Lautoka Voyagers marked their Fiji Elite Player League debut in style by beating defending champions Suva Capitals by 127 runs in Albert Park last week.

A superb partnership of 127 by Sekove Ravoka and Waisake Tukaha saw the Voyagers post an impressive 266 for 8 from their 50 overs against a Capitals' attack that included two Fiji Blues representatives. Their partnership featured both quick singles and an ability to punish the bad ball with a series of crisp drives and would have impressed the Fiji selectors who were at the ground.

Their partnership was finally broken in the 29th over with the score at 145 for 2. Captain Jo Dabea then played a wonderful cameo with a quick-fire 50 that eventually took the score to 266, leaving the Capitals a massive total to chase. Medium pacer Peni Dakaiwas was the pick of the Capitals' attack taking 3 for 36, while Viliame Yabaki gave good support, claiming 3 for 43.

In reply, Capitals' openers Tomasi Nawaciono and Viliame Yabaki batted with intent, regularly finding the boundary to build a solid platform and at 96 for 2 in the 15th over, they looked poised to chase down the large target. Instead, occasional offspinner Joji Bulabalavu halted the Capitals' momentum, snaring four quick wickets. When Tukaha grabbed two more Capitals were reeling at 121 for 6 and the focus turned to survival. None of the late order was able to rally and Suva were bowled out for 139.

In the other game, Western Bulldogs overcame their own batting woes to eventually defeat Sigatoka Dunes with relative ease by five wickets. Sigatoka, troubled by Bulldogs paceman, Kit Tavo, lacked someone capable of capitalising on a good start and were bowled out for 114.

Tavo, returning to representative cricket for the first time in two years, took two early wickets in a devastating spell to finish with 3 for 10 from 7.2 overs. Symptomatic of the Dunes' batting was the fact Iniasi Cakacaka and Gaurang Patel were their top-scorers with 15. Manase Ravula, just back from a tour with the Under-17 national side also bowled well, finishing with 4 for 29 from nine overs.

What appeared to be a straightforward task for the Bulldogs was complicated by three quick wickets from Tukana Tavo who had the Westerners in early trouble at 18 for 2. With the match in the balance Maciu Gauna and Kiti Tavo came together and quickly moved the score to 67 for 4 by lunch through a combination of smart running and a flurry of boundaries.

But when Tahrinda Premasiri trapped Gauna in front for 34 just after the lunch break the match swung further in the favour of the Dunes, as the Bulldogs slumped to 76 for 5. However, some lusty hitting from Kiti Tavo, including three big sixes was enough to see the Bulldogs home with five wickets to spare. Tavo's unbeaten 57 combined with his impressive bowling spell earned man of the match honours.

Next week, as befitting a national league, the two matches will be played outside Suva: the Western Bulldogs play the Suva Capitals at Namaka Public School, Nadi, while the Sigatoka Dunes take on the Lau Voyagers at Central College, Lautoka.

A busy 2011 for the national team and the addition of a fourth team will increase the importance of Fiji's Elite Player League (EPL), which starts its second season this weekend.

The Fiji Blues will play in three international tournaments next year, and the EPL, featuring four composite teams of the country's best players, is the players' main chance to impress national selectors.

The Lau Voyagers, led by the experienced Joe Dabea, make their league debut against Western Bulldogs at Albert Park 1. The Voyagers, an exciting mix of youth and experience, will count on two youngsters likely to come into national team reckoning: batsman Sekove Ravoka, who has already played for the Fiji Blues, and 16-year-old Ebrahim Cassim, who is expected to also play for Fiji soon.

Both young batsmen play a game that the national selectors are looking for, working the ball around and playing along the ground. Adding invaluable experience to the team will be allrounder Waisake Tukaha, who will pose a danger with both bat and ball to the Bulldogs.

The Bulldogs will be led by national captain, Joe Rika, one of the country's best batsmen. He’ll be helped by his Fiji Blues team-mate, Maciu Gauna, and the pair will form the backbone of the Bulldogs batting. Providing attacking firepower will be allrounders Kiti Tavo and Tauyesa Vakarau, who are both explosive lower-order hitters capable of taking an attack apart on their day. Tavo returns to Cricket Fiji’s elite program after almost two years and will be looking to show that he is still a valuable player.

In the weekend’s other match the Suva Capitals, the winners of the first EPL, take on Sigatoka Dunes at Albert Park 2. Suva will be led by legspinner and former Under-19 national captain, Viliame Yabaki. The bowling attack, however, will be led by Fiji fast bowler Sakaraia Lomani, regarded as one of the country's most dangerous bowlers.

Suva's batting includes two promising players making their EPL debuts - Rukesh Patel and Mosese Ravula. Patel dominated the recent Under-19 Western Conference so he will be keen to prove he can handle the senior competition.

Sigatoka will be looking for a strong performance from their captain, the experienced allrounder, Iniasi Cakacaka. The captain combines wily offspinners with good batting ability. His main support with the bat will be Eric Browne, who keen to earn a national team recall, while young paceman Tukana Tavo will lead the bowling attack, causing plenty of problems with his pace and bounce.

This match looks set to be a close fought battle that will provide an exciting start to the 2010 EPL season.

Hong Kong coach Charlie Burke has told ESPNcricinfo he expects just "two to three of the more senior players" to come back into the side for the ICC World Cricket League Division 3 tournament in January 2011.

Speaking a couple of weeks after an experimental Hong Kong squad returned home winless from six games at the quadrangular series in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, Burke forecast minimal changes. "Four to five players are available to come back in but I don't see more than two to three spots available for the more senior players, so we may end up having a fairly younger side," Burke said.

Among the first choice players who didn't travel to Port Moresby were Irfan Ahmed, Munir Dar and Nadeem Ahmed.

Four players of Chinese background - Nick Lau, Jason Lui, Chan Ka Ming and Ming Li King - were included as part of preparations for the Asian Games Twenty20 tournament in November, where all players must be passport holders. Predictably, the four were used mainly in the Twenty20 section of the Port Moresby tournament.

Burke said he was happy with how the quartet performed. "They were on their first tour. All four did something well during the week. They have a long way to go, but the future for these guys is promising, and they will all play in our mainlanders side in our domestic season."

He said the Asian Games preparations were centering on "match and game sense as well as fielding."

When he was great ... Maurice Odumbe at the 2003 World Cup © Getty Images

Maurice Odumbe just won’t go away. Despite not having played any cricket of note since he returned from his five-year ban for associating with bookmakers, Odumbe, 41, still uses a friendly local media to argue he should be restored to the national side.

Odumbe’s last international match was seven-and-a-half years ago, around the time investigations by the ICC started. Between 2004 and 2009 he did not play at all.

Now he has ambitions to make it back to the Kenya squad for the World Cup. “I am quickly getting back to form and believe I can perform better,” he said this week. “I still have what it takes to make the Kenyan team.”

Even if he was able to show he still had what it takes, the Kenyan selectors would have to take leave of their senses to even consider taking him.

At a time the ugly spectre of players being paid by bookmakers and gamblers has resurfaced, what would it say to the world if Kenya picked someone who Justice Ahmed Ebrahim, the man who headed the ICC enquiry in 2004, described as “dishonest and devious in his behaviour in relation to the game of cricket” as well as “callous and greedy”.

Odumbe has shown no remorse, and earlier this month dismissed the ICC decision as a “kangaroo trial”. If picked, he would be mixing with young and impressionable players. What message would it give to them and others if someone so tainted was again allowed to strut around on the game’s biggest stage?

The best thing Cricket Kenya and the national selectors could do is state now Odumbe will not play for his country again and put the whole matter to bed for once and for all. Until they do, the coming months will see Odumbe continue to get as much press attention inside the country as the game itself.

The leading Associate members of the ICC have described the plans for a smaller 50-over World Cup as a glass ceiling that will restrict the growth of the game in their countries, while simultaneously protecting the interests of the full members.

"The challenge will be [to see] how we break through," Chandra Gocool, Cricket Canada's chief executive told ESPNcricinfo.

The ICC's chief executives committee, which includes three representatives from the associate countries (Ireland, Namibia and Hong Kong) in addition to those from the ten full members, has suggested reducing the 50-over tournament to 10 teams from 2015 onwards, while increasing the Twenty20 tournament to 16 teams. The 2011 World Cup in India has 14 teams, including four Associates; a 10-team event would effectively make it much harder for any of them to qualify the next time around.

Cricket Canada and Bermuda Cricket Board have agreed to cancel the last two games of the Cricket Canada Summer Festival between Canada and Bermuda.

Bermuda will leave Toronto on Thursday in advance of Hurricane Igor reaching the island.

Reggie Pearman, the BCB president, said: "Due to the threat of Hurricane Igor the Bermuda Cricket Board has cancelled the remainder of the Canada tour to ensure that the squad can return to Bermuda to be with their family prior to the weekend. We are sorry to miss the games but family matters take priority when a storm of this significance and proximity threatens the island."

Colin Macbeth

When the Uganda national cricket team set off for South Africa last Saturday they had one intention in mind: to give Namibia a good thumping in their own backyard.

September 18 sees the start of their four-day Intercontinental Shield match against the ‘kaburu’ (Boers), a match likely to be sweating with tension after its unpopular transfer by the International Cricket Council (ICC) from Kampala to Windhoek on security grounds.

The move followed the Al-Shabaab bombings in which scores of people were killed at Kyadondo rugby ground, just a stone’s throw from the main cricket ground, Lugogo.
But the decision left players and cricket-lovers in Uganda in dismay and some vowed vengeance - on the field of play. Both teams have plenty to play for, as whichever side wins the Windhoek fixture will go on to the Shield final against UAE in Dubai in November. And that means money.

Already there are murmurings that the whole thing was a ‘fix’; that it didn’t need the July 11 bombs to persuade ICC to shift the fixture from East Africa to a southern part of the Continent; that the visit to Kampala by ICC chief security adviser Sean Carroll was just a smokescreen for a decision already confirmed.

Whatever the real reasons, the Ugandans feel they have been harshly treated. For Namibia will have played all their Shield matches at home, Uganda all theirs away. Both teams made easy meat of Bermuda but, while Namibia went down at home to UAE, Uganda got a draw in Abu Dhabi in January, hanging on by the skin of their teeth.

What Ugandan presence there will be in Windhoek remains to be seen. It was certain that hundreds of spectators would have flocked to Lugogo Oval, vuvuzelas at the ready, had the fixture been in Kampala. That fact underlines the Ugandans’ disappointment in a nation where the game is coming up fast and furious, especially among Africans. Even Carroll was impressed by the programme of events set up by the Uganda Cricket Association (UCA).

Meanwhile, national coach Barney Ebrahim caused few surprises with the 14-man squad he picked to take to South Africa for warm-up matches before the big game in Namibia. Captain and vice-captain, Akbar Baig and Davis Arinaitwe, remain at the helm, as they were against UAE in January, and openers Roger Mukasa and Arthur Kyobe stay in place. Thereafter the list is strikingly familiar, although the omission of spinner Raymond Otim, pace bowler Asadu Seiga and batsman Daniel Ruyange will worry a few.

As expected, former exiles Hamza Saleh and Issaneez Emmanuel get into the side based on their league form, while Wanderers duo Deusdedit Muhumuza and Arthur Ziraba survive their blooding in UAE.

Uganda squad: Akbar Baig (capt), Davis Arinaitwe, Issaneez Emmanuel, Arthur Kyobe, Deusdedit Muhumuza, Roger Mukasa, Benjamin Musoke, Frank Nsubuga, Hamza Saleh, Ronald Ssemanda, Lawrence Ssematimba, Dennis Tabby, Charles Waiswa, Arthur Ziraba

Tony Munro

Twenty20 Final Malaysia 74 for 5 (Alagaratham 30*, Arudin 26; Baeau 2-15) beat Papua New Guinea 72 for 7 (Vala 26, Arua 12; Azis 4 for 13) by five wickets

Malaysia - and the weather - combined to beat Papua New Guinea (PNG) in the final of the Twenty20 section of the four nation Air Niugini Super Series in Port Moresby on Sunday.

PNG were batting first, after winning the toss, when rain temporarily halted play after eight overs. Upon resumption, the match was reduced to 13-overs-a-side, and PNG, propelled by Assad Vala's 26, reached 72 for 7 from their allotment. Malaysian medium-pacer, Eszrafiq Azis, stifled PNG's momentum, taking 4 for 13.

In reply, Suhan Kumar belted 34 off 23 balls and Anwar Arudin smashed 27 off 17 to help Malaysia reach their target for the loss of five wickets with two balls to spare. Kumar's explosive innings earned him the Man of the Final award. The Player of the entire Twenty20 series was Mahuru Dai (PNG).

The Player of the Series was PNG batsman, Tony Ura, who was also the Player of the 50-over series

Twenty/20 Preliminary Results

Malaysia 166 for 4 (Sharif 24, Madhavan 48*, Navaratnam 31, Arudin 41*) beat Hong Kong 162 for 5 by six wickets

Singapore 154 for 9 (Surawanshi 49, Arora 40, Reddy 17; Anwar Khan 2-24, Ali Khan 2-35) beat Hong Kong 117 for 6 (Lamsam 52, Lau 30; Param 2-10, Janjua 2-23)

Papua New Guinea 205 (Arua 61, Vala 41, A Khan 4-46) beat Hong Kong 149 (Gull 48, Baeau 4-31) by 56 runs

Papua New Guinea has won the Air Niugini Supa Series quadrangular tournament after beating Hong Kong by 56 runs on Friday. Singapore's 11-run defeat of Malaysia in Friday's other game meant they finished second, while Malaysia and Hong Kong finished third and fourth.

PNG won the toss and elected to bat, however Hong Kong took early wickets to reduce the hosts to 80 for 5. Kapena Arua and Jack Vare steadied the innings for PNG with a 58-run partnership and ensured Hong Kong would require 206 for victory. Asif Khan took the key wickets of Assad Vala, Kila Pala, Kapena Arua and Kila to finish with 4 for 46.

Hong Kong's reply got off to a steady start but the run out of Roy Lamsam (16) sparked a mini-collapse that reduced Hong Kong to 39 for 3. Some solid batting from Ilyas Gull (48) steered Hong Kong to a position of relative strength at 105 for 4 but then the innings folded rather meekly as paceman Baeau (4-31) ran through defences of the middle and lower order batsmen. Hong Kong was all out for 149 in 46 overs.

Singapore257 for 8 (Mendis 80, Ruwan 55, Arifin 2 for 39, Rahim 2 for 41) beat Malaysia246 for 8 (Alagaratham 70, Arudin 35; Reddy 3 for 39) by 11 runs

Over 500 runs were scored in an entertaining game at the Colts Ground. Singapore batted first after Malaysia won the toss and bowled. Buddhika Mendis (80) was in a typically aggressive mood as Singapore built a series of healthy partnerships to reach 200 for 3. Although wickets continued to fall steadily, Singapore eventually finished on 257 for 8, with Chaminda Ruwan (55) the other significant contributor.

Malaysia responded to the challenge enthusiastically, although at 112 for 4, they seemed in some difficulty. Captain Suhan Alagaratnam smashed 70 before useful cameos from H Khan (22), Eszrafiq Azis (28), Anwar Arudin (35) and Shukri Rahim (22 not out) edged the Malaysians within striking distance. Narendra Reddy was Singapore's main wicket-taker, returning 3 for 39 from 10 overs.

The four countries will next take part in a Twenty20 tournament.

Papua New Guinea 229 for 5 (Ura 69, Reddy 2 for 38) beat Singapore 225 for 6 (Param 77, Arora 48*; Nou 2 for 25, Dai 2 for 33) by five wickets

Papua New Guinea remained the only undefeated team in the four nations Air Niugini International Supa Series after beating Singapore by five wickets in Port Moresby on Thursday.

Singapore elected to bat on a good track and their openers began strongly as Chetan Surayawanshi and Buddhika Mendis put on 54 from eight overs before Surawanshi was dismissed for 34.

The visitors managed to put together decent partnerships which enabled them to finish on a healthy 225 for 6 from their 50 overs. A Param top-scored for Singapore with 77 and received good support in the latter stage of the innings from M Arora with an unbeaten 48. This was despite the restrictive bowling of PNG spinners, Mahurua Dai and Jason Kila.

Opener, Tony Ura, hit his second fifty in successive days to provide the PNG reply with a solid foundation. Together with Vui Vagi Morea and Assad Vala he lifted PNG were lifted to within striking distance of the Singapore total.

Kila Pala almost saw them home, falling with the score on 221, while Arua remained unbeaten on 27. Narender Reddy took two wickets for Singapore, while Mendis showed his versatility, taking 1 for 23 from 8 overs.

Malaysia 207 for 9 (Sharif 49, Khan 26, Rosmanizam 40; Amar 5 for 27) beat Hong Kong 165 (Lamsam 33, Gull 26, Khan 35*; Navaratnam 4 for 41) by 43 runs

In the other match, Malaysia cruised to a comfortable 42 run win over Hong Kong at the Colts Ground. Najeeb Amar grabbed 5 for 27 but his efforts weren't enough to save Hong Kong from suffering their second loss.

Najeeb's superb bowling effort was the highlight of a good performance in the field by Hong Kong who did well to restrict Malaysia to a modest total after their openers had laid a solid foundation. Opening batsman Sharif top-scored with 49 while Rosmanizam provided good support with 40. A big score looked likely as Malaysia reached 1-84 but the run out of Sharif and some effective bowling from Najeeb triggered a middle order collapse. The Malaysians were eventually restricted to 207 for 9 from their 50 overs.

Hong Kong's reply got off to a poor start with the early dismissal of Waqas Barkat. But a steadying partnership between Roy Lamsam and Jamie Atkinson lifted the score to 40 before Atkinson was bowled with his score on 19. Ilyas Gull and Najeeb Amar made useful contributions but wickets fell at inopportune moments for Hong Kong and they never managed to get on top of their run chase. A late flourish from Asif Khan gave Hong Kong some brief hope but none of the other lower order batsmen stayed around long enough to give him the support he needed and Hong Kong crashed to 165 all out in 41.5 overs to stay winless. The chief destroyer for Malaysia was opening bowler Navaratnam who claimed 4 for 41 from his ten overs while Rahim cleaned up the tail with 3 for 12.

Papua New Guinea 204 for 5 (Amini 71*, Ura 57, Arifin 1-24, Rahim 1-22) beat Malaysia 158 (Alagaratham 49, Dikana 2 for 14, Areni 2 for 27, Dai 2 for 41) by 46 runs

Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Singapore have scored comfortable wins on day one of the Air Niugini Supa Series in Port Moresby on Wednesday.

The home side beat Malaysia by 46 runs at Amini Park thanks to a strong batting performance, while Singapore exposed Hong Kong's inexperience to win by 90 runs at Colts Ground.

Malaysia won the toss and sent PNG in on a bouncy wicket. The PNG batsmen, led by Chris Amini, responded with 204 from 50 overs. Openers, Vani Vagi Morea and Tony Ura gave the PNG innings a firm base putting on 51 runs for the first wicket. Ura continued to reach first half-century for the Barramundis while in partnership with Chris Amini. The more experienced Amini batted in his usual attractive manner to close the innings out with an unbeaten 71.

The PNG attack bowled tightly to ensure Malaysia's reply never really got going. Captain Rarua Dikana maintained pressure, bowling 10 overs and conceding just 14 runs and snaring two wickets in the process. Malaysia captain, Suhan Kumar, attempting to increase the tempo in a rousing innings of 49, but eventually his team was bowled out for 158 in the 47th over to give the home team a comfortable win.

PNG coach, Andy Bichel, was pleased with his batsmen’s show. "The pitch this morning was quite bouncy and there was genuine turn, so to have our top order bats really perform was critical to our success today. Tony Ura made his first 50 as a Barramundi and looked strong in doing so, whilst Chris Amini fired up to score 75 not out. I was pleased that we had enough wickets in hand at the end of the game to perform strongly in the Powerplay.”

Singapore 252 for 8 (Suryawanshi 32, Mendis 41, Param 53, Arora 42, Z Ali 3-31, Amar 3-47) beat Hong Kong 162 (Gul 58, Mulewa 3-23, Tripathi 3-26) by 90 runs

In the other game at the Colts Ground, Singapore bowlers, Rohan Tripathi and Dharmichand Mulewa, capitalised on a good effort from their batsmen to give their team a 90-run win over Hong Kong.

Singapore elected to bat and there were contributions all round from Anish Param who top-scored with 53 and Munish Arora (42), while openers Buddhika Mendis and Chetan Suryawanshi set the tone.

Hong Kong, a Division Three team in the World Cricket League but fielding a young squad in this tournament, started smoothly in their response. It needed the guile of Mulewa to take three quick wickets to halt Hong Kong's momentum, while Rohan Tripathi cleaned up the lower-order with four wickets.