Kenya A Kick Off Danish Tour Today

Kenya A were due to arrive in Denmark yesterday and are scheduled to play their first tour match today against Herning CC. Herning are a first division side, and though one of the stronger teams in that division, this match should provide a winning start for the visitors. Amit Bhudia, who plays for Herning will be linking up with the squad, and his local knowledge and batting ability should help strengthen the side.

.

This tour, which includes six matches over 12 days, including two against the Danish national team, is the last chance for Kenya's youngsters to stake a claim for a place in the national team before the three ODIs against Bangladesh. After the rather disappointing batting performance in the Atul Shah tournament, selectors will be hoping that someone steps up with the bat other than captain Brijal Patel. It would be especially nice to see a couple of the younger players go on from making starts to making big scores - Mishra and Muange especially would do their selection chances a lot of good if they can stamp their authority on the Danish bowling.

.

It will be interesting to see how the youngsters cope with the tough schedule of the tour and different playing conditions. However they go, it will certainly be invaluable experience for all the players. All the best to the team, and I look forward to more red in the results section of the fixture list.

Rift Valley Hold Elections

Representatives from active cricket clubs met with other stakeholders yesterday to elect office bearers for the Rift Valley Cricket Association. The elections, which were attended by the Vice Chairman and CEO of Cricket Kenya, mark a significant step forward in cricket administration in the country. Under the old KCA regime, the province had floundered after the sport's governing body allegedly installed their own 'yes-men' in order to gain votes at a national level. Cricket development was not a priority, and a potentially rich source of talent was allowed to go to waste.

Cricket Kenya have made it clear from the start that they intend to do things correctly, and this starts with the elections in those administrative bodies set up by the KCA. Voting for the offices was carried out by people in the region who play cricket and who care about its future. Those elected now have a mandate to go out there and promote the game and strengthen Rift Valley as a player base. It is a huge task ahead, and there will no doubt be times when the RVCA feel like they are fighting an uphill battle. It is also a huge opportunity, and they must remember this when times get tough. The Rift Valley Province covers a huge area, and there are potentially many different elements that could make up the cricket fraternity in the region. The new RVCA must work to bring these people together, to spread the game equally and fairly and ensure that above all, the youth in the area are exposed to this great game. Kenya will be watching to see how they go about this, and we look forward to seeing the results in the future.

.

The following were elected:
Chairman - Mr Martin Bentley
Vice Chairman - Mr Jayesh Shah
Secretary - Mr Shailesh
Treasurer - Mr Jayen Dodhia
Fixture Secretary - Mr Gurdeep Jutley
Two Members - Mr Pascal Mbeche and Mr Jotham Owili

.

Congratulations to the new body, and all the best for the hard work ahead.

The Case For An Associate Test Team

The next few months are a busy time for the leading Associate members. All are in action either against each other or against Full member sides, and it is great to see.
With the top six nations from the ICC Trophy qualifying for the World Cup, and the Intercontinental Cup becoming a full round-robin affair from next year, things are definitely looking up for cricket in non-Test playing countries. Is it far enough though?
.
Despite Ireland's increased international commitments, we have still recently seen Ed Joyce snapped up by England because Ireland could not offer him the chance to play at the game's highest level. This weakens not only Ireland who lose him for the World Cup and other matches, but also the other Associates who now lose the chance to play against a top class player. I believe there is a way for the ICC to not only prevent this from happening again, but further boost the spread of cricket around the World.
.
While almost all of the Associates have 'achieving Test status' as a stated goal, the reality is that it will be quite a while before this becomes a reality. Full member nations are concerned with both the purported lack of quality and the potential of player burn out. Until Bangladesh start to win Tests regularly, it is exceedingly unlikely we will see another country elevated to that status.
.
To me the most obvious way to get around all these issues is to include a Combined Associate (include Zimbabwe) side as the 10th Test team. Associate players are already gaining experience of the longer form of the game in the Intercontinental Cup (which should again include Zimbabwe), and performance in this would be the basis for team selection. Coached by an ICC appointed staff, the team would rotate 'Home' matches between the Associate nations to fit in with the FTP and global weather patterns/seasons.
.
The benefits would be as follows:

.
- The best players from the Associates would have the opportunity to play Test cricket. It is a crime that players such as Steve Tikolo currently do not have that opportunity and it would make it much less likely for players to defect to a Full member if they did. It would keep the best players playing for their countries and thus maintain the overall standard of Associate cricket.
- In addition, the players with Test experience would almost certainly improve the standard of play in their domestic leagues giving an extra boost to measures already in place.
- It would negate the two main arguments against another Test side: lack of quality opposition and player burnout. Chosen on performance in the Intercontinental Cup, I have little doubt a team like this would be competitive, and they would be able to fit right in to the FTP in place of Zimbabwe's current fixtures.
- It provides Associate groundsmen with the experience and, aided by the ICC, know-how to produce Test wickets. Organisers get the experience of putting on a Test match.
- Associates get to host Test matches giving cricket in their regions a huge boost in terms of both publicity and revenue.
- Infrastructure would have to be improved for the Tests thus aiding cricket development (ICC would need to assist in this).
- It would provide a showcase of the best Associate talent available, and aid in getting players county/state contracts in Test countries.

- It would finally bridge the unnecessary gap between Associates and Test nations.
- It still leaves the door open for a country to achieve Test status on its own once it is ready, only this time it would already include players with Test experience.
.
For a sport to work on the global stage there must be a level playing field. All players must have equal opportunity to play at the elite level, and currently this is not the case in cricket. So far, the ICC have done well in spreading the game, but they must look at taking the final step to ensure the gains that have been made so far, and that will be made over the next year are not lost.

ICC Regional Development Manager Makes The Rounds

The photo shows(Left to Right): Subhash Modi (Former Chairman KCU&SA), Abdul Sattar Moughal(Chairman - KCU&SA and also the Sports Secretary of Sir Ali Muslim Club) Hoosain Ayob (International Cricket Council(ICC) Regional Development Manager for Africa)Ahmed Aftab (Chairman-Sir Ali Muslim Club), and Bhaudin Khares(Vice Chairman, Sir Ali Muslim Club).
Hoosain Ayob was in Kenya recently on an official cricketing tour during which he met various stakeholders including officials from Cricket Kenya and the NPCA. This photo was taken at Sir Ali Muslim Club where he met the Chairman and officials of the club as well as the chairman and the former chairman of Kenya Cricket Umpires and Scorers Association.

.

My apologies for the delays in posting this - there was a slight technical hitch caused by my incompetence.

Modi Returns, Clegg Gets Another 50.

Overseas Weekly Roundup.

Great news for fans of Kenya cricket: Hitesh Modi is not only back in action for his club Chesham, but is still seeing the ball well, despite his injury induced abscence. Hitesh injured his finger in Kenya's drawn Intercontinental Cup match against Holland back in March, and has been forced to sit out since, while recovering from an operation to get things mended. Coming in at number 7 for Chesham, Hitesh struck a quickfire 35 off 26 including two fours and two sixes to help his side to a 62 run victory over league rivals Cove. Showing that he is fully healed, Modi also took 1/18 off 4 overs with the ball.

His return to cricket will be welcome news for Kenyan selectors who will no doubt be looking to get him back to Kenya for the Bangladesh series. Modi, who bats left handed, says he is happy to be back playing again, and has expressed his desire to return to the national side for the three match series in July.

.

Chosen to represent an MCC side to Holland starting on June 25th, Hitesh will have plenty of cricket to get him in shape before the Bangladesh series. All that remains to be seen is whether Cricket Kenya can afford to fly him back. He sadly missed the Zimbabwe tour earlier this year as they could not raise the funds. There is an appeal on the Chesham site in relation to this, and I urge anyone able to help to get in contact. As Inamdar says in his letter 'Hitesh is an integral part of the Kenya National Cricket Team.' We certainly will need him if Kenya are to have a chance of upsetting the Tigers.

.

In Leeds, James Clegg continues his good run of form with the bat for Fairburn. Once again, he made a half century for his club, but was unable to prevent them from slumping to an 84 run loss to Nostell in the Leeds West Riding League. This is now Clegg's third consecutive fifty at club level, and must keep him in with a chance of another call up to the league team.

.

In Denmark, Amit Bhudia will be awaiting the arrival of the Kenya A team for their tour of the country. His side, Herning, did not play this weekend, but are scheduled to be the first to play Kenya A when they arrive. The match is scheduled for June 24 and will give Amit the perfect opportunity to exploit his local knowledge for the visitors.

Harper to Meet Other Associate Coaches

Kenya coach Roger Harper is off to Scotland this week for a 2 day conference with the coaches of the other 5 top Associate countries. The meeting is part of the ICC's High Performance Program, and will be held in Glasgow on Wednesday and Thursday, 21 & 22 June. According to the ICC media release, the meeting will focus on topics including teamwork, sports science and other support services, fitness, skill development, match tactics, specialist coaching and match analysis.
Also attending will be Bangladesh coach Dav Whatmore who will be able to draw on his experience both with Bangladesh, and World Cup winners Sri Lanka in 1996 to give advice.
Richard Done, the HP manager, explained the purpose of the gathering: "Although each of the countries and coaches have their own individual priorities, together they share a common goal which is the improvement of Associate cricket...
...Our belief is that by bringing the experience of these coaches together they can learn from each other's approaches and ensure they are well prepared for what lies ahead over the next nine months."
.
This is a very positive step by the ICC, and no doubt all the coaches present will benefit. It also paves the way for further cooperation between the six Associates. It is my view that currently, the six are not doing enough to support each other in terms of matches. Mostly, the only matches scheduled between the Associates are built around the Intercontinental Cup, and the odd one-off ODI. There is as yet little competition between them at U19 and A levels, and this is an area that could definitely be of great help to improving the standards of the senior teams. For example, an opportunity is I feel being missed for Kenya A to take on one of the A teams from Ireland, Scotland or Holland as part of their Denmark tour. All the above takes money and organisation, but if the ICC is really serious about spreading the game, they would be able to come to the party on this. It would also have been good to see not only the head coach, but an assistant from each of the countries included as well. Still, it is a positive step, and it will be interesting to see what comes of it.
.
There is good news in the release about youth development with a Winter training camp for the leading Associate players has penciled in for October and November before the World Cricket League Division One takes places in Kenya in the run-up to the ICC Cricket World Cup in March 2007.

Eldoret Forfeit To Naivasha

Sadly, this weekend's Akshar League match was declared a forfeit by league leaders Eldoret. Missing almost all of their players overseas, Eldoret had little choice but to cede the game to Naivasha who take home a very easy 12 points. Though Eldoret remain top, this now really opens up the competition for the other teams vying for a spot in the final. Both Akshar A and Kericho are now within touch of Eldoret with a game in hand.

.

Akshar League Standings After 11 Games:

.

TEAM..........Played......Won.....Lost.....Bat.....Bowl.....Win.....Total
ELDORET.......4..............3...........1.........5..........12.........36.........53
AKSHAR.A.....3..............2...........1.........9..........12.........24.........45
KERICHO.......3..............2...........1.........9..........11..........24........44
NAIVASHA....3..............2...........1.........2...........7..........24.........33
AKSHAR.B.....4..............1...........3........11..........10.........12..........33
VOC................4..............1...........3.........2..........12..........12.........26
DIAMOND.....3..............1...........2.........3..........10..........12.........25

Jogesh Blasts Depleted Akshar A To Victory

Last weekend saw Akshar A take on their B side in one of the tournament's highest scoring matches. Beset by injuries and absentees, Akshar A could field only 9 players, but were still able to put up a more than creditable performance with both bat and ball. Winning the toss, Jogesh opted to bat, and then went on to play one of the innings of the tournament so far. Supported by Divyang (26) and Sachin (25), he put on 88 of Akshar A's 200 runs - a fine effort.
.
Akshar B put up a spirited fight in reply, led by 41 from Viral and 34 from Samrat. Despite having two more players that Akshar A though, they still fell 19 runs short at the end.
.
AKSHAR A INNINGS:
Pragnesh……....Bowled……..Ramesh….02
Divyang……...…Bowled……..Ramesh….26
Jogesh……….....Ct..Sunil…….Ravi………88
Pardip………....Ct..Viral……..Ravi………09
Sachin………....St..Rakesh….Sunil……..25
Dilip…………....Bowled……...Samrat…...01
Deval…………...Ct..&.B……....Sunil.…….14
Ghanshyam….Ct..Kalpesh…Sunil……..00
Dipesh………....Not out…..………………..00
Extras…………………….........………………..35
TOTAL.All.out.(9 players)…...............200
.
AKSHAR B INNINGS:
Jaimin………Bowled………Ghanshyam…...11
Viral………..Ct..Ghanshaym…Pragnesh….41
Sunil………...Ct..&..B……………Dilip……….00
Ramesh…….Bowled…………Sachin…....…..13
Samrat……..Ct..Sachin……..Pragnesh..….34
Vipul………..Ct..Divyang………Jogesh…....04
Kalpesh…….Ct..Ghanshyam…Sachin……02
Raju………….Run Out…….....………………...18
Ravi………….Bowled….……Ghanshyam.…07
Rakesh……...St..Pardip….…..Deval……....22
Shailesh…….Not Out…………....……………07
Extras……………………………........…………..22
TOTAL.All.Out…………....…………………...181
.
Akshar A win by 19 runs.
.
Points:
Akshar A: Batting 4, Bowling 4, Win 12, Total: 20
Akshar B: Batting 4, Bowling 3, Total 7.

Confirmation of A side to tour Denmark

Cricket Kenya have confirmed the A squad that will be touring Denmark. Unfortunately, there seems to be no space for either of the promising spinners from the coast. This could be due to a variety of reasons, not least that time was very limited in which to get visas organised and change travel arrangements. Hopefully they will get their chance to at least train with the national squad in the lead up to the Bangladesh matches.

.

Brijal Patel is retained as captain, no surprise after his almost solo efforts with the bat in Mombasa. Kenya will be looking for him to lead from the front again and show his younger teammates what is required. He is joined by:

Nehemiah Odhiambo Ngoche, who will be looking to increase his wicket tally and match experience. On the whole, he bowled well in the Atul Shah tournament, and should travel with confidence. His bowling partners will be Alfred Luseno, Rajesh Bhudia, Hiren Variaya, Jadavji Lakshman Bhimji and Ashish Karia. Most have performed credibly so far this year, and in terms of the future, at least the bowling spots will have plenty of players competing for places. At least one of the bowlers on tour, possibly more will be required to make the step up to the national team soon, possibly even against Bangladesh. This will be a great opportunity for someone to put their hand up for such an honour.

.

So far, the area that has been letting Kenya down at all levels has been the batting. This was especially noticeable in the Atul Shah Tournament when most batsmen struggled, especially against spin. Tanmay Mishra, who played well against Bangladesh needs to use this tour to get back into form before he meets them again next month. Timothy Muange, like Brijal Patel, came out of the Atul Shah Tournament with some dignity intact. He had two decent starts, and needs now to take his performance up to the next level. Jadavji Jeshani showed a glimpse of why the selectors chose him in Kenya A's first match, then got progressively worse as the tournament wore on, while Malhar Patel and Alex Obanda were frankly very disappointing. These three players retain their places in the side, but one really feels it is time they stepped up and repaid the selectors faith. Hopefully this tour will give them the platform to do just that and rekindle some confidence. Hafeez Manji and Amit Bhudia (already in Denmark) round out the players who will take on the Danes. For Amit, this will be a chance to use his local knowledge to advantage and show the Kenyan selectors that he is worth more than just a place in the A team. He has not had the best of starts to the season so far, but all that will be forgotten if he performs well in the coming matches. Hafeez is one of the junior members of the squad - I believe he is still at school, but he has already shown some of his potential in domestic games. This will be a great chance for him to really showcase his talent without pressure, as he still has plenty of time on his side. Alfred Njuguna travels as Coach, while Subhash Devani as Manager completes the contingent.