4 for 98 after 25 overs with the game evenly poised. A partnership of 97 in 103 balls between Raees Ahmadzai and Mohammad Nabi at least put Afghanistan in a position where they could look at providing their much vaunted bowlers with something to defend. Afghanistan's 224 all-out was slightly less than expected but a decent reward for a good Nepalese effort in the field. Binod Das's return of 3 for 35 off eight overs was an accurate reflection of good bowling. At this stage, the minority Nepalese contingent in the crowd had reason to feel confident.

Nepal started their innings comfortably enough reaching 16 after three overs. Paceman Mirwais Ashraf who had bowled several wides, had Mahesh Chhettri caught behind for 4 from 15 balls. Two overs later Anil Mandil (5 from 11 balls) was caught at slip to a delivery from Mirwais Ashraf - Nepal 18 for 2 after 5.5 overs and in need of a big partnership. The experienced Shakti Gauchan and Malla tried to consolidate when Gauchan (6 from 23) was induced into giving Nabi at slip a catch off Shahpour Zadran. Nepal were now 28 for 3 and the asking rate was increasing. Skipper Paras Khadka joined Malla and the pair steadily took the score 49 for 3. Malla in particular was batting well in what was obviously a pivotal partnership. Nabi, who has made a habit of playing the game-breaker for Afghanistan, had Khadka caught on his crease for a patient 11 from 30 balls. Sharad Vesawkar and Malla put on 25 off 24 balls when disaster struck. Attempting a quick single, Afghan 'keeper Mohammad Shahzad's throw to to the bowler beat Malla and Nepal were 74 for 5 from 23.3 overs. Although Vesawkar rallied with Das and Sanjam Regmi to add 40 late runs, it was inevitable the mainly Afghan crowd of around 5000 would be celebrating their first ACC Trophy Elite title. Nepal was all-out for 140 from 40 overs. Raees Ahmadzai won the Man-of-the-Match award for his crucial 52 from 64 balls as Afghanistan won by 96 runs.

At the Unity ground next door, Hong Kong held off a determined Malaysia to win the third/fourth place play-off match.

Batting first after winning the toss fifties for Roy Lamsam, Ilyas Gul and Nizakat Khan helped Hong Kong recover from 4 for 2 to post 251 from the 50 overs. It was a tumultuous start for Hong Kong, losing Nasir Hameed and Hussain Butt within the first five overs. A 110-run third wicket partnership steadied the ship with Lamsam patiently working his way to 50 off 114 balls. He eventually fell to Hassan Ghulam but the relief was short lives for Malaysia as Khan came in and smashed an unbeaten 72 from 46 balls. Gul was run out for 72 but some lusty hitting from Najeeb Amar carried the total past 250.

Malaysia had done well to restrict Hong Kong to a manageable score and they looked in total control when the openers put on 77 for the first wicket. Faris Almas stroked the ball nicely on his way to 42 but his wicket, off the bowling of Amar, ushered a mini-collapse as Malaysia slipped to 103 for 3. Rakesh Madhavan was still going sublimely and found useful support from Suresh Navaratnam (22) and Shafiq Sharif (24) on his way to 129 off 137 balls, but it wasn’t quite enough as they finished seven runs short.

Tony Munro

The pain of missing the semi-finals of the ACC Trophy Elite for the first time has been compounded for United Arab Emirates following their 34-run loss in the fifth-sixth place play-off against Oman in Kuwait on Thursday.

Sent in by Oman, the Emiratis put in a spirited batting display, hitting 265 runs in 48.3 overs, thanks chiefly due to captain Khurram Khan's 90 from 71 balls, including 11 fours and two sixes. Khan combined with another veteran, Arshad Ali, (35) in a run-a-ball third-wicket partnership of 98, after UAE were 21 for 2. Further contributions from Saqib Ali (32), Fayyaz Ahmed (21 off 19 balls) and a late flurry from Shoaib Sarwar (30 from 16 including three sixes) lifted UAE to a useful total. Slow left-arm bowler, Tariq Hussain was Oman's main wicket-taker, returning 3 for 50.

Omani openers, Hemin Desai and Deep Trivedi, possibly mindful of the threat of a reduction in overs, gave their team a positive start. Although both openers were dismissed, Oman were 52 after just 6.5 overs. Man-of-the-match, Vaibhav Wategaonkar (65 not out in 76 balls) combined with Adnan Ilyas (49) and Sultan Ahmed (19 not out) to continue the attack to reach 193 for 3 when rain intervened. With a resumption not being impossible, Oman won the match by 34 runs thanks to Duckworth/Lewis calculations.

The tournament concludes today with the final between Afghanistan and Nepal, as well as the third place play-off between Hong Kong and Malaysia.

Tony Munro

A new country will have its name added to the list of ACC Trophy Elite winners when Afghanistan plays Nepal in the final on Friday.

Afghanistan comfortably beat defending champions Hong Kong by five wickets in one semi-final while Nepal held off a brave chase by Malaysia to win by eight runs in the other.

Mohammad Nabi maintained his reputation as Afghanistan's best player to earn the Man-of-the-Match award taking 3 for 35 and then contributing 35 not out in another good all-round performance.

Nabi ended the innings of Hong Kong's top scorer, Hussein Butt (63) to help restrict Hong Kong to 205 all-out in 48.1 overs. Butt had smashed three sixes and four fours in his 113-ball innings. Butt's removal at 152 for 5 in the 40th over stymied his team's momentum which was further slowed when Nabi dismissed Moner Ahmed (18 off 17 including a four and a six).

Afghanistan began their chase of 206 in rollicking fashion scoring at six runs an over, although were precariously placed when captain Nowroz Mangal was bowled by Moner Ahmed for 1. The Afghans were 4 for 89 after 13.1 overs, and in need of a stabilising partnership. This came when Asghar Stanekzai combined with Raees Ahmadzai (38) to put on 81 runs for the fifth wicket. Irfan Ahmed provided late hope for Hong Kong when he took a return catch from Ahmadzai, but this only brought Nabi to the crease. Stanekzai played a key innings for Afghanistan, compiling an unbeaten 55 from 93 balls, including three fours and a six.

Malaysia all-rounder, Suresh Navaratnam, almost pulled off another match-winning performance as he scored 115 as his side fell just eight runs short in the other semi-final against Nepal. Navaratnam took vital wickets in his team's win over United Arab Emirates on Wednesday. As he passed his century it seemed he may play a similar role, this time with the bat, but Malaysia was all-out with two balls remaining. It was seemingly the second unlikely comeback in two days after Nepal amassed 271 for six in their 50 overs. Nepal's total was based around an unbeaten 97 from Sharad Vesawkar with help from Gyanendra Malla (49) and Shakti Gauchan (52).

Friday's final should attract considerable interest, featuring the two teams with the most passionate suuporters in Asian non-Test cricket.

In the play-off for seventh and eighth place, event hosts Kuwait celebrated their last game of the tournament with a comfortable 10 wicket win over Bhutan.

Perhaps wanting to protect their bowlers from conceding another record score, Bhutan opted to bat after winning the toss. The Bhutanese battled hard to survive 41.4 overs to reach 132 all out. Left-hander Sonam Tobgay (48) top-scored for Bhutan while Tshering Tashi made 32. Slow left arm bowler Muhammad Javed was the pick of the Kuwaiti bowlers, taking 3 for 31.

The fact batting is the stronger of the Bhutanese disciplines was evidenced when Kuwait needed just 11.5 overs to overtake Bhutan's total. Kuwait opener Khalid Hussain smashed 83 not out and captain Hisham Mirza an unbeaten 38 to give Kuwait a 10 wicket victory with 139 balls to spare. Both teams can now rest up until December when they are due to play in the World Cricket League Division Eight tournament, also in Kuwait.

The ACC Trophy continues on Thursday when United Arab Emirates and Oman meet in the play-off for fifth and sixth places.

Tony Munro

Malaysia has caused the boil-over of the 2010 ACC Trophy Elite tournament in Kuwait by knocking out tradtional heavyweight United Arab Emirates (UAE) on net run-rate to snare a semi-final berth. It will be the first ACC Trophy since 1998 without UAE in the final, let alone the semi-finals – ironically 1998 was the last time Malaysia was a finalist.

After UAE chose to bat, allrounder Suresh Navaratnam proved to be the catalyst for the upset, taking four for 29 from his 10 overs, including UAE openers Arshad Ali and Indika Sampath. Navaratnam's haul helped reduce the UAE to 7 for 70 before vital late-order runs from Salman Farooq (40), Shadeep Silva (20) and Shoaib Sanwar (13) lifted the final total to 152 from 40 overs.

The South East Asians knew they needed to not only win, but do so quickly to squeeze into the semi-finals on net run-rate. Their reply, though, was in early trouble at 2-13 when openers Rakesh Madhavan (0) and Damith Warusavithana (1) departed within the first five overs. Ahmad Faiz (43 from 51) and captain Suhan Kumar fought back in robust fashion, putting on 77 in 12.5 overs to position Malaysia favourably. Kumar earned the Man-of-the-Match award for his run-a-ball 65, which included a six and six fours. A middle-order callapse saw Malaysia skid from 2 for 70 to 6 for 106. Kumar then combined with Hassan Ghulam who made an unbeaten 20 from 17 balls to lift Malaysia to 7 for 132 and within sight of victory before Kumar was bowled. Paceman Qasim Zubair was UAE's chief wicket-taker (2-36). Malaysia scraped home by two wickets and will now play Nepal in its semi-final on Wednesday.

Defending champions Hong Kong put it past Oman to enter the semi-finals in a match that was reduced to 39 overs per side, after a wet outfield delayed the start. Hong Kong won the toss and sent Oman in. Opener Hemin Desai continued his wretched tournament, dismissed in the first over for six. Deep Trivedi and Vibhav Wategaonkar put on the biggest stand of the Oman innings, worth 46 in 11 overs. Moner Ahmed stifled the hopes of the middle order, taking 4 for 19 as Oman managed 168 for 9. Hong Kong's reply was just as cumbersome, at one stage faltering at 106 for 5, needing 63 off 12 overs. Nizakat Khan came to the rescue, striking 57 from 72 balls, including three fours and three sixes. Aided by Waqas Barkat (16 from 12), Hong Kong secured their semi-final berth, to face Afghanistan on Wednesday.

The last match was a useful hit-out for Nepal against Kuwait, who were already out of semi-final contention. Kuwait was dismissed for 120 in 42 overs, with no top-order batsman reaching 20. Saud Iqbal showed some staying power in compiling 26 from 48 balls to top-score for the hosts. Binod Das took 3-24 to ensure Kuwait never got going. Openers Mahesh Chettri (63) and Anil Mandal (33) put on 80 for the first wicket as Nepal galloped home, reaching the target of 121 in quick time.

Hamid Hassan

We are counting down the days till the ICC World Twenty20 and we can’t wait for the action to begin. After savouring our victory in Dubai, we then achieved an amazing win in the ICC Intercontinental Cup over Canada, although I didn’t play any part in the game due to injury.

Finally, we then had a chance to go back home to celebrate with our people, and even though it was raining, there were still lots of people to greet us at the airport. There were lots of parties to attend in Kabul, which my brothers, cousins and uncles joined me for, and one of our sponsors even gave all of us a car! I haven’t been able to collect it yet – we are waiting for them to be delivered.

After spending six days in Kabul, there was finally time to go home to see my family in Jalalabad, which was very enjoyable, and my mother was very excited to see me. They had been following all the games as best as they could via the internet. While at home it was nice to get some rest, to help me recover from my injuries that I had sustained during the qualifier tournament, and the rehabilitation is going well.

We are now playing in the ACC Trophy in Kuwait where we have had a few exciting matches. I am not used to bowling off my short run that much, so against Bhutan I had a few problems with no balls. I actually took four wickets off no balls during that game, meaning I would have had ten wickets in the match, which I know is something that I need to work on. At ACC level you can get away with bowling no balls because I can back myself to cope with any batters trying to attack me on the free hit, but I think it will be a lot harder when you are facing some of the world’s best players at the ICC World Twenty20.

Before coming to Kuwait for the ACC event, we had a training camp in Lahore, which was a good experience, and it was great to play in a game against someone like Shoaib Akhtar. The fact our batters coped well against him should give us all confidence for when they have to face people like Dale Steyn in the Caribbean.

Although we want to win the ACC event, a lot of our focus is just on Twenty20 cricket and making sure that we arrive in the Caribbean ready to do our best.
After we leave Kuwait, we have a training camp in Sharjah, and will then head to the West Indies for what will be the greatest experience of our lives. I can only imagine how excited our supporters back in Afghanistan are getting as well!

Suva Warriors have won the re-scheduled Easter tournament final thanks to match-winning innings from Noa Acawei and Mesui Qalobula.

Moce elected to bat first, however, when Cakacaka Sau was bowled by Sak Lomani without offering a shot the innings was off to a poor start. Suva continued to build the momentum as Lomani and Sam Draunivudi struck twice each to leave Moce reeling at 28 for 4. The Lau Islanders slipped further, to 36 for 6, before the recovery began.

Jimione Duvu (18) and Iliesa Tale (16) helped steady the ship for Moce with some attacking hitting against a strong Suva bowling lineup to help them reach a competitive total of 9/94 from their twenty overs.

The Moce bowlers started in the same vein as their Suva counterparts by claiming early wickets. Tagilala Rakuita (2 for 15) and Bale Taione (2 for 11) got the early breakthroughs to leave Suva in deep trouble at 6 for 32. Fortunately for the capital city side, Noa Acawei (43 not out) and Mesui Qalobula (26 not out) stepped forward to lead the charge to victory. They stepped up the run-rate towards the end and Acawei brought up the win with a six.

Suva Warriors had cruised into the final with a comfortable five wicket win over Western Tigers in Monday's first semi-final. The Tigers were shot out for 69 thanks to Draunivudi (2 for 6) and Lomani (2 for14). Qalobula (31) steered the Warriors home for an easy win.

Moce's path to the final was just as easy as they breezed past Suva Crusaders in the second semi-final. Thanks to a five wicket haul from Sekope Biaunicava and a hard hitting 32 from Sau the Lau Islanders overcame the strong Crusaders team.

Biaunicava bowled four of the first five Crusader batsmen to leave the Suva combination at 5-10. The Crusaders did manage 78 all-out, a target which posed Moce with few problems. Cakacaka Sau gave the Moce innings early impetus and the Lau Islanders earned their place in the title decider.

Namibia 583 for 8 dec (Steenkamp 206, van Schoor 157) beat Bermuda 214 (Hemp 52, Verwey 5-46) and 184 (Hemp 65, Klazinga 5-45) by an innings and 185 runs.

Scorecard

Raymond van Schoor and Ewaid Steenkamp's 374-run opening partnership helped Namibia complete a crushing innings victory over Bermuda in the Intercontinental Shield match in Windhoek.

Namibia take the full 20 points on offer and move second in the table, nine points behind Uganda after winning a match they dominated from the off. Bermuda were bowled out for 214 after winning the toss and opting to bat first with captain David Hemp, the former Warwickshire batsman, the only man to put up any fight. He scrapped his way to 52, but wickets kept tumbling around him as Bermuda collapsed from 173 for 3. Tobias Verwey was the pick of the bowlers, collecting 5-46, his maiden five wicket haul.

What looked a below-par total turned out to be barely credible as van Schoor and Steenkamp set about building Namibia's response. Without taking undue risk the pair marched relentlessly past the Bermuda total, with both openers making centuries on their way to a record stand in Intercontinental Shield cricket. It was Steenkamp's first hundred at first-class level and he cashed in, converting to 206. The partnership finally ended when van Schoor fell to Foggo for 157. The pair had added 374 in 84.5 overs and had almost made the match a formality for Namibia.

Craig Williams, the Namibia captain, made the most of the damaged morale, punishing all the bowlers on his way to a 74-ball 110 not out. In total he hit nine fours and three sixes, sharing a 76-run stand with Verwey to push the score to 583 before declaring 369 ahead.

It was a mountain Bermuda were unlikely to climb and when they lost their openers in quick succession to leave them 25 for 2, there looked no route back. Once again Hemp provided the only resilience, making the most of his first-class experience that stretches back to 1991, to score his second battling half-century of the match, ending with 65 off 86 balls. Louis Klazinga chipped his way through the Bermuda line-up to collect 5 for 45 and deliver his side their first win of the tournament.

Adnan Ilyas’s unbeaten 82 helped Oman ease to a comfortable victory over Kuwait at Unity, ensuring Oman hold on to their No. 2 position in Group B. Deep Trividi (4 for 36) led a solid bowling effort from Oman, which halted any hopes of the Kuwait batsmen making the most of a series of good starts. Six passed 20 but Khalid Butt’s dashing 55 was the only score half-century of the innings. At 176 for 7, Kuwait were struggling to post a competitive total but a 47-run eighth-wicket stand between Muhammad Javed and Muhammad Akhudzada helped lift the total 247. Oman were reduced to 72 for 3 in reply but 111-run partnership between Ilyas and captain Sultan Ahmed carried Oman towards touching distance of the target. Ahmed made 52 at almost a run a ball before he fell to Saud Iqbal and Aamir Khaleem and Ilyas ensured there was no slip up and Oman cantered home by five wickets.

Nadeem Ahmed starred with 5 for 35 to help Hong Kong beat Singapore in their bottom-of-the-table match at Hubara. In a day dominated by the bowlers, Hong Kong slipped to a perilous 118 for 8 after 33 overs. It was left to Moner Ahmed and Nadeem to rescue Hong Kong with a crucial 52-run stand. Moner ran well between the wickets during his run-a-ball 44 while Nadeem was content to hang around, making a patient 28 from 43 balls. When they fell in quick succession to the impressive Narender Reddy (4 for 28) Hong Kong were bowled out for 194, 22 balls short of their 50-over quota. What looked a below-par total proved to be enough as Singapore’s batsmen were unable to build on the good work done by their bowlers. Munish Arora did his best to anchor the innings with a patient 52 but regular wickets kept falling as Nadeem completed an excellent all-round game to take his side to a 45-run victory.

Bhutan subsided to their third heavy defeat in a row as Malaysia romped home by 10-wickets at KEC. After UAE and Afghanistan butchered Bhutan’s bowlers in the first two games, Bhutan opted to bat first when they won the toss. However, Ghulam’s 4 for 18 and Shahgul’s 3 for 15 halted any hopes of a competitive total as Bhutan collapsed to 68 all out. Their bowlers promptly picked up from where they left off and Damidh savaged six fours and three sixes on his way to a man-of-the-match earning 53 not out as Malaysia reached the target in 38 balls.

Hamid Hasan’s five-wicket haul triggered a late-innings collapse that derailed Malaysia’s chase, as Afghanistan sneaked home by one run at Hubara. Afghanistan’s top order laid a strong foundation after they won the toss, but the rest of the batsmen could not drive home the advantage. Karim Sadiq started well with a run-a-ball 46, and Asghar Stanikzai lent good support to lift the score to 82 for 2, and later 117 for 3, in good time. Thereafter, the lower order lost the plot and it was left to Raees Ahmadzai to hold things together with a 59-ball 64, as Afghanistan posted 236 for 9. Malaysia’s captain Suhan Kumar anchored the chase with 61, and significant contributions from the top order, barring opener Rakesh Madhavan, put their side on course, at 219 for 4. Hasan then took over, as three wickets fell without the addition of a run. Malaysia pressed the panic button, and sensing an opportunity, Afghanistan closed in on the kill. A ten-run stand for the final wicket nearly achieved the impossible, before Nowroz Mangal removed number 11 Sharulnizam Yusof to give Afghanistan victory by the slimmest of margins.

Nepal’s openers made short work of Singapore’s score of 216, to take their team to a comfortable seven-wicket win. Singapore’s batsmen failed to capitalize on their starts after winning the toss, as the top four all fell for scores between 30 and 40. Nepal turned in a tidy bowling effort to stifle the progress, and the lower order responded by falling to a spate of run outs, five in all. Mahesh Chettri and Anil Mandal got the chase off to a solid start, adding 135 in 26.5 overs. Mandal was the more adventurous of the two, hitting seven fours and a six in his 93-ball 83. Chettri made 87 off 111 balls, and the only sore point for Nepal was that neither opener could reach three figures, as the target was reached in the 44th over.

Saqib Ali took charge of UAE’s chase against Afghanistan and scored a brisk 93 to steer his side to a tense two-wicket victory. Chasing 218 to win, UAE lost their first wicket on 0 and, by the 20th over, had slipped to 62 for 4. Saqib held up one end but support was thin at the other. However, he inched UAE closer to the target, striking six fours and two sixes, and was unbeaten when the winning runs were struck off the first ball of the 50th over. Shahpoor Zadran bowled an excellent spell of 3 for 28 but had been given too little to defend by his batsmen. Afghanistan’s innings had slumped from 41 for 0 to 57 for 4 by the 16th over and it needed half-centuries from Raees Ahmadzai and Samiullah Shinwari to 217 for 7. UAE used as many as eight bowlers of which Shadeep Silva was the best, returning figures of 3 for 29 in nine overs.

Nepal’s bowlers set up a facile win against Oman by restricting them to 169 for 9 in their 50 overs. Oman lost their first wicket with no score on the board and were crippled by losses at regular intervals thereafter. Vaibhav Wategaonkar top-scored with 56 but only three other batsmen got into double figures. Rahul Vishvakarma was Nepal’s most successful bowler, taking 3 for 32, while Shakti Gauchan claimed 2 for 23 in nine overs. There was no stand-out performance in Nepal’s innings but all of their top-order batsmen made useful contributions to ensure victory. The platform was laid by openers Mahesh Chettri, who scored 35, and Anil Mandal, who top-scored with 39, and the target was eventually reached in the 39th over with six wickets in hand. Aamir Ali picked up 3 for 48 for Oman but his effort was in vain.

Hussain Butt’s unbeaten half-century steered Hong Kong to a six-wicket victory against Kuwait. Chasing a target of 203, Hong Kong lost an early wicket – Roy Lamsam lbw for 5 – but Butt joined Nasir Hammed for a steadying 61-run stand for the second wicket. Hameed for 40 and the batsmen who followed him gave Butt useful support as he compiled 82 off 117 balls with eight fours and a six. Hong Kong reached the target off the penultimate ball of the 44th over. In their innings, Kuwait had reached 35 for 0 after winning the toss before losing their way. Three wickets fell for three runs and Ilyas Gul cut through the middle order, taking 4 for 33, to restrict the hosts to 202 for 9 in 49.5 overs. Lasantha Dimuthu scored 51 but received little support from his team-mates.

Bhutan suffered their second comprehensive defeat in as many matches as UAE beat them by an astonishing 437 runs. Once again it was the Bhutan bowlers who suffered with UAE racking up 510 for five in 50 overs. Saqib Ali thrashing 140 off 90 balls before retiring but there was no let up as Abdul Rehman smited five sixes in his 28-ball 75 to carry the total past the 500 mark. Understandably wilting under the onslaught the Bhutan bowlers sent down 30 wides with Barun Wakhley the main culprit, bowling 16 in his 10-over spell that cost 111. With the total long past anything reasonable the best Bhutan could hope for was to put up a decent fight and they managed to last 32.2 overs. Damber Gurung top scored with 25 but a regular trickle of wickets saw the match quickly reach its inevitable conclusion.

Awal Khan’s four wickets helped Oman complete an easy eight-wicket victory over Singapore at Hubara. Opting to bat first Singapore worked their way cautiously to 102-3 in 31 overs before subsiding to 173 all out 13 balls short of the 50-over quota. It didn’t look like enough for Singapore, despite an early wicket for Saad Janjua, who dismissed Hemin Desai in the first over of the innings. Vaibhav Wategaonkar ensured no slip-ups for Oman as he progressed smoothly past fifty and when he eventually fell to Dharmichand Mulewa, it was left to Adnan Ilyas to compile a 37-ball unbeaten 52 and guide Oman home.

Afghanistan have named their 15-man squad for the World Twenty20 which starts at the end of April, with Shabir Noori and Sayed Nasrat's inclusion at the expense of Aftab Alam, the only changes from the 14-strong squad that won the qualifying tournament in February.

Afghanistan enter their first global tournament in Group C, alongside South Africa and India but are buoyed by a recent a run of success that saw them win the qualifier and chase down 494 to beat Canada in the Intercontinental Cup.

Afghanistan squad Nawroz Mangal (captain), Mohammad Nabi, Karim Sadiq, Mirwais Ashraf, Rais Ahmadzai, Dawlat Ahmadzai, Mohammad Shahzad, Hamid Hassan, Samiullah Shinwari, Noor Ali, Asghar Stanikzai, Shahpoor Zadran, Shabir Noori, Sayed Nasrat, Shafiq Shafaq.

Nepal brushed aside Hong Kong by 118 runs in their opening match of the ACC Trophy, at Unity. After the early loss of a wicket, Anil Mandal and Shakti Gauchan set the platform for a strong score with their 118-run partnership. Mandal was the more aggressive of the two, striking three sixes and eight fours in his 96-ball 72, while Gauchan contributed 65. Nadeem Ahmed and Moner Ahmed kept things tight after that, snaring eight wickets between them as Nepal finished with 236 for 7. Mehboob Alam’s opening burst ensured the chase never got going, and only Ilyas Gul offered any sort of resistance, with 27. Alam finished with 3 for 33 in his 7 overs, as Hong Kong stuttered to half of what Nepal managed.

Afghanistan continued their fine run of form in recent times, mauling Bhutan by the incredible margin of 393 runs at Hubara. Bhutan elected to field and were left to rue the decision as Afghanistan’s top three took their attack to the cleaners. Openers Karim Sadiq and Noor Ali Noori ran up a partnership of 218 in 25.1 overs, in the process bringing up fine hundreds, before Muhammad Asghar exploded with an 83-ball 151, including nine sixes, to lift the score to 471 for 5. Bhutan was out of the game even before they had the opportunity to bat, but Hamid Hassan ensured that they went home with nothing positive to take from the game. His spell of 6 for 18 shot Bhutan out for 78, and if not for Kumar Subba’s sedate 41, they would have lost by an even bigger margin.

In the only close finish of the day, Kuwait outlasted Singapore by three runs at KEC. Kuwait were lifted to 252 thanks to contributions of 45 from Hisham Mirza, 50 from Lasantha Dimuthu and a quickfire 68 from Saad Khalid. Dharmichand Mulewa finished with three wickets, while Buddhika Mendis, Narender Reddy and Saad Janjua picked two apiece. Singapore’s chase was anchored by Munish Arora’s sparkling 90 off 103 balls, but he had little support from the rest of the top order as Muhammad Amin helped himself to four wickets. Arora perished well short of the target and Singapore seemed out of the game, with the last wicket requiring to make 59 off 43 balls. Thanks to Janjua’s cameo at number nine, they almost pulled it off, but in the end they fell just short of the target. Janjua was unbeaten on 49 off 38 balls, and number eleven Shoib Razak finished with 16 off 19, but it was not enough to get Singapore a win.

In what must be one of the most enjoyable developments in cricket outside the top flight, a fortnight ago an exhibition match took place between the Uganda Cricket Association chairman Dr Kato Sebbaale's XI and a touring Cricket Without Boundaries side, the Nomads, in which the principal seam bowler in both innings was a woman.

"Look, McKenzie's bowling," went the cry, and my thoughts turned to memories of Neil McKenzie of Australia coming in and giving it real bite. But no, this McKenzie is a she and she had the new ball in her hand. She bowled four-off and, quite unfazed, bagged the first wicket.
Another young colleague, a lively fielder, was playing on the same side, and when the Nomads came in to bat they too had a female quickie to cope with.

So far it is next door in Kenya that women's cricket has taken a sharp stride forwards with the bringing in of a ladies' team into the men's league structure, albeit with their [male] coach turning out for them. They struggle a bit, but it is doing them oodles of good.

In Uganda, that stage has not yet been reached, but it is being thought about. After several years of lording it over their East African neighbours, the Ugandan ladies caught a cold in December when they lost to the Kenyans in a women's tournament in Nairobi.

But expect this lot to bounce back. They have a busy programme including a girls' school cricket week, an East African women's contest in Kenya and a girls' Under-19 Africa regional tournament at home before they plan to seize the moment in the Women's World Cup Qualifiers in Kenya in December.

Exhausted after doing several laps of the Lugogo Oval before heading off for a net, middle-order batsman Olivia Nalwanga, 23, said: "We train really hard, almost every day. I didn't play in the Nomads game but it was thrilling to see how well McKenzie and the others got on. Despite last December's setback, we're on a roll and we'll soon be back on top in the region. Ebony [Rainsford-Brent], I read your blog on the BBC. Watch out, we're after you!"

Her sentiments sum up the determined attitude of the whole side, which is coached by veteran player Frank Nsubuga. She adds: "Look out, we've got a team worth playing for."

And so, one may ask, who'll be putting a bet on the ladies of Uganda when the next Women's World Cup comes round? I know of at least one person who has done so already.
Colin Macbeth