Scotland will host a one-day international against England on August 12 next year in a continuation of the agreement between the ECB, Cricket Scotland and Cricket Ireland which sees England play their two Associate neighbours on alternate years.

The previous Scotland-England match took place in 2010 when the visitors won by seven wickets at the Grange in front of a 4000-strong crowd. The venue for the next fixture is still to be confirmed.

"It is fantastic news that England will again by heading north to take on the Scotland side in an ODI," Roddy Smith, the Cricket Scotland chief executive, said. "The match will be a highlight of our season and will enable the Scottish cricketing public to see the exciting young English one day side take on our national team. The game in 2010 was a great occasion and we will start our planning for next year’s game immediately."

Scotland captain Gordon Drummond, who is currently in Namibia with his team-mates, was equally pleased with the news. "Those of us that played last year can’t wait to have another opportunity to take on England," he said. "For our young side, it will be another important step forward, as we seek to continue our rise up the world rankings."

In a hard-fought and generally low-scoring Twenty20 competition on the European Women’s Championship opening day all three teams finished with a win and a defeat, but it was the Dutch hosts who came out on top on net run rate, thanks to a comfortable victory over Scotland.

Scotland had caused an initial upset by beating Ireland in the first game of the day, after Irish skipper Isobel Joyce had elected to bat after winning the toss. Ireland’s batters found the conditions difficult against a steady Scottish attack, and battled their way to 72 before they were dismissed in exactly 18 overs, only Joyce herself, with an enterprising 28-ball 29, gaining any real measure of control. Keeper Mary Waldron (16) was the only other Irishwoman to reach double figures, while Kari Anderson with three for 20 was the most successful of the Scottish bowlers. There were two wickets apiece for Kathryn White, Leigh Kasperek (whose four overs cost just six runs) and Lois Wilkinson.

Scotland found scoring equally difficult, with Kim Garth taking 1 for 4 for Ireland in her four overs and Amy Kenealy claiming two for 12. White top-scored with 23, but when she became Joyce’s third victim (for just 7 runs) the Scots faced an uphill battle.

Nine were still needed from the last two overs, but Fiona Urquhart took some of the pressure off with some calculated strokeplay, and in the end Scotland managed to take the winning single off the very last ball of the game, with two wickets in hand.

Ireland 72, 18 overs (I Joyce 29; K Anderson 3-20)
Scotland 73-8, 20 overs (I Joyce 3-7)
Scotland won by two wickets

The Netherlands became the only side to pass the hundred mark in the second match, Esther Lanser’s 35-ball 32 enabling them to reach 104 for 9 from their 20 overs. White, Anderson and Wilkinson claimed two more wickets each, but the batting quickly crumbled against the Dutch bowlers. It was the running between the wickets which was the real root of the Scots’ problems, however, and the Dutch fielders took full advantage, producing no fewer than five run-outs as Scotland were all out for 49 in 16.2 overs.

Two direct hits by Helmien Rambaldo removed openers Dianne Pedgrift and Catherine Smaill, and with Lanser, Laura Brouwers and Jolet Hartenhof making scoring difficult – Hartenhof having the remarkable figures of one for 1 from two overs – the running became increasingly desperate. Rambaldo took two for 13 from three overs of spin as Scotland subsided to a 55-run defeat.

Netherlands 104-9, 20 overs (E Lanser 32)
Scotland 49, 16.2 overs
Netherlands won by 55 runs

That set up the final match between Ireland and the hosts, and Rambaldo again elected to bat on winning the toss. But Ireland’s attack was much more effective this time, restricting the Netherlands to 89 for 8, Rambaldo herself leading the way with 31 from 40 deliveries. Thirteen-year-old leg spinner Elena Tice showed great promise in taking 3 for 22, and by removing both Rambaldo and Violet Wattenberg, who had put on 31 for the third wicket, she gave her side a great chance.

Garth (22) and Joyce (33) then seized the initiative with a 51-run opening stand – the only half-century partnership of the day – but once they were both run out the run rate slowed, and once again the chase extended into the final over. With plenty of wickets in hand, however, Laura Delany and Kenealy were able to pace their chase fairly comfortably, and the Dutch fielders were unable to stem the flow of runs which eventually saw Ireland home with two balls to spare.

Netherlands 89-8, 20 overs (H Rambaldo 31; E Tice 3-22)
Ireland 90-3, 19.4 overs (I Joyce 33, L Delany 17*, A Kenealy 11*)
Ireland won by 7 wickets

But with two very close finishes Ireland’s net run rate was unable to compete with the Netherlands’, and it was the home side which took the honours, with the Irish second and Scotland, despite their opening win over Ireland, having to settle for third place.

Afghanistan, Namibia and Papua New Guinea won their games on the final day of the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup Qualifier in Ireland, to book their place in next year's tournament, which will be played in Queensland, Australia. Scotland, Nepal and Ireland, who finished at the top of the points table, had already qualified. These six teams will be joined by the ten Full Members at the World Cup.

Click here for full report

Cricket Scotland, still searching for a major sponsor to replace Lloyds Bank, will land a $60,000 windfall if its team can beat Afghanistan in the Intercontinental Cup final in Dubai.

Pete Steindl's side is attempting to win the tournament for non-Test countries for the first time since 2004. They earned $40,000 for reaching the final, but victory will see them scoop a much bigger sum.

"We have already spent most of the $40,000 taking the squad out a week early to prepare for the game," Cricket Scotland chief executive Roddy Smith said. "The main objective of the players is to get their hands on the trophy but it would be a nice bonus to receive the money."

The five-day final at the Dubai International Stadium will be streamed live thanks to a partnership between Cricket Scotland and the ICC, with highlights also available on ESPNcricinfo.

The ICC World Cricket League Division 1 tournament began in Netherlands with Ireland aiming to defend their title, but Afghanistan sensing another trophy.

Scotland prevailed in a nerve-wracking contest against hosts Netherlands, winning off the penultimate ball with one wicket in hand in Amstelveen. Their chase of 235 had been dealt a serious blow when the first six wickets fell for 121, but the lower order set about pulling things back.

Afghanistan put in an admirable batting display to overcome a challenging target of 258 set by Canada in Voorburg. Captain Nawroz Mangal led the charge with an unbeaten 70, off just 58 balls, and the innings was also supported by half-centuries from opener Noor Ali and Mohammad Shahzad. Noor and Shahzad were involved in a 87-run stand, though both fell in quick succession. Afghanistan recovered quickly from those jolts, thanks to an attacking knock from their captain, who ensured victory was achieved with eight balls to spare.

A collective bowling effort and a solid opening performance from Paul Stirling kicked off defending champions Ireland's campaign on a successful note against Kenya in Rotterdam.

Papua New Guinea paceman, Willie Gavera, will play the Scottish National League (SNL) season with Aberdeenshire. It is planned for the right-arm fast bowler to play in the SNL and then if necessary return for the Scottish Cup Final on September 4.

Gavera played grade cricket in Brisbane last Australian season with South Brisbane after spending the previous season with Wanderers club in Townsville in Queensland's North taking 30 wickets. He has been PNG's main strike bowler since debuting for the national team in 2008 and in January he represented the East Asia-Pacific composite team at the Australian Country Championships.

USA 121 for 4 (Wright 62, Cush 41) beat Scotland 120 for 7 (Hamilton 41, Darlington 2-19, Dhaniram 1-12) by six wickets

Scorecard

A 97-run partnership between Carl Wright and Lennox Cush helped USA to an unexpected six-wicket victory over Scotland in the opening game of the World Twenty20 Qualifiers at Abu Dhabi.

Coming together after the early loss of Sushil Nadkarni, the pair compiled their runs at better than a run-a-ball to guide USA to within striking distance of victory. Wright struck eight fours on the way to a 57-ball 62, and Cush was no less enterprising, with three fours and a six in his 41.

Wright's dismissal, trapped lbw by Jan Stander with victory in sight, sparked a mini collapse as three wickets fell for no runs. Cush picked out Richie Berrington off Ryan Watson's medium pace, and Timroy Allen - the hero of USA's thrilling one-wicket win over UAE in the warm-ups - fell without scoring as USA slipped to 114 for 4. But Sudesh Dhaniram and captain Steve Massiah played a calm hand to ensure no further blips, sealing the win off the first ball of the 20th over.

Though Wright thoroughly deserved the Man-of-the-Match award for his match-winning half-century, the victory was set up by a solid team effort from USA's bowlers, who took the pressure off their batsmen by pegging Scotland back.

Usman Shuja began in superb fashion, getting rid of the dangerous Kyle Coetzer with his second ball. Orlando Baker then bowled Navdeep Poonia before he could get going, and Rashard Marshall and Wright combined to run out Fraser Watts and reduce Scotland to 42 for 3 in the ninth over.

Dhaniram kept the reins on the middle order with an extremely frugal spell, conceding just 12 runs in his four overs and picking up the vital wicket of Gavin Hamilton for 41. Stander's bright cameo lifted Scotland's score in the closing overs, but a target of 121 was never going to be a stern test, even for USA's brittle top order.

The squads for the World Twenty20 Qualifier tournament in Dubai and Abu Dubai between February 9 and 15 have been announced.

The tournament will see 17 matches take place in the five days, played Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium and the Dubai International Cricket Stadium at Dubai Sports City, where the final will be staged.

At stake are two places in the World Twenty20 which takes places in the West Indies from April 30 to May16. The winner of the UAE event will join South Africa and India in Group C while the losing finalist will join Group D which includes the West Indies and England.

All eyes will be on Afghanistan, who's stellar performances over the last ten months have reverberated around the cricketing world and beyond. While they narrowly missed qualification for the 50-over World Cup 2011 in April, they have been in good form at the Intercontinental Cup. Most recently they displayed flair and resilience to defeat defending champions Ireland, and also recorded a come-from-behind, one-wicket victory over the Netherlands in August 2009.

Ireland, who have been pushing for full-member status, remain one of the strongest associate sides and their squad includes 13 players from the 2009 World Twenty20 in England, where they defeated Bangladesh by six wickets and qualified for the Super Eights.

The Netherlands, who caused the major upset of the 2009 tournament when they defeated England in the opening match, will be without captain Jeroen Smith's this time round but will still be looking to impress.

Afghanistan Dawlat Ahmadzai, Hameed Hasan, Karim Khan Sadiq, Mohammad Asghar Stanikzai, Mohamamd Shahzad Mohammadi, Mohammad Nabi Eisakhil, Merwais Ashraf, Nawroz Khan Mangal, Noor Ali Noori, Obaidullah Konary, Raees Ahmadzai, Shafiqullah Shafaq, Shahpoor Zardan and Samiullah Shinwari.

Canada Harvir Baidwan, Ashish Bagai, Geoff Barnett, Umar Bhatti, Ian Billcliff, Rizwan Cheema, Khurram Chohan, John Davison, Sunil Dhaniram, Shaheed Keshvani, Usman Limbada, Henry Osinde, Abdool Samad and Saad Bin Zafar.

Ireland Andre Botha, Alex Cusack, Peter Connell, George Dockrell, Trent Johnston, Gary Kidd, John Mooney, Kevin O'Brien, Niall O'Brien, William Porterfield, Boyd Rankin, Paul Striling, Andrew White and Gary Wilson.

Kenya James Kamande, Lameck Ngoche, Nehemiah Ngoche, Shem Ngoche, Alex Obanda, Collins Obuya, David Obuya, Nelson Odhiambo, Otieno Ondik, Elijah Otieno, Maurice Ouma, Rakep Patel, Steve Tikolo and Hiren Varaiya.

Netherlands Peter Borren, Mudassar Bukhari, Daan van Bunge, Ryan ten Doeschate, Tom de Grooth, Mark Jonkman, Muhammad Kashif, Alexei Kervezee, Atse Buurman, Timothy Gruijters, Edgar Schiferli, Pieter Seelaar, Eric Szwarczynski and Bas Zuiderent.

Scotland Richie Berrington,, Kyle Coezter, Gordon Drummond, Gordon Goudie, Gavin Hamilton, Majid Haq, Ross Lyons, Neil McCallum, Dewald Nel, Navdeep Poonia, Simon Smith, Jan Stander, Ryan Watson and Fraser Watts.

UAE Fayyaz Ahmed, Saqib Ali, Arfan Haider, Mohamed Iqbal, Amjad Javed, Khurram Khan, Mois Shahid Malik, Naeemuddin, Qadar Nawaz, Ahmed Raza, Abdul Rehman, Shoaib Sarwar, Mohammad Tauqir and Qassim Zubair.

USA Timroy Allen, Imran Awan, Orlando Baker, Lennox Cush, Kevin Darlington, Sudesh Dhaniram, Glenmore Hall, Rashard Marshall, Steve Massiah, Sushil Nadkarni, Usman Shuja, Aditya Thyagarajan and Saurabh Verma Carl Wright.

Scotland are planning a 'first-class structure' to their domestic competitions in a bid to improve their cricketing infrastructure and boost their chances of gaining Test status. Last week, Cricket Scotland officials announced their plans to organize a new regional tournament, featuring the country's elite players, with three teams from the three main geographical centres playing regular three-day matches.

"In effect what we are planning is a first class tier of competition although it would not have that status," Andy Tennant, Cricket Scotland's head of performance, was quoted as saying in the Herald Scotland. "The ICC are keen to ensure that their associate members have a solid infrastructure in place on and off the park and we are always trying to improve."

Tennant admitted Scotland were competing with Ireland, regarded as the leading associate nation at this point. Ireland have already voiced their interest in gaining Test status amid calls to incorporate more teams into the circuit, or reform the format by creating a tier system. "We are constantly jockeying for position with the other associate countries and Ireland probably are in pole position having been successful for the last year or two," Tennant said. "However, there are other ways you can set yourself up for sustained success and we believe a three-day competition will greatly enhance our infrastructure."

Scotland failed to qualify for the 2011 World Cup, though they still retain their ODI status. Tennant also believed the establishment of an equivalent for first-class cricket at the associate level could help secure the futures of many of the country's cricketers by filling a "black hole" at the senior level.

"This competition will provide a necessary stepping-stone from club cricket to senior representative level. It will also provide a safety net for players who previously might have slipped off our radar," he said. "There has always been a bit of a black hole where players who played for our U19s have disappeared from the scene because they weren't ready to step up to senior level. Now they will be kept involved and given the necessary back-up to ensure they reach their full potential."

Asim Butt, the Scotland left-arm seamer, has died in his sleep aged 42 in Lahore.

He played five ODIs for Scotland in the 1999 World Cup, performing strongly against Australia, the eventual winners, taking 1 for 21 from 10 overs.

Butt was born in Pakistan in 1967 and played first-class cricket for Lahore before settling in Scotland in the 1990s. He soon won his first Scottish cap, against Yorkshire at Boghall in May 1998, taking 3 for 42 in the Benson & Hedges Cup, on his way to 106 wickets for Scotland at an average of 24.86.

He played in all of Scotland's World Cup games and remained a consistent performer, taking 6 for 42 in the first innings against MCC at Lord's in August 2000 and 5 for 47 in the second innings against Ireland four years later.

He won the last of his 71 caps in the Totesport League game against Somerset in May 2005.

The ICC European Development Programme has announced its 2010 tournament schedule which will see a number of European countries participate in an exciting and challenging programme of tournaments during July and August next year.

Following the programmes’s bi-annual rotational process, it is the turn of Divisions 1 and 2 to take to the stage at senior level.

Jersey have taken the opportunity to host Division 1 for the first time in early July. The six participating teams will play a round-robin format and participation is based on ICC global rankings.

Division 2 will be hosted by Guernsey in mid July and again participation is based on World Cricket League (WCL) rankings and will also include Israel, who having won 2009’s Division 3 Championship then went on to triumph at the play-off in October with Division 2’s sixth-placed side Croatia and were consequently promoted to Division 2.

Division 2 will be a particularly vital tournament for France, Germany and Israel as these countries are currently not imbedded in the WCL structure and a good performance in this tournament could see them win a place in the WCL Division 8 tournament to take place in late November/December 2010. Progress into the ICC World Cricket League enables countries to vie for qualification for the ICC Cricket World Cup so an important event for these three European countries.

The European women’s cricket programme is represented in 2010 by the senior European Women’s CWC Qualifier Championship to be held in mid August and hosted for the first time by Scotland. A four-team round robin fixture list will see the welcome addition of the ECB Women’s Academy side to the event.

A busy youth programme gets underway in July with the 8-team Under 17 Division 2 Championship and followed in late July by the European U19 CWC Qualifier hosted by Ireland and will give the opportunity for the same group of players to prepare for the global qualifier in 2011 and ICC Under 19 Cricket World Cup in 2012. In August the Under 15 Division 1 Championship will be held in Netherlands.

A new initiative for 2010 is the Under 17 Challenge Series which replaces the Under 17 Division 1 Championship. This pilot programme will consist of the six Division 1 countries participating in two three-match series of home and away fixtures during the summer season. The opposition for these matches will be the other Division 1 countries and also possibly English county sides and it is hoped these fixtures will have the result of adding value to the countries’ youth development programmes with more consistent and testing opposition.

2010 ICC European Championship Schedule

1-7 July
ICC European WCL Division 1 Championship: Jersey
Participants: Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Jersey, Netherlands, Scotland

13-19 July
ICC European WCL Division 2 Championship: Guernsey
Participants: France, Germany, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Israel, Norway

18-23 July
ICC European Under 17 Division 2 Championship - venue TBC
Participants: TBC

24-30 July
ICC European Under 19 WCQ Championship: Ireland
Participants: Denmark, Guernsey, Ireland, Jersey, Netherlands, Scotland

9-13 August
ICC European Women’s WCQ Championship: Scotland
Participants: Ireland, Netherlands, Scotland, ECB Academy

9-14 August
ICC European Under 15 Division 1 Championship: Netherlands
Participants: Denmark, Guernsey, Ireland, Jersey, Netherlands, Scotland

Various Dates
ICC European Under 17 Challenge Series: various venues
Participants: Denmark, Guernsey, Ireland, Jersey, Netherlands, Scotland

Ryan Watson, the former Scotland captain, has rejected a full-time contract in favour of employment outside cricket. In an 18-man squad announced on Wednesday, Majid Haq replaced Watson as one of three players to be offered a full-time 12-month deal. Four more players were given six-month contracts.

For the full story click here.

The Scotsman has reported that Scotland’s ICC Intercontinental Cup match against Zimbabwe A is likely to be played in Dubai. If so, that would avoid the politically difficult situation of Scotland playing in Harare and the even more troublesome prospect of hosting the game in Scotland given the government’s hardline towards allowing teams from Zimbabwe into the UK. Peter Chingoka, the Zimbabwe Cricket chairman, and Ozias Bvute, the chief executive, are both barred from entering the European Union because of their links to the Mugabe regime.

The decision by the England board to dump 50-over cricket and return to the original 40-over format first introduced 40 years ago has left Scotland, Ireland and the Netherlands waiting on the ECB to clarify if they are going to be invited to join the party.

Assuming they are invited to participate in the new, primarily Sunday, competition – and with 21 teams in the mix and only 18 counties, it seems likely that two if not all three of them will be - then it will be a mixed blessing. All three are aware that while the exposure to top-level domestic cricket can only be good, all their international one-day games are 50-over matches and so in terms of preparing them for that the new structure falls short of expectations.

The decision to scrap the 50-over Friends Provident Trophy was largely driven by the counties who have always found it easier to market the shorter format.

Scotland, however, appear to have jumped the gun. While there has been no announcement from the ECB, Roddy Smith, Cricket Scotland’s CEO, told reporters that he was “delighted to be invited to take part,” adding: “I think we have a lot of 50-over cricket planned for next year
anyway.”

Ireland, however, have yet to be formally invited, and Warren Deutrom, Cricket Ireland’s chief executive, gave the changes a guarded reception. "It would be a big thing to be asked to take part in the ECB's 40-over competition, and one that we'd have to take very seriously," he told Cricinfo. "But currently, 50-over cricket is our bread and butter, and the standard by which we are judged internationally."

Scotland – are Ireland and Netherlands assuming they join in – will play a minimum of 12 matches in a seven-team group stage.

Gavin Hamilton is only three weeks into his tenure as Scotland captain but, according to Glenn Rogers, the allrounder, his impact has been immediate.

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Scotland have named Gavin Hamilton, their most experienced player, as the successor to Ryan Watson, the former captain who stepped down this week in the wake of his team's failure to qualify for the 2011 World Cup.

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The preparations for the ICC World Cup Qualifiers continued in South Africa at the weekend.

Ryan Watson led from the front in Scotland’s win over Westerns in Pretoria, his 73 guiding them home after being set a modest target of 170. “It was a good result and important to get our first go out in the middle,” coach Pete Steindl said. “There are one or two areas that need to be worked on but we also had some good individual performances."

Ireland’s batsmen were in good form as they piled up 309 for 8 against Eastern Province, William Porterfield’s 97 the main innings, but a weakened bowling attack was in less inspired mood as the hosts squeezed to a one-wicket win with two balls in hand.

On Friday, Netherlands beat Boland Academy by 29 runs, but it took a superb sixth-wicket stand of 174 between Mudassar Bukhari and Peter Borren to dig them out of a hole. Bukhari finished on 128 not out from 100 balls, Borren with 74 from 79.

Cricket Scotland has announced a pre-tax surplus of £57,481 in the year to December 2008, compared to £40,121 in the previous year.

The most striking difference in the latest accounting period was the significant increase in the funds spent on the development and training of young cricketers. In 2008, this amounted to £531,058, an increase of 121,865 (30%) on the 2007 figure.

"This reflects the high priority we have placed on preparing the next generations of Scottish cricketers," said Roddy Smith, chief executive of Cricket Scotland. "We now have a total of 16 people working on community development programmes."

Ian Ramage, an Edinburgh-based umpire, has been appointed to the ICC’s Associate and Affiliate International Umpires’ Panel.

The panel, comprising ten umpires, was formed in June 2006 to cope with the increasing amount of international cricket below the elite level. It serves as the pinnacle for umpires from non-Test playing countries, with selection achieved through each of the five ICC Development Programme Regional Umpires Panels.

Members of the panel are eligible for appointments to ODIs involving ICC Associate Members, the ICC Intercontinental Cup matches and other Associate and Affiliate tournaments.

"This is fantastic news for Ian and for umpiring in Scotland," said Roddy Smith, the Cricket Scotland chief executive. "It shows what can be achieved within the ICC structure for our aspiring top umpires. I hope Ian is the first of a number of our best umpires who can eventually reach this level and go on to officiate with distinction."

Also appointed with Ramage was Denmark’s Niels Bagh. Together with Paul Baldwin of Germany (who also has Scottish connections), they form a strong European contingent on the panel.

"I am, of course, delighted and honoured to have been selected to join this international Panel," said Ramage, who works during the week for United Utilities in Warrington, Cheshire. "Fortunately, I have an understanding boss who is also a cricketer, and I have been saving up leave to make myself available whenever the ICC calls."

Ramage has not yet been appointed to officiate in any future ICC matches, but he did stand in the ODI between Ireland and Kenya last year.

Cricket Scotland has taken a significant step forward in handing professional contracts to three of its players, Dewald Nel, Gordon Goudie and Ryan Watson, the Scotland captain.

Scotland, one of the six Associate nations, has received a significantly increased grant of US$350,000 (£230,000) and it was widely expected that leading Associates would try to use this to allow their leading cricketers to turn professional. But general economic uncertainty, allied to a reduction in the sum expected because of the postponement of the Champions Trophy last September, has led to plans being revised.

The full story is here.

	John Blain: 'It is fantastic to be recognised by my team-mates' © Cricket Scotland

John Blain has received the Players’ Player-of-the-Year award at the final event Cricket Scotland’s calendar, the Caledonians Dinner.

Blain, now working in a coaching capacity for Yorkshire, has been one of Scotland’s leading players since his debut in 1996. The award was given for Blain’s efforts both on and off the field and in recognition of the respect in which he is held by his team mates.

"It is fantastic to be recognised by my team-mates. We are a very closely-knit squad and have worked hard collectively this year,” Blain said. “Next year is a huge one for us, and I am looking forward to the challenges ahead of us."

Gavin Hamilton was named Scotland's batsman of the year, Colin Smith the allrounder's award while Dewald Nel's 42 wickets earned him the bowler of the year medal.

Aberdeenshire lifted the Magners Club-of-the-Year award last night at the Scotland National Cricket League ceremony. Huntly CC and Kinross CC share the honours for the CMYK Junior Club of the Year.

Steven Knox, Sean Weeraratna and Cedric English took the individual honours for the Scotland Premier Division.

Jan Stander celebrated his recent call-up to the Scotland squad by winning two awards in the Second Division whilst also accepting the championship flag on behalf of Stoneywood Dyce.

“It has been a very competitive year in the SNCL with all three divisional champions not sorted out until the final couple of weeks of the year. There have been some excellent team and individual performances which gained due reward tonight,” said Roddy Smith, the chief executive of Cricket Scotland.

“Grange, Aberdeenshire and Stoneywood Dyce are very worthy winners of the three league titles whilst Aberdeenshire were a clear winner of the Magners Club of the Year for their efforts on the field, with junior cricket and their hosting of one day internationals for the first time.”

A little more than a week after the postponement of the Champions Trophy, Cricinfo can reveal that the ICC will have to either move or postpone its next high-profile event, the World Cup Qualifiers.

The tournament, which involves the leading Associates, is due to be staged in the UAE next April, with the top four countries winning a place at the 2011 World Cup. The event will also be used to establish which six Associates will be granted one-day status for the next four years.

Read the full story here and leave your comments below.

Aberdeenshire and Stoneywood-Dyce staged Scotland's first-ever floodlit match yesterday, borrowing floodlights used by overnight workers on motorways.

"It created a decent spectacle and the evening was a fantastic success with a great crowd turning up," Neil MacRae, coach of the triumphant Aberdeenshire side, revealed to the Scotsman. Click here to read the full story.

Scotland have replaced Zimbabwe in next year's ICC World Twenty20. During the ICC's annual conference week Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) officials had said they were willing to pull out of the event, but chairman Peter Chingoka was sent back to Dubai to discuss further details of the agreement. He met with ICC president David Morgan, vice president Sharad Pawar and chief executive Haroon Lorgat.

The decision has been taken as a one-off with ZC recognising that the UK Government would be unlikely to issue visas for the team given that they had already cancelled the planned bilateral series next May.

Read the full story at Cricinfo and post your comments below.

As widely predicted yesterday, the miserable weather in Ayr prevented Scotland's second ODI against Kenya from taking place. So bad was the weather that it was called off some three hours before the scheduled start of play. Attention now turns to Scotland's next ODI on Monday, against England.

The weather hasn't been kind to Associate cricket over the past week, and that drizzly trend continued at Ayr where Scotland's first ODI against Kenya was washed out.

In the play that was possible, Kenya struggled to 141 for 8 in 35 overs. Dewald Nel and John Blain each took two wickets as Kenya's fragile top-order failed to deliver, slipping to 32 for 3 when Steve Tikolo was caught behind for 2. However, Thomas Odoyo smashed four sixes in a brief 45 from 39 balls to loft Kenya's score towards something resembling respectable, before the rain fell once more.

Set 141 from a revised 35 overs, Scotland lost Gavin Hamilton for 9 but the rain again returned and the match was abandoned.

The second ODI at Ayr is scheduled for Wednesday, but the forecast is no more promising than today's.

The World Twenty20 Qualifers get underway at Belfast tomorrow. Have a read of our preview of this important event.

The ICC and ECB have reaffirmed their support for the mandatory release of Associate players from county cricket to take part in international matches and the priority of FTP events.

This followed discussions and correspondence between the ICC president, David Morgan, and the new CEO, Haroon Lorgat, with Giles Clarke, the ECB chairman, and ECB chief executive David Collier.

"The full commitment of the ECB to work with counties to support the ICC Board's mandatory release policy for Associate players is great news and very welcome," Morgan said. "It will help to ensure that when the top Associates have ODIs against Full Members or compete in next month's ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier in Belfast they have their top players available.

"In terms of the ICC WT20 Qualifier, that will make sure the best teams reach next year's event, rather than the teams with the most top players available on that weekend in August, something that will then have a knock-on effect of enhancing next year's event.

"And with all county-contracted players available for a ODI against Full Members it will make the Associate side that much more competitive, making for a worthwhile experience for that Full Member as well as a great career-enhancing one for all the Associate players, even those playing regular county cricket.

Those comments were endorsed by Clarke. "The ECB recognises that nation versus nation is the lifeblood of cricket and its integrity must be protected at all costs. One way of protecting that integrity is by ensuring that the top Associate players currently playing county cricket are available for their countries in all their mandatory commitments with Full Members and in prestigious events such as the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier. The ICC further recognises that this must also embrace and enforce the priority of all FTP events and ECB welcomes that position.

"Whilst we recognise the individual choice of players we will continue to proactively remind counties of their mandatory obligations in this regard and this will help to ensure our strong sport grows ever stronger."

Despite the encouraging words, this is actually unlikely to make any difference to the availability of players. Those that have missed matches recently have not been prevented from playing by their counties but have actually chosen to give priority to their full-time employers rather than turn out for their countries.

While the boards can do all they can to urge their best players to be available, the increasing number of games played by them allied to the pressure on individuals to perform for their counties means that availability will always be hit and miss.

It is likely that most county-contracted players will be freed to play in the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifiers as this is a high-profile competition. But when it comes to one-off ODIs or other lower-key competitions, county is always likely to win through over country.

The ICC has announced a revised schedule for the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier in Belfast next month.

The tournament, involving the six leading Associate teams - Bermuda, Canada, Ireland, Kenya, the Netherlands and Scotland - will now take place from August 2 to 5, with a fourth day included to allow room for a third and fourth-place play-off.

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Although the ECB has told Cricinfo that no plans have been made to identify the two additional sides joining the 18 first-class counties in the new EPL, Scotland chief executive Roddy Smith had said that he does not expect his side to be one of them.

It is widely believed that one slot will be filled by a team belonging to Allen Stanford, as part of his recent multi-million pound deal with the ECB. Despite media speculation that the other could come from Australia, county sources have indicated to Cricinfo that they believe the second side could come from the IPL for commercial reasons, assuming some deal could be agreed with the BCCI.

"Ourselves and Ireland both applied to the ECB about being involved in the EPL but were unsuccessful in doing so," Smith told The Scotsman. "For us it wasn't to be, which is fair enough. The ECB are under no obligation to do anything for us."

	Eoin Morgan: only one winner when it came to club or country © Getty Images

In his column in the Sunday Tribune this week, Ger Higgins highlighted the problem, laying the blame at the door of the ECB.

"There is ample evidence that Irish cricket is being systematically plundered by English counties," he wrote. "The fact that there are a dozen-odd players attached to counties wouldn't be much of a problem if they played fair about player release. But they don't: already this season Morgan, Niall O'Brien and William Porterfield have "opted" to play for their employers ahead of their country. Even an ICC regulation that players must be released for ODIs failed to prise that trio from the clutches of the counties. And it is a similar story with Scots players.

"It is about time that the ECB showed some leadership and told the counties to allow their Irishmen and Scotsmen to play internationals. A FIFA-style regulation could be introduced where a player who is not released must not play for the club on any of the days of the Irish game."

Higgins' frustration is understandable and you have to sympathise for the Associates who are deprived of their best talent in this way. But, equally, it is too easy to lay the blame at the boards and to demand legislation to force the individuals to play when they are asked to.

Critics point out that FIFA, football's governing body, have such rules in place. But our colleagues on soccernet point out that in reality such draconian steps are rarely taken. Forcing a sportsman to do something he doesn't want to do is hardly to way to get the best out them.

Look at it from the players' point of view. There are those whose ambitions end at playing for their country and who make tremendous sacrifices to do so. Almost all the leading Associates rely on such individuals, as only Kenya have a professional, full-time squad.

But there are others who want to make a career out of cricket. That is not available to them in Ireland, either in terms of cash or consistently high quality of opposition. So they head abroad, mainly to England, to hone their skills and earn good money while doing so. Some, such as Ed Joyce, even go on to play for their adopted countries.

Higgins cites examples of players contracted to English counties who opted to remain with them rather than play for Ireland, recommending that they should be banned from playing while their country is in action as an "incentive".

Take the case of Morgan. Last season he had just broken into the Middlesex side when he got an Ireland call-up. He faced a quandary. Middlesex were happy/obliged to release him, but made clear that he was not guaranteed a first-team place when he returned. If whoever filled his boots while he was away scored runs, Morgan would be back in the reserves with no guarantee of regaining his place. At the end of the season that could have made the difference between him being offered a new contract or released.

One could understand the county's position, and also Morgan's when he chose to remain with them. "He wants to qualify and play for England, and feels that by obtaining a regular place in the Middlesex team is the best way to achieve that," Phil Simmons, Ireland's coach, observed.

In such circumstances, legislation preventing Morgan from playing for Middlesex at that time would be completely counterproductive. It could also be illegal, and would hardly be likely to make the individual more inclined to play for his country in the future. In the case of the Morgans of this world, they might even retire from international cricket, albeit temporarily, to circumvent the problem.

The Associates are rightly concerned and it has been discussed within the ICC. Additional funding due to them from 2009 will help. But while it will reward those who give up so much to play for their countries, cash will not make any difference to those with ambitions to play on a bigger stage that Associate cricket can offer.

Whatever happens, there can be no winner. Either the country loses out or the players do. But to blame the employers or the individual is wrong. After all, how many of us would risk our careers in similar circumstances?

The reality is that the best players will always aspire to play at the highest level, and so they should. All the Associates can hope for is that they play for them as often as they can and bring all their experience into the national side, and act as an inspiration to the next generation.

Rather than reacting with anger when Joyce pulls on an England or Middlesex shirt, Ireland should be proud of what they have produced and wish him well. The hope has to be that the day will come when the Joyces and the Morgans of the future are only too eager to chose country over county.

Scotland will have little time to prepare for their Intercontinental Cup clash with Canada after they were stranded in Bermuda by the after-effects of Hurricane Bertha.

The storm had been expected to disrupt their game with Bermuda but as it happened the match was unaffected. But it hit the region afterwards, leaving the Scottish players stranded in their hotel rooms.

“The airport in Hamilton was shut down and the squad were unable to make their connection to Toronto,” Cricket Scotland chief executive Roddy Smith said. “The guys were confined to their rooms all day to escape the worst of the wind and heavy rain.

"We were given the option of delaying the start of the Canada match by 24 hours, but we decided against that because of the tight schedule next week when the lads go to Belfast for the European Championships."

Scotland will have less than a day to acclimitise to conditions which are far removed from those experienced in Bermuda as the match in Toronto starts on July 16.

Fraser Watts has denied Bermuda with a courageous 93 on the first day of Scotland's Intercontinental Cup match at Hamilton. Click here for the report.

Omer Hussain, the 23-year-old left-hander, has been called up to Scotland’s squad for their Intercontinental Cup matches against Bermuda and Canada.

Hussain, the cousin of Majid Haq, adds youth to the squad and he arrives in good form after averaging 62 for his local club, Ferguslie. His stand-in captain, Ryan Watts, is insistent that the presence of some younger faces is by no means for show.

Click here for the full story

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.

Scotland will travel to Bermuda and Canada next month without several front-line players who are being rested for other matches later in the summer.

Scotland captain Ryan Watson, along with Gavin Hamilton, Craig Wright, Glenn Rogers and John Blain, have not been included in the 13-man squad which will play Intercontinental Cup matches in Bermuda (July 10-13) and Canada (July 16-19).

But, after discussions with the selectors, they will leave behind a group of experienced players who are being ‘rested’ in preparation for other major matches later in July and August.

“Although Scotland cannot now hope to win the Cup itself, we will certainly take these matches seriously, and the players know that they represent an excellent platform for their talents,” Peter Steindl, Scotland’s coach, said. “For our own ranking in the global game, we aim to win both matches."

Roddy Smith, Cricket Scotland’s chief executive, added: "It is vital that we build strength in depth among our international squads - particularly with next year’s World Cup qualifying tournament in mind."

Scotland squad Fraser Watts (capt), Richie Berrington, Dewald Nel, Sean Weeraratna, Gordon Drummond, Gordon Goudie, Dougie Lockhart, Majid Haq, Ross Lyons, Qasim Sheikh, Neil McCallum, Gregor Maiden, Colin Smith (wkt).

Roddy Smith, the chief executive of Cricket Scotland, has expressed his disappointment at the fact there is likely to be no television coverage of this summer's ODI fixture between Scotland and England.

Click here for the full story.

Neil Drysdale reports on the unexpected return of the Australian, Tony Judd, to his coaching role with Scotland.

These words embody Judd's optimistic personality and one need only talk to Saltires stalwart, Paul Hoffman, to discover why he was held in such lofty regard during his earlier tenure. "Tony wears his heart on his sleeve, he doesn't pull any punches, and he is ultra-competitive, but above all, he never blames a player if they are doing their best and aiming to be adventurous," said Hoffmann, who retired at the end of 2007, but may be poised to participate in the Twenty20 event in Ireland. "I think Pete and Tony will make a terrific combination, and the more good coaches we have in Scotland, the better. But the one thing about Tony is that he won't tolerate complacency or laziness, and he is a demanding guy. Sentiment doesn't come into it, and I think we all share the opinion that it is high time we followed Ireland's example and beat one of cricket's big guns."

Click here to read the full report.

Ireland will host the inaugural World Twenty20 Qualifiers between August 2 and 4, with the top six Associates vying for the two places available to them in next year's ICC World Twenty20 in England.

Click here for more and the itinerary.

Scotland's leading batsmen haven't exactly covered themselves in glory this season, but at least Navdeep Poonia - who lines up against Yorkshire at Edinburgh on Sunday - can consider himself in prime nick. The 22 year-old opener - who is blessed with a serene temperament, a rich array of attacking strokes and a potent combination of patience and pugnacity - has already enjoyed himself on Warwickshire's behalf this week, hitting 111 and 50 (retired) against Cambridge UCCE and he is optimistic he can continue that sequence in the Friends Provident Trophy.

Click here for Neil Drysdale's full report ahead of Scotland's match against Yorkshire

Much is spoken about the expansion of the international game, and if, as expected, proposals for a significant increase in funding for the Associates is approved when the ICC meets in June, then their progress should be further boosted.

But cash and goodwill can only go so far. What is widely agreed is that to improve, the leading Associates need to play more, and against the elite top ten Full Member countries. And that is where the problems come.

A casual glance at the international schedule will show that the major countries are on an almost constant global tour. In part this is because of the requirements of the Future Tours Programme, but more often than not the large gaps in that schedule are filled with lucrative one-day tours or tournaments.

In an ideal world, there would be time for India or England to undertake ambassadorial tours to Kenya or the Netherlands. But given the choice between a lucrative three-match series against commercially attractive opposition containing star names or a trip to a cricketing outpost in Africa or Europe, it's not a contest.

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	Bruce Patterson is one of only two players to have totalled more than 4000 runs for Scotland © Getty Images

Bruce Patterson, one of Scotland's leading run-scorers, has announced his retirement from the game aged 43.

"Unless there is a goal it is difficult to get motivated for club cricket and it's a few years since I last played for Scotland. I've had a fantastic career and would like to thank everyone who has helped me along the way.

"If anyone had told me as a 15 year-old that I'd end up with 124 caps I'd have said no chance.

"I was more of a manufactured player than a natural but at least I can say I made the most of my ability."

Patterson famously hit the first ball ever faced by a Scot in a World Cup for four when Scotland lined-up against Australia at a packed New Road, Worcester, in 1999.

However, the highlight of his career came ten years earlier when he scored 70 against Allan Border's Australian side in front of 5,000 fans at Hamilton Crescent.

William Dick has more at The Scotsman.

Cricket Scotland have announced a record turnover of £1,778,891, yielding a surplus of £40,121 for the 2007 calendar year.

The annual report and accounts will be tabled at the annual general meeting (AGM) of the governing body at Stirling Cricket Club on March 30. Much of the increase in turnover is the result of the staging of the inaugural offshore international in Scotland, the ODI between India and Pakistan last summer, even though not a ball was bowled because of the sodden conditions after two weeks of rain.

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Scottish cricket received a significant boost this week with the confirmation that a sponsor has been found to back a new national Twenty20 competition across Scotland this summer.

The format has proved one of the most popular innovations in the sport during the past three years and Scotland will now have its own tournament, with Glasgow-based sponsors, Murgitroyd and Company, agreeing on a two-year deal. It is believed to be worth five figures.

Click here for the full report from Neil Drysdale.

Two young brothers are joining a squad of Scotland cricketers on a tour of South Africa.

Carlton seam bowler Charles Legget, 20, and his 15-year- old brother Peter – who plays for Merchiston Castle School and Watsonians – are in the under-20 and under-15 squads respectively that left the Capital in the early hours of this morning bound for Port Elizabeth.

The itinerary consists of eight matches, six of 50 overs duration and two Twenty20 games, for each team. The highlight of a testing 16-day trip is set to be the final match of the tour, which is against the Eastern Province State age group teams at the local test match venue St Georges Park.

Craig Wright, who is head coach of the under-20s, said: "I am sure our young players will benefit hugely from the exposure to matches against quality opposition in good cricket conditions. It will also provide them with a great opportunity to hit the season in Scotland running; producing some strong performances when their school, club or representative matches get under way."

The Scotsman has the full story.

As widely expected, the ICC executive board approved proposals to reduce the number of Associates participating at the 2011 World Cup from six to four.

This was done, so the ICC claimed, to reduce the length of an event which many considered to be too bloated in 2007 from 47 days to 38.

The ICC's 10 Full Members automatically qualify and they will be joined by the top four teams from next years World Cup Qualifiers in Dubai. As thing stands, this means that Ireland have to qualify for a tournament they reached the Super Sixes at last time, while Zimbabwe, who are below them in the official ICC One-Day Rankings, do not.

Alternative proposals, including one which would have involved a pre-qualifying tournament featuring the top six Associates as well as Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, were earlier rejected by the ICC's chief executives committee.

Majid Haq, the Scotland offspinner, is heading to Warwickshire on Monday in a bid to secure a county contract, according to a report in today's Scotsman. Haq, 24, is to spend a week with Warwickshire's director of cricket, Ashley Giles.

ICC Europe has announced the schedule and venues for the ICC European Division 1 Championship to be held in Ireland from the July 25 to 31, 2008.

The 50-over round-robin tournament will see Europe's top six Associate and Affiliate countries - Denmark, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway and Scotland - fight it out for Europe's top spot. Six cricket grounds will be used to host a total of 15 matches that will see each country come face to face over five days.

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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?

Pete Steindl, the new Scotland coach, could hand Sean Weeraratna his comeback in Namibia next month, reports The Scotsman.

The ICC Development Program has announced the regional winners of the 2007 Annual Awards. Scotland and Germany were the biggest winners in the Europe region, picking up two awards each.

Scotland received the awards for the best overall cricket development program and best cricket promotion and marketing. Cricket Scotland had a particularly successful 2007 as its grassroots programme grew significantly.

Germany was awarded the best women’s initiative award for an Under-17 women’s tournament held in Oldenburg in February and the best junior initiative award for its “Cricket to German Schools” project which has helped double the number of school children participating in cricket across Germany.

John Wright of Ireland was awarded the Lifetime Service Award. John is set to retire from his duties as Honorary Secretary of the Irish Cricket Union this weekend after years of service to cricket in both Ireland and Europe.

Elsewhere across the globe, two countries Bermuda and Namibia received three awards each, and, aside from Germany and Scotland, five other member countries collected two awards each: Botswana, Nepal, Indonesia, Japan and Vanuatu.

Two members – Peru, who only joined the ICC as an Affiliate member in 2007, and Suriname – received prizes for the first time.

Peter Steindl, the former Scotland fast bowler, has been announced as the country's new coach, replacing Peter Drinnen who resigned in July.

"After working with the squad last season on an interim basis I am delighted to progress to work full-time in preparing the team towards the 2009 ICC Trophy," Steindl said. "We have the opportunity to build on some excellent performances last season and prepare for an exciting fixture list this season. We have 16 months to prepare the squad for a massive event and the work starts now."

Drinnen resigned after a run of disappointing results, and the team played on without a permanent coach for the remainder of the summer as Steindl and Andy Tennant shared the position in an unofficial capacity. Steindl's tenure starts in earnest on January 1.

Andy Tennant, Cricket Scotland’s newly-designated head of cricket, has become the first coach in Scotland to acquire a Level 4 coaching qualification, after a course which lasted over two years.

“The course lasted 27 months,” Tennant said. “It consisted of 12 modules varying from three to five days in length. There were five assignments and a final assessment. The portfolio of supporting evidence about my coaching practice that I submitted for my final assessment was 17,000 words long!”

Tennant’s ‘cohort’ of colleagues who were also seeking a Level 4 qualification at the same time included candidates from the professional game in England and several well-known faces, including Chris Adams, the Sussex captain, together with Ian Salisbury and Graeme Fowler.

“I am delighted to have completed what has been an extremely long but rewarding journey,” Tennant said. “The ECB elite coaching programme is undoubtedly at the cutting edge of coaching and I am excited about using the knowledge and skills I have gained on the course to help Scottish cricket and our elite young cricketers to become even more competitive on the world stage.”

Gordon Lord, the Elite Coach Development Manager for the ECB, added: "We are delighted that Andy Tennant has achieved the Level 4 Award. He joins an elite group of 62 coaches worldwide who hold this qualification.

“Andy's outstanding communication and leadership skills, his ability to integrate into his coaching process a deep understanding of the technical, tactical, physical, mental and lifestyle demands of the elite game, and his ability to learn, will ensure that he remains at the forefont of the coaching profession."

Roddy Smith, Cricket Scotland’s chief executive, also paid tribute to Tennant’s tenacity over the two-year course of training: “Cricket Scotland is investing a significant resource in supporting our best coaches. Andy’s success will hopefully be the forerunner to the next group of coaches achieving this professional qualification.”

Scotland will be among the first to use Dubai's new state-of-the-art academy when it opens late next year, according to a report in today’s Herald:

Roddy Smith, chief executive of Cricket Scotland, has revealed that the Scots will complete their preparations at the new academy which includes a 25,000-seater stadium and indoor arenas.

Smith said: "The stadium is well on the way to completion and we're told the entire cricket academy will be ready to open late next year.

"That will tie in very nicely with our preparations for the World Cup qualifiers. I'd imagine we'd go out there for a few weeks either in late 2008 or early 2009 to prepare."

Tony Cozier is, rightly, one of the most respected journalists in the game. His work to cover and promote cricket in the Caribbean has been unstinting for almost four decades. And yet even the best writers have off days, and his attack on the way that the ICC funds the Intercontinental Cup, the first-class competition for the Associates, is one of those.

Cozier's outburst in his Caribbean-syndicated column at the weekend in effect concluded that rather than waste money on Associate tournaments it would be better spent on aiding West Indies, a “well-established member with a great tradition presently fallen on hard times”.

Cozier attacked the ICC for doling out "heaven knows how much cash every year" to run the Intercontinental Cup. The overall annual cost of the tournament is actually around $400,000 on top of which the participants contribute another $120,000 between them. For that, the leading eight Associate countries get to play in a prestigious (for them) competition, to meet a variety of opponents across the world and to improve.

Yes, it has its faults and there are mismatches, but the same could be said for any competition or series involving the Full Members. When was the last time Bangladesh or Zimbabwe or, dare it be said, West Indies played in a gripping contest as opposed to occasional one-off successes. As seen at the World Cup, the gulf between the have and have-nots on the field may be large but it is nothing like as vast as the chasm between their respective funding.

The leading Associates survive on grants of under half a million dollars a year; some, such as Kenya and Scotland, earn more through winning tournaments such as the World Cricket League which entitles them to ICC World Twenty20 participation money. The Full Members receive twenty times more. Zimbabwe, for example, coined in almost $11 million from the World Cup, and yet they struggle to hold their own with several Associates. What is more, the Full Members almost all have bloated payrolls; the Associates rely almost entirely on goodwill of hard-working administrators who often end up digging deep into their own pockets to keep things ticking over.

What Cozier seems to overlook is that the ICC should not be about looking after the big boys and forget the rest, although as the major boards become more money-obsessed by the month it may go that way. It has a responsibility to nurture and support the game in areas away from the traditional bedrocks. That is done through a myriad of tournaments, coaching clinics and advice. The total sum spent on Associates is under 25% of the ICC's overall budget. To scrap that would be akin to pulling up the drawbridge, hoping that the game survives among the existing ten Full Members, and hang the rest. No other sport would consider such a short-sighted policy, and neither should cricket.

Then there is the additional income that Full Members can earn through the very fact they play each other so often. Sponsorship and TV deals bring in tens of millions on top of the ICC funding. Although the WICB has never revealed the value of the original deal with Digicel, it is believed to be worth more than $20 million for five years. The England board's four-year TV deal with BSkyB was worth in excess of $400 million, the Indian board's own deals even more. They should be awash with cash.

Associates cannot attract funding worth even 5% of that as they play precious few big matches, a fact not helped by the continuing reluctance of most Full Members to play them. The big boys prefer to pack their schedules with ever longer one-day series against the same old - more lucrative - opposition. Television and sponsorship deals for Associates, if they ever get them, are for peanuts.

Cozier also argues that the Intercontinental Cup is not worthwhile as sides cannot always field their full sides as players cannot get time off work. It is a problem, and one everyone is aware of. But that ignores the fact that the bulk of players are prepared to make remarkable sacrifices to represent their countries. With more funding, and not with less, those players can be rewarded for their cricket skills and so availability will improve. As an aside, it is worth remembering West Indies couldn't find 15 players to represent their A team in Zimbabwe last July.

To argue that the woes of the West Indies could be cured by diverting cash from Associates to the Caribbean simply doesn't add up. Those who have witnessed the antics of a succession of West Indies boards might counter that to pour money into the region would be akin to chucking it onto a bonfire. In the last decade the WICB has run up debts running into tens of millions of dollars. It has failed to handle sponsors or players remotely adequately and needed the income from a (poorly run) World Cup to bail it out. That the game in the Caribbean is in need of help is beyond question. But it is in even more need of some broad-minded and competent leadership. Julian Hunte, the new WICB chairman, might be such a man but he has a daunting job ahead of him.

This is not a call for more money to be poured into Associate cricket, but there has to be some kind of reality check before those looking to establish and build the game are asked to tighten their belts even more because a Full Member is down to its last few dozen administrators.

Tony Cozier, the veteran Caribbean journalist and broadcaster, has launched a scathing attack on the way the ICC funds global cricket outside the Test-playing countries.

Writing in his column which is syndicated throughout the Caribbean, Cozier was angry at the way that established regions, such as West Indies, were not allocated more money instead of so much being spent by the ICC on Associate competitions.

“Certainly there is no ICC venture more illogical or costly than the one dubbed the Inter-Continental Cup,” he wrote. “It is an annual tournament, described by the ICC as its ‘flagship first-class competition’, comprising round-robin, four-day matches between its second tier members, those one below Test status. These are countries where the game has always been based on amateur, weekend, one-day club cricket. They play no four-day domestic matches and almost certainly never will.

“Yet the ICC doles out heaven knows how much cash every year to fly them, and their own entourage of officials, across the world and to house and feed them at venues as scattered as Aberdeen, Dublin, Namibia, Toronto, Sharjah and Windhoek.

“Canada were unable to raise their strongest team for the African tour because many of their best players simply could not get time off from their jobs. The same problem affects others, rendering the tournament even less relevant.”

The ICC maintains that the competition enables players from Associate countries to gain more experience in the longer form of the game.

The ICC Europe Cricket Committee (ECC) have confirmed Ireland as the host for next year's European Division One Championship.

They lasted hosted the tournament in 2002 when 12 teams participated. In the past five years, however, six more countries have joined including Europe's four High Performance Program countries: Denmark, Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands. Norway - who won Division Two in 2006 - also join Italy.

The previous championship, hosted by Scotland in 2006, crowned Ireland as the European Champions and 2008's event will also feature three official one-dayers.

Meanwhile it was also confirmed that Guernsey will host the Division Two Championship in August, a six-team tournament which includes France, Germany, Gibraltar and Jersey. The sixth place will be decided later this year when Croatia meet Israel on November 18.

Cricket Scotland has announced a 15-man squad to take part in September's Twenty20 World Championship in South Africa.

"I know that this bunch of cricketers will give everything they've got to make an impression," Ryan Watson, Scotland's captain, said. "We have nothing to lose, and we have to play with that certainty in order to spring a surprise or two."

Roddy Smith, chief executive of Cricket Scotland, welcomed the opportunity for Scotland to play on the world stage and said, "The team showed in their very close loss to West Indies last month that they can compete very well against Full Members."

Scotland have two warm-up games arranged in South Africa prior to the tournament, against Bangladesh on September 8 and Zimbabwe on September 9.

Scotland squad Ryan Watson (capt), John Blain, Dougie Brown, Navdeep Poonia, Gordon Drummond, Gavin Hamilton, Majid Haq, Ross Lyons, Qasim Sheikh, Neil McCallum, Gregor Maiden, Dewald Nel, Colin Smith (wk), Fraser Watts, Craig Wright.

Who do you think should be Scotland's new coach? Let us know in the comments below

'I've never made any secret of the fact that coaching is the route I want to go down' © Getty Images

Craig Wright, the former Scotland captain, has ruled himself out of contention as Scotland's coach and the search to replace Peter Drinnen continues.

Wright missed last week's Quadrangular in Ireland, also involving Netherlands and West Indies, with an ankle injury. But in spite of being placed in charge of Scotland A's 2nd XI Championship match against Durham next week, Wright insists he is still too inexperienced to be considered.

"I'm definitely not interested and am not a contender," Wright told The Scotsman. "It makes sense for me to take the A team because I've worked with a lot of the players at under-age level and this is the next stage.

"I've never made any secret of the fact that coaching is the route I want to go down," added the 33-year-old. "But I need to learn my trade and gain experience."

Since Drinnen's departure, Andy Tennant and Peter Steindl have both been unofficially in charge of the side and will share the position until the end of the season.

Scotland’s preparations for the Twenty20 World Championships get underway with two matches in the coming week.

On Wednesday (July 18), they meet a Cricket Contacts XI at Falkland CC. The Contacts XI consists of Australians currently playing as professionals or amateurs in the Scottish leagues. The match is a charity one, in aid of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust and starts at 4pm at Scroggie Park ground in Falkland.

On Friday (July 20) they play the Grange in a match to help celebrate the clubs 175th anniversary. The match starts at 5pm and entrance is free.

Leave your thoughts about the latest crisis to hit Scottish cricket in the comments below

Drinnen will continue to coach the A team and Under-23s © Getty Images

Cricket Scotland yesterday took the widely-anticipated step of removing Peter Drinnen from his role as national coach, ensuring a fresh victory for player-power, as sparked by some of Scotland's senior internationalists.

Drinnen, the 39 year-old Australian who had only been in the post since the start of 2006 after replacing Englishman, Andy Moles - another victim of a behind-the-scenes putsch - told The Herald last week that he would battle to save his job and confirmed he was aware that a "small group" of his players had provoked dressing-room unrest, principally because they believed Drinnen was spending too much time with the Scotland "A" squad. Yet, remarkably in the circumstances, Cricket Scotland issued a statement yesterday, announcing that "caretaker coaches" - namely Andy Tennant and Peter Steindl - would be in charge of the national side until the end of the Twenty20 World Championship in September, whilst Drinnen would continue to "deliver his remit" with the A team and the Under-23s.

In short, by their own admission, the man who isn't deemed good enough to coach Ryan Watson's personnel, is being allowed to nurture the next generation, the individuals who will be involved, hopefully, when the Scots participate at the 2011 World Cup. It is a dreadful fudge, a crisis which need never have happened had Cricket Scotland shown some firm governance when news of the player revolt initially surfaced, but just as in Moles' case, the governing body has slammed the stable door a fortnight too late.

Amid the row, few people emerge with any credit, beyond Drinnen, who has been badly let down by a few under-achieving performers, apparently dwelling under the misapprehension that Scotland's woeful displays for much of 2007 have nothing to do with them. So too, Roddy Smith, the chief executive of CS, has hardly impressed with his leadership qualities and lack of openness about the crisis even as it unfolded, with players spilling their guts in public, without having the courage to go on the record.

"We would like to take the opportunity to thank Peter for his work with the senior team over the last 18 months, which culminated in the team's excellent performance at the World Cricket League," said Smith in a press release, issued at 4.01pm, beyond which he refused to elaborate.

It is a dreadful fudge, a crisis which need never have happened had Cricket Scotland shown some firm governance when news of the player revolt initially surfaced, but just as in Moles' case, the governing body has slammed the stable door a fortnight too late

"However, given Peter's wider remit, it is felt that a change of personnel is required with the national team as we look forward to the Twenty20 World Championship [and] a full fixture list in 2009. The A team has developed under Peter's guidance and already three or four members have made the breakthrough to the national side." Interestingly, this is the same number as the alleged party of malcontents who have effectively engineered Drinnen's removal.

There was the usual waffle from Smith about his "gratitude" to Drinnen for his "hard work", but nary a word about the poisonous atmosphere which explains why five coaches have come and gone in the last six years. As things stand, Warwickshire's Dougie Brown, a consummate professional and a proud, passionate Scot, is being touted to pick up the reins later this year, but one wonders whether, in the present climate, he would touch it with a bargepole.

Scotland's World Cup cricket captain, Craig Wright, has voiced his fear that the sport has hit a "glass ceiling" in his homeland and that, barring some significant new investment for the leading players, he could foresee the Scots starting to slip back down the international ladder, a scenario which Wright described as a "disaster".

n the past five years, Scotland have climbed to 12th in the ICC rankings, while winning the Intercontinental Cup and the ICC Trophy, and coming second in the inaugural World Cricket League in Kenya four months ago. However, Cricket Scotland chief executive, Roddy Smith, admitted yesterday there was no immediate prospect of his organisation being able to fund professional or even semi-professional contracts - "there simply isn't enough money to support it" - which left the normally buoyant Wright issuing a gloomy prognosis for Scottish cricket.

"I don't believe we can realistically expect to go any higher in the rankings without extra funding and, if anything, the situation is growing more critical, because we have an ever-expanding fixture schedule - which is good in one sense - which means that the guys simply can't get time off work," said Wright. "One of the potential outcomes of this is that the top guys may have to pick and choose their games, meaning that we will struggle to keep up with the likes of Bangladesh and Kenya [both of whom have or are sorting out pro contracts), and it becomes a vicious circle, with us not being as competitive, from where fans don't come to watch, and sponsors get turned off.

"There is no longer any point in ducking the issue, but we seem to be banging our heads off a brick wall at the moment, which is terrifically frustrating, considering how hard we have all worked. It's almost the case we have succeeded in spite of, not because of, the system, so what is going to happen next when we have hit the glass ceiling? Logically, you have to accept there is the threat of going backwards, which would be devastating."

Wright's words were delivered, prior to the ICC's meeting in London next week, where it's expected that the governing body will be urged to offer greater support to the emerging nations in advance of the next World Cup in 2011. "I am convinced that, for a relatively small amount of money, we could take substantial strides forward and we have to make that case to the ICC," said Wright, whose compatriots tackle Pakistan in Edinburgh on July 1. "Obviously, we have to be quietly confident that we can spring a surprise in that game, but we have to strive for a level playing field, otherwise we may have gone as far as we can go."

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There is increasing concern that Scotland might be thrown out of England's domestic one-day competition due to their staging "offshore" tournaments which, the ECB say, "could dilute moneys coming into the game".

Scotland have organised an international between India and Pakistan in Glasgow on July 3, an event that hopes to raise £2.5m for the Princes Trust while celebrating the 60th anniversary of independence for both countries. However, the one-dayer is to be broadcast by Zee TV - not ESPN, who pay the ECB a sizeable amount of money to broadcast all England's international cricket to Asia. Consequently, Scotland's deal with Zee TV could weaken the ECB's next TV deal with ESPN.

"There is a serious concern that offshore matches could dilute moneys coming into the game in the long term," said David Collier, the ECB's chief executive, told the Daily Telegaph.

Ireland are in a similar situation. They face India and South Africa for two one-dayers in June, preceding a series of ODIs between the two nations. But this clashes with England matches on June 29 and July 1. Again, TV coverage is at the heart of the issue.

A spokesman from Cricket Scotland told Cricinfo that negotiations have been taking place for several months but they expect to reach a conclusion this week.

The draw for the second round of the Scottish Cup was made this morning on John Beattie’s Sports Weekly programme on BBC Radio Scotland:

West Lothian or bbh Stenhousemuir v Ferguslie

Arbroath United v NVT Poloc

Dunfermline or Edinburgh v Freuchie

Carlton or Prestwick v Stoneywood-Dyce or RH Corstorphine

Tunnocks Uddingston v Forfarshire

Watsonians or SMRH v Greenock

Greaves Clydesdale v Banks Development Renfrew or Ayr

West of Scotland v Grange or Weirs

The inaugural ICC European Twenty20 Challenge competition has been cancelled because three of the countries due to take part have announced they are playing ODIs in Belfast at the same time.

Europe's four ICC Associate Member High-Performance countries - Scotland, Ireland, Netherlands and Denmark - were set to compete in the championship, which was a new addition to the European tournament program for 2007. But Scotland, Ireland and Netherlands have taken on other commitments and that made the tournament impractical.

Richard Holdsworth, the ICC's regional development manager for Europe, said: "The recent announcement of an ODI series between India and South Africa in Belfast is fantastic news for the further promotion of the game in Ireland. It will provide additional world class cricket for the many followers in Ireland, but most importantly both of these ICC Full Members have agreed to play against Ireland.

"With additional ODIs soon to be announced for Scotland, Ireland and Netherlands against some Full Members, this exposure and experience is more important at this stage than Twenty20 cricket."

There was no chance of rearranging the event and so the ICC Europe was left with no choice but to cancel it. A spokesman said that it would "review the tournament schedule with a possibility of the competition being held in 2008 or 2009".

Holdsworth added: "We are deeply sorry to any supporters who may have already made arrangements to attend the Twenty20 event in Belfast, but hope they are able to reschedule plans and perhaps support their countries in key ODIs later in the summer."

The fixtures for the first half of the 2007-08 Intercontinental Cup have been released by the ICC.

The tournament undergoes a change of format once again, with the group stages scrapped and a round-robin system introduced. This will mean that the eight participants play seven matches after the two-year span of the competition.

The event kicks off on June 28 when Canada, who meet Ireland in the final of the 2006-07 tournament at Leicester between May 22 and 25, meet Netherlands in Toronto.

Scotland play back-to-back matches against Ireland and Netherlands at the start of August, while Bermuda will be in Europe to take on the same opponents at the end of the month.

The schedule shows that Bermuda are the busiest country in 2007 with four matches, all away from home. In addition to their European trip, they play Kenya in Nairobi at the start of November and from there go straight to the meet UAE.

Namibia, on the other hand, have only one game inked in, while Kenya have two.

Martin Williamson has written an article which highlights the pressures players for Associate countries face as they compete with the budgets of the Full Members.

In expanding the game, the ICC has, rightly, offered more matches to the Associates. On top of any ODIs they can persuade Full Member countries to give them, as well as tournaments they arrange among themselves, they participate in the Intercontinental Cup, the World Cricket League and the four-yearly ICC Trophy. But that expansion has not taken into account that the players remain amateur.

The flaw in the ICC's plan is that the increased demands have not been backed by additional funding. In the year ending April 30, 2007, Scotland were scheduled to play 46 days of cricket (including warm-ups for tournaments) as a national side; the numbers for the other Associates are similar - Bermuda 45, Canada 43, Ireland 42, Kenya 37, Netherlands 24. That does include time spent preparing, travelling and acclimatising.

The direct funding they receive for that from the ICC amounts to US$215,000, of which $125,000 is not actually handed over to the boards but is retained by the ICC and used to offset other costs, such as paying for coaches and hosting training camps. Compare that with the lowest-ranked Full Member, Zimbabwe, who will receive around US$10 million with no requirement to account for how it is spent. In the same period, they had 37 days cricket scheduled. That really puts into perspective Ireland's achievement in Jamaica.

	Going easy on the minnows? © Getty Images

Robert Craddock, writing in The Australian, thinks he knows why.

It is understood commentators have been told by Global Cricket Corp producers that it frowns on them denigrating the minnows. However, it is deemed acceptable for commentators to call an event a mismatch but not to say some of the nations do not deserve to be in the tournament.

Some commentators who agree with the directive and feel the minnows are a necessary part of global expansion are happy to abide by it. Others, who feel the tournament has been devalued by their presence, would rather speak their mind.

And Craddock concluded by saying that some of the players themselves are aware of the real picture.

The widespread feeling that the minnows are enjoying every moment of their matches against the big boys is wide of the mark. Several Dutch players privately conceded they feel embarrassed by their team's efforts.

Keep your eyes and ears open and see if what you are watching tallies with what you are being told.

Scotland have lost their warm-up game against a Barbados Select XI in a warm-up to the World Cup warm-ups next week. John Blain, Navdeep Poonia and Glenn Rogers all played for the opposition to give the squad a good run out.

Mike Stanger, a spokesman for the Scottish side, told PA Sport: "It was a warm-up for the warm-ups and it was good for the players to get a game in.

"There were some very good things and some not so good things to come out of the game but it was a training match.

"Obviously we are hoping to be on our mettle for the first of the official warm-ups against Sri Lanka and we expect to be.

"There were no injuries and 14 players played, as well as a 12th man."

Barbados batted first after a rain delay and all-rounder Majid Haq excelled with the ball, taking five for 37, while Wright chipped in with two for 41.

There was one wicket apiece for Dewald Nel and Dougie Brown but, with Paul Hoffmann and Ross Lyons each going wicketless and shipping over 50 runs, the final total of 296 looked a challenge.

SportingLife has the full story.

Deuchars IPA, part of Caledonian Brewery, will be Scotland's shirt sponsors for next month's World Cup in the Caribbean. Most of Scotland's players have full-time jobs (read Scotland's CEO talk about this) and two of them, Ryan Watson and Gavin Hamilton, work for Deuchars.

“There are two jobs that most men most would like to do," Gavin Hamilton said, "selling great beer and playing sport at the highest level. I get to do both. Cheers!”

More at the Morning Advertiser and Caledonian.

Peter Drinnen, the Scotland coach, is confident his side can take advantage of an Australia side whose confidence is on the wane.

"In the one day game anything can happen, and if we get it together we are going to be very dangerous, even against Australia," said the coach, himself an Australian. "We have a game plan and hopefully we can stick to it.

"Our preparation couldn't have gone much better and I'm really happy with what we've got going on. All 15 players are good cricketers and can all do a job.

"We don't fear anyone at this World Cup - the last month's fixtures in one day cricket all over the world have been interesting to say the least, and we won't be losing any sleep over playing the world champions. We aren't going to the Caribbean to play exhibition cricket.

"Yes, we will be massive underdogs in the most difficult group, but I'm confident we will justify our place with the elite, and who knows what we could do? Nobody is getting carried away here and we know we've got jobs to do and we will be giving it everything to cause a shock."

Read the full interview with Drinnen and Craig Wright, the Scotland captain, at the Scotsman.

Scotland have underlined their position at the top of the ICC Associate ODI rankings after good performances in the World Cricket League in Nairobi. Kenya, who beat Scotland in the final, are not included as they are part of the main rankings until 2009.

Scotland beta Netherlands, Canada and Ireland in the tournament, giving them a 69% win rate against other Associates, well clear of Netherlands in second place. Ireland ate third after a disappointing event, Canada are fourth and Bermuda fifth.

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

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

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.

Scotland's cricketers last night sent an SOS home for extra supplies of a special energy drink after going through a six-week supply in just over a fortnight.

Officials admit they were caught out by the fierce heat and humidity in Mombasa during the recent Tri-Series with Kenya and Canada.

Read the full story in The Herald

Martin Williamson looks at what message is being sent to the Associates by the ICC deciding to appoint Darrell Hair to officiate in their tournament ... and do the ICC even know where they stand.

So Darrell Hair has been appointed to stand in the triangular one-day series in Mombasa next week, the first time he will don the white coat since that gloomy Sunday afternoon at The Oval in August when his world turned on its head.

The announcement - which caught the ICC on the hop as it only intended to release the news on Sunday - caused, inevitably, a flurry of media comment. Some were surprised that Hair was still an umpire, so intense was the criticism of him between the Oval Test and the ICC's decision to bar him from standing in major matches which followed in November.

There are two sides to this. The first is that this is actually a really good move. Hair, for all his stubbornness, was, up to four months ago, one of the top officials in the game, a fact underlined by the ICC's own internal rankings which placed him second only to Simon Taufel. There is no doubt that in Kenya his presence will benefit sides who will for the first time play in a game with such a senior official.

Hair himself will receive a warm welcome. Mombasa Sports Club, which is the home ground of Samir Inamdar, Cricket Kenya's chairman, is a delightful venue and the people there go out of their way to make all visitors feel at home. A few overseas reporters may make their way to the coastal town, but by and large he should enjoy his trip.

But there have to be questions asked of senior ICC officials as to what has changed in the last two months? In November, Percy Sonn, the ICC's president who has a habit of speaking before necessarily thinking, said that the ICC executive board had "come to the conclusion that they've lost confidence in Mr Hair". While Malcolm Speed, the ICC chief executive, has always said he hoped to find a way to keep Hair in the game, he too admitted that the decision was right. Most of those close to the decision-making process left Dubai believing that Hair would not stand in any international match again.

As an umpire, Hair clearly is good enough. So why can he stand here and not in more important matches?
If Hair was not deemed fit by the ICC to umpire then - and the key here is that nobody questioned his decision-making ability - what has changed? The ICC have spent today vociferously stressing that the ban was for Full Member matches only. But surely, either he is fit or he is not.

Perhaps even they don't actually know what they agreed or the best way forward. When Sonn was asked at the November meeting to clarify details regarding Hair's future, he refused, and when pressed snapped at reporters: "You are free to leave if you want. We are not giving any more details." Perhaps Percy was not exactly on message, or perhaps he was as confused as the rest of us.

The Mombasa tournament involves three of the six leading Associates, all of whom will be playing in the World Cup. These are among the best of the rest, and the matches are accorded full ODI status by the ICC. In effect, there is a danger that people will interpret this as the ICC saying that they have no faith in Hair but that the Associates aren't really that important.

This is a unique situation. The ICC could argue with any other official - including Hair's two colleagues also standing in Mombasa - that they were not quite good enough to make the transition from this level to the Elite. But that's not an issue or an excuse here. As an umpire, Hair clearly is good enough. So why can he stand here and not in more important matches? As with every aspect of this sorry episode, the ICC has failed to be clear or transparent in its handling and once more we can expect more smokescreens and sidestepping.

And so, while the Associates ponder just how important they are to the ICC, Hair, who arrives in Mombasa on Monday, is left yet again to face the media on his own. It's something he has become used to in recent months.

Nick Deverell has a report at CricketEurope of a Rift Valley Sports Club Invitational XI beating Methlick CC, from Scotland.

	'I know I can do a job in the longer form of the game' © Scotland Cricket

Dougie Lockhart, the Scotland batsman who has been shunted up and down the order in recent years, will relaunch his international career this week when Scotland take on UAE in an Intercontinental Cup match at Sharjah.

What part Lockhart plays in proceedings remains to be seen for a player who, in recent seasons, has become the victim of his own versatility. The utility tag has not always worked to the advantage of the West of Scotland batsman/wicketkeeper to whom such alliterative obriquets as "Dedicated Dougie" and "Loyal Lockhart" have inevitably attached themselves.

Lockhart has responded to a string of disappointing omissions with commendable stoicism and, given a dearth of top-flight action of late, it is remarkable that he remains the country's third most-capped player with 135 international appearances.

Only skipper Craig Wright and Clydesdale all-rounder Greig Williamson have more, though Lockhart would surely be out on his own if a succession of selectors had recognised him for what he is - a solid opening batsman.

Instead, the former Oxford Blue has been shunted up and down the order in bewildering fashion, on occasion appearing only to retain his squad place on the strength of his alternative role as wicketkeeping understudy to Colin Smith.

The Sunday Herald has the full interview.

The Scotsman reports that Scotland’s cricketers set off on their longest-ever tour when they flew to Sharjah to prepare for a decisive Intercontinental Cup match against UAE.

Craig Wright's side will reach the final of the tournament they won two years ago if they defeat their Arab hosts in a four-day match starting a week today. To acclimatise, the Scots face a UAE Development XI over two days from Sunday, kicking off five weeks of almost continuous cricket ahead of their second World Cup appearance in the Caribbean in March.

Scotland C Wright (capt), J Blain, D Brown, G Hamilton, M Haq, P Hoffmann, D Lockhart, R Lyons, N McCallum, D Nel, N Poonia, G Rogers, C Smith, R Watson, F Watts.

Scotland’s wicketkeeper Colin Smith has told The Scotsman he could end a glittering career on a high by bowing out at the World Cup.

"I don't know what the future holds but it's getting harder to keep going. It's a huge commitment to maintain the fitness levels required these days for playing international cricket. When you have a career and a family to think about as well it's even more difficult.

"I'm making no decisions at this stage because we're about to embark on an intensive programme of matches. There is some crucial cricket to be played and I'll give it 100% but the World Cup might be my last big tournament for Scotland."

The announcement that the ICC is to expand the World Cricket League (WCL) to five divisions is great news for European Cricket.

The expansion will see a total of seven Associates and Affiliates from the Europe Region compete in the WCL. New additions Norway and Jersey are set to join the European top five teams who already compete in the competition.

Ireland, Netherlands and Scotland will participate in Division 1 in Kenya in January next year, and Denmark compete in Division 2 which is planned for Namibia in November 2007.

A change in venue for Division 3 moves the competition from the USA to Darwin, Australia in May/June 2007. Italy is grouped in Group B of this league alongside Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Hong Kong, whilst Group A is made up of USA, Uganda, Cayman Islands and Tanzania.

Elsewhere Norway and Jersey have been announced in the final three teams to be added into Division 5 alongside Singapore. Norway fall into Group A and will face Afghanistan, Nepal and Argentina. Jersey, granted entry into the league after finishing runners-up to Norway in the European Division 2 Championship in Glasgow this year, will compete in Group B against Singapore, Botswana and a country from the East Asia Pacific region.

The host nation is yet to be announced, but will be from amongst the participants and exact dates and venues will be released by the ICC in due course.

The news is great for the Jersey Cricket Board, whose senior cricketers thought their next chance of international competition would be in the European Championships in 2008.

Cricket Jersey’s Director of Cricket, Chris Minty, says that it will give his players something to focus on and work hard towards. “We have no idea what to expect, just as was the case when we competed in the European Division 2 in Glasgow in August this year. The team can only hope to play as well as they can and see what happens.”

The League expansion also gives the Division 5 countries a glimmer of hope in qualifying for the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup. The top two teams from Division 5 will gain promotion to Division 4, to be held later in 2008, and the top two from that competition then progress to Division 3 in 2009. The winner and runner-up of Division 3 then qualify for the ICC World Cup Qualifier, which could result in qualification into the 2011 Cricket World Cup.

This provides Affiliate and Associate countries with a pathway through from competing in the lowest division of the World Cricket League right the way up to the dizzy heights of playing in the World Cup.

Susan Lowrey European Cricket Council

According to CricketEurope, the ICC will expand the World Cricket League to five divisions:

The leading five European nations have already won places in the first three divisions: World Cup qualifiers Ireland, The Netherlands and Scotland in Division 1 (which will take place in Kenya in January-February next year), Denmark in Division 2 (planned for Namibia in November 2007), and Italy in Division 3 (planned to take place in the USA in summer 2007).

But with an eight-team Division 5 tournament now planned for the first half of 2008, five places in which are assigned to the next ranked country in each region, Norway are guaranteed a slot, along with Afghanistan, Argentina, Botswana and the Cook Islands.

The three remaining places will be allocated by the ICC Development Committee when it meets in December, and those allocations will be based on the rankings of the next group of countries. This means that Jersey, runners-up to Norway in this year’s European Second Division tournament, and possibly even Germany, who finished third, will be competing with The Bahamas, Panama, Nepal, Singapore, Mozambique, Zambia and Japan for those last three positions.

Read the full story at cricketeurope.net

The European Cricket Council's European Cricket Championships, which are being held in Scotland, are the first to be organised under the auspices of the International Cricket Council’s World Cricket League.

The tournament will feature 13 countries in two divisions playing 30 matches in seven days at 12 west of Scotland grounds, starting on Thursday (August 3).

The Division 1 sides - Scotland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Denmark and Italy - will play a round-robin tournament, from which there is no relegation. The three matches involving the first three named teams are deemed by the International Cricket Council as official One-Day Internationals, and will be played at Ayr Cricket Club, where ground facilities have been upgraded with support from South Ayrshire Council.

Scotland’s other two matches will be played at New Anniesland (against Denmark) and Hamilton Crescent (against Italy).

Division 2 consists of eight teams - France, Germany, Gibraltar, Guernsey, Hellas (Greece), Israel, Jersey and Norway - who will play in two initial pools of four, followed by crossover semi-finals and four ranking finals - and one team will be promoted to the first division in two years’ time. The facilities at all grounds have been equipped with additional weather protection and other enhancements, thanks to a range of local authority grants and commercial support.

A huge bonus is available for the Division 2 teams, with the winners not only promoted to the European Division 1 in 2008, but also a place in the new ICC World Cricket League Division 5 in 2007-08. This team will receive $20,000 towards preparation of that event, the venue of which is still to be decided.

Scottish umpires were reportedly disgusted after Saleem Sajjadm, who admitted verbally and physically attacking umpire Vic Hadcroft in a league match, escaped with a ban until the end of the season. Many had been demanding a life ban for Sajjadm.

Umpire training officer Jim Connell insisted the sentence had been a cop-out. He declared: "We have been let down badly - but, sadly, this is what I expected to happen, knowing who were making the decision. Sajjad's actions were not a spur-of-the-moment thing, they were pre-meditated. He was angry after being given out - but it was almost 15 minutes later when he re-entered the field of play to confront Vic.”

Click here for a full report from The Scotsman.

Ross Lyons is interviewed by Simon Buckland in the Sunday Times. Lyons, a left-arm spinner, is being touted as a major prospect for Scotland - and not just because of his Kevin Pietersen-like hair:

He will also be part of Scotland’s 14-man squad for the opening Cheltenham and Gloucester Trophy ties later this month. “Before all this, without being negative, I never thought I’d get the chance, I didn’t think I was good enough,” he admits. “I’m starting to change my mind about that now.”

The ramifications of the departure of
Andy Moles as Scotland’s coach continue to rumble on, with a report in the Scotsman on Sunday claiming that he was sacked rather than resigned, as Cricket Scotland’s media department maintain.

Following the blandest of media releases on Friday, no-one at Cricket Scotland appears to have been able to give a firm reason for Moles’s departure and few seem to believe that it was of his volition.

But the article by William Dick indicates that it might not have been because of player unrest, as most reports have suggested. “It has emerged that there were concerns about various aspects of the coach's performance from early in his reign, begging the question why it took bosses so long to act.”

Six months ago to the day, coach Andy Moles guided Scotland to the ICC Trophy - and into the 2007 World Cup - and was rewarded with a two-year extension to his contract. Today, he resigned to spend more time with his family, according to a bland media release from Cricket Scotland. That disguised a far more tawdry reality, namely that a few of Scotland' senior players appear to have clashed with Moles, and the board has backed them rather than him.

With a lack of high-profile sponsors and serious questions over some players' fitness, Scotland go into one of their biggest years in some thing of a mess.