Panama remained undefeated with an easy 111-run win over Brazil on the second day of the Pepsi ICC Americas Division 2 at Windsor Park. Panama elected to bat and after losing their openers on 26, the captain Irfan Tarajia and Soyab Chohan added some stability with a stand of 56. Rajesh Ahir then smashed 79 off 69 balls, with good support from Munaf Kachhalia (41) as Panama posted 291. Rudyard Hartmann had another good day with the ball capturing 3 for 57 while Ravindra Chanchlani took 3 for 36.

Brazil got off to a good start, with their openers Greigor Caisley (49) and Guilherme Lefèvre (28) adding 73. Deodat Randolph top scored with an unbeaten 64 at No.4, but the rest failed to reach double figures as Brazil was dismissed for 180 in the 39th over. Nilesh Bhakta was Panama's best bowler with 3 for 26.

In the other match at Haynes Oval, Suriname breezed past Turks & Caicos Islands with a 109-run victory. Suriname wicketkeeper Anthony Seeraj top scored with an unbeaten 49 to guide them to 263. While there were no large scores, eight batsmen reached double figures.

Turks & Caicos lost wickets at regular intervals and were bowled out for 154 in the 35th over. Opener Errion Charles smashed ten fours in his 70, the top score of the innings. Terbhawan Ranjit captured 6 for 41 in 7.2 overs and not surprisingly, was named the Man of the Match for his efforts.

The third day of the tournament will see Brazil playing Suriname at the Haynes Oval, while Turks & Caicos takes on the home side Bahamas at Windsor Park.

Panama 291 (Tarajiya 47, R Ahir 79, Kachhalia 41, Chanchlani 3-36, Hartmann 3-57, Islam 2-69) beat Brazil 180 (Caisley 49, Lefevre 28, Randolph 64*, Bhakta 3-26, Chohan 1-13, Kachhalia 1-14, Vhora 1-18) by 111 runs

Suriname 263 (Sewanan 35, Patrick 30, Gokoel 31, Seeraj 49*, Doughty 2-20, Saunders 2-29, Gilbert 2-53, Brown 2-59) beat Turks & Caicos Islands 154 (Charles 70; Ranjit 6-41, Dudnath 2-22, Gokoel 1-30, Baker 1-42)

Panama 303 (Bhakta 48, Tarajiya 47, Chohan 69; Singh 3-35) beat Suriname 181 (Sewanan 31, Amir 4-28) by 122 runs.

Bahamas 304 (Peters 62, Taylor 40, Tappin 40, Hartman 4 for 57) beat Brazil 112 (Caisley 26, Ekanayake 3-44) by 192 runs.

Expectations of a classic final in the Pepsi ICC Americas Division 2 Championship between Suriname and Bahamas took a sudden change with Suriname going down to a convincing defeat at the hands of Panama on day one of the event. It was the third Americas tournament in a row Panama has beaten Suriname.

Panama won the toss and decided to bat on the artificial surface of Windsor Park. A solid opening partnership of 121 between Nilesh Bhakta (48) and Imran Bulbuia set the stage for a large target. The opening stand was followed by useful contributions from Irfan Tarajia (47) and skipper Soyab Chohan (69) as Panama reached a respectable innings of 303 in its 50 overs. Vishaul Singh remained the most successful bowler for Suriname taking 3-35 in six overs.

The defending champions started their reply in a confident manner with openers Vishaul Singh and Deraj Sewanan putting on 61 in ten overs, but when Singh was dismissed, the rest of the batting line up showed little resistance and it was dismissed for 181 all out in the 40th over. Panama's Sailesh Amir was the pick of the bowlers taking 4-28. With its effective all-round performance on the first day, Panama now joins the Bahamas as the teams to watch for in the Championship.

On the turf wicket at the Haynes Oval, host Bahamas had an easy day against newly-promoted Brazil. The South Americans lost their captain Matt Featherstone to an injury prior to the tournament and it was very obvious his batting talent was sadly missed. Bahamas won the toss and elected to bat on a good strip.

Marc Taylor (40), Ryan Tappin (40) and Jon Barry (47) gave the home side a solid foundation but it was Albert Peters (62), batting at number eight, who entertained the crowd with seven fours and three sixes off 44 balls. Rudyard Hartman was Brazil's most successful bowler taking 4-57. Chasing a target of 305 was never going to be easy for Brazil and it was bowled out to 112 all out in the 33rd over. Greigor Caisley followed his tidy work behind the stumps with a useful 26 with the bat. The home side got a fine bowling performance from Narendra Ekanayake who took 3-44 in five overs.

The second day of the tournament will see Turks and Caicos play Suriname at the Haynes Oval, while Panama tackles Brazil at Windsor Park.

	The Brazilian team celebrate winning the WCL Americas Division 3 tournament © Cricinfo Ltd

Tony Munro

Brazil and Belize won their matches on the final day of the World Cricket League Americas Division 3 tournament in Santiago on Monday, to seal the first and second places respectively. Brazil beat Peru by 18 runs in what was possibly the latter's best performance of the tournament, while the Belize beat hosts Chile by two wickets.

Captain Matthew Featherstone led the charge for Brazil, top scoring with 77 in his team's total of 251 for 6 in 50 overs, while Greigor Caisley (48) and Rubabul Islam (39) provided good back-up. Tony Sanford was the main wicket-taker for Peru, taking 2 for 51 from his 10 overs.

Peru ended the tournament in spirited fashion, managing 233 for 9 in reply. Michael Soulsby was their main contributor with 57, while Ahmed Ansari Nadeem chipped in with 29. Vince Bastick took 4 for 59 from 8.4 overs for Brazil.

Chile captain Simon Shalders won the toss and elected to bat in their battle for second place against Belize. Shalders led the way, top scoring with 59, as Tristan Bradbrook (48) and Guy Hooper (40) lent good support. Belize captain Dirk Sutherland bowled well to take 5 for 32 from nine overs, to keep Chile to 223 for 9 from its 50 overs.

Sutherland performed with the bat as well, staying undefeated on 39, while Robert Casasola (60) provided the backbone to the reply and saw them through with 21 balls to spare. Pablo Meijas was the pick of the Chilean bowlers with 2 for 37.

Scores:

Belize 224 for 8 (Casasola 60, Sutherlund 39*, Mejias 2-37) beat Chile 223 for 9 (Shalders 59, Bradbrook 48, Hooper 40, Sutherland 5-32) by two wickets

Brazil 251 for 6 (Featherstone 77, Caisley 48, Islam 39, Sanford 2-51) beat Peru 233 for 9 (Michael Soulsby 57, Ahmed Ansari Nadeem 29, Bastick 4-59) by 18 runs

Brazil overpowered hosts Chile by 85 runs to win the ICC Americas Division 3 Championship in Santiago, Chile on Sunday and earn promotion to next year's Americas Division 2 tournament.

The victory was set up by a second-wicket partnership of 117 between Man of the Match Greigor Caisley and captain Matt Featherstone, with assistance from nine dropped catches from Chilean fielders.

Aftter electing to bat in a match reduced to 40 overs a side due to a delayed start, Brazil posted an impressive 213 for 6, with Featherstone firing an aggressive 95 in 86 balls, including four fours and six sixes. Meanwhile, Caisley made a polished 81 off 96 balls, with 11 fours and two sixes.

The pair were separated with the score at 164 in the 35th over, having set a fine platform for a challenging target for Chile to chase. John Fecci took 3 for 37. The pick of the Chilean bowlers, though was probably left-arm seamer, Tristan Bradbrook who took 1 for 18 from his eight overs.

Chile got off to the worst possible start, losing opener Ian Walker, second ball. Things only got worse when batting star Simon Shalders was run out in the 10th over sending Chile to a disastrous 24 for 3. Brazil tightened things even further in the field and by the 22nd over the match was effectively decided as Chile were on their knees at 55 for 7.

There was a late scurry from Jim Scarbrough who made 39 in 41 balls with four fours and a six, sharing an eighth-wicket partnership of 54 with Kamran Zeb. It was all too late as Chile were eventually all out for 128 in the 35th over.

The pick for the Brazilian bowlers was medium-pacer Rudyard Hartmann, who nabbed 4 for 25 in 5.4 overs with a fine display of swing bowling, while Ravi Chanchlani was miserly and effective, taking 2 for 18 in eight overs.

Featherstone was delighted at the win and the Division 3 title. "This is a great result for us, something we have been working very hard towards in Brazil for a long time now.

"The Chileans were a bit unlucky in the field, but Greigor batted beautifully, Rudy did the job to grab two early wickets, and obviously Simon's run-out was a big wicket. Getting up to Division 2 is a massive step for Brazilian cricket, and hopefully it will have a positive impact on the growth of cricket back in Brazil."

Shalders, the Chilean captain, was naturally disappointed, but was not in any doubt as to what let his team down on the day. "You can't expect to win important cricket matches when you drop nine catches.

"We let ourselves down today, we're a better team than the performance we put up, but all credit to Brazil who were simply the better team on the pitch on the day and deserved to win."

With a full round of matches still to be played, Brazil can enjoy the final day of the event as champions thanks to their head-to-head wins over Belize and Chile. The best Chile or Belize, who meet on Monday, can hope to do is finish on equal points with Brazil (assuming Brazil lose to Peru) but a head-to-head win is enough to separate any teams on equal points.

Medium-pacer Kenroy Roca was the star of Belize's win over Peru, taking 7 for 38 in 9.5 overs, to lead his team to a resounding 86 run victory over the gritty Peruvians.

Earlier in the day, Peru had bowled and fielding tigerishly to dismiss Belize for 159 in 40.5 overs, despite conceding 41 extras. Veteran offspinner Tony Sanford took 4 for 38, with good support coming from Dinesh Ekanayake (2 for 33) and Nadeem Ahmed Ansari (2 for 41).

It was an eventful day for Roca. When batting in the Belize innings, he was forced to retire hurt after being hit on the head by a return from the outfield. He later returned to hit his team's top score, 27 from 47 balls, with two fours and a six. When he bowled, he took the final seven Peru wickets to send them crashing to 73 all out in the 31st over.

On Monday, Brazil and Peru meet with their final placings of first and fourth respectively confirmed, so the main interest will be on Chile versus Belize in the battle for second place.

Beyond this tournament, Brazil will now be looking forward to playing against Suriname, Bahamas, Panama and Turks & Caicos in Americas Division 2 in early 2010.

Scores:

Brazil 213 for 6 (40 overs) (Matt Featherstone 95, Greigor Caisley 81; John Fecci 3-37)

Chile 128 (34.4 overs) (Jim Scarbrough 39; Rudyard Hartmann 4-25, Ravindra Chanchlani 2-18). Brazil won by 85 runs.

Belize 159 (40.5 overs) (Kenroy Roca 27, Howard Gillett 20; Tony Sanford 4-38, Dinesh Ekanayake 2-33, Nadeem Ahmed Ansari 2-41)

Peru 73 (30.5 overs) (Kenroy Roca 7-38) Belize won by 86 runs

	Simon Shalders after making 195 not out against Peru © ICC

Matches on day two of the ICC Americas Division 3 tournament in Santiago were abandoned around 3.00 pm due to persistent showers. Both games started as scheduled but there were insufficient breaks in the rain for them to be completed.

The match between first-round winners, Chile, and Brazil had enough play for Chile to make 31 for 0 from 9.2 overs. The other game involving Peru and Belize had only five overs and Belize made 13 for 1. Both matches will now start afresh on Monday, previously the scheduled reserve day.

Meanwhile, Chile captain Simon Shalders' unbeaten 195 on Saturday against Peru is now (unofficially at least) third on the list of highest individual scores in official ICC cricket at the Associate and Affiliate level. Arshad Ali (United Arab Emirates) made 213 against Brunei in the 2006 ACC Trophy, while Gerrie Snyman (Namibia) hit 196 against the UAE in the 2007 World Cricket League Division 2 tournament. Thanks - Grant Dugmore and Andrew Nixon.

Tony Munro

An unbeaten 195 from captain Simon Shalders launched Chile to a 163-run win over Peru in Santiago in their first game of the World Cricket League Americas Division Three campaign on Friday.

Shalders smashed seven sixes and 24 fours to boost Chile to 323-5 from their 50 overs; Peru only managed 160 in reply. Such was Shalders' dominance that the next best scorer for Chile was Guy Hooper (32), while Tristan Bradbrook (21) also chipped in. Nadeem Ahmed Ansad was the only Peru bowler to hold out against the rampage, taking 1 for 29 from his ten overs.

Peru captain Miles Buesst (32) and Chris Abbott (20) were the main contributors against the Chilean attack led by Kamran Zeb (4-24) and John Fecci (3-23).

Meanwhile, Brazil caused something of an upset when they sneaked home by one wicket with three balls to spare against Belize. Belize batted first to reach 182 from their 50 overs; they recovered from a precarious position at 102 for 8 in 27 overs. Jermaine Pook stayed with the tail score an unbeaten 34 from 80 balls. Deodat Randolph (3-34) was the pick of the Brazil bowlers.

In reply, Brazil slipped to 59 for 4, before a pivotal fifth-wicket partnership of 90 between Randolph (48) and Rubabul Islam (76) lifted them to 149 for 5. Belize counter-attacked to take four wickets, and left Brazil nine wickets down with two runs still needed for victory.

For Belize, Mykelt Anthony (3-31) and Howell Gillett (3-26) were the main wicket-takers.

The winners of Saturday's matches, Chile and Brazil meet on Sunday, as will the losers, Belize and Peru.

Scores:

Chile 323-5 (50 overs) (Simon Shalders 195n.o., Guy Hooper 32, Tristan Bradbrook 21; Nadeem Ahmed Ansad 1-29)

Peru 160 (38.2 overs) (Miles Buesst 32, Chris Abbott 20; Kamran Zeb 3-32, John Fecci 4-24)

Belize 183 (42.5 overs) (Jermaine Pook 34n.o.; Deodat Randolph 3-43)

Brazil 187-9 (49.3 overs) (Rubabul Islam 76, Deodat Randolph 48; Howell Gillett 3-26, Mykelt Anthony 3-31)

Tony Munro

The latest regional qualifying tournament for the World Cricket League kicks off on Friday when Americas Division Three involving hosts, Chile, Belize, Brazil and Peru commences in Santiago.

There'll be a touch of deja vu for three of the four teams - Chile, Brazil and Peru. This will be the third tournament where they have met in 12 months. Last October, all four teams met when Americas Division Three was staged, while the South American Championships brought three of the teams together earlier this year.

Chile go into the tournament arguably as favourites due to a combination of home advantage and recent results against the same opposition - they finished above these three teams in the corresponding tournament last year, and ahead of Brazil and Peru at the South American Championships.

Three of the four teams have locally born players in their squad - Belize, adjacent to the Caribbean, is totally home grown; Brazil has five and Chile four.

Chile are led by last year’s Player-of-the-Tournament, Simon Chalders, in a squad which contains five all-rounders - Ian Walker, Jim Scarbrough and Michael Meade, Thomas Dawes and Christian Eyzaguirre. Spinner Pablo Mejias and opening bowler Tristan Bradbrook are the other two locally born players in the squad.

Peru are hopeful of at least equalling their one win in last year's Americas Division Three tournament, thanks to a training schedule which is aimed at increasing their players’ agility in areas such as running between wickets.

There is further information about the Belize and Brazil squads here.

Draw:

Friday, October 9 - Chile v Peru, Belize v Brazil

Saturday, October 10 - Chile v Brazil, Belize v Peru

Monday, October 12 - Chile v Belize, Peru v Brazil


Chile: Simon Chalders (Capt.), Guy Hooper, Michael Meade, Ian Walker, James Scarborough, Stephen Foot, Kamran Zeb, Joseph Williams, Tristan Bradbrook, John Fecci, Pablo Meijias, Christian Hesketh, Christian Eyzaguirre, Thomas Dawes

Peru: Miles Buesst (Capt.), Harry Hildebrand, Chris Abbott, Julian Walter, Anthony Sanford, Simon Walter, John Bell, Manoj Rana, Nadeem Ansari, Dinesh Ekanayake, Hans de Wit, Chris Hodgson, Michael Soulsby.

Tony Munro

Brazil warmed up for the World Cricket League Americas Division Three tournament starting in Santiago on Friday with a 3-0 one-day series win over Mexico in São Paulo last weekend. Brazil won the first two matches fairly easily, but the dead rubber was more even, Mexico falling just 16 runs short.

In the first match, Brazil captain Matt Featherstone showed good form ahead of the Americas Division Three tournament in Santiago, Chile, hitting an unbeaten 100. The former Kent Cricket Board player received solid support from Greigor Caisley (56) and Rubab Ulisam (52 not out). Spinners Travis McNaught (4-3 in the second game) and Viren Nirula (six wickets in the third match) also bowled well in the series for Brazil.

There are six Brazilian nationals in the squad to play in Santiago, among them Henrique Dolabella, an allrounder who became interested in cricket while living in England for several years and played a few seasons of club cricket.

Leading the Brazilian attack will be Ravi Chanchlani, the leading wicket-taker in the 2008 event, while the Miziara brothers, Alexandre and Daniel, can both wield a heavy bat and send down some useful off-spin.

Brazil: Matt Featherstone (Captain), Norman Baldwin, Vincent Bastick, Greigor Caisley, Henrique Dolabella, Rudyard Hartmann, Rubabul Islam, Chaudhari Vishnubhai Kantilal, Guilherme Lefevre, Alexandre Miziara, Daniel Miziara, Chanchlani Ravindrakumar Pahilajrai, Deodat Randolph, Fasih Uddin

Meanwhile, Belize has retained the bulk of the side which finished third in last year's WCL Americas Division 3 tournament. Dirk Sutherland remains at the helm of a squad which includes 11 players who also appeared in the 2008 tournament.

Belize's only tournament experience since then was at the Central American Championships in April where they finished third after losing to Panama and Mexico. The tournament does not have official ICC status and it is not known whether the Belize squad was near full-strength.

Belize: Dirk Sutherland (Capt.), Kenroy Roca, Percy Flowers, Warren Anthony, Conway Young, Dorian Gabb, Kene Broaster, Howell Gillett, Winston Flowers, Mykett Anthony, Robert Casasola, Lloyd Casasola, Jermaine Pook, Joseph Gillett.

Tony Munro

A car proceeds along the road adjacent to the huge rectangular expanse of green that is the Esplanada, a seemingly a giant traffic island in the middle of Brasilia, the capital of South America's largest country.

The driver has a wary eye out for those red balls which he has occasionally seen thwack into the side of other cars whose drivers are oblivious to the possible danger.

So who are these people all clad in white apparel? Dentists? Possibly. Cyclists who scoot across from time-to-time, and a fellow with a sharp stick from the local council, who skewers any litter, all add to the mystery, along with a group of these 'dentists' who are all female.

There's a 13-year old, who starts running in with one of the red balls and lets fly. Decent 'throw', and one of his 'dentist' mates asks him in Portuguese, who taught him to do that.

"Oh Dennis Lillee."

It was all part of the action from the recent Brazil 20/20 Championships involving teams from Brazilian cricket's three main centres, São Paulo, Curitiba and the host, Brasilia and, for the first time, the national women's team.

The women have only been at it for a couple of years, having played their Argentine counterparts in a couple of series, and reportedly made quite an impression at their debut this year at the Americas women's titles in Florida.

The best batsman in Brasilia among the women’s teams was Juliano Brito, who scored 73 runs in three innings. And, apparently, she can send down the occasional quick one. Also, bowling against the blokes was Narayana Reinehr, who took the most wickets (six in three matches) with her accurate medium pace.

The ladies' two wins and third place were impressive enough for the women's team to score an invite to next year's edition. They finished ahead of Brasilia, the newest of Brazil's three cricket centres. Observers felt the fact every run they scored earned them two in no way diminished their achievements.

So São Paulo and Curitiba met in the final, São Paulo notching up 206 before dismissing Curitiba for 127. Man of the Tournament and national captain, Matt Featherstone, a former Kent Cricket Board player, led the charge for São Paulo with 72, supported by Warwick Heaney (39).

That 13-year-old was Thassilo Weber, who while living next door to one DK Lillee in Perth, apparently learnt a thing or two about fast bowling. Hopefully he'll pass that on to the 20 or so born in Brazil involved in the bash on the Esplanada, among the curious on-lookers, ice-cream sellers and American Football players.

Vincent Bastick

Some background on cricket in Brazil may be useful before outlining the Brazilian men's league. Cricket began in Brazil with the creation of the Rio Cricket Club in Niterói in 1882. Matches were held here and other clubs in Rio de Janeiro, where Emperor Dom Pedro II was a frequent spectator.

Cricket was also played at British clubs in Vitória, Salvador and Barretos. A few years later Charles Miller introduced cricket and football at the São Paulo Athletic Club (SPAC). Using players from São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Charles formed the Brazilian national cricket team in 1888, and began staging international matches against Chile, Argentina and Uruguay, whose own British communities also had thriving cricket scenes.

In time, interest in cricket gave way to football, and combined with the declining British influence in Brazil, by the 1960s the sport was left with only two grounds – Rio Cricket and SPAC.

Despite this, cricket continued to be played to a good standard, with the national team hosting New Zealand in 1972 and the MCC in 1985. Eventually however, cricket in Rio also fell away, with the last game back in the late 1980s.

However, the opening of Brazil ’s economy in the mid-1990s saw an influx of foreigners to Brazil, which rejuvenated the sport in São Paulo and saw British bank HSBC build a cricket ground in Curitiba. Additionally, a wicket was laid in a public park in Brasília, allowing the expatriate community there to form a local league (nets were also built at the Australian Embassy).

In 1993, Brazil sent a national team to the first South American Championships, held in Peru , and has competed in every tournament since then. In 2000, the Brazilian Cricket Association was formed, and the national league commenced with three teams. By 2002, Brazil had achieved ICC Affiliate Member status, and junior development programs were underway in Curitiba, Brasília and São Paulo.

In 2004, cricket became part of the physical education curriculum at the University of Brasília, which resulted in the creation of the mostly-Brazilian Candangos side, and a steady stream of new Brazilian players to the national team. By 2004, the national league boasted nine teams.

In 2006, the men’s team participated in the first regional ICC World League of Cricket Division 3 Elimination round, held in Suriname. The next year was a big one: Brazil played against the MCC in São Paulo, an all-Brazilian women’s team was formed, which played three games against Argentina in Curitiba, then the men’s team competed in the second ICC World League of Cricket tournament, held in Buenos Aires,

But back to the Brazilian men’s national league. Nine teams currently compete for the Commonwealth Ambassador’s Trophy.

The teams are as follows: The Candangos , Brasília, and Pakistan Plus from the state of Distrito Federal, where lies the capital of Brasil, Brasília. The São Paulo Indians, SPAC and São Paulo will be representing São Paulo while the state of Paraná will be represented by Swadisht, Gralha Azul and Paraná.

Since 2000, São Paulo has won five league titles, while Brasília has won twice and Paraná once. Teams play 40-over a side matches from March to October. In November each year a Twenty20 tournament between the three state representative sides is held. This tournament rotates from year to year between the three major cities.

In terms of grounds, the league plays at the following: São Paulo Athletic Club ( São Paulo ); Clube AB – HSBC ( Curitiba ) and the University of Brasilia / Esplanada (Brasília).

The make up of the teams is interesting. Happily, more Brazilians are now playing the game. So in Brasilia , for example, the Candangos team is almost totally made up of local players, with a few weathered ex-pats thrown in. In Curitiba and São Paulo , we are seeing a growth in participation by locals as well. So the league really is attracting Brazilians to the game. The other players are mostly ex-pats drawn from countries one would expect, such as Australia , Canada , Great Britain , India , New Zealand , Pakistan , South Africa and Sri Lanka .

The 2009 competition will be tight, as it has been in previous years. Please check on updates as the season progresses.

Argentina Women comfortably beat their Brazilian counterparts in a three-match Twenty20 series in Buenos Aires.

The considerably more experienced Argentinian squad won both the first day’s matches comfortably enough and made sure of the trophy, but the Brazilians showed in their enthusiasm and desire to learn that it would not be long before they were able to compete with the other Associates’ and Affiliates’ women’s sides in the region.

The visit returns one made by Argentina to Brasilia in 2007, soon after the formation of the Brazilian women’s team.

International umpire Karran Bayney, who had been officiating in the World Cricket League Division 3 tournament, said after the matches that he was impressed both by the spirit in which the games had been played and the improvement in the visitors’ performance as the day went on.

Rod Lyall has the full report at CricketEurope.

Argentina cruised to a seven-wicket win over Brazil with eight overs to spare in a women’s Twenty20 international in Buenos Aires.

Brazil were restricted to 76 for 9, with 17 wides the biggest contributor to their score. Brazil made things hard for themselves with five of their top six falling to run-outs.

Argentina were never in trouble, but Brazil’s bowlers were as they shipped 28 wides, Reinehr leading the way with eight in one ten-ball period.

Brazil's annual Twenty20 tournament was held on November 8 and 9 in the southern city of Curitiba, bringing together 40 players from around the nation. Teams from Brasília, São Paulo and Curitiba played a total of six games over the two days. The eventual winner was São Paulo, with 3 wins from four matches.

In terms of cricket development, the Twenty20 showed significant improvement in the skills and game sense of the Brazilian players. Four years ago when the T20 began here, there was one Brazilian player. Now they have a strong contingent of local players who have the ability to match it with seasoned cricket veterans.

Candangos cricket club are the Distrito Federal Champions after having to use a run rate count to determine the winners. Ian Webster of the Candangos managed to clinch the championship with 40 not out in four-and-a-half overs, helping to bump up the run rate to win by 0.2 runs - a very exciting finish to a championship.

The 7th Ambassador’s XI game was played on June 21 and Great Britain won by 130 runs. Matt Featherstone, the Brazil captain, played his first Ambassador’s game and struck 78. Michael Dobson (GB) was Man of the Match with an unbeaten 52 not out and four wickets.

With this win, the results stand Australia 4 Great Britain 3.

Next week's ICC annual get-together promises to have more than its fair share of politicking, posturing and controversy. But, unless there is a major about-turn, it should also be a watershed for the Associates and Affiliates.

In 2009, income from the ICC's six-year media deal with ESPN-Star, worth over US$1 billion, kicks in, and while the game's big boys will still keep the lion's share, the rest will see substantial increases in their incomes.

Although the ICC draws considerable flak on many fronts, it is quietly committed to promoting the game in as many countries as possible, and it does that by means of a myriad of competitions and initiatives. Most do not warrant much media attention, but they are there and they work.

Until now, the gripe of the smaller countries, and especially those bubbling just underneath the top flight, has been about the inequality of the way in which the game is financed. That was never more apparent than when it came to earnings from last year's World Cup.

Ireland got a flat fee of US$125,000 a year for four years for taking part, and on top of that they received another $50,000 for reaching the Super Eights. However, because of the extra costs involved in their progression, not least because their players are not professional cricketers and their absences from their full-time jobs had to be underwritten, Ireland's success actually left the board out of pocket.

Zimbabwe, on the other hand, turned up, tied with Ireland and never threatened to progress after being thumped by Pakistan and West Indies. For those three matches, Zimbabwe Cricket received US$11 million, their share of the pot as a Full Member.

The top six Associates receive no more than US$500,000 a year - some substantially less - to fund their entire operations. Out of that they have to pay all their cricketing and administration costs. Only those with a low cost of living, such as Kenya, can hope to maintain a professional squad on that kind of money.

The gulf between the haves and have-nots is further widened by the limited sums Associates can earn from sponsorship and media contracts. Zimbabwe can exploit home series against, say, India to carve out lucrative TV deals worth millions, and on the back of that, attract shirt- and other corporate sponsorship. As highlighted by Scotland's failure to secure any TV deal for their forthcoming ODI against England, the Associates struggle to get such income streams.

The new deals will provide a substantial increase for Associates, especially for the countries who are pressing for space at the top table. Until now the share has been roughly equal, rewarding Netherlands and Kenya on par with Thailand and Fiji. The new system will see more demarcation between the top Associates and the rest.

The leading ten could earn as much as US$1.5 million a year from 2009. There will then be an onus on them to professionalise their administrations, but several of them are already well down that route. They will also be more accountable - the ICC does not want a repeat of the mess that came following a spike in Kenya's funding earlier in the decade.

The second-string Associates will also get more - around US$160,000 as a base figure - but then again the demands on them are less. Even Affiliates will receive US$15,000, with the opportunity for more should they make a good enough case. There will also be more cash in the pot for participating and hosting competitions.

There have never been more opportunities for development outside the Full Member countries, but there remain some nagging worries.

The main one is how to bridge the gap between semi and full-blown professionalism. Almost all the Associates rely on dedicated amateurs, both on and off the field. As the number of ICC competitions has increased - and they have to be welcomed - the pressure has begun to tell. Scotland and Ireland particularly have already found players cannot meet all their commitments, and even the increased income will not allow them to employ a full-time squad.

"So much of putting players on full-time retainers depends on how many fixtures we can command," Warren Deutrom, Cricket Ireland's chief executive, said. "At the moment, all we can promise the squad in 2009 is a World Cup qualifying campaign, eight FP Trophy matches, an England game, and probably some Intercontinental Cup matches. Of course, we hope to have more, but can't be sure at the moment.

"Our top players are already plying their trade in county cricket, while others have full-time jobs which they may not wish to give up. The actual number of players that the coach will want to put on a full-time contract, or else the number that even want to have one, may not be that many."

The other quandary is how to get them fixtures. Kenya, widely regarded as the leading Associate, have found it almost impossible to get Full Member countries to visit or host them. As a result they invariably play other Associates. Good for the win-loss ratio, not so clever in providing the kind of experience that no amount of money can buy.

These issues will need to be addressed, but for now the future has never looked so promising beyond the Test world.

Following on the heels of the ICC becoming an IOC recognized federation, the Brazilian Cricket Association has now been officially recognized by the Brazilian Ministry of Sport, which opens the door to a number of important support programs.

The Association’s corporate sponsors are now eligible for a 1% tax rebate, while individuals can receive a 6% rebate on their financial support. They have also enrolled three Brazilian players to receive Athlete’s grants – Rudyard Hartmann from the men’s team, Juliana Britto and Erika Reinehr of the women’s team, who will each receive over US $400 a month for the next year to help with their training expenses.

It also means Brail will now have three paid Development Officers. While a number of people joined forces to apply for this government recognition, everyone in the Brazilian Cricket Association wishes to thank our President, Ian Webster, for overseeing the entire process.
In other news, league play in Brazil is taking a break due to the rainy season, but the season is underway in Sao Paulo and at the HSBC ground in Curitiba, where Gralha Azul (N.Baldwin 75) won its opening T20 match by 53 runs over Swadisht.

Taken from the ICC Americas newsletter of March 2008

Brazil’s performance at the Americas Division 3 Championship in Buenos Aires certainly had its share of ups and downs. In the first match they let Belize score 186 after having them 88 for 7 at one point, and were then skittled out for 55. In the second Brazil did slightly better with the bat, managing 157, but the eventual tournament winners, Turks & Caicos, knocked that off with five wickets and 27 overs to spare.

In the third game, however, the team finally woke up, turning in its highest score in international play in decades – 359 for 6 against old rivals Chile, which included a knock of 152 (in 109 balls) from veteran captain Matt Featherstone. Chile gave it a valiant chase though, before finally falling 37 runs short. In the fourth and final match, Brazil reverted to its earlier ways, managing just 73 chasing 136 against Peru.

Despite the team’s uneven performance, Ravi Chanchlani picked up the Best Bowler award, thanks to his 12 wickets, while keeper Deepak Karunakar led the fielders with six catches and a stumping.

Overall, the tournament was a great experience for the team and gave its younger players the chance to see what big league cricket is all about. In fact, one member – Rudy Hartmann, is staying on in Buenos Aires for a month to play in the domestic league, as part of an exchange program between the two countries.

The Brazilian Cricket Association sends out a huge thanks to the ICC and the tireless Grant Dugmore, as well as everyone from the Argentine Cricket Association, all of whom put in a massive effort to make the tournament such a huge success. We also congratulate winners Turks & Caicos and wish them luck in Division 2.

Taken from the ICC Americas regional newsletter for February 2008

They say every good book or movie should have a dynamic beginning, a solid middle to keep your interest and a surprise and thrilling ending. If the 2008 Americas Division 3 was a movie or book it had the perfect script.

The beginning, days 1 & 2, saw Chile upsetting the two co-favourites on consecutive days beating Belize and Turks & Caicos. The Chile captain, Simon Shalders, with a brilliant century (104) was the hero on the first day. He was back again on day two but this time in a supporting role (69) as he watched countryman Paul Wollocombe take the spotlight with another century (104). Chiles’s third match was against newcomer Peru and it was no surprise going into the rest day. Their perfect record of 3-0 had them comfortably in front, with only struggling Brazil in the path to Division 2. Meanwhile Belize and Turks & Caicos could only try to keep pace and hope for a miracle.

That miracle happened on day 4 when Brazil, led by the skipper Matt Featherstone (152 from 109 balls) posted a massive score of 359 for 6 in their 50 overs.

Chile knew all was at stake and gave it a valiant try again. Led by Shalders (80) the Chileans fell short of capturing the crown by 37 runs. This surprising loss opened up the gates for Belize and Turks & Caicos and set up the most exciting finish ever at an Americas Region tournament.

Day five, the final chapter, and it was all about run rate with Belize playing TCI. In an extraordinary turn of events, three teams – TCI, Belize and Chile - all stood a chance of winning the championship off the final ball of the match. TCI batted first and made 196, Belize were 192 for 9 with one ball to go. Chile had completed the tournament with 12 points, Belize and TCI had 8 and there was 4 on the line for a victory. The latter two had better run rates than Chile.

A six (or 5 runs) on the final delivery would have given Belize the Championship. A four would have given Chile the championship - anything less and TCI would be crowned. Howell Gillett (no rabbit) was on 62 facing the final delivery from TCI skipper Ralph Doughty. (Who wrote this script?). On the final delivery, Gillett’s desperate swing did not make proper contact and resulted in one run being scored and a Turks & Caicos Championship.

Final Table
1st Turks & Caicos Islands
2nd Chile
3rd Belize
4th Peru
5th Brazil

Simon Shalders (Chile) took both Best Batsman and Player-of-the-Tournament awards.

Taken from the ICC Americas regional newsletter for February 2008

The number of people actively participating in cricket outside the Test-playing countries increased 17% in 2007, according to the ICC.

The research, carried out by the ICC's development program, was collated from 33 Associate and 58 Affiliate members. It showed that there were 338,051 male and female players in those countries in 2007, an increase of 49,158 on the previous year. Since 2002, when there were 144,047 participants, there has been a 135% rise.

Click here for the full story.

Brazil caused the big surprise on the fourth day of the ICC Americas Division 3 tournament with a 37-run win over previously unbeaten Chile. Brazil came into the match on the back of two defeats in two while Chile, with three wins in three, just needed victory to take the title. Matt Featherstone, who runs the country's cricket development programmer, was Brazil's hero with 152 off 109 balls as they piled up a daunting 359 or 6, adding 145 for the third wicket with Viren Narula (81). Paul Wollocombe (66) and Simon Shalders (80) led a spirited chase but it was too much for Chile. Belize kept their hopes alive with a 34-run win over Peru

Chile's defeat means that Turks & Caicos Islands or Belize will now pip them to the title if they win their meeting on the final day, as they both have better net run rate.

Chile maintained their unbeaten record with a 54-run win over neighbours Peru on the third day of the ICC Americas Division 3 tournament in Argentina. Chile were pressed all the way and at 68 for 6 appeared to be on course for a low score. But Tim Messner (57) and Kamran Zeb (41) added 75 runs for the ninth wicket as Chile climbed to 203 all out. Peru had troubles of their own as they slumped to 5 for 4, and despite a sixth-wicket stand of 62 between Ahmed Nadeem (53) and D. Lakdal (49) they were bowled out for 149 in 38 overs. In the other game Brazil slid to their third loss in as many days as they were bowled out for 169, a total Turks and Caicos Islands passed for the loss of five wickets.

Chile now have three wins from three games and need to beat Brazil in their final game on Friday to win the tournament.

Remaining matches

Friday 15 February - Belize v Peru, Brazil v Chile

Saturday 16 February - Belize v Turks & Caicos Islands, Brazil v Peru,

Chile dominated the first two days of the ICC Americas Division 3 tournament in Argentina, beating pre-tournament favourites Belize by 26 runs on the opening day after posting 271 for 6, with their captain Simon Shalders leading the way with an 84-ball 104. In the day’s other game, Peru, only admitted to ICC membership in 2007, went down to an eight-wicket defeat to Turks & Caicos Islands combination, whose veteran captain Ralph Doughty took 4 for 18 in 9.2 overs.

On the second day Chile powered to an eight-wicket win over Turks and Caicos Islands. Turks and Caicos were bowled out for 252, with Donvan Mathews’ 68 the top score. Chile's Paul Woolocombe lead the chase with an unbeaten 104 with captain Simon Shalders scoring 69. In the other match Belize beat Brazil by 138 runs, bowling out the Brazilians for 55.

Plenty of January rain has kept Brazil from practising much ahead of next month’s World Cricket League Division 3 qualifying tournament in Buenos Aires. It has, however, given the Brazil selectors more time to choose the side, which include a sizeable number of Brazilian born players. In all, five members will be making their debut with the squad.

Brazilian bowler Rudy Hartmann, who has played for Brazil on several previous occasions (including against the MCC when he took two wickets) has kindly been invited by the Argentine Cricket Association to stay on in Buenos Aires to play in their domestic league.

The tournament runs February 10 to 17.

From ICC Americas’ regional newsletter

October 21 saw the first Brazilian league game between Curitiba’s two new teams – Swadisht and Gralha Azul – with Swadisht coming away with a four-run victory. Curitiba have benefited from the recent arrival of a number of new players from around the cricketing world, as well as several home-grown players who have taken up the sport. The HSBC groundskeepers did a great job to prepare the field, despite plenty of rain earlier in the week. If the weather cooperates the teams hope to sneak in one more match before the national Twenty20 tourney in Sao Paulo in mid-November, which will feature teams from Curitiba, Sao Paulo and Brasilia.

Brazil captain Matt Featherstone and three other Brazil players will be heading to Buenos Aires in November as part of a South America X1 to play some warm up games against Argentina, ahead of the ICC World Cricket League in Namibia.

Courtesy ICC Americas