Pre-tournament favourites Afghanistan will open their ACC Twenty20 Cup campaign with a tough match against Hong Kong on December 3, according to fixtures announced by the Asian Cricket Council.

Group A consists of Afghanistan, Hong Kong, Oman, Kuwait and Maldives, while Group B features the fancied Nepal side along with Malaysia, United Arab Emirates, Bhutan and Saudi Arabia.

The tournament forms part of the qualifying process for ICC World Twenty20 2012 in Sri Lanka. The top three teams from this competition, in addition to Afghanistan who have pre-qualified, join the Associate teams with ODI in the 16-team ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier to be played in the UAE in early 2012.

The other regional teams in the qualifier will come from Europe (2), Africa (2), Americas (2) and East Asia - Pacific (1).

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Hong Kong have redesigned their domestic cricket structure to account for the increasing numbers of players and the wide differentials in the players’ abilities. There is a streamlined Premier League incorporating two-day games and the Saturday, more social, cricket league has been split in two. The Twenty20 competition has been done away with. Charlie Burke, Hong Kong’s effervescent young coach, explains why.

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Dinesh Tandon, chairman of the Hong Kong Cricket Association, has dismissed suggestions anything untoward occurred during the 2010 Hong Kong Sixes tournament.

Heath Mills, the New Zealand Players' Association CEO, had confirmed reports which claimed New Zealand players reported a suspicious approach at the tournament, but Tandon was confident nothing untoward had happened.

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Hong Kong beat table-toppers Papua New Guinea by 93 runs at the Hong King Cricket Club to qualify for Friday's final in the ICC World Cricket League Division Three, where they will play PNG again. Hong Kong's win also mean they are guaranteed promotion to WCL Div. 2.

PNG, who chose to field, had Hong Kong in trouble early on as Rarva Dikana and Hitolo Areni picked up three wickets to reduce Hong Kong to 39 for 3 in the 11th over. However, Hussain Butt, who top-scored with 68 was involved in two crucial 40-plus stands with Irfan Ahmed (25) and Nizakat Khan (36) to take Hong Kong past 100. Areni struck to dismiss Nizakat and Waqas Barkat in quick succession but Butt and captain Najeeb Amar put on 53 runs in just under 10 overs to get the Hong Kong innings back on track. Butt was dismissed with the score on 196 but Nadeem Ahmed hit some big shots to take Hong King to 221 before they were bowled out.

Hong Kong's bowlers then defended the total, bowling PNG out cheaply. Tony Ura and Kila Pala were the only two batsmen who managed to get past 20, as PNG failed to string together any substantial partnerships and kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Nadeem picked up three wickets as PNG were bowled out for 128 in just under 48 overs.

Two aggressive half-centuries from Hemin Desai and Vaibhav Wategaonkar carried Oman to a commanding four-wicket win over Denmark at the Kowloon Cricket Club, but it was not enough to allow Oman to qualify for the final.

Denmark were sent in to bat and got off to a shaky start, losing their openers with just 38 runs on the board. Carsten Pedersen and Rizwan Mahmood steadied the innings with a 66-run partnership but once Mahmood was dismissed with the score on 104, Denmark suffered a collapse. Rajesh Kumar and Khalid Rashid picked up three wickets apiece as Denmark slumped from 104 for 3 to 181 all out in just under 48 overs.

Oman needed to knock the runs off quickly if they were to keep their hopes of qualifying for the final alive. Desai and Zeeshan Siddiqui got them off to a rapid start, adding 34 runs in 2 overs before Siddiqui was dismissed. Desai and Wategaonkar then blasted 41 runs in 17 balls. Desai fell for 51 off just 17 balls with five fours and five sixes. Wategaonkar added another rapid 22 with Adnan Ilyas before Bashir Shah had Ilyas stumped. Oman seemed to lose momentum after his dismissal. Though they reached their target in just under 25 overs with Wategaonkar unbeaten on 54, Hong Kong went ahead of their run-rate by beating PNG to destroy Oman's hopes of qualifying for the final.

USA's hopes of qualifying for WCL Div. 2 were ended by Italy, who beat them by four wickets at the Mission Road Ground. Italy will now go on to play Oman in the third-place playoff while USA will play for fifth place against Denmark.

Italy got off to a shaky start in their chase of 223, slumping to 52 for 4, but a 102-run partnership between Peter Petricola and wicketkeeper Hayden Patrizi got them back into the game. After Patrizi was out for 50, Michael Raso came in and smashed 38 off 29 deliveries, and Italy got home with 18 balls to spare. Petricola was unbeaten on 69.

Petricola had also been Italy's most successful bowler, taking four wickets as Italy restricted USA to 222 for 8. USA captain Steve Massiah scored 52 and opener Sushil Nadkarni scored 47, but USA didn't get to a big enough total.

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."

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

USA’s preparations for the ICC Under-19 World Cup came unstuck as they were beaten by Hong Kong in a warm-up match. Afgahnistan, who beat Hong Kong earlier in the week, lost to a Canterbury A team, while Canada lost to an Auckland XI.

USA only managed 182 for 9 after they chose to bat, their efforts not aided by three run outs. Hong Kong raced to 186 for 4 in 32.2 overs with captain Jamie Atkinson blasting 100 off 86 deliveries. He added 156 at almost a run-a-ball with Ashish Gadhia (59).

Afghanistan went down to a five-wicket loss to Canterbury A, being bowled out for 169 after a promising start. Canterbury eased to victory in 32.2 overs, opener Kereyn Ambler leading the way with 70 off 77 balls.

Auckland XI made 171 for 6 in a match reduced to 33 overs-a-side by rain. Canada struggled to keep on top of a stiff asking rate and finished on 148 for 7, although a fifty from Ruvindu Gunasekara gave them some cause for optimism.

This was the last round of unofficial warm-ups as the teams all head to Christchurch for the tournament’s official opening on Sunday. Two days of official warm-ups follow before the first batch of proper games on Friday, January 15.

Afghanistan, Oman and UAE emerged as the frontrunners after the third day of the ACC Twenty20 Cup.

The match between Afghanistan and Hong Kong was expected to be one of the matches of the tournament, but Hong Kong, coming into the match on the back of successive defeats, again failed to impress. Afghanistan raced to 222 for 5 thanks to half centuries from Mohammed Shahzad (74 from 46 balls) and Mohammed Nabi (65 from 31) and Hong Kong almost gave up from the off as they meandered to 102 for 9.

Oman beat another disappointing side, Nepal, by 12 runs in a low-scoring game. Oman scraped 112 for 9 in their 20 overs, Dipendra Chaudhry turning in 4 for 19, but Nepal’s batsmen again failed as they were bowled out for 100.

Saudi Arabia and UAE went into their clash with 100% records, but Saudi Arabia struggled after a poor start and only managed 101 for 6, a score which never looked enough as UAE romped to a nine-wicket win in a little over half their overs. Mohammed Iqbal feasted on some average bowling to score 71 from 37 balls.

In a battle of the expats at Sharjah, Qatar edged past Bahrain by three runs in a game which went down to the last delivery. Bahrain needed four to win but Haroon Naseer was dismissed going for glory.

China were again outclassed as they went down by 132 runs to Singapore, limping to 93 for 7 when set a target of 226. Chetan Suryawanshi recorded the tournament’s second hundred, hammering a brutal 102 from 38 balls

Kuwait also eased to a straightforward win, beating Malaysia by 97 runs after bowling them out for 112.

	The new ground is prepared © ACC

The Hong Kong Cricket Association has announced it has finally found a new home after several years of negotiations.

The location is at Kai Tak, site of the former airport in Kowloon, and the ground is being leased from the government. The Asian Cricket Council will provide most of the funding, estimated at US$210,000, and it is expected to be finished around September 2010.

The three-acre site will have a main artificial pitch plus two more at the side. The aim is to have all pitches in use at weekends for men’s, women’s and juniors’ cricket among Hong Kong’s 27 clubs.

The new venue will not be suitable for international matches – they will be staged at another new ground at Mission Road in Kowloon.

“We are delighted by the site and will use it to expand cricket’s appeal in Hong Kong,” said HCKA general manager Danny Lai. “It’s tremendously supportive of cricket here that the local authority has provided the ground, we’ll be looking at selling the naming rights to secure funds for ongoing maintenance. It’s a great asset to cricket in this part of the world and I expect we’ll see some exciting developments in the years ahead.”

There were smiles all around the Hong Kong camp at the Maple Leaf North-West Ground despite ending up on the losing side. Hong Kong managed to qualify for the ICC Under-19 World Cup on the basis of a superior net run-rate and in the process managed to edge out Netherlands and Uganda - who were all tied on points before this game - with one qualifying spot at stake. They lost narrowly by one wicket on Friday against USA - a thrilling last-ball finish - but that was enough to see them through to the World Cup finals.

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The most talented young players in Associate and Affiliate cricket gather in Toronto this week in an attempt to qualify for the 2010 Under-19 World Cup, staged in New Zealand.

While the opportunity of competing against the best young squads from larger nations, such as Australia and India, is at the forefront of the players' ambitions, the tournament gives them a chance to impress and perhaps even press for a place in the senior team. Ireland's Paul Stirling, a highly regarded left-hander, turns 19 September 3 and displayed his potential during his senior side's three-run defeat to England on Thursday, cracking 30 from 26.

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Hong Kong beat Thailand to win the inaugural Asian Cricket Council’s women’s Twenty20 in Kuala Lumpar.

Hong Kong posted 106 for 4, thanks to a late charge engineered by Connie Wong, who made 23 off 21 balls. In reply, Thailand were always slightly behind the asking rate, and were left needing 17 off the final two overs and six off the last ball. Ishitaa Gidwani kept things interesting by bowling a wide, but she followed with a dot ball to secure the win.

Nepal thrashed China by 73 runs, bowling them out for 30, to win the third-place play-off.

	Man-of-the-Match Aimal Wafa is lifted from the field after Afghanistan's win © ACC

Afghanistan's cricketing fairytale just keeping rolling along, and in front of hundreds of supporters they beat Nepal to reach the final of the ACC U-19 Elite Cup. To put the result into context, Nepal have won every staging of this tournament since 2000, and until yesterday's loss to Hong Kong, had not lost an U-19 match in all that time.

Nepal batted on winning the toss, but while the first two overs produced 23 runs, two wickets fell and thereafter the innings struggled for any momentum. Only Prithu Baskota looked to take the attack to the bowlers, hammering three sixes on his way to 81. Some late hitting helped Nepal to 186 for 8, with 73 coming off the last ten overs after they had been 113 for 6.

Afghanistan also wobbled early on, and at 54 for 3 in the 16th over, Nepal appeared to be back on track. But Man of the Match Aimal Wafa (61*) and Asgher Hotak (478) came together at 84 for 4 and not only consolidated but also kept up with the required rate, adding an unbeaten 106 for the fifth wicket to see their side home.

There was less drama in the other semi-final where Hong Kong beat Qatar by 23 runs, despite only making 161 themselves.

Nepal, the odds-on favourites who have dominated recent Asian Cricket Council Under-19 tournaments, were brought down to earth with a bump by Hong Kong who sent them crashing to a 36-run defeat. The result means both teams go through to the semi-finals.

Irfan Ahmed was the star of the show for Hong Kong, thumping 103 off 101 balls in a score of 193 for 7. Nepal struggled from the off and were bowled out for 157, Irfan Ahmed making the Man-of-the-Match adjudication a formality with 3 for 72 while Shakeel Haq took 4 for 17.
In the other Group A match, Singapore beat Saudi Arabia by 39 runs.

With Afghanistan already through from Group B, the other place was between UAE and Qatar, and it was Qatar who went through, bowling Bhutan out for 69 and coasting to a nine-wicket win - UAE’s 130-run defeat of Oman wasn’t enough.

Afghanistan will play a shell-shocked Nepal, while Hong Kong meet Qatar

Nepal, the odds-on favourites who have dominated recent Asian Cricket Council Under-19 tournaments, were brought down to earth with a bump by Hong Kong who sent them crashing to a 36-run defeat. The result means both teams go through to the semi-finals.

Irfan Ahmed was the star of the show for Hong Kong, thumping 103 off 101 balls in a score of 193 for 7. Nepal struggled from the off and were bowled out for 157, Irfan Ahmed making the Man-of-the-Match adjudication a formality with 3 for 72 while Shakeel Haq took 4 for 17.
In the other Group A match, Singapore beat Saudi Arabia by 39 runs.

With Afghanistan already through from Group B, the other place was between UAE and Qatar, and it was Qatar who went through, bowling Bhutan out for 69 and coasting to a nine-wicket win - UAE’s 130-run defeat of Oman wasn’t enough.

Afghanistan will play a shell-shocked Nepal, while Hong Kong meet Qatar

Saudi Arabia pulled off a massive upset with a five-wicket win over Hong Kong on the third day of the ACC Under-19 Elite Cup in Kuwait. There were also wins for Qatar and UAE.

Hong Kong crashed to 89 for 7 after winning the toss, but an eighth-wicket stand of 137 between Waqas Barkat (84) and Aizaz Khan (66) appeared to have got them out of jail and they finished on 241. The Saudis lost early wickets but then Abdul Salam (68) and Hasan Bukhari (57*) added 118 for the fifth wicket before Salam was run out. While Bukhari kept his end up, Waqas Khalid thumped 40 from 29 balls to the Saudi Arabia home with 25 balls to spare.

UAE bounced back from their opening-day loss to beat Bhutan, but again they were well below par as they squeezed to a three-wicket win. Qatar had no problems seeing off Oman, bowling them out for 107 and then easing to a seven-wicket victory with almost 20 overs in hand.

Nepal and Afghanistan made it two wins out of two on the second day of the ACC Under-19 Elite Cup in Kuwait.

Nepal’s win was against Malaysia, one of the pre-tournament favourites, and it extended their winning run against them to seven matches. Malaysia batted on winning the toss and scored 203, built around 90 from Keithan. Gyanendra Malla, Nepal’s captain, made 86 not out as they passed the target with six wickets in hand.

Afghanistan dismissed Oman for 188 (their last five wickets fell for 20) and then cruised to an eight-wicket win as Iqbal Maliki (86)and Noor ul Haq (79) put on 157 for the first wicket.

Hong Kong opened their account with a four-wicket win over Singapore who they bowled out for 124, aided by no fewer than five run-outs. Jamie Atkinson, who made his first-class debut for Durham UCCE earlier this month, hit 61 to spearhead the chase.

The Hong Kong Cricket Association has dropped plans to hire a chief executive and downgraded the post to senior sports administrator after board members baulked at the cost.

”We are now looking for a senior sports administrator to head up cricket in Hong Kong," said HKCA chairman Darren Tucker after a board meeting. The decision was a personal blow for Tucker who had been attempting to borrow US$125,000 to fund the move.

Some board members found this excessive, particularly during the current global financial crisis, the report said. Tucker said the board decided at an “exciting” monthly meeting on Thursday to hire a sports administrator from within Hong Kong instead.

The position will not be readvertised and the new administrator's salary will be negotiated when applicants are interviewed next week, he added.

The deadline for applications closed on Friday, but Tucker refused to confirm whether any had been received.

Plans by the Hong Kong Cricket Association (HKCA) to borrow more than US$125,000 to help build a more professional organisation by hiring a full-time chief executive may proceed despite the international economic crisis.

Although several members of the HKCA board have expressed concerns at taking on such a liability at the present time, chairman Darren Tucker has said he is keen to press ahead.

“There has been a concern with the economy and that will be a valid point for discussion,” Tucker told AFP. “However, there is an overriding belief that we have to take a tough path to achieve goals.”

The highlight of the local season is the Hong Kong Sixes, staged each November and usually featuring an array of club and international players. However, the event is believed to have lost money this year after organisers failed to find a major sponsor.

“This idea should be put on hold," an unnamed source told the South China Morning Post , claiming that almost half the board opposed the scheme. “The timing of this proposal is our concern,” he said. “We are not saying Hong Kong cricket shouldn't have a CEO, all we are saying is that we should get one when the economic conditions are better.”

The schedule for the ICC World Cricket League Division 3 which takes place in Argentina next month has been announced. The two finalists will progress to the ICC World Cup Qualifiers in South Africa in April.

Click here for the complete schedule

Shivnarine Chanderpaul has signed up for this year's Hong Kong Sixes. Click here for the full article.

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.

The continued success of the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes is a key focus for Darren Tucker as he takes up his new role as chairman of the Hong Kong Cricket Association.

"Obviously, the Sixes is an important revenue stream for the HKCA - but it amounts to much more than that," he said. "The tournament also gives Hong Kong cricket global coverage and provides a huge boost to the Hong Kong cricket community.

"It gives the game great exposure locally and is a key component of our drive to develop and expand cricket at grassroots level."

Tucker, 45, comes from a strong cricket background, having played to a high standard in his native Australia. An allrounder, he played A-grade club cricket in his native Sydney and made two representative appearances for New South Wales. Early in his career, he enjoyed two seasons in the highly competitive Central Lancashire League in England. Since moving to Hong Kong, he has turned out for Hong Kong Cricket Club sides Nomads and Wanderers.

Tucker was elected chairman at the HKCA's recent AGM and is relishing the challenges that come with his new position. "Apart from the Sixes, two other key issues are the lack of sufficient grounds for us to get more people playing cricket, and the performance of the Hong Kong team in the international arena," he said. "All of these are crucial to the development of the game here."

Tucker's job as regional manager for a major sportswear manufacturer and his extensive cricket travels have given him a global perspective on the game and its commercial importance in particular.

"If you look at initiatives like the Indian Premier League, it is clear that cricket globally is going through a period of change,' he said. "The Sixes is a great way for Hong Kong to remain relevant in global cricket and we need to make sure it stays that way. We have to keep up with what is going on outside our boundaries.

"The 2008 Sixes is starting to take shape very nicely. We have already signed up two fantastic star names in Damien Martyn and Stephen Fleming and corporate hospitality sales are going very well. All the signs are that we are going to have another fantastic tournament, which is great news for the HKCA and local cricket."

This article is courtesy of the HKCA

Cricinfo has learned that the Afro-Asia Cup, which was reported to have been quietly sidelined after the 2007 event in Bangalore, has been revived.

Plans had been discussed whereby the existing Asia Cup, which takes place in Pakistan next month, would be supplemented with an African Cup. The winners of the two tournaments would then play off in an Afro-Asia final.

However, the packed international schedule meant that it was too difficult to find room for the African competition in 2008 and so a competition using the old three-ODI format will be held in Kenya during 2009.

Although the event has raised valuable funds for the African Cricket Association and the Asian Cricket Council, it has been less than a hit with audiences and has struggled to find a niche in the calendar. Despite the best intentions of the two associations, the weight of cricket means that it is still by no means certain to proceed.

Damien Martyn and Stephen Fleming will both play in November's annual Hong Kong Sixes.

"I'm thrilled to be taking part," said Martyn. "Hong Kong is a wonderful city to visit and the Kowloon Cricket Club is a fantastic venue for such an exciting tournament. I'm looking forward to teaming up with Stephen and the other members of the All-Stars for what promises to be two days of fast and furious action.

"The Hong Kong event is, without doubt, the best-run and most high-profile sixes tournament in the world and, hopefully, we can put on a great show for the fans."

Click here for the full story.

Confusion surrounds the sudden resignation of Clive Howard, the chairman of the Hong Kong Cricket Association (HKCA).

Howard quit with immediate effect in the middle of the week, but the brief statement from the board cited “family and work commitments”. However, a report in the South China Morning Press stated that he owed the HKCA around HK$210,000 (US$27,000)

"During his time as chairman, cricket developed significantly, with the introduction of the "Challenge League" for players not able to find places in teams competing in the regular Saturday and Sunday League competitions run by the HKCA and the setting up of a women's league competition,” Terry Smith, the board president, said. "He also played a significant part in developing the International Cricket Sixes into an event of true international stature.

"Given the scale of the activities now being undertaken by the Association, we are now considering the appointment of a CEO to support the chairman and executive committee and implement all aspects of association policy.”

Shane Warne and Anil Kumble will take part in a lucrative new six-a-side tournament, the iSixes World Series, which will take place in Singapore, Shanghai and Dubai. All nine Test playing nations will be involved, plus one wild-card team, with US$1m for the winners.

Singapore will host the first leg from July 4-6 at Singapore Cricket Club's Padang ground with further stops expected in Shanghai, Dubai, and one other yet-to-be announced country. Among other players confirmed for the All Stars are former Zimbabwe captain Heath Streak, New Zealander Craig McMillan, and Sri Lanka's Romesh Kaluwitharan.

Click here for the full story.

Bangladesh Women recorded a clean 4-0 sweep of Hong Kong who crashed to another humiliating defeat in Mirpur. Bangladesh have completely outplayed Hong Kong all series and their 211 for 9 was always going to be more than sufficient, even if they did lose their last five wickets for 36. Salma Khatun top-scored with 63. Hong Kong got off to a reasonably competent start, with their captain – the New Zealand-born Neisha Pratt – again standing out with 61. That was Hong Kong’s only peak, however: the next highest scores were 14 and 6 while the rest – including Nos. 5-11 - all registered ducks. The match was wrapped up in the 41st over with Jahanara Alam, bowling her first over, removing the last three to claim a hat-trick and dismiss Hong Kong for 96.

Match scorecard

Bangladesh’s women romped to another thumping win over Hong Kong in the third match of four in Chittagong. Betty Chan took 5 for 28 to restrict Bangladesh to a relatively modest 158, but it proved to be well out of reach of Hong Kong who were bowled out for just 87. Connie Wong (36) and Neisha Pratt (24) continued their good form, contributing 69 percent of the team’s total. Bangladesh won by 71 runs and lead the series 3-0.

	Salma Khatun and Panna Ghosh take a run during their 156-run stand © tigercricket.com

Bangladesh’s women comfortably won the second of four ODIs against Hong Kong, and although the margin of victory - 109 runs – was large, Hong Kong put up a better display that they had in the first game.

Bangladesh’s top order did little but a fourth-wicket stand of 156 between Panna Ghosh and Salma Khutan guided them to 249 for 5, always enough against a side who had been bowled out for 38 three days earlier.

Hong Kong started well, Connie Wong and Keenu Gill putting on 89 for the first wicket but once Gill had gone for 62 the innings disintegrated and the last eight wickets added only 41.

Click here for the full scorecard

Hong Kong’s women lost the opening game in their four-match series against Bangladesh by eight wickets after they were skittled for 38. Neisha Pratt, who has experience in her native New Zealand, made 16 but otherwise it was a pretty poor display. Salma Khatun, Bangladesh’s captain, grabbed a hat-trick on her way to 4 for 2 off six overs and then her side eased to victory inside 14 overs.

The Hong Kong Sixes for 2008 will be held on November 8 and 9 at Kowloon Cricket Club, it was announced today. For further information, check www.hksixes.com.

Associate Member Bermuda picked up two prizes in the ICC Development Program Annual awards, making them the winners in this year’s competition. They were awarded the Best Overall Cricket Development Program and the Photo of the year titled “It’s a Catch”.

A happy Reginald Pearman, president of the Bermuda Cricket Board, said: “I am excited and proud that Bermuda cricket has won these distinguished awards, which confirm that we are making progress in the right direction when it comes to our strategic goals. I am particularly pleased with the growth in our junior membership and the fact that our women’s team participated in the Women’s World Cup Qualifier in Stellenbosch and our youngsters appeared in the Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia makes me even more proud.”

Jos Heggleman won the Volunteer of the Year Award for his outstanding contribution to the game in the Netherlands, while the Hong Kong Cricket Association won the Best Cricket Promotion and Marketing Award for the Hong Kong Cricket Sixes.

Cricket Indonesia’s Tetrapak U-19 Development Program was declared the Best Junior Cricket Initiative program. Deutscher Cricket Bund did well in the Global Awards, picking up the Best Women’s Cricket Initiative prize for their U-19 Women’s Tournament in Oldenburg, Germany. The best Spirit of Cricket Initiative in Partnership with UNAIDS was won by the Mozambique Cricket Federation’s National Commission for School Cricket.

John Wright of Ireland and Laurie Pieters of Namibia won Lifetime Service Awards for their long and dedicated service to cricket development not only in their home countries, but also internationally, given both have served on several ICC committees.

Wright, the honorary secretary of the Irish Cricket Union for 10 years until stepping down this year, said: “I am extremely delighted to receive this award. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in cricket and I must admit that it is very pleasing to be acknowledged and honoured for your services. It’s been a privilege to be part of the ICC Development Program and I wish it best of luck in the future”

Ray Mali, the ICC president, who served as one of the four global judges alongside former ICC presidents Ehsan Mani and Malcolm Gray and MCC chief executive Keith Bradshaw, said: “This whole process has shown once again the outstanding work being done in the development of cricket around the world. It was immensely difficult to select the winners but those lucky enough to be chosen reflect the contributions they have made to our wonderful worldwide sport. Everyone involved, winners and those not chosen, deserve immense credit for their efforts.”
Best Overall Cricket Development Program Bermuda Cricket Board

Best Women's Cricket Initiative Oldenburg U-19 Women’s Tournament (Germany)

Best Junior Cricket Initiative Tetrapak U-19 Development program (Indonesia)

Best Cricket Promotional and Marketing Award – Hong Kong Cricket Sixes (Hong Kong)

Best Spirit of Cricket Award in Partnership with UNAIDS – National Commission for School Cricket (Mozambique)

Photo of the Year Award “It’s a Catch” (Bermuda)

Volunteer of the Year Jos Heggleman (The Netherlands)

Lifetime Service Award John Wright (Ireland) and Laurie Pieters (Namibia)

Each Global award category is allocated US$2000 of equipment to be received by the winning national cricket body.

The Hong Kong women's team will tour Bangladesh from March 20 to 29 to play four one-day matches against Bangladesh. The four matches will be played on March 23, 25, 27 and 29.

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.

As revealed by Cricinfo last month, the 2011 World Cup will be shortened and the main victims of the change will be the Associate countries who will have their numbers cut from six to four.

"It is a move we both feared and expected and it's not great news for the Associates," Warren Deutrom, the chief executive of the Irish Cricket Union, told Cricinfo. "Neither is it a great vote of confidence in the ICC's own High Performance Programme.

Click here to tell us what you think of this? Is it the start of the gradual elimination of smaller countries from the World Cup or a necessary and welcome move?

	Singapore's captain Rezza Gaznavi receives the ACC Under-15 Elite Cup © ACC

Singapore defeated Kuwait by six wickets to win the ACC Under-15 Elite Cup in Bhaktapur, Nepal. It was, however, a slightly hollow victory, as eight of the ten competing sides had earlier been disqualified for fielding over-age players, and so Singapore and Kuwait contested the final as they were the only teams remaining in the competition.

The Asian Cricket Council had taken drastic action on Saturday and kicked out hosts and defending champions Nepal as well as Afghanistan, Hong Kong, Kuwait, Malaysia, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Thailand after its medical board reported that all the squads from those countries contained players over the stipulated age limit. Sunday's semi-finals - Nepal v Singapore and Afghanistan v Hong Kong - were scrapped.

Click here for the full story.

Teams and supporters from all around the world will descend on Po Kong Village Road, Kowloon for the final time from 30 November at the annual Hong Kong invitational festival.

The lease will shortly expire on the picturesque grounds, turned into one of the largest sports fields in Hong Kong by the Hong Kong Cricket Association in 2001, and the government will take back the land for redevelopment on December 13.

"It's a last hurrah for Po Kong Village Road," said the festival's tournament director Brad Tarr. "PKVR has been the home of the festival since 2004 so unfortunately we'll have to find a new venue for the tournament next year."

The festival is one of the largest club cricket sixes events in the world. Past Festivals have featured star cricketers such as Heath Streak, Doug Walters, Jack Richards and Terry Alderman. Cricket teams fly in from Australia, UK, USA, Japan and all around the Asia region to compete.

The festival features up to 34 men's and women's cricket teams competing in five divisions.

Cricket teams and supporters from all parts of the world as well as Hong Kong will descend on the cricket grounds at Po Kong Village Road, Kowloon for the final time for the annual Ichor International Hong Kong Invitational Cricket Festival 2007. The three-day event starts on November 30.

The lease will shortly expire on the picturesque cricket grounds, turned into one of the largest sports fields in Hong Kong by the Hong Kong Cricket Association in 2001, and the government will take back the land for redevelopment on December 13.

"It's a 'last hurrah' for Po Kong Village Road," said festival director Brad Tarr, "PKVR has been the home of the festival since 2004 so unfortunately we'll have to find a new venue for the tournament next year."

The festival features up to 34 men's and women's cricket teams competing in five divisions using the popular cricket sixes format.

For further information see the tournament website www.hkcricketfestival.com or contact Brad Tarr on mobile 9422 5907 or brad@cricketsixes.com

Will Luke

Aftab Habib, the former England batsman, has been appointed as Hong Kong’s coach on a three-year contract.

Habib, 35, was selected from a field of 25 candidates according to the website of the Hong Kong Cricket Association (HKCA).

"We did a very extensive search and narrowed it down to a shortlist of four,” Clive Howard, the HKCA chairman said. “Aftab was our final choice. “We have offered him a three-year contract. One of the main conditions for the job was that the new coach be based in Hong Kong."

Habib's first assignment is in Kuwait for the inaugural ACC Twenty20 tournament which got underway yesterday.

The 2007 ACC Twenty20 Cup gets underway on October 27, a ten-team tournament held in Kuwait.

Hong Kong Cricket's website, which Cricinfo hosts, will have more once the tournament gets underway.

Hong Kong are seeking a new national coach. This is a three-year appointment, subject to satisfactory performance.

Sameer Dighe is the current temporary coach, who took over from Robin Singh before the World Cricket League Division Three tournament in Darwin. His appointment was just for that competition and the preparatory tour to Chennai.

The HKCA has also tossed in the requirement that the coach must be Hong Kong based which would rule out the previous arrangement offered to Robin Singh, and may well count out Dighe this time.

More details on the HKCA website.

If you’re a women’s team looking for a fixture or two abroad, it’s unlikely that you have considered touring Hong Kong. Yet it would be worth thinking about, particularly as the Hong Kong Cricket Association would love to host any teams who would be keen.

They contacted Cricinfo with this message:

"The Women's Cricket Committee of the Hong Kong Cricket Association would love to hear from any women's cricket teams around the world interested in playing in Hong Kong, or including Hong Kong in their tour itinerary.

Hong Kong has a thriving women's cricket scene and can offer some of the finest cricketing facilities in the world at such venues as Hong Kong Cricket Club and Kowloon Cricket Club (home of the famous Hong Kong International Cricket Sixes).

Any women's cricket team with an interest in touring to Hong Kong, Asia's World City, can contact Mr Charles Lau, General Manager, Hong Kong Cricket Association hkca@hkabc.net or Mrs Kim Burns, Chair of the HKCA Women's Cricket Committee kim@lammacc.com or see the HKCA website www.hkca.cricket.org for more information about Hong Kong cricket."

The Hong Kong women's team scored an emphatic ten-wicket victory over China in an historic match played at the Shenzhen University Stadium. While records of matches between teams from Hong Kong and Chinese clubs date back to the 19th century, this match was the first full international played between teams from Hong Kong and China.

Click here for the full report

Eight of cricket’s emerging nations will be hoping to take one step towards qualification for the 2011 World Cup when the World Cricket League Division 3 gets underway this Sunday (May 27) in Darwin.

The top two teams from this event will join UAE, Namibia, Denmark and Oman
in Windhoek, Namibia at the ICC World Cricket League Division 2 November. The top four teams from the event in Namibia will automatically qualify for the ICC World Cup Qualifier in the UAE in 2009, while the two remaining teams will have a second chance to qualify for the UAE tournament at the World Cricket League Division 3 in early 2009.

Click here for the full team-by-team preview.

Seven bowlers each from Afghanistan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Nepal and the UAE will be sent to the MRF Pace Foundation, run by Dennis Lillee, ahead of the 2007 and 2008 World Cricket League.

"It is the ACC's intention that these teams do well in the World Cricket League and the MRF camp in Chennai is to prepare the five qualifiers for World Cup qualification. An invitation was extended to the Malaysian Under-19 squad to train at MRF as they have pre-qualified for the 2008 U-19 World Cup next February and can benefit from the opportunity to train from this year," says ACC Development Manager Sultan Rana.

It won't get many column inches in the mainstream cricket press, but the World Cricket League, which started in Nairobi yesterday and continues into next week, features the best of the rest, the six sides just under the ten Test-playing countries. For the two finalists, the rewards are bountiful - a place among the big boys in the inaugural Twenty20 World Championship in South Africa this September, along with $250,000. For countries used to surviving on annual handouts from the ICC of less than $200,000, that's big money.

With the exception of Bermuda, cricket is not a mainstream sport in any of the participants. And yet it survives, and in some instances thrives, despite the lack of attention and a relatively small number of enthusiasts.

The ICC, who do sterling work in supporting the game's second and third tiers, will rightly use the event to highlight that cricket is not just about the Indians and Australias of the world.

But there remains a nagging worry. The ICC boasts that the game is spreading across the world. But is that right? Is it taking root or is it surviving because more people from its hotbed - south-east Asia - are emigrating and keeping it alive for the duration of their careers?

In last year's Wisden Almanack, Matthew Engel raised this very issue. "Overwhelmingly, the game in non-traditional countries is played by expatriates, mostly South Asian. Journalists were kidded into believing that cricket was about to burst on China, on the basis of some warm comments by civil servants and a couple of coaching courses. I have seen not one shred of evidence to back this up. Are the kids playing with tapeballs on the streets of Shanghai? Are they heck!"

Take Canada. Of the squad in Nairobi at the moment, only three were born in the country, and two of those are over 35. Of the rest, five come from the Caribbean, four from India and each from Pakistan and Uganda. Whereas other Associates have a smattering of expats, Canada are utterly reliant on them.

Engel's comment attracted fierce criticism from those who either argued that England had more than their share of "imports" or that the game only spread in Asia, Africa, Australasia and the Caribbean through expats playing it in the first place.

The worry in some countries is that rather the game is not being continued by the second and third generations but is only being maintained by a steady flow of new immigrants

With regards to England, yes there have been quite a few non English-born players who have been picked for the side, but the game still has a massive stronghold in the country. The selection has been more about improving a solid side. And as for the ex-pats argument? Well, yes, but that's the crucial point. In the regions flagged the game was brought in but it was then embraced by the indigenous population and taken on as their own. This is exemplified no better than in CLR James's seminal work, Beyond A Boundary.

The worry in some countries - and again I come back to Canada - is that rather the game is not being continued by the second and third generations but is only being maintained by a steady flow of new immigrants. Canada's cricket heritage is rich but there is little sign that it has been built on. This is best underlined by the selection of former West Indies international Anderson Cummins. Forty years old and without a major match to his name since 1995-96, he made his debut in Mombasa last week. What message does that send out about the strength in depth of cricket in Canada?

It's not just Canada. Look at the USA, whose 2004 Champions Trophy side was a collection of ageing expats whose performances verged on the disgraceful. And the UAE, which is almost entirely dependant on its ex-pat workforce to keep the game alive.

Cricket's expansion should not be about filling teams with expats and expecting the locals to get excited about it. The only way cricket can gain a foothold in emerging countries is by actually getting the indigenous population to embrace the game, and two excellent examples where this is happening are Nepal and Uganda.

Anderson Cummins of Barbados, West Inbies ... and now Canada © Eddie Norfolk

Does it matter? Yes, because as the ICC looks to develop the game in as many places as possible, that means the financial cake has to be cut in ever thinner slices. The ICC needs to concentrate on a smaller number of countries where the chances of the game taking off. It is invidious that Uganda gets the same basic allowance as Belgium.

Cricket is in trouble in its traditional homes in Africa - Zimbabwe are hell-bent on destruction and South Africa seems to be falling out of love with the game. So efforts should be made in Uganda . And in Asia, which everyone accepts is the game's stronghold, a side like Nepal should really be given the leg up. It's about targeting rather than a scattergun approach.

In fairness to the ICC, they have a tough time and a lot of countries scrambling for a share of the spoils. It's about weeding out the weak and really looking to grow the game in areas where it has the best chance of taking root. It's an almost impossible ask. Look at the repeated failure of American Football to crack Europe ... and if football itself still battles for acceptance outside expats and schools in the USA, then the size of the ICC's task becomes clear.

Of course expats have a key role to play in expansion. But if the game is basically played by them, is it the game spreading or is it more about diehards clinging to the traditions of their homelands? In the UK there are baseball and American football sides, but they are almost all expat Americans and so few would seriously claim the games have taken hold. However, basketball and ice hockey are widely played by locals, boosted by some imported players and expats, and, crucially, the national side can stand on its own two feet. That's the difference.

An MCC touring team, managed by J.A.F. Vallance – who will be accompanying Tony Lewis, the MCC president, on his last official engagement – and captained by Min Patel (Kent and England), will leave Lord’s on September 25 for a 16-day tour of China and Hong Kong. The strong side – which also includes Dougie Brown (Warwickshire, Scotland and England), Simon Smith (Scotland) and Craig Wright (Scotland) – will play six matches on the tour, including a game against Hong Kong CC, one of MCC’s reciprocal clubs. This will be the first tour which the club has undertaken to China, and it is intended that as many coaching sessions as possible will be held in order to foster the game in the region.

On September 26, a separate touring team will visit Botswana and Zambia for a 14-day visit to play five matches. The side will be managed by R.W. Ibbotson and captained by Stuart Barnes (Gloucestershire).

Hong Kong have announced a squad of 14 for the women's tour of Pakistan next month. Read the full story at Cricinfo

UAE 175 for 5 (Khan 61*) beat Hong Kong 174 for 8 (Ali 3-35) by 5 wickets

The United Arab Emirates beat Hong Kong by five wickets today, at the Kinrara Oval, to take the 2006 ACC Trophy.

Choosing to bat, Hong Kong could only muster 174 for 8 in their 50 overs with the captain and wicketkeeper, Tim Smart, top-scoring in his 55. Arshad Ali bowled very tidily, picking up 3 for 37 and the Man-of-the-Match award. UAE then raced to victory in 35 overs, Khan taking them home with an unbeaten 61.