2008 Under-19 World Cup: Discussion, Predictions & Scores
The qualifiers are done and dusted and the warm-ups have come and gone. Now at last, the real action is upon us.
What can we expect from the associates? Which players will reveal themselves as world class prospects? Can an associate nation make it through to the top eight?
In previous tournaments, Nepal have flown the associate flag and earned the giant killer reputation. Ireland were highly competitive in 2006. The others have had their moments without ever threatening the dominance of the full members.
Should we expect a little more success in 2008? Ireland, Malaysia, Namibia, Papua New Guinea and Nepal all have large junior development programs. Bermuda’s is smaller but has apparently expanded since the senior side qualified for the 2007 world Cup.
Unfortunately, the Bermudians have suffered from player withdrawals pre-tournament. Stefan Kelly, the promising all-rounder has decided to continue studying in England. Lamar Richardson then pulled out with a wrist injury and now it appears that Kevon Fubler will not be taking his place in the squad.
This has put a lot of pressure on a team that was already firm favourites for the wooden spoon. Perhaps, it might be expecting too much for Bermuda to cause an upset against England, Bangladesh or Ireland but they must set themselves to be competitive. In Malachi Jones, they have a player capable of matching the best with bat or ball.
Captain Rodney Trott 
has first class experience and is a promising off spin bowler and middle order batsman. Left arm seamer Jordan de Silva 
impressed in the warm-up games and Terryn Fray 
scored 158 runs at 39.50 in the Americas qualifiers. Hopefully a number of Bermudian players can show that they are world class and capable of adding depth to a senior squad badly in need of rejuvenation.
The Malaysian Cricket Association have to be congratulated for giving their side a rigorous program of warm-up matches against a variety of highly rated opponents, including full member under-19 sides and a PNG/EAP u/19/Development XI.
While it might be said that the Malaysians were generally beaten soundly, the experience has hardened this group into a tougher, more battle ready unit. The home conditions will be a massive advantage. The weather and the pitches should be to their liking. They have been drawn in a tough group. New Zealand and Pakistan look to have very strong squads this time and Zimbabwe are usually solid at this level. 
Captain Ahmed Faiz is a very consistent batsman. He should be well supported by the talented all-rounder Aminuddin Ramly 
and Faizal Abu Hassan, who scored 63 against PNG in the warm-ups.
The side will place a lot of faith in spin. It will be interesting to see how effective spinners Sharulnizam Yusof, Saravan Raj, Suharril Fetri and Nik Azril Arifin 
will be on these pitches.
Papua New Guinea is a cricketing country on the up. A number of these players have benefited from time spent at Cricket Australia’s Centre of Excellence, where they underwent specialist coaching and played the Malaysian under-19 side in a three match series, winning 2-1.
The Papuans are in the group of pain with India, South Africa and the West Indies as their opponents. An upset is unlikely. Still, the key here will be identifying four or five players that can go on to the next level. Centre of Excellence pace bowlers Willie Gavera and Jacob Mado and national senior team opening bowler 
Loa Nou are capable of getting early wickets. Colin Amini 
is a very good off spin bowler and useful middle to late order batsman and younger brother Charles is a promising leg break exponent.
Tony Ura is the side’s standout batsman while Heni Siaka, who scored 81 against Ireland in the warm-ups and wicketkeeper batsman Arua Dikana, will be expected to provide good support.
Ireland are grouped with Bermuda, Bangladesh and England. They have a very powerful batting line-up with Chris Dougherty, Paul Stirling 
Ben Ackland, James Hall and James Shannon 
all top prospects.
The bowling is workmanlike rather than explosive. Captain Greg Thompson is a very good leg break bowler to compliment his excellent batting while Richard Keaveney and Gavin McKenna 
are the key medium pacers.
Ireland will have high hopes of making it through to the quarter finals but it will be very tough.
Nepal have given associate cricket supporters a lot of joy at under-19 World Cups in the past. Early indication were that this squad was perhaps 10 percent down from previous years but their form is warm-up matches should give their supporters the confidence to believe that a quarter final is not out of the question.
They are lead by outstanding all-rounder Paras Khadka 
who is capable of winning a game with bat or ball. Gyanendra Malla 
is one of the most talented batsmen at the tournament and Mahesh Chhetri and Rom Shrestha are reliable run makers also. Amrit Bhattarai will lead the bowling attack.
Look out for Sagar Khadka 
an outstanding 14 year old all-rounder.
It is hard to believe that at some stage in this tournament Namibia’s highly thought of batting line-up won’t fire. Dawid Botha 
has already scored two first class hundreds. LP van der Westhuizen, Sean Silver 
Raymond van Schoor and Keady Strauss are also fine talents. Wicketkeeper Ewald Steenkamp is another who should score consistently.
Morne Engelbrecht, Elandre Oosthuizen 
who took 11 wickets at 11.88 in the African qualifiers and Ashley van Rooi will look to get early breakthroughs.
Please let me know who you think will be the stars of the tournament and which associate teams might cause a surprise. Any news that comes through, including the scores, will be posted here.
Photos copyright ICC
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Global Cricket
I thought it was about time I started my own blog. I have followed associate and affiliate cricket since 1998. Tony Munro’s BTTW column was a great inspiration. Global Cricket will specifically focus on the non-test playing cricket nations of the world. At present there are 91 countries that have associate or affiliate membership of The International Cricket Council. Most of these nations aspire to play at the highest level. How are they bridging the gap in standards? Do they have good facilities, strong development programs and sound administrative practices in place? There is a need for cricket to embrace a more diverse cultural outlook if it is to prosper in the future. The ICC’s global development program was first initiated in 1997 and began to really take shape after the 2001 ICC Trophy in Toronto, Canada. Although a new cricketing powerhouse is yet to emerge, it is clear that standards are improving dramatically and in time more nations will be able to compete with the 10 full members. I will be featuring newspaper articles of interest, opinion pieces and articles written by myself and some ideas about expanding the game. Please feel free to comment.-Ben Stinga
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Recent Comments
Here is a nice feature about the PNG squad from George Binoy at Cricinfo
Having read George’s article, I am left thinking, why doesn’t Australia help PNG more?
Sure, I know many of their players are exposed to top level coaching at Cricket Australia’s centre of excellence and more still play in the EAP team that takes part in the Australian Country Championships.
A handful are now playing club cricket in Australia also.
But!
Australia has to help their nearest neighbour develop turf pitches, improve facilities and provide more equipment.
I think Cricket Australia should also invite PNG to compete in the KFC domestic 20/20 competition, with the possibility of allowing them to play in the 50 over Ford Ranger Cup within 3 to 5 years.
ICC Under-19 World Cup Day 1
A very poor day for all four associate sides.
England 110-0 d Ireland 109
Australia 312 d Namibia 163
India 280-5 d Papua New Guinea 85
Pakistan 76-2 d Malaysia 75
The day’s best performers
1. Dawid Botha (Namibia) 56 v Australia
2. Ashley van Rooi (Namibia) 5-0-3-25 v Australia
3. Pikky ya France (Namibia) 5-0-3-31 v Australia
4. LP van der Westhuizen (Namibia) 48 & 7-0-0-27 v Australia
5. Jason Kila (PNG) 8-0-1-33 v India
Global Cricket Votes Day 1
3: Dawid Botha (Namibia)
2: LP van der Westhuizen (Namibia), Ashley van Rooi (Namibia), Pikky ya France (Namibia)
1: Nik Azrul Arifin (Malaysia), Jason Kila (PNG), Keady Strauss (Namibia), Chris Dougherty (Ireland), Ewaid Steenkamp (Namibia)
With Malaysia and PNG perhaps the two worst sides things might get better, but Ireland must be very disappointed. Namibia did ok though. Their match with Nepal should be interesting. Is there a case to be made for having combined teams for both EAP and the Americas? I think that has happened in the past. It might seem like a backwards step but it would give the best U19 players from other countries like Vanuatu, Fiji, Canada a chance to play at the top level. There are probably a lot of top U19 players from associate & affiliate countries who aren’t in Malaysia. Choosing the best nations regardless of region would leave EAP out in the cold for ever so there is probably no ideal solution.
We shouldn’t forget that when PNG played in the u/19 African qualifiers in 2004 and 2006, they finished 1st and 4th, so they have performed well in a strong regional group.
I’ve seen a number of these PNG boys play and I actually think they have a fair bit of talent, particularly in bowling.
I’ve also seen some of the Malaysian players and I didn’t think they looked quite as naturally gifted as the PNG boys.
Let’s hope all six associates can provide us with some joy in the coming matches.
At least, I think Malaysia and PNG has possibly played their toughest opponents. Having said that, both teams copped the toughest groups. It’s funny how that works out.
It won’t do them any harm to play against test quality opposition even if they are beaten soundly. The PNG lads in particular, will have learned a lot-playing against a team like India on turf.
One of the reasons PNG doesn’t have turf wickets is because they play their cricket during the wet season to correspond with the Australian season and the television coverage.
Oh well, let’s get right behind all six associate teams and hope for better days ahead! C’mon fellas, LIFT!
I think Ireland will be very disapppointed but i understand they lost a very crucial toss in their match. I think there is more to come from them, as they have at six players who are involved with county sides. James Hall and Shane Getkate (Warwickshire), Andrew Balbirnie, Paul Stirling and Stuart Poynter (Middlesex) and Ben Acklund (Northants)are all massive talents.
I think also conditions play a part. It might take the Irish a bit of time to get used to the heat, humidity and pitches.
I remember the 2005 ICC Trophy conditions caught UAE, Namibia, PNG, Uganda etc off guard.
Which reminds me! 2009 event in UAE? Oman and UAE will surely do well.
But back to the tournament at hand.
I haven’t seen the Irish play but those that have assure me that this squad is as talented as any other they have sent to under-19 World Cups in the past.
They have a few big performances in them yet hopefully.
ICC Under-19 World Cup Day 2 Results
A good, solid effort from Nepal. At one stage they looked to have the game in control but unfortunately none of the leading batsmen could convert a start into a substantial score.
South Africa 223-7 d West Indies 222-8
Bangladesh 260-8 d Bermuda 82
Sri Lanka 236-9 d Nepal 175
New Zealand 221-8 d Zimbabwe 123
Associate Best Performers
1. Amrit Bhattarai (Nepal) 10-0-4-42 v Sri Lanka
2. Mahesh Chhetri (Nepal) 2st, 1ct, 0 byes, 39 v Sri Lanka
3. Tamauri Tucker (Bermuda) 10-1-1-34 v Bangladesh
4. Paras Khadka (Nepal) 25 & 8-0-1-32 v Sri Lanka
5. Jordan de Silva (Bermuda) 9-1-1-37 v Bangladesh
Global Cricket Votes Day 2
4. Amrit Bhattarai (Nepal)
2. Mahesh Chhetri (Nepal)
1. Tamauri Tucker (Bermuda), Paras Khadka (Nepal), Jordan de Silva (Bermuda)
Leader Board
4. Amrit Bhattarai (Nepal)
3. Dawid Botha (Namibia)
2. Mahesh Chhetri (Nepal), Pikky ya France (Namibia), Ashley van Rooi (Namibia), LP van der Westhuizen (Namibia)
1. Jason Kila (PNG), Nik Azrul Arifin (Malaysia), Keady Strauss (Namibia), Chris Dougherty (Ireland), Jordan de Silva (Bermuda), Tamauri Tucker (Bermuda), Paras Khadka (Nepal), Ewaid Steenkamp (namibia)
Does anybody know why the associates have been fixtured back to back matches in the group stage?
It’s not so much that they have to play 2 matches in consecutive days, I’m more concerned that their full member opponents get a rest day in between.
I don’t understand this. I come from an AFL background and belive me 1 percenters are important. I would rate this a 20 percent advantage to the full members that don’t play back to back.
I guess the top 8 seeds must have the best draw, which is why Zimbabwe have a rest day each time and SA and NZ don’t.
Hmmm….but it puts some teams at a severe disadvantage.
There must be……a better way of doing this?
Ben quite like the Vote idea u have going on! Pretty original n best of luck with it mate!
Cheers Noire!
I wish we could afford to give away a prize to the winner!
Lol..yeah of course! But I am sure being declared the best player of the U19 WC amongst the associates voted by the ppl for the ppl is a good enough prize…sentiment wise. It could morally boost their performance.Only wish they read it…I dunno how often that happens. But if it is one of our Nepalese boys, and if u do an article on it…I will ask Ujjwal, the nepal.com.np admin to put up the article on our website too. I am sure a perspective apart from our own will be highly appreciated amongst us Nepalese fans.
Also on this account, I will try and put forward a proposal to maybe present the best player with an Ipod or sth. I am sure some fans like myself living abroad can throw in a bit and bob of cash sum to buy an ipod or sth like that and be presented by the Nepal cricket Fanclub association we have started! It wont be much, but it will let the boys know we appreciate what they done for us!
Yeah sounds good! Actually I’d really like to do a Q/A with one of the Nepal players.
Actually, I reckon the Nepal Cricket Fanclub should do a vote for each match Nepal plays in this tournament.
For instance if all your supporters vote 3, 2, 1 for the best Nepal player each game you could tally up the votes and see who has the most at the end of the World Cup.
Just an idea!
For me in game 1 v Sri Lanka it would be:
3: Amrit Bhattarai
2: Mahesh Chhetri
1: Paras Khadka
I wud agree on the ranking you have given, def!
And u made a very gd suggestion as well… But at the moment, our fanclub website is a bit out of order. Also I have to talk to the international co-ordinator to see if we can sort sth out as incentives.
Hmm I wud really like to help u to get in touch with a Nepalese player…but they hardly visit the webpage. I dunno if they dont know abt it (which i doubt) or they just think they are too good to make a contact with the fans. But we did have Sushil Chaugain, the father of Kanish Chaugain, who was a player himself and a part of CAN come often when his son was playing. But since he is left, his appeareance has been scares!
Bermuda’s horrible week continues! Bowled out for 55 against England today.
It’s not the lowest score by an associate at Under-19 World Cups though.
Scotland 22 v Australia, 2004
Canada 41 v South Africa, 2002
Uganda 46 v England, 2004
Kenya 50 v Australia, 2002
PNG 53 v Pakistan, 2002
Namibia 55 v Australia, 2000
Holland 55-9 v NZ, 2000
ICC Under-19 World Cup Results Day 3
Nepal bowled brilliantly but their batsmen never got going. Bermuda’s batsmen never gave their bowlers a chance.
Australia 206 d Nepal 110
England 56-0 d Bermuda 55
Pakistan 156 d NZ 129
India 153-4 d South Africa 149
Associate Performers of the Day
1. Paras Khadka (Nepal) 9.3-1-4-32
2. Raj Shrestha (Nepal) 10-1-3-32
3. Rahul Vishwakarma (Nepal) 10-0-2-34 & 33*
4. Sagar Khadka (Nepal) 10-1-0-35
Global Cricket Votes Day 3
4. Paras Khadka (Nepal)
3. Raj Shrestha (Nepal)
2. Rahul Vishwakarma (Nepal)
1. Sagar Khadka (Nepal)
Leader Board
5. Paras Khadka (Nepal)
4. Amrit Bhattarai (Nepal)
3. Dawid Botha (Namibia), Raj Shrestha (Nepal)
2. Mahesh Chhetri (Nepal), Pikky ya France (Namibia), Ashley van Rooi (Namibia), LP van der Westhuizen (Namibia), Rahul Vishwakarma (Nepal)
1. Jason Kila (PNG), Nik Azrul Arifin (Malaysia), Keady Strauss (Namibia), Chris Dougherty (Ireland), Jordan de Silva (Bermuda), Tamauri Tucker (Bermuda), Sagar Khadka (Nepal), Ewaid Steenkamp (Namibia)
Associate Standings
1. Nepal 0 (-1.570)
2. Namibia 0 (-2.980)
3. Bermuda 0 (-3.839)
4. PNG 0 (-3.900)
5. Ireland 0 (-4.767)
6. Malaysia 0 (-6.500)
Good performance by Malaysia against Zimbabwe 194-8 after their 50 overs.
WI 319 against PNG
SL 247-7 against Namibia
Ireland 123 Bangladesh 48-0
The link to the scores can be found at http://iccevents.yahoo.com/matchesandscores/zmma2002.html
Brilliant performance by Malaysia so far.
C’mon Malaysia!
They’ve just won by 70 runs, bowling Zimbabwe out for 124. Well done.
Yes, they’ve done it.
A win for Malaysia over Zimbabwe.
ICC Under-19 World Cup Day 4
A brilliant win for Malaysia over Zimbabwe, who are more than competitive at this level.
Malaysia 194-8 d Zimbabwe 124
West Indies 319 d PNG 143
Bangladesh 126-2 d Ireland 123
Sri Lanka 247-7 d Namibia 84
Best Associate Performers
1. Shahid Aslan (Malaysia) 40* & 8.4-0-3-41
2. Ahmed Faiz (Malaysia) 50
3. Loa Nou (PNG) 9.4-0-4-63
4. Aminudin Ramly (Malaysia) 10-4-2-20
5. Nik Azril Arifin (Malaysia) 8-2-2-15
Global Cricket Votes Day 4
4. Shahid Aslan (Malaysia)
3. Ahmed Faiz (Malaysia)
2. Loa Nou (PNG)
2. Aminudin Ramly (Malaysia)
2. Nik Azril Arifin (Malaysia)
2. Bernard Scholtz (Namibia)
1. Muhammad Faizal (Malaysia)
1. James Shannon (Ireland)
1. Tony Ura (PNG)
1. Arua Dikana (PNG)
Leader Board
5. Paras Khadka (Nepal)
4. Amrit Bhattarai (Nepal), Shahid Aslan (Malaysia)
3. Dawid Botha (Namibia), Raj Shrestha (Nepal), Ahmed Faiz (Malaysia), Nik Azril Arifin (Malaysia)
2. Mahesh Chhetri (Nepal), Pikky ya France (Namibia), Ashley van Rooi (Namibia), LP van der Westhuizen (Namibia), Rahul Vishwakarma (Nepal), Bernard Scholtz (Namibia), Loa Nou (PNG), Aminudin Ramly (Malaysia)
1. Jason Kila (PNG), Keady Strauss (Namibia), Chris Dougherty (Ireland), Jordan de Silva (Bermuda), Tamauri Tucker (Bermuda), Sagar Khadka (Nepal), Muhammad Faizal (Malaysia), James Shannon (Ireland), Arua Dikana (PNG), Tony Ura (PNG), Ewaid Steenkamp (Namibia)
Associate Standings
1. Malaysia 2 (-0.671)
2. Nepal 0 (-1.570)
3. Namibia 0 (-3.120)
4. PNG 0 (-3.710)
5. Ireland 0 (-3.837)
6. Bermuda 0 (-3.839)
Leading Associate Run Scorers
1. Dawid Botha (Namibia) 74
2. Ahmed Faiz (Malaysia) 54
3. LP van der Westhuizen (Namibia) 50
4. Tony Ura (PNG) 47
5. Chris Dougherty (Ireland) 45
6. Rahul Wishwakarma (Nepal) 43
7. Shahid Aslan (Malaysia) 42
8. Mahesh Chhetri (Nepal) 40
9. Alfred Amini (PNG) 40
10. Muhammad Faizal (Malaysia) 35
Wicket Takers
1. Paras Khadka (Nepal) 5
2. Amrit Bhattarai (Nepal) 4 (76)
3. Raj Shrestha (Nepal) 4 (77)
4. Pikky ya France (Namibia) 4 (84)
5. Rahul Wishwakarma (Nepal) 4 (87)
6. Bernard Scholtz (Namibia) 4 (89)
7. Loa Nou (PNG) 4 (113)
8. Ashley van Rooi (Namibia) 3 (25)
9. Nik Azril Arifin (Malaysia) 3 (31)
10. Shahid Aslan (Malaysia) 3 (65)
Runs conceded in brackets
Wonderful performance shown by Malaysia.
keep it up.. best of luck for the match against New zealand.
about your points table, what is your procedure to give points? do you have any certain rule or giving it what u thought?
Well, I don’t have a strict rule: But a guide might be:
30-39 runs = 1 point
40-49 runs = 2 points
50-70 runs = 3 points
71-89 runs = 4 points
90-119 runs = 5 points
120+ runs = 6 points
Bowling is a little more complicated with economy and wickets both affecting the outcome.
But less than 4.25 economy should count for a vote with a min of 7 overs, 2 wickets for less than 45 runs in ten overs should count for a vote, 3 wickets for less than 50 runs should count for 2 points and so on….
I also take note of wicketkeepers to see if they conceded a bye and how many stumpings and catches were made.
It’s just a guide. Something different.
ICC Under-19 World Cup: Day 5 Results
What a win by Bermuda! PNG did well to fight back after being 20-4 and the Nepal v Namibia game was close as expected.
New Zealand 48-2 d Malaysia 47
Nepal 164 d Namibia 161
South Africa 128-3 d PNG 125
Bermuda 221-9 d Ireland 201
Associate Players of the Day
1. Chris Douglas (Bermuda) 10-0-5-40 & 27
2. LP van der Westhuizen (Namibia) 10-2-2-17 & 65
3. Rodney Trott (Bermuda) 64 & 9-0-2-37
4. Chris Dougherty (Ireland) 70
5. Mahesh Chhetri (Nepal) 63
6. Malachi Jones (Bermuda) 58 & 7.4-1-1-36
7. James Hall (Ireland) 10-0-3-44
Global Cricket Votes Day 5
5. Chris Douglas (Bermuda), LP van der Westhuizen (Namibia)
4. Rodney Trott (Bermuda)
3. Chris Dougherty (Ireland), Mahesh Chhetri (Nepal), Malachi Jones (Bermuda)
2. James Hall (Ireland)
1. Tanti Heni (PNG), Sarvana Raj (Malaysia), Ben Ackland (Ireland), Bernard Scholtz (Namibia), Keady Strauss (Namibia), Morne Engelbrecht (Namibia), Gyanendra Malla (Nepal), Raj Shrestha (Nepal), Colin Amini (PNG), Amrit Bhattarai (Nepal), Greg Thompson (Ireland), Paras Khadka (Nepal), Jordan de Silva (Bermuda), Rahul Vishwakarma (Nepal), Sean Silver (Namibia), Stuart Poynter (Ireland)
Leader Board
7. LP van der Westhuizen (Namibia)
6. Paras Khadka (Nepal)
5. Amrit Bhattarai (Nepal), Chris Douglas (Bermuda), Mahesh Chhetri (Nepal)
4. Shahid Aslan (Malaysia), Raj Shrestha (Nepal), Chris Dougherty (Ireland), Rodney Trott (Bermuda)
3. Rahul Vishwakarma (Nepal), Dawid Botha (Namibia), Malachi Jones (Bermuda), Ahmed Faiz (Malaysia), Bernard Scholtz (Namibia), Nik Azril Arifin (Malaysia)
2. James Hall (Ireland), Jordan de Silva (Bermuda), Pikky ya France (Namibia), Keady Strauss (Namibia), Ashley van Rooi (Namibia), Loa Nou (PNG), Aminudin Ramly (Malaysia)
Associate Standings
1. Nepal 2 (-1.027)
2. Malaysia 2 (-1.403)
3. Bermuda 2 (-2.285)
4. Namibia 0 (-2.100)
5. Ireland 0 (-2.264)
6. PNG 0 (-3.959)
Leading Associate Run Scorers
1. LP van der Westhuizen (Namibia) 115
2. Chris Dougherty (Ireland) 115
3. Rodney Trott (Bermuda) 106
4. Mahesh Chhetri (Nepal) 102
5. Dawid Botha (Namibia) 78
6. Colin Amini (PNG) 62
7. Malachi Jones (Bermuda) 60
8. Chris Douglas (Bermuda) 56
9. Tony Ura (PNG) 56
10. Ahmed Faiz (Malaysia) 54
Wicket Takers
1. Paras Khadka (Nepal) 7
2. Rahul Vishwakarma (Nepal) 6
3. Chris Douglas (Bermuda) 5 (40)
4. Amrit Bhattarai (Nepal) 5 (97)
5. Pikky ya France (Namibia) 5 (106)
6. Raj Shrestha (Nepal) 5 (108)
7. James Hall (Ireland) 4 (54)
8. Bernard Scholtz (Namibia) 4 (107)
9. Keady Strauss (Namibia) 4 (114)
10. Loa Nou (PNG) 4 (142)
GD going Ben. Nice insights!
Thanks Noire!
Hey, Nepal are on top of the standings!
Imagine if Gyanendra Malla had of batted to his full potential?
In fact, that has been one of the disappointments so far. The performances of the Associate star batsmen.
Gyanendra Malla, Sean Silver, Raymond van Schoor, James Shannon, Paul Stirling, James Hall. Where are the runs!
Its really nice to see Nepal’s performance.. they have been knocking on ICC’s door for a while..
you are right.
till now our main batsmen are not working, Paras and Gyanendra are not in touch but they did well in practice matches.
They may be feeling pressure to score which let down. They should have to feel free for runs but who knows what is in their mind?
A really bad result for Ireland as it means their next match will be against WI or even worse and an almost certain defeat, leaving them in the bottom 4. Despite beating Namibia, Nepal might have the harder game against Zimbabwe rather than Malaysia who they would be confident of beating.
Perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised that Bermuda won as a number of their players have represented the senior team. I did think they would have done better in their two earlier natches. The PNG game will be an interesting one.
The general consensus from the Irish camp is that they have performed no where near to their potential in the previous three games and we subject to a couple of poor umpiring decisions today. Bermuda do have three or four very talented players, and congratulations to them on their win today. The Namibians are very capable of disposing of Malaysia, likewise with Nepal against Zimbabwe.
Yes I do agree a 100% on the actual batting stars failing. I was thinking abt it earlier. IF only Malla stayed in the crease a bit more against Aus…and yesterday against NAmibia, the story cud have been different.
To be honest, I think its very safe to say we Nepali fans expect highly from our players. And rightly so, as we wanna go only one way…and thats up. We had been following up well from just participating, to win few test nations, to be in the final of plates, and to win it. And this year, wud be to qualify for the super 8s. I dont care if we win the plates again…I am really dissapointed in the team.
Other problem we have I think is the coach. Seriously I respect him for the things he has done for us. We wudnt be nowhere near if it werent for him. But I think he is well past his sell by date. No disrespect, but I think he will be working to his maximum potential if he goes to help some other budding associates. I mean 5-6 years with a team, you will have basically taught them everything you know.
I would love some fresh perspective…I would love an english or even better an Aussie coach for our team. We have the spirits and the talent. What we need is someone who can guide us well. We also need someone to fill our boys head with confidence and be stronger mentally. Potentially, I have just seen Aussie coaches do that. And it will also have the element to it…it will bring an outside sub-continent perspective to our game.
All this apart, I am quite looking forward to beating Zimbabwe now. They have done us a lot of harm…and I think it shud b payback time. It was them whom we lost the plates to..and it was because of them why we didnt move into super 8s in last edition. They have always slowed our progress and made us lag behind. And the practise match…it dont count. But a gd thumping win against the Zimmers would heal my wound! Sth like a win by 100+ runs or a gd 10 wickets win. What are the chances!!!
Plate Championship Day 1
Nepal 158 d Zimbabwe 59
Namibia 147-1 d Malaysia 144
Other Games
South Africa 241-8 d Bangladesh 41
India 149-3 d England 146
Associate Players of the Day
1. Mahesh Chhetri (Nepal) 1st, 4ct 0 byes & 16
2. Raymond van Schoor (Namibia) 60*
3. Paras Khadka (Nepal) 7-2-3-13
4. Amrit Bhattari (Nepal) 8-0-3-14
5. Keady Strauss (Namibia) 6.2-0-3-15
6. Raj Shrestha (Nepal) 6.2-1-3-16
7. Dawid Botha (Namibia) 55*
Global Cricket Votes
3. Mahesh Chhetri (Nepal), Raymond van Schoor (Namibia), Paras Khadka (Nepal), Amrit Bhattarai (Nepal), Keady Strauss (Namibia), Dawid Botha (Namibia), Raj Shrestha (Nepal)
2. Ahmed Faiz (Malaysia), Puspa Thapa (Nepal)
1. Bernard Scholtz (Namibia), LP van der Westhuizen (Namibia), Morne Engelbrecht (Namibia), Ewaid Steenkamp (Namibia), Sharul Nizam (Malaysia)
Leader Board
9. Paras Khadka (Nepal)
8. Mahesh Chhetri (Nepal), LP van der Westhuizen (Namibia), Amrit Bhattarai (Nepal)
7. Raj Shrestha (Nepal)
6. Dawid Botha (Namibia)
5. Ahmed Faiz (Malaysia), Keady Strauss (Namibia), Chris Douglas (Bermuda)
4. Shahid Aslan (Malaysia), Bernard Scholtz (Namibia), Chris Dougherty (Ireland), Rodney Trott (Bermuda)
3. Raymond van Schoor (Namibia), Nik Azril Arifin (Malaysia), Rahul Vishwakarma (Nepal), Malachi Jones (Bermuda)
Associate Standings
1. Nepal 4 (+0.970)
2. Namibia 2 (-1.272)
3. Malaysia 2 (-1.579)
4. Bermuda 2 (-2.285)
5. Ireland 0 (-2.264)
6. PNG 0 (-3.959)
Lol.
I wanted a good 100 runs win..and I get a good 100 runs win. Nice. If only I knew I had to predict the match well before hand…haha. Atleast there is one positive outcome..we have settled one score!
Yes, a very comprehensive win by Nepal.
Brilliant work!
Leading Associate Run scorers and Wicket Takers
Runs
1. Dawid Botha (Namibia) 133
2. Mahesh Chhetri (Nepal) 118
3. LP van der Westhuizen (Namibia) 115
4. Chris Dougherty (Ireland) 115
5. Rodney Trott (Bermuda) 106
6. Ahmed Faiz (Malaysia) 95
7. Raymond van Schoor (Namibia) 80
8. Sean Silver (Namibia) 65
9. Colin Amini (PNG) 62
10. Malachi Jones (Bermuda) 60
Wickets
1. Paras Khadka (Nepal) 10
2. Amrit Bhattarai (Nepal) 8 (111)
3. Raj Shrestha (Nepal) 8 (124)
4. Rahul Vishwakarma (Nepal) 7 (113)
5. Keady Strauss (Namibia) 7 (129)
6. Chris Douglas (Bermuda) 5 (40)
7. Pikky ya France (Namibia) 5 (120)
8. Bernard Scholtz (Namibia) 5 (131)
9. James Hall (Ireland) 4 (54)
10. Morne Engelbrecht (Namibia) 4 (88)
Well..I think ur leading run scorer and wicket takers table pretty much sums up Nepal’s game. We have one top scorer, Chettri and there’s no one way behind. The next person getting run for us might be V’karam…with around 50 runs..and he is nowhere on the list.
And if we look into the wicket takers..the first four are all Nepalese bowlers. This shows that our bowling is very effective. A bit of insight from this result means, we dont rely on just one bowler, but there have been a handful of match winner.
Now only if there were 2/3 batsman giving Mahesh some company, the story would have been different..probably. For me G Malla has been a big failure this tournament and Paras should have done way better with the bat. If we had the above desired scenario, and possibly Malla getting some runs, we probably wouldnt be chasing the plates again. It would have atleast made the match against SL more interesting, a nerve wrecking finish would be on the line, even if there was no win. This momentum could have been transfered to the game against Australia. And who knows with a boost from the other game, we cud have gotten Aussie’s 206. I believe 230+ is a hard chase for our boys. But I certainly believe we would score 206.
O well, we are chasing the plates (again)..it almost looks like we have come here to defend it…rather than move forward..But again now we have beaten Zim, and if we cud beat the WIndes to win the plate..we would have still killed few giants (pathetically)..and hopefully because of finishing top 10 this time, we wont have to qualify..which means another brother from Asia can take our place if the same format continues for qualifying for these kind of tournament!
BTW wuts ur story ben? Where are u from and why this interest in the associates cricket? Ur profile doesnt say mucu.
I live in Australia. I’m also a keen follower of AFL football.
Yeah I’ve followed associate cricket since 1998. My parents gave me a cricket book in 1980 and it had all the scores from the 1979 ICC Trophy. I thought that was really interesting but I never believed that the ICC would ever promote the emerging nations until they launched the program in 97/98.
Following associate and affiliate cricket is a bit like watching a garden grow. If you look at it everyday, it hardly seems to change. If you come back to it once a year, you really notice the improvements.
When I think back to 1998, some of the current associates weren’t even in the picture. Nepal were just on the verge, Afghanistan didn’t really have a national team and Uganda were in the early stages of their development program.
Ireland and Scotland were only just becoming independent from England. Bangladesh were still an associate country. A lot of progress has been made.
So are Nepal playing Namibia again in the semi-final or the winner of WI-Ireland? You’d think the official ICC site would be correct. But Cricinfo seems to say different.
Hmm…
Quite interesting…esp coming from the Australian regions. I mean you have ur own proper team. It wud b gd if we had given Aussies a nice little thrashing (banter!) lol.
Well I wudnt go as far as 1979/80 coz I wasnt even born then..but I did follow the associate cricket from about 1998. And I remember exactly everything you mentioned. I do remember Bangladesh winning Nepal by a good margin in the ACC trophy played in Nepal around 98-2000..sometimes. They won it continuously and with big margins. We had not broken into the scene yet. But since then I did follow the U-15 and U-17 and U-19 cricket, more so after the WC in SL in 2000.
Nice ‘Garden’ example too. Though I think Nepali cricket has been the same for the past 2-3 years…not much improvement. And the Senior side…the garden is turning into bush and a bit of a barren/waste land. We need someone to till it, and till it good.
Hmm it is actaully confusing with the Plate Semi really. But I dont really care. If we play the WIndes in the semis, it will mean an easy plate-final for us. HaHaHa.
Whatever happens now then there will be at least one associate in the plate final meaning a top ten finish, which depending on which reports you believe would result in automatic qualification for the next Under 19 world cup tomorrow. Looking at the results from the full competition it suggests that the group featuring West Indies, India and South Africa was unbelievably strong which suggests a big loss for Ireland tomorrow. Good luck to them anyway.
I’m really not in favour of the automatic qualifier proposal.
Imagine this. Namibia finish 10th and qualify automatically. Zimbabwe drop back to the African qualifiers. Zimbabwe finish 1st in the African qualifiers and go through. Uganda finish second and miss out. Kenya finish third and miss out. Namibia finish 4th and go through.
At all levels of sport, teams produce varying quality under age sides. It’s cyclical to some extent.
Plate Day 2
West Indies 158-3 d Ireland 154-9
PNG 108-3 d Bermuda 102
Associate Players of the Day
1. Tony Ura (PNG) 76*
2. Joel Tom (PNG) 8-1-3-26
3. James Hall (Ireland) 45
4. Jacob Mado (PNG) 5-0-2-12
Global Cricket Votes
4. Tony Ura (PNG)
3. Joel Tom (PNG)
2. James Hall (Ireland)
1. Willie Gavera (PNG), Jacob Mado (PNG), Loa Nou (PNG)
Leader Board
9. Paras Khadka (Nepal)
8. Amrit Bhattarai (Nepal), Mahesh Chhetri (Nepal), LP van der Westhuizen (Namibia)
7. Raj Shrestha (Nepal)
6. Dawid Botha (Namibia)
5. Chris Douglas (Bermuda), Tony Ura (PNG), Keady Strauss (Namibia), Ahmed Faiz (Malaysia)
4. Shahid Aslan (Malaysia), Bernard Scholtz (Namibia), Chris Dougherty (Ireland), James Hall (Ireland), Rodney Trott (Bermuda)
3. Nik Azril Arifin (Malaysia), Rahul Vishwakarma (Nepal), Loa Nou (PNG), Malachi Jones (Bermuda), Raymond van Schoor (Namibia), Joel Tom (PNG)
Associate Standings
1. Nepal 4 (+0.970)
2. Namibia 2 (-1.272)
3. Malaysia 2 (-1.579)
4. PNG 2 (-2.286)
5. Bermuda 2 (-2.532)
6. Ireland 0 (-2.580)
Top Associate Run Scorers
1. Dawid Botha (Namibia) 133
2. Tony Ura (PNG) 132
3. Chris Dougherty (Ireland) 129
4. Rodney Trott (Bermuda) 129
5. Mahesh Chhetri (Nepal) 118
6. LP van der Westhuizen (Namibia) 115
7. Ahmed Faiz (Malaysia) 95
8. Raymond van Schoor (Namibia) 80
9. James Hall (Ireland) 73
10. Malachi Jones (Bermuda) 71
Top Associate Wicket Takers
1. Paras Khadka (Nepal) 10
2. Amrit Bhattarai (Nepal) 8 (111)
3. Raj Shrestha (Nepal) 8 (124)
4. Rahul Vishwakarma (Nepal) 7 (113)
5. Keady Strauss (Namibia) 7 (129)
6. Chris Douglas (Bermuda) 5 (49)
7. Joel Tom (PNG) 5 (98)
8. Pikky ya France (Namibia) 5 (120)
9. Bernard Scholtz (Namibia) 5 (131)
10. Loa Nou (PNG) 5 (162)
Congrats to the PNG team. They have done well to defeat Bermuda.
PNG showed what they are capable of against non-test opposition. Unfortunately after a one match respite, they are back up against the West Indies in the next match. Of all the associates, PNG certainly had the toughest draw.
The surprising thing is that of the 4 bottom teams, there is 1 Full Member and 2 with ODI status, whilst Nepal (not a surprise), Namibia and PNG finished above them.
The automatic qualifying issue is awkward with the rapid turnover of players at U19 level. I suppose they were thinking of the top 10 plus hosts and then 1 from each region, which has a neatness to it. They could give an extra place to the regions whose teams finish 9th and 10th, though this would mean WI getting involved, which seems academic. However the idea that Zimbabwe should get an automatic place as a full member does seem foolisn.
Keep up the good work Ben, your site is a fascinating read.
Thanks Tom! Much appreciated! Keep the comments coming.
Plate Championship Day 3
Zimbabwe 186-6 d Malaysia 142
Nepal 143-9 d Namibia 139-9
Associate Players of the Day
1. Aminuddin Ramly (Malaysia) 70
2. Paras Khadka (Nepal) 44 & 7-1-2-29
3. Sean Silver (Namibia) 5-0-3-20
4. Raymond van Schoor (Namibia) 48
Global Cricket Votes
3. Aminuddin Ramly (Malaysia), Paras Khadka (Nepal)
2. Raymond van Schoor (Namibia), Sean Silver (Namibia)
1. Nik Azril Arifin (Malaysia), Keady Strauss (Namibia), LP van der Westhuizen (Namibia), Amrit Bhattarai (Nepal), Raj Shrestha (Nepal), Rahul Vishwakarma (Nepal)
Leader Board
12. Paras Khadka (Nepal)
9. Amrit Bhattarai (Nepal), LP van der Westhuizen (Namibia)
8. Raj Shrestha (Nepal), Mahesh Chhetri (Nepal)
6. Dawid Botha (Namibia), Keady Strauss (Namibia)
5. Raymond van Schoor (Namibia), Chris douglas (Bermuda), Ahmed Faiz (Malaysia), Aminuddin Ramly (Malaysia), Tony Ura (PNG)
4. Shahid Ali Khan (Malaysia), Nik Azril Arifin (Malaysia), Rahul Vishwakarma (Nepal), Bernard Scholtz (Namibia), Chris Dougherty (Ireland), Rodney Trott (Bermuda), James Hall (Ireland)
Associate Standings
1. Nepal 6 (+0.218)
2. Namibia 2 (-1.091)
3. Malaysia 2 (-1.705)
4. PNG 2 (-2.286)
5. Bermuda 2 (-2.532)
6. Ireland 0 (-2.580)
Leading Associate Run Scorers
1. LP van der Westhuizen (Namibia) 148
2. Dawid Botha (Namibia) 133
3. Tony Ura (PNG) 132
4. Chris Dougherty (Ireland) 129
5. Rodney Trott (Bermuda) 129
6. Raymond van Schoor (Namibia) 128
7. Mahesh Chhetri (Nepal) 127
8. Aminudin Ramly (Malaysia) 108
9. Paras Khadka (Nepal) 101
10. Ahmed Faiz (Malaysia) 97
Leading Associate Wicket Takers
1. Paras Khadka (Nepal) 12
2. Raj Shrestha (Nepal) 10
3. Amrit Bhattarai (Nepal) 9 (127)
4. Rahul Vishwakarma (Nepal) 9 (146)
5. Keady Strauss (Namibia) 9 (154)
6. Bernard Scholtz (Namibia) 6
7. Chris Douglas (Bermuda) 5 (49)
8. Nik Azril Arifin (Malaysia) 5 (88)
9. Joel Tom (PNG) 5 (98)
10. Sarvana Raj (Malaysia) 5 (102)
Plate Championship Day 4
West Indies 90-4 d PNG 89
Global Cricket Votes
1. Loa Nou
Leader Board
12. Paras Khadka (Nepal)
9. Amrit Bhattarai (Nepal), LP van der Westhuizen (Namibia)
8. Raj Shrestha (Nepal), Mahesh Chhetri (Nepal)
6. Dawid Botha (Namibia), Keady Strauss (Namibia)
5. Raymond van Schoor (Namibia), Chris douglas (Bermuda), Ahmed Faiz (Malaysia), Aminuddin Ramly (Malaysia), Tony Ura (PNG)
4. Shahid Ali Khan (Malaysia), Nik Azril Arifin (Malaysia), Rahul Vishwakarma (Nepal), Bernard Scholtz (Namibia), Chris Dougherty (Ireland), Rodney Trott (Bermuda), James Hall (Ireland), Loa Nou (PNG)
Associate Standings
1. Nepal 6 (+0.218)
2. Namibia 2 (-1.091)
3. Malaysia 2 (-1.705)
4. Bermuda 2 (-2.532)
5. PNG 2 (-2.571)
6. Ireland 0 (-2.580)
Leading Associate Run Scorers
1. LP van der Westhuizen (Namibia) 148
2. Tony Ura (PNG) 143
3. Dawid Botha (Namibia) 133
4. Chris Dougherty (Ireland) 129
5. Rodney Trott (Bermuda) 129
6. Raymond van Schoor (Namibia) 128
7. Mahesh Chhetri (Nepal) 127
8. Aminudin Ramly (Malaysia) 108
9. Paras Khadka (Nepal) 101
10. Ahmed Faiz (Malaysia) 97
Leading Associate Wicket Takers
1. Paras Khadka (Nepal) 12
2. Raj Shrestha (Nepal) 10
3. Amrit Bhattarai (Nepal) 9 (127)
4. Rahul Vishwakarma (Nepal) 9 (146)
5. Keady Strauss (Namibia) 9 (154)
6. Loa Nou (PNG) 7 (170)
7. Bernard Scholtz (Namibia) 6
8. Chris Douglas (Bermuda) 5 (49)
9. Nik Azril Arifin (Malaysia) 5 (88)
10. Joel Tom (PNG) 5 (98)
Just looking at the ICC site now.
Does anybody know why there is a play-off for 13th/14th place and not 11th/12th or 15th/16th?
The Plate Final for 9th/10th I can understand but 13th/14th?
It’s an extra game for two teams.
I am reading this right or missing something?
It seems like just the semi-final winners take part in the extra games. The 13th/14th teams get to play, but even the 3rd/4th don’t, which seems really odd. You’d have thought they could have fitted all the teams in if only to help with seeding for the next tournament.
Also the winner of tomorrow’s Ireland-Bermuda semi plays its final the next day, when they could have easily have played today and had a day’s rest inbetween.
Plate Play-off Semi-final 2
Ireland 236-7 d Bermuda 167
Associate Players of the Day
1. Rodney Trott (Bermuda) 53 & 10-0-4-37
2. Greg Thompson (Ireland) 10-1-5-26
3. James Hall (Ireland) 75
4. Paul Stirling (Ireland) 59
5. Malachi Jones (Bermuda) 49
Global Cricket Votes
7. Rodney Trott (Bermuda)
5. Greg Thompson (Ireland)
4. James Hall (Ireland)
3. Paul Stirling (Ireland)
2. Malachi Jones (Bermuda)
1. Tamauri Tucker (Bermuda), Shane Getkate (Ireland), Richard Keaveney (Ireland), Andrew Britton (Ireland)
Leader Board
12. Paras Khadka (Nepal)
11. Rodney Trott (Bermuda)
9. LP van der Westhuizen (Namibia), Amrit Bhattarai (Nepal)
8. Raj Shrestha (Nepal), Mahesh Chhetri (Nepal), James Hall (Ireland)
6. Dawid Botha (Namibia), Keady Strauss (Namibia), Greg Thompson (Ireland)
5. Chris Douglas (Bermuda), Raymond van Schoor (Namibia), Ahmed Faiz (Malaysia), Aminuddin Ramly (Malaysia), Tony Ura (PNG), Malachi Jones (Bermuda)
4. Shahid Ali Khan (Malaysia), Nik Azril Arifin (Malaysia), Rahul Vishwakarma (Nepal), Bernard Scholtz (Namibia), Loa Nou (PNG), Chris Dougherty (Ireland)
Associate Standings
1. Nepal 6 (+0.218)
2. Namibia 2 (-1.091)
3. Ireland 2 (-1.550)
4. Malaysia 2 (-1.705)
5. Bermuda 2 (-2.293)
6. PNG 2 (-2.571)
Leading Associate Run Scorers
1. Rodney Trott (Bermuda) 162
2. Chris Dougherty (Ireland) 154
3. LP van der Westhuizen (Namibia) 148
4. James Hall (Ireland) 148
5. Tony Ura (PNG) 143
6. Dawid Botha (Namibia) 133
7. Raymond van Schoor (Namibia) 128
8. Mahesh Chhetri (Nepal) 127
9. Malachi Jones (Bermuda) 120
10. Aminudin Ramly (Malaysia) 108
Leading Associate Wicket Takers
1. Paras Khadka (Nepal) 12
2. Raj Shrestha (Nepal) 10
3. Amrit Bhattarai (Nepal) 9 (127)
4. Rahul Vishwakarma (Nepal) 9 (146)
5. Keady Strauss (Namibia) 9 (154)
6. Greg Thompson (Ireland) 8 (138)
7. Rodney Trott (Bermuda) 8 (150)
8. Loa Nou (PNG) 7 (170)
9. Bernard Scholtz (Namibia) 6
10. Chris Douglas (Bermuda) 5 (49)
A question for the readers!
All six associates have now played the same amount of matches.
Nepal and Ireland get an extra game.
Should I leave the votes as they are now or should Nepal and Ireland players be able to get votes in their extra match?
Seems a bit unfair on Malaysian, PNG, Bermudian and Namibian players?
Plate Final and Play-off for 13th place
West Indies 78-3 d Nepal 74
Ireland 100-4 d Zimbabwe 99-9
Associate Placings
Nepal 10th
Namibia 11th
PNG 12th
Ireland 13th
Malaysia 15th
Bermuda 16th
Associate Players of the Day
1. Andrew Britton (Ireland) 6-0-4-14
2. James Hall (Ireland) 32 & 4-1-2-11
3. Shane Getkate (Ireland) 6-2-2-20
4. Amrit Bhattarai (Nepal) 6-0-2-25
Global Cricket Votes
4. Andrew Britton (Ireland)
2. James Hall (Ireland)
1. Shane Getkate (Ireland), Amrit Bhattarai (Nepal)
Final Tournament Tally
12. Paras Khadka (Nepal)
11. Rodney Trott (Bermuda)
10. Amrit Bhattarai (Nepal), James Hall (Ireland)
9. LP van der Westhuizen (Namibia)
8. Mahesh Chhetri (Nepal), Raj Shrestha (Nepal)
6. Greg Thompson (Ireland), Keady Strauss (Namibia), Dawid Botha (Namibia)
5. Ahmed Faiz (Malaysia), Aminuddin Ramly (Malaysia), Tony Ura (PNG), Malachi Jones (Bermuda), Chris Douglas (Bermuda), Raymond van Schoor (Namibia), Andrew Britton (Ireland)
4. Shahid ali Khan (Malaysia), Nik Azril Arifin (Malaysia), Rahul Vishwakarma (Nepal), Bernard Scholtz (Namibia), Loa Nou (PNG), Chris Dougherty (Ireland)
Leading Associate Run Scorers
1. James Hall (Ireland) 180
2. Chris Dougherty (Ireland) 165
3. Rodney Trott (Bermuda) 162
4. LP van der Westhuizen (Namibia) 148
5. Tony Ura (PNG) 143
6. Dawid Botha (Namibia) 133
7. Raymond van Schoor (Namibia) 128
8. Mahesh Chhetri (Nepal) 127
9. Malachi Jones (Bermuda) 120
10. Paras Khadka (Nepal) 113
Leading Associate Wicket Takers
1. Paras Khadka (Nepal) 12
2. Amrit Bhattarai (Nepal) 11 (152)
3. Raj Shrestha (Nepal) 10 (147)
4. Rahul Vishwakarma (Nepal) 10 (162)
5. Keady Strauss (Namibia) 9 (154)
6. Andrew Britton (Ireland) 9 (167)
7. Greg Thompson (Ireland) 8 (138)
8. Rodney Trott (Bermuda) 8 (150)
9. James Hall (Ireland) 7 (114)
10. Loa Nou (PNG) 7 (170)
Nice one Ben. Yes I think u shud have included the extra game to award the points. I mean at the end of the day, it wasnt a mock game. And I am sure everyone put extra effort into it. But thx for providing a good insight into the associates. Orelse I wud only be lookin at Nepal’s progress.
Nways I think Nepal performed really poorly at this tournament, below or standard. Really note pleased with the batting and that is what lost us the tournament. I mean, for a team like Nepal at this level now, I think 206 (againt Aus) should have been very gettable! But the bowling was really exceptional. Even in the global tally we have four bowlers on the top 20 list.
And I still think, we need a change in our coaching department! With all fairness, Dias has done a lot for us, but i sincerely believe he has given our boys all he is capable of! He is a great coach to develop a really lowly side. But as he has a more defensive approach to the game, we are lagging behind. He wud b a great coach to up coming countries ike Bhutan, or somewhere in the middle east. And we need some aggressive approached coaches from Aus or sth like that. this s to turn our champions to winners!
Nepal’s batting has shown glimpses of class with some decent perfomances from Chhetri and Khadka, and in one of the warm up Malla scored a great half century. However looking at it batting wise they have disapointed by and large and not played to their potential in that department.
Interesting to see two Irish players top the batting (although they had an extra game). I can see those two playing county cricket in the near future.
Yeah true!
A few observations.
Gyanendra Malla had a very disappointing tournament. I was expecting him to be among the top five associate batsmen. Nepal’s bowling was top class against all opponents and for that they should be very proud. Stand out Players: Paras Khadka, Amrit Bhattarai, Mahesh Chhetri, Raj Shrestha, Rahul Vishwakarma
The conditions played a role. Ireland struggled initially to adapt to the heat, humidity and pitches and by the time they adapted it was too late. But a good late-tournament comeback nevertheless. Stand out players: James Hall, Chris Dougherty, Andrew Britton,
All the associates had their moments but never really threatened the big guns.
Papua New Guinea were unfortunate to be seeded in the same group as the tournament champions, the tournament runners-up and a strong West Indies side, who showed what they are capable of today against Nepal. To make matters worse for PNG, they ended up having to play the West Indies a second time during the plate play-offs. Stand out players: Tony Ura, Loa Nou, Colin Amini, Joel Tom
Namibia were steady without ever looking threatening. Their batting was reasonably good and their bowling steady. Stand out players: LP van der Westhuizen, Dawid Botha, Keady Strauss, Raymond van Schoor, Bernard Scholtz
Bermuda had a great win against Ireland and showed some spirit. Malachi Jones, Rodney Trott, Chris Douglas and Jordan de Silva look to be players capable of making an impact at the next level. Stand out players: Rodney Trott, Malachi Jones, Chris Douglas
Malaysia were also in a tough group although as it turned out Zimbabwe were nowhere near as strong as in previous tournaments. The Malaysians took full toll to record a memorable win. Stand out players: Aminuddin Ramly, Ahmed Faiz, Nik Azril Arifin