Despite unfounded scaremongering among some sections of the media, the ICC has announced details of the sixth staging of the Intercontinental Cup, running from May 2011 through to December 2012.

As expected, Zimbabwe will not field a side – its participation in the just-completed tournament was of mixed benefit, finishing in farce when they forfeited their final match against Scotland.

The promotion from the World Cricket League into the Intercontinental Cup is a welcome move, allowing a chance for any team to rise through the ranks as Afghanistan have done with such great success.

The one casualty is the Intercontinental Shield, but few outside holders Namibia will mourn its demise. Such was the event’s profile, it is unlikely if most people even knew of its existence.

Craig Williams gets his Man-of-the-Match award from Dayle Hadlee © International Cricket Council

Namibia captain Craig Williams hit his second century of the match to claim the Intercontinental Shield with a six-wicket victory against UAE. Williams ended unbeaten on 113 as Namibia knocked off the 187 needed despite a few early alarms and a determined hundred from Saqib Ali who ended undefeated on 160.

Ali began the day on 109 and the last two wicket added a further 24 runs before Louis Klazinga ended the innings to finish with 3 for 98. It left Namibia plenty of time to hunt down the runs, but they didn't make an easy start as Amjad Javed gave them some scares with the new ball.

He bowled both Raymond van Schoor and Sarel Burger to leave Namibia 27 for 2. However, a brisk stand of 52 between Williams and Ewald Steenkamp (35) settled their nerves before Javed struck again to have Steenkamp lbw. That, though, was the last time UAE were in the contest as Williams took charge with a commanding display as he scored at more than a run-a-ball and collected 15 fours alongside two sixes.

It was an easy decision to award him the Man of the Match after Williams struck 116 in the first innings and contributed 2 for 88 in 41 overs. "It has gone off really well. I am a bit emotional; I don't know what to say really," he said. "I am just happy for the team. We have worked really hard it's just a bonus that I happened to pull it off for the side in this game. It feels nice to score for a team like this."

Despite UAE's fightback on the third day, Williams was always confident in securing victory. "I don't think we were worried because we had a game plan," he said. "I thought they needed to get a lot more runs to get ahead of us. The pitch was playing really well.

"If we had to chase 300-350 then it would have been very difficult with their spin attack. But we just backed our game plan. You saw this morning we had ten guys on the boundary because we knew the game was in our hands. They had to come out and score runs. It's nice that it all went our way."

Colin Macbeth

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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