The good news from the Americas Championships

I mentioned in my previous entry that there were some positives to be taken out of the largely disappointing performance from the Canadian side in the Americas Championships of last week. I'll take some time now to elaborate on them.

Canada has located a fine batsman in Sandeep Jyoti. This young man opened the batting along with John Davison in each of the matches of the tournament and did so very well. He batted with style and tact, and put up good scores while avoiding early wickets. It is unknown whether he will remain an opener heading into the world cup with the possibility of Geoff Barnett rejoining the team, but he should surely be a top-order batsman moving forward.

Canada have found two new pace options. While we surely missed Umar Bhatti and Henry Osinde during this tournament, Steve Welsh and Austin Codrington performed admirably, and have both thrown their names into the hat for being the third (and maybe fourth?) pacers included on the world cup squad. Both for the most part - that is, not including the Bermuda match - bowled economically and took a few wickets as well. Having one of them come in as the third man after Bhatti and Osinde open should make for a lethal combination.

Finally, Canada have found some new wicketkeeping options. Not to say that Ashish Bagai is not and should not be our number one, but it is nice to have some other options in case he is unable to go for some reason. Kendon Ottley and Surendra Seeraj both did well behind the stumps, even if they weren't at their best in front of them. As I say, I still believe Bagai is the top man for the job - a good keeper who bats third is hard to come by - but taking one of these other young men along is a neceesity in case of injury.

So we can see that even though Canada finished disappointed in the tournament, it served the purpose selectors were using it for. They tried out some new bodies and identified some new talents to use in the forthcoming winter campaign. Canada have some time off now, with their next matches coming in an ODI triseries with Bermuda and The Netherlands in South Africa beginning in late November. They then have the Intercontinental Cup match against The Neteherlands before they participate in WCL Division 1 in Kenya early next year. I'll keep my ear to the ground for any news and will put it - and my opinions - right here.

Canada beat USA in finale

On a much warmer, sunnier day in King City, Canada pummeled the United States to stifle any hopes of a title. The USA's top order was never doing well, and their bottom-order did nothing to bail them out. When the dust had settled it was a comprehensive 10 wicket victory for the home side.

Canada won the toss and captain John Davison decided to field first. Things started well for Canada as Nadkarni's wicket fell for just 4 total runs when Jyoti took an easy catch. The USA looked as though they had stabilized, but then Davison called his own number. He dislodged Roopnarine by bowlig him with a glorious armball, and the collapse was imminent. Two balls later, American captain Steve Massiah was run out on a miscommunication between the two batsmen. A little later, Steven Welsh took two wickets on consecutive balls and they were into the tail. Kevin Sandher helped clean it up taking 3 wickets leg before on identical balls, moving in and catching the knee after the batsman had given up on it. Steve Pitter was the last of these, and the USA were all out for a paltry 116. John Davison led the bowling attack, taking 3-21 from 8 overs. Sandher was not far behind with 3-24 off 8.4 overs.

Canada came right in to start the chase, and chased famously. John Davison and Sandeep Jyoti made a great start and kept it coming, as they raced towards the target. The only thing that could interrupt them was the lunch interval as they competed to get to 50 first. Davison won the race, ending up on 62 runs off 54 balls including six 4s and a 6. For the second day in a row, Jyoti was stranded just short of a 50, as he made 44 off 50 balls including 7 boundaries. He won't be too upset though, as he helped Canada make their target in just 16.3 overs. That SHOULD give Canada enough run rate to pass Cayman Islands and finish 3rd in this tournament. It's not what they wanted, but there are a lot of positives to take out of the week. I'll write about them tomorrow. Hope you enjoyed the live coverage on BigCricket and CricketEurope, I'll be continuing with that next year whenever there are matches near me.

Canada WIN A GAME!!!

Canada 140-1 (21.3 overs) (Davison 53, Jyoti 46*, Lord 1-36) defeat Argentina 182-8 (50 overs) (A Ferguson 52*, Forrester 43, Welsh 2-18, A Codrington 2-33) by 9 wickets (D/L)

Canada finally broke their one-day drought today as they battled the elements and Argentina at King City. Canada put Argentina in to bat first and restricted them to 182 runs from their 50 overs. Steven Welsh was the pick of Canada's bowlers, taking 2 wickets for just 18 runs from 10 overs of work. There was a 45 minute rain delay during Argentina's innings, but no time was lost as lunch was taken early.

Canada's innings was shortened by rain, and after the delay at 6.4 overs, they were set a revised target of 138 runs to win from 33 overs. Canada made this target easily, cruising to 140-1 from just 21.3 overs. John Davison made a rapid 53 off just 34 balls before he was caught smartly at point by MacDermott. Sandeep Jyoti and Ashish Bagai both made good contributions of 46 and 26 respectively, both not out.

So Canada moves on with some positive momentum to the USA match tomorrow. It is an important one for the Americans as a win by a large margin would give them the trophy. But it's always an important match when Canada and the USA meet up. I will be there once again covering the match ball-by-ball, commentary and scores can be found at www.cricketeurope.com . Also, find the discussion thread on gameday at www.bigcricket.com . The weather looks alright, variable cloudiness until around 3:00, followed by overcast skies. The showers look as though they will hold off until the evening. See you there tomorrow!

Canada v Argentina LIVE SCORES

I will be continuing the LIVE scores from all Canada's matches at the ICC Americas Championships on Friday when Canada take on Argentina. My coverage is moving again, this time to Cricket Europe. The good people there have offered me the use of their scoring and commentary software which will make it easier for me and will get more information across. Just click the link and find the box in the corner with the Canada score, and click the link there.

Argentina are coming off some solid batting performances, and have to be reasonably satisfied with their performances so far. Canada, on the other hand, have to be disappointed with their recent one-day results having lost all the matches in their home season so far. This is the best chance Canada have to actually win one, as their final match of this tournament is Saturday against a USA team that has looked very good.

The weather doesn't look the greatest, as there are showers forecast on and off throughout the day. Hopefully they hold off though and we can at least get a reasonable amount of play in. Play begins at 10:30 EDT - I'll see you there.

Canada continue to wallow at the crease

It was going to be different today. Canada were clear favourites heading in, having seen the Cayman Islands get walloped by the Americans yesterday. When John Davison and Sandeep Jyoti strode to the wicket, it was going to be a big session for them, and Canada would put up a formidable total.

It wasn't.

Canada once again struggled mightily in their batting and failed to break 200 runs for the fourth time in five home one-day matches this season. Canada was lazy with the bat, and that resulted in a series of edges and clean bowlings seeing them reduced to 46-5 when captain Davison was retired. The wickets continued to fall, and it was only a wonderful, strong innings by George Codrington that allowed Canada to post any kind of score. Granted, the pitch was green, and quite wet in the morning, which lead to a lot of movement off the seam. However Canada had to realize this after seeing a couple of men taken out, and should have been more vigilant in their defending. Say what you will about Codrington, but this man is a solid batsman and a gutsy man! He was treated for a knock on the hand about midway through his innings but continued to rack up runs and try to save Canada. At lunch, he made a trip to the hospital and came back with tape on the fingers - a fracture and possibly ruptured tendons - a good old Canadian boy, playing through the pain!!! Eventually though, he ran out of partners and Canada was all out for 187. Another note here, Canada have yet to make it through 50 overs of batting in a one-day during this home season.

The pitch started changing around the 35th over of Canada's innings, and continued to do so through lunch. The wetness went away as the sun came up and quite strong winds began to blow. By the time the Caymans came to bat, it was a much more batsman-friendly place to be. The openers took advantage avoiding the early wicket Canada was looking for and got to 56 runs for the first wicket. The second wicket fell quickly thereafter, and Canada thought a collapse was imminent!!! But it wasn't, as the Caymans didn't lose another wicket all day and knocked off the total in just over 40 overs. Canada's bowling was not great, aside from Kevin Welsh who bowled very well. The problem for Canada is that they have left out their top two pace bowlers from this tournament. For some reason unknown to me (and I HOPE it isn't just 'because') both Umar Bhatti and Henry Osinde are not playing this week. Can you imagine an attack where Welsh is the third paceman rather than the first? Looks pretty unstoppable to me...

In any case, high marks to Cayman for doing what they needed to do, starting with winning the toss and having Canada bat first. High marks also to Kevin Welsh and George Codrington for their performances, with ball and bat respectively. The rest of the Canadian side have some work to do. They have time to do it, as Canada has the bye tomorrow and Thursday is a rest day for the tournament. Canada's next action is Friday against Argentina and they have to prepare adequately for it. The Argentine batting proved more than capable as they put up 260-4 against Bermuda today. If Canada's batting comes up lame again they may be fighting for the wooden spoon rather than the trophy.

A valiant effort falls just shy

On a day with runs being scored by everyone, Canada fell just 12 runs shy when the final wicket had fallen. Bermuda batted well throughout the morning session to put up a formidable 272 runs, leaving Canada to chase that in that total in the afternoon. Canada started wonderfully with captain John Davison and debutant Sundeep Jyoti who put up the first 50 runs in under 10 overs. Davison lost Jyoti there, but kept going with Bagai and they had Canada at 91 runs when Davison popped on up and was caught. At this point, Canada slowed down in their run rate dramatically, perhaps fearing another collapse like they have suffered in ODIs recently. However, they would need to crank it up if they wanted to win this one.

Abdool Samad and Ian Billcliff built a strong partnership of 70 runs for the fourth wicket, and Canada were in it. Billcliff was joined by George Codrington, and they had both found their stroke and looked as though they would see Canada to their total with time to spare. However, what would have been another boundary landed in the hands of Cann off the bat of Billcliff, and a couple of bad running decisions by the Canadians resulted in 2 runouts. The second of these, Steven Welsh was extremely close, and from my vantage point looked safe. But the umpire gave it out, and that was a huge 9th wicket. It came down to the final over with Canada's 10 and 11 batsmen looking to score 12 runs. With Bermudans all around the boundary, Kevin Sandher came close, his big slog came up about 10 feet short and was easily caught by Lionel Cann at the long-on boundary. Canada were lead by Billcliff (59) and Davison (55), Bermuda's top bowlers were Hasan Durham (4-45) and George O'Brien (3-62). Bermuda's bats were lead by Iriving Romaine's 101, the pick of Canada's bowlers was Austin Codrington who took 3-31 in 9 overs. Steven Welsh was a little disappointing in his debut, 68 runs from 8 overs (no wickets) and only 2 runs with the bat.

Canada need to forget about this result, but remember their batting performances moving into their second game of the tournament against Cayman Islands tomorrow. I will once again have live scores, whether here on this blog or on BigCricket (the link is in the sidebar).

Bermuda on top at lunch

At lunch, Bermuda finish their innings at 272-7. Irving Romaine led them with 101 off 111 balls. Canada's attack was led by Austin Codrington who took 3-31 in 9 overs. Canada need to get a solid batting innings to have any chance at winning this one. Live updates and scores at BigCricket.

Bermuda Innings

Outerbridge c Seeraj b A Codrington ..23 (37b 3x4, 0x6)
O'Brien c Seeraj b A Codrington ..........0 (6b, 0x4, 0x6)
Tucker c Davison b A Codrington .......14 (21b, 3x4, 0x6)
Romaine c Welsh b Samad ..............101 (111b, 12x4, 5x6)
Mukuddem c sub b Sandher...............18 (47b, 3x4, 0x6)
Tucker lbw b G Codrington................12 (16b, 1x4, 0x6)
Smith c Billcliff b Davison..................38 (38b, 5x4, 0x6)
Cann not out.................................26 (18b, 3x4, 2x6)
Durham not out..............................10 (8b, 0x4, 1x6)
Extras...........................................20
TOTAL (for 7 wickets; 50 overs).......272

Bowling
A Codrington....9-0-31-3
Welsh.............8-0-68-0
Samad............4-0-26-1
Sandher..........10-0-40-1
Davison...........8-0-56-1
G Codrington....10-2-35-1

Canada v Bermuda - 1st ODI Report

Canada struggled mightily at the crease AGAIN today and lost by 6 wickets to Bermuda. My full match report can be found here and I was posting live scores there as well. Once again Canada made some silly shots early, and were forced to pay for it. The only thing that kept the game respectable was some very good bowling from Umar Bhatti, John Davison, and Don Maxwell. Canada need to find their batting form earlier on Monday if they are to avoid another series sweep at home. Monday's game is also arguably the most important match in the ICC Americas Championship, as Bermuda and Canada are co-favourites going in. The full scorecard for the match can be found here

On Monday I will once again be posting over-by-over commentary and scores LIVE on BigCricket, feel free to comment in the threads over there, but also here on my own blog. Hopefully I will be happier and more inspired to write after Monday's match.

Canada v Bermuda - 1st ODI Live Scores

The first ODI - the one that isn't part of the Americas Championship - goes tomorrow at the Toronto Cricket Skating and Curling Club. A final tuneup for both of these teams, and both have something to work on. Bermuda will want to work on their bowling attack which struggled mightily against Canada in the Intercontinental Cup match. Canada, however, will try to continue their strong batting from the 4-dayer and carry it into the ODI arena, avoiding another embarassment like the ones against Kenya. It will be interesting to see which Canada team shows up tomorrow.

As for the LIVE Scores (as far as I know, the only ones in the world) here is the scoop. Jeff at Big Cricket has arranged for a phone line to allow me to dial in to the internet and provide more frequent and more detailed updates. These updates will appear on the Big Cricket website at www.bigcricket.com. I'll be posting them in this thread and hopefully all the technical stuff will work out well. If for some reason there are technical issues, I will revert to posting here with my mobile, so if it is lunch and there are no posts up on BC, check back here. Looking forward to an exciting day!

Canada v Bermuda Wrap-Up

As much of a battle as it was for us to find live scores from the game yesterday, it was an even greater battle won by the Canadian side at Maple Leaf CC as they took a commanding lead in Group B of the Intercontinental Cup. Bermuda looked to be headed to a draw, but after a flurry of wickets, Canada were left with 16 overs to chase 57 runs - a total they easily acheived losing just one wicket.

Bermuda's powerful batting duo of Irving Romaine and Clay Smith looked unbeatable at the crease, as they played very safe, patient cricket in an attempt to make the end of the match. After they scored 109 runs for the third wicket, the breakthrough came when Romaine was caught off an Umar Bhatti delivery. Smith would last a while longer, but his partners would have shorter innings as they moved down the order. On a pitch which favoured the batsman on the first day - and didn't change a bit - John Davison tried many things with his bowlers. 8 of the 11 Canadian players had a chance with the ball. The strangest of all: wicketkeeper Ashish Bagai bowled 2 overs - the first two overs he has bowled internationally! After all the different bowlers, it was the stalwarts that took the wickets. After Davison dislodged Smith, Umar Bhatti took the final three wickets for just 19 runs (he was 6-104 in the innings). When the dust had settled, Canada were left 16 overs to score 57 runs for the win.

Canada's chase began with a surprise, captain John Davison stayed in the pavilion. Geoff Barnett and Stewart Heaney strode to the wicket to get the chase underway. It took Canada 54 minutes (12.2 overs) to get to the total. They lost just one wicket, as Heaney's frustrating National Team campaign continued when he edged a Saleem Mukuddem ball to Dwayne Leverock in the slips. Barnett's 33 lead the Canadian team and Ian Billcliff helped him get it home for the victory.

Umar Bhatti was no surprise as he took his second man of the match honours in as many matches in the Intercontinental Cup. His 10 wicket haul included several crucial ones, and his 50 runs were scored in a partnership with Abdool Samad as they took Canada to a massive lead in the first innings. With the 20 points scored from this match, Canada stand in a dominant position in the standings. They now need only first-innings points in the match against the Netherlands in South Africa to guarantee themselves a spot in the final. They may not even need that, depending on what happens in other matches leading up to it.

We now look forward to the ODIs this weekend, leading in to the Americas Championship next week. I will be at all of Canada's games with coverage, and will see what I can do about covering other matches. We're working on an agreement to get my internet hooked up so I can provide totally live coverage (as well as more details in-game). More on that as details are firmed up.

Canada v Bermuda - Day 4 Scores

LIVE SCORES - (6:00 p.m.)
Match Over
Bermuda 334 & 310
Canada 588 & 60/1

Canada win by 9 wickets

Last Wickets:

L Cann out 30
R Steede out 12
D Leverock out 1

No confirmation as to who batted for Canada, more to come on that tonight. But the result is in, Canada, victorious, by nine wickets. Huge win for Canada, top of the table by far. I'm off to dinner, see you all tonight!

Captain Romaine and former captain Smith have stabilized the Bermudans and are digging in for a long session of defence at the wicket, as the visitors attempt to bat out the day and end this match in a draw. It seems that Romaine is keeping the majority of the strike, perhaps Smith is not feeling comfortable? Still a long way for them to go, and if Canada could pick up a few wickets quickly after lunch it could be a very interesting conclusion. The only wicket to have fallen in the extended morning session was that of Stephen Outerbridge who was caught by Maxwell off the bowling of Osinde.

It will be an exciting day at Maple Leaf CC in King City today as Canada attempt to secure a second outright victory in the 2006 Intercontinental Cup. Yesterday the Canadians built a 254 run first innings lead, but Bermuda gave themselves a fighting chance scoring 67 runs for just one wicket before rain washed out most of the third session. Realistically, Bermuda are likely playing for a draw as even if they can reach the Canadian total, Canada has another innings to come back. The home side will hope that a fourth day pitch makes it difficult for the batsmen and that the combination of pace from Bhatti and Osinde and spin from Davison and Dhaniram will be enough to earn th victory.

The weather looks very good - not a cloud in the sky and no rain forecast for the rest of the day. Play will begin half an hour earlier (10:00 EDT) than usual to attept to make up for lost play yesterday. This, coupled with a possible extra half hour in the evening if a result is nearing means we may see a whopping 112 overs bowled today - a long time for Bermuda to defend! Our man Dhushy will be on the ground again today, and supplying scoring updates which will be posted right here. Stay tuned!!!

Canada v Bermuda - Day 3 Scores and Report

Stumps - Day 3
Bermuda 334 & 67/1
Canada 588 all out (136 overs)
Bermuda trail by 187 runs with 9 wickets in hand.

Batsmen:

S Outerbridge not out 37
D Borden c Bagai b Bhatti 19
I Romaine not out 6

The majority of today's play belonged to Canada without a doubt. The tail-enders of the Canadian order would not go down quietly, and Abdool Samad put up Canada's third century of the innings (119). Umar Bhatti added 50 runs to go with his 4 wickets and then picked up a fifth wicket for the match after Bermuda started their second innings. Canada ended up with 588 runs all out, giving them a 254 first innings lead. In reply Bermuda reached 67-1 before rain washed out the last 2 hours of play.

Canada are looking in good shape heading into the final day, and if they are forced to chase a target it will likely not be a large one. The only fear for Canada now is that with the two hours lost the Bermudans will attempt to bat out the day and play for the draw. There is the potential, however, for 104 overs of play yesterday. 96 overs are scheduled, and either captain can request an extra half hour (8 overs) of play if they believe it will lead to a result. That is a long time for Bermuda to be able to survive on a fourth day pitch. The weather forecast looks promising. The only bad news is a 30% chance of a light shower between 11 and 1. Even if it materializes, we should only lose an hour or so, as lunch occurs during this interval.

Finally I must thank Dhushy for the great score updates he sent me today. I appreciate it, and I am sure anyone else checking for scores does as well. For the rest of your information, he has volunteered to send scores again tomorrow, so this will still be your place to come for scores.

Canada 1st Innings (overnight 386-7)

J Davison c Outerbridge b Borden....165
G Barnett lbw b Steede.......................9
S Heaney c Romaine b Hurdle...........10
I Billcliff b Steede.................................126
A Bagai c & b Steede............................2
Q Ali run out.........................................35
S Dhaniram c Minors b Steede...........11
A Samad c Minors b Hurdle................119
U Bhatti b Leverock.............................50
H Osinde not out..................................18
P Ravishankar b Leverock..................0
Extras.....................................................43
Total (all out; 136 overs)...................588

Canada lead by 254 runs after the first innings.

Captain Carries Canadians

Canadian captain John Davison showed today why he is one of Canada's opening batsmen and why he strikes fear in the hearts of opposing bowlers. His 169, along with 126 contributed by Ian Billcliff led Canada to a first innings lead over Bermuda, with 3 wickets still in hand for tomorrow morning.

The reports I had heard last night of Bermuda declaring on 333/9 were apparently incorrect, as the Bermudan tail-enders were at the crease as play opened this morning. They were not there for long, however. After Dwayne Leverock scored a single, Henry Osinde took his 3rd wicket of the innings as he clean bowled Kevin Hurdle to end Bermuda's innings on 334.

Davison and Barnett came out to open the batting for Canada, and did well to start. They met the opening onslaught from Hurdle and Steede well, and amassed 36 runs before Barnett was caught in front by Ryan Steede. The call was quite possibly a poor one, as (very unofficial) replays seemed to confirm my opinion that the ball was headed over the wicket. But there is no video replay here, and Barnett was gone for just 9 runs. Stewart Heaney lasted all of 14 minutes at bat until he edged to the captain Romaine in the slips off Hurdle's bowling. The Canadian innings was threatening to collapse in the early morning sun - then on strode Ian Billcliff.

Billcliff started slowly, with a couple of scary moments in his first few overs. He grew in confidence and shared the strike with his captain as they began to build the foundation for a very strong partnership. Davison reached 50 off 71 balls, and on the very next ball edged a ball to wicketkeeper Minors - who dropped it! It was not an easy catch, but it is one Minors will replay in his head tonight, especially considering what was to come. Billcliff and Davison stroked boundaries effortlessly as Dwayne Leverock and Delyone Borden could get no movement off the still slightly green pitch. Leverock bowled an astounding 33 of the 92.1 overs - including the entire afternoon session - but came up empty. The 233 run 3rd wicket partnership was finally ended when what would have been Davisons 25th boundary was caught spectacularly by Stephen Outerbridge who sprinted 25 metres along the rope to take the ball at long on. 169 for the captain.

The next wicket fell quickly, as Ashish Bagai was in and out for 2, and Bermuda was again full of confidence and thinking they may be able to preserve the innings. But Qaiser Ali had different thoughts. He stabilized the Canadian ship and worked well with Billcliff who made his century shortly thereafter. What could have been another massive partnership was stalled when Ali called for a second run on a ball that should have been a single. A good throw came in from midwicket and Minors took off the bails to run out Ali for 34 runs. Sunil Dhaniram who bowled well for Canada yesterday also batted well, leaving most of the strike to Billcliff and scoring himself when he could. In the 91st over of the innings, Dhaniram edged a ball clumsily to Minors and was gone. The Bermudan captain Romaine chose to take the new ball, and 2 overs later Steede took his 4th wicket - a big one - bowling Ian Billcliff who was dismissed for 126. Steede's 4-75 were a bright spot in an innings marked by frustration for Bermuda's bowlers. Stumps were drawn at that point, saving Canada from a full collapse and leaving questions as to how big a lead Canada can build. Canada 386-7 at close.

What is important, however, is that Canada have claimed the first innings points (6 of them) and that mathematically eliminates Kenya from qualifying for the finals. Canada's coach Andy Pick was overheard saying that Canada will hope to build at least 100 runs lead for the first innings, perhaps trying to bat 120 overs in this first innings. It appears Mother Nature is going to play ball, at least for the most part. Tomorrow there is still a good chance of rain, but it seems it will begin around 5 pm, hence not cutting out too much time from play. Also Tuesday the forecast has changed and now calls for sunny skies all day. All this appears to be leading us to a result in this match, and currently it seems that Canada have the upper hand.

Unfortunately I will probably not be attending the play tomorrow or Tuesday (unless I can skip off work early and head up). So there will be no live updates here UNLESS(!!!) somebody else comes forward saying they will be there and can phone (or text) in scores to me. Otherwise we will need to rely on other, less efficient, sources.

Canada v Bermuda - Day 2 Scorecard

Canada lead by 52 runs with 3 1st innings wickets in hand

Bermuda 1st Innings (Overnight 333-9)

SD Outerbridge c Bagai b Bhatti.......3
DC Borden c Heaney b Bhatti............4
IH Romaine c Bagai b Osinde............69
CJ Smith c Bagai b Bhatti...................33
JJ Tucker lbw b Dhaniram................68
DA Minors c Billcliff b Davison..........3
S Mukuddem lbw b Bhatti.................51
LO Cann b Davison.............................48
RD Steede b Osinde............................13
DM Leverock not out..........................6
K Hurdle b Osinde..................................6
Extras (lb 6, w 9, nb 7).......................22
Total (all out ; 96.4 overs)...............334

Fall of wickets: 1-9(Outerbridge), 2-21(Borden), 3-120(Romaine), 4-120(Smith), 5-135(Minors), 6-218(Tucker), 7-283(Cann), 8-311(Steede), 9-327(Mukuddem), 10-334 (Hurdle)

Bowling
Osinde..................................24.4-8-88-3 (7 w, 1 nb)
Bhatti....................................28-4-90-4 (6 nb)
Samad...................................8-1-35-0 (2 w)
Ravishankar........................18-4-62-0
Davison................................9-2-42-2
Dhaniram............................9-5-11-1

Canada 1st Innings

J Davison c Outerbridge b Borden.....169
G Barnett lbw b Steede........................9
S Heaney c Romaine b Hurdle............10
I Billcliff b Steede..................................126
A Bagai c & b Steede.............................2
Q Ali run out..........................................34
S Dhaniram c Minors b Steede...........11
A Samad not out...................................1
Extras (b 8, lb 7, w 1, nb 8)...............24
Total (7 wickets; 92.1 overs)..........386

Still to bat: P Ravishankar, H Osinde, U Bhatti

Fall of Wickets: 1-36 (Barnett), 2-53 (Heaney), 3-286 (Davison), 4-289 (Bagai), 5-356 (Ali), 6-383 (Dhaniram), 7-386 (Billcliff)

Bowling

Hurdle...........13-1-69-1
Steede...........15.1-2-75-4
Mukuddem...10-0-60-0
Leverock.......33-6-92-0
Borden...........20-0-64-1

Toss: Won by Canada

Canada v Bermuda Day 1 Scorecard

Bermuda 1st Innings

SD Outerbridge c Bagai b Bhatti.......3
DC Borden c Heaney b Bhatti............4
IH Romaine c Bagai b Osinde............69
CJ Smith c Bagai b Bhatti...................33
JJ Tucker lbw b Dhaniram................68
DA Minors c Billcliff b Davison..........3
S Mukuddem lbw b Bhatti.................51
LO Cann b Davison.............................48
RD Steede b Osinde............................13
DM Leverock not out..........................5
K Hurdle not out..................................6
Extras (lb 6, w 9, nb 7).......................22
Total (9 wickets; 96 overs).............333

Fall of wickets: 1-9(Outerbridge), 2-21(Borden), 3-120(Romaine), 4-120(Smith), 5-135(Minors), 6-218(Tucker), 7-283(Cann), 8-311(Steede), 9-327(Mukuddem)

Bowling
Osinde..................................24-8-87-2 (7 w, 1 nb)
Bhatti....................................28-4-90-4 (6 nb)
Samad...................................8-1-35-0 (2 w)
Ravishankar........................18-4-62-0
Davison................................9-2-42-2
Dhaniram............................9-5-11-1

Toss: Won by Canada

Canada v Bermuda - Day 1 Report

There wasn't a cloud in the sky at the Maple Leaf CC today as Canada and Bermuda met to begin their Intercontinental Cup match. Canada won the toss, and surprisingly chose to field first. Captain John Davison was hoping the track would be a good one for his opening pace bowlers Henry Osinde and Umar Bhatti.

The day started very well for the Canadian pace attack. Both of the openers were gone within 10 overs, both caught off Bhatti's bowling - Bermuda were just 21-2. But then the captain Irving Romaine and former captain Clay Smith did what captains are supposed to do - they stabilized their side. Romaine and Smith played a patient partnership which amounted to 99 runs for the third wicket and was puncuated by a 26 run over off of the normally stingy Osinde. Shortly after lunch, Romaine cracked his bat while playing a shot. The new bat was brought by the 12th man, and the next ball from Osinde was edged through to wicketkeeper Ashish Bagai. Bermuda looked as though they may collapse, as the Smith proceeded to fall to Bhatti before another run could be scored. After Minors was caught off Davison's bowling for 135 total, Bermuda needed a stabilizer again. They found it in Saleem Mukuddem.

Mukuddem scored 51 himself, putting up partnerships of 83 with Janiero Tucker and 65 with Cann. Canada's bowlers could not get any purchase on what turned out to be a very straight wicket, and Bermuda patiently built themselves a good total. Only when the new ball was taken could Canada's pacers come back in to the attack and take two wickets in the last 14 overs. The final over of the day provided some excitement. First Mukuddem was caught lbw by Bhatti. Then Kevin Hurdle hit an absolutely stunning 6 which flew over the clubhouse. On the last ball, Hurdle looked to be caught in front, but the umpire denied Bhatti the five-fer with a shake of the head. It would seem that the point is moot, as Bermuda have reportedly declared shortly after stumps were drawn.

So ends the day, leaving Bermuda a favourite to take the first innings points, if not the match. Canada will need to get contributions from all their batsmen and make a concerted effort to build an innings rather than succumbing to the poor shotmaking they did in the last ODIs against Kenya. The weather forecast calls for sunny skies all day tomorrow, meaning we will most likely get in the full 96 overs. Monday and Tuesday will have scattered showers, but hopefully we can still reach a result in thei fine match.

On the eve of Canada v Bermuda

Bermuda's Royal Gazette is reporting that the pitch at King City is looking very fast and fully grassed. The speed of the pitch seems to lend itself to Canada's good young pace bowlers, specifically Umar Bhatti and Henry Osinde who bowled wonderfully against Kenya. The groundskeeper is happy with the wicket, expecting it to allow pace, spin, and seam to be effective. Bermuda seem to be coming in with a similar strategy to the one Canada employed in the first Intercontinental Cup match - bat first, and bat for a long time.

The weather report is still great for the weekend, but there is a chance of showers on Monday and Tuesday (40% and 30% chance, respecitvely). Temperatures will be in the mid-20s throughout the weekend.

Watch this space for updates from at least the first two days, and hopefully something on Monday and Tuesday (I am still looking for someone who can make it up on those days to help me out). See you at the match!

Intercontinental Cup Preview - Canada v Bermuda

The Bermudans have arrived in Toronto and are now preparing to take on Canada in an Intercontinental Cup match this weekend. Canada are coming off an exhilirating match win against Kenya - which was followed by two devastating ODI losses also against Kenya. Bermuda will be playing their first match in this year's Intercontinental Cup and will be looking to repeat their 48 run victory in last year's competition. Canada stand atop the Group B standings with 20 points, followed by the Netherlands (6 points), Bermuda (0), and Kenya (0). A win for the hosts (with maximum points) would put them into a dominant position in their endeavour to reach the finals.

Bermuda are playing their first 2-innings-a-side match of this year, but most of their players are not. The majority of the Bermudan side took part in the annual Somerset-St. George's Cup Match - a great spectacle of sport on the island nation. Former captain Clay Smith is back from injury and looked in fine form scoring 35 runs in the second innings and leading St. George's to a 7 wicket victory. Dwayne Leverock, the wily lefthanded spin bowler also played, but for the losing side. Their full squad is listed in the previous post.

Canada's squad is much the same as it was for the first Intercontinental Cup match against Kenya. The changes - Ian Billcliff, who was unavailable for the first match, replaces Pubudu Dassanayake, and Abdool Samad replaces the injured Haninder Dhillon. John Davison will captain the Canadians again, but it is not his captaining that has been questioned. Many Canadian supporters feel he should be moved down the batting lineup (one gentleman I spoke with suggested he be the 7th batsman). Indeed the greatest question surrounding the Canadians at present is their batting. Both innings in the Intercontinental Cup match against Kenya featured half the lineup collapsing, and the ODIs were simply awful. Canada cannot afford to rely on their bowling alone against a very strong (in both sides of the game) Bermuda team.

The match will take place from Saturday August 12 - Tuesday August 15 at Maple Leaf CC in King City, Ontario. The hours of play are 10:00-5:30 (though they were pushed back by half an hour for the Kenya match). The weather looks mostly good for the match: Saturday - Sunny 24C, Sunday - Sunny 27C, Monday - 40% Rain 26C, Tuesday - Partly Cloudy 24C. I will be providing some LIVE updates on this website, but likely will not be able to attend all 4 days play. If anyone else will be heading up and would like to help out with the coverage, please contact me and we will discuss our options. Looking forward to another great weekend of cricket in the great city of Toronto.

Bermuda Announce Squads for Canada Tour

The squads to face Canada in the Intercontinental Cup match this weekend and to participate in the ICC Americas Division I Championship have been announced. Irving Romaine will remain the captain of the team for both competitions, and a strong squad has been named for each. Many of the players are coming off a multi-day warmup in the famous "Cup Match" between St. George's and Somerset Cricket Clubs in Bermuda. Of note is the inclusion of bowlers Saleem Mukuddem and Dwayne Leverock - men who have confounded Canadian batsmen in the past, most notably in a 2005 Intercontinental Cup match. Janeiro Tucker is also a danger for Canadian hopes, as he scored 123 runs in the second innings of last year's match in leading Bermuda to a tight victory.

Intercontinental Cup Squad (August 12-15)

• Irving Romaine (C)
• Dean Minors (VC)
• Lionel Cann
• Janeiro Tucker
• Saleem Mukuddem
• Dwayne Leverock
• Hasan Durham
• Kevin Hurdle
• Deloyne Borden
• OJ Pitcher
• Ryan Steede
• Clay Smith
• George O'Brien, Jr.
• Malachi Jones
• Stephen Outerbridge

ICC Americas Championship Squad (August 21-26)

• Irving Romaine (C)
• Dean Minors (VC)
• Lionel Cann
• Janeiro Tucker
• Saleem Mukuddem
• Dwayne Leverock
• Hasan Durham
• Kevin Hurdle
• Kwame Tucker
• Stefan Kelly
• Ryan Steede
• Clay Smith
• George O’Brien, Jr.
• Malachi Jones
• Stephen Outerbridge

More detailed previews of both the competitions to come later.

Canada v Kenya 2nd ODI Scorecard

Canada Innings

Davison c K Obuya b Ondongo........0
Barnett st* K Obuya b Varaiya.......35
Chumney b Tikolo.........................26
Ifill c K Obuya b Varaiya................0
Bagai c & b Varaiya........................16
Ali c & b Tikolo...............................0
Codrington lbw b Tikolo.................4
Dhaniram run out...........................2
Maxwell c (unknown) b Varaiya......0
Sanjay not out................................0
Osinde c & b Varaiya......................0
Extras (1b, 5lb, 4w, 2nb)...............11
TOTAL (all out, 33.2 overs)..........94

FOW: 1-2, 2-65, 3-69, 4-71, 5-71, 6-86, 7-92, 8-93, 9-94, 10-94

Bowling:
Odoyo ........7-1-17-0
Ondongo....5-0-22-1
Odhiambo.3-0-10-0
Varaiya.....9.2-2-25-5*
Tikolo........9-1-11-3

Kenya Innings

K Obuya lbw b Dhaniram.......19
Patel c & b Davison.................23
Kamade c Ifill b Davison.........0
Tikolo not out.........................29
Modi c Barnett b Davison.......0
C Obuya b Dhaniram..............14
Mishra not out........................6
Extras (lb3, w3)......................6
TOTAL (5 wickets, 31.2 ov)....97

FOW: 1-46, 2-46, 3-47, 4-47, 5-69

Bowling:
Dhaniram.......10-2-18-2
Osinde.............4-2-3-0
Sanjay.............4-0-17-0
Davison...........9-0-43-3
Codrington......3-1-2-0
Ali....................2.2-0-11-0

Kenya win by 5 wickets.
Man of the Match: Steve Tikolo

*NOTE: Barnett was given out, not sure if it is officially stumped or run out. Varaiya's wicket count is therefore either 4 or 5, case depending.

Canada beaten again.....badly

Canada came into today's match looking to avenge yesterday's embarassing loss to the Kenyan team. Things started off well for the Canadians - they won the toss!!! That, however, was the high point of the day and the result was another disappointing result, a five wicket loss to Kenya.

Canada chose to bat and put in John Davison and Geoff Barnett to open the action. The first wicket to fall did so in the second over when Davison got a thin outside edge to a delivery from Ondongo which was easily handled by K Obuya. A duck for the captain. From there Desmond Chumney came in and built a solid partnership with Barnett. 94 balls, 80 minutes, and 63 runs. When Barnett was finally retired things looked good for the Canadians - sitting 65-2 after 17.3 overs. Thus began a forgettable collapse. Canada slumped from 65-2 to 71-5, Ifill and Ali both gone first ball, and things were suddenly looking grim for the home side. After a little help from Codrington and Bagai, the Canadians continued to play undisciplined and frankly, stupid shots resulting in wickets tumbling. The last 3 wickets were lost for just 2 runs as Maxwell, Sanjay (not out), and Osinde made it a whopping SIX Canadian batsmen to leave the field with a duck as a prize. It was a spinners paradise on the pitch as Varaiya took 4 wickets for just 25 runs and the captain Steve Tikolo an astounding 3 wickets for 11 runs in 9 overs of work!!!

The Kenyan innings began as you would expect it to - safely and cautiously. K Obuya and Patel opened and made a very stable 46 run partnership for the first wicket. At that point Kenya staged a mini-collapse of their own going from 46-1 to 47-4 thanks to a 3 wicket over from Canadian skipper John Davison. The saviour for Kenya was Steve Tikolo. He batted a wonderful innings playing just enough shots to keep the scoreboard ticking over and was never in danger of being given out. He was helped by C Obuya and finally by Mishra and after 31.2 overs Kenya reached their target - 97 for 5. Strong bowling from Sunil Dhaniram, taking 2-18 on 10 overs, as well as Davison who took 3 wickets. Davison, however, gave away too many runs - 43 to be exact - and Kenya won the game comfortably.

Now the debate will begin: was it the right move by selectors to bring in the more "experienced" players from Victoria Park? Or would it have been a better move to leave the Intercontinental Cup side together for these matches also. Judging from the scorecard (Chumney 26, Ifill 0, Codrington 4) it was a bad move. Once again after a loss people will look not at the performance on the field but at that in the boardroom of the selectors.

It was another beautiful day at the Toronto CSCC and around 100 people were at the ground, mostly Canada supporters. Those who arrived late may have been shocked due to how far along the match was at that point with only 65 overs being played altogether. We now look forward to seeing how the team regroups heading into another Intercontinental Cup tie with Bermuda next weekend. The squad for that match will be more or less the same as the previous 4-day match, and if it performs well again it will speak volumes for keeping that team and giving up on the elder statesmen who were brought in for this weekend.

For those of you commenting, thanks a lot! This blog is already growing quite well. When I am posting live from the ground, though, I cannot see your comments. Just so you don't worry when I don't respond to them. Also I would like to continue covering matches including the 4-day next Saturday to Tuesday. But I may not be able to make it to all the days. If there is anyone in the Toronto area who would be willing to help out, please let me know and we will see what we can do. Cheers for now.

Score Update

Canada 94 aII out (33.2 ov)
kenya 97-five (31.2 ov)
kenya win by five wickets

Whoops!!! - Canada beaten soundly by Kenya

Any momentum Canada may have built up from the Intercontinental Cup victory over Kenya last weekend was lost today on the field at the Toronto Cricket, Skating, and Curling Club. In front of around 200 cricket fans, the Canadian top order failed to perform and were never close to threatening a reachable total posted by the Kenyans in the morning session.

Kenya won the toss and chose to bat on a pitch that was dry and quick (at a quick glance), a product of the warm weather recently here in Toronto. There was surely some tension in both the visitors' pavilion and in the hands of the opening batsmen, as they faced Henry Osinde and Umar Bhatti, the men that took them to 14-4 in the first 8.1 overs of their IC innings. However the match started positively for Kenya as Obuya and Patel took them to 24 for no loss after 5 overs. The innings continued at a resonable run rate which hovered around 4 runs per over for the majority of the morning. After 28 overs Kenya had reached 109-2. At 40 overs, 170-3. In the end, Kenya made some aggressive shots in the final ten overs and reached 237-9 after the 50 overs were completed. The total could have been a lot greater but for four catches made by Canadian fielders within a metre of the boundary rope.

Lunch was spent at the Pheasant & Firkin pub where I enjoyed wonderful bangers, beans, and mash and a pint of Creemore Lager (a fine local beer, for non-Ontarians).

The total of 237 was one which intrigued me throughout lunch. I expected it to be a very close chase, and to depend largely on the first few overs. I was correct, but not pleased with the outcome. Canada perhaps worried too much about the run rate needed, and not enough on batsmen required to reach the total. After 10 overs Canada had 44 runs.....but had lost three wickets. Several of the wickets fell on undisciplined shots, 2 line drives directly at midwicket which were caught and one (which I could have caught) lobbed gently to mid-off. There was also a free wicket given to Kenya when Qaiser Ali thought he was running one, but George Codrington remained in his crease. Two men at the same wicket is not a correct batting formation. This was the beginning of the end as the run rate went down as quick as the wickets. After 30 overs sitting at 110-8, it was all over but the crying. I will mention, however, George Codrington was by far the best batsman for Canada. He only put up 30-odd runs, but batted very well and gave Canada some semblance of a dream of an inkling of a notion of victory. The game finally ended at 129 all out after 37.4 overs. Canada was done, Kenya were jubilant, and I went home to cry.

It was a good morning for Canada, restricting the Kenyans to just 237, but it was a much worse afternoon as there was never a chance of victory. The biggest cheer of the day came as a sarcastic one when Canada passed 100 as a team. Not the century we wanted. Now we look forward to the match tomorrow. There is no precipitation expected to fall between now and tomorrow, so we can expect the pitch to remain dry. The forecast for tomorrow is once again, perfect. Sunny skies and a high temperature of 29C is expected in the fine city of Toronto. We will look for a better batting performance from Canada. Coupled with a similar fielding performance, the second ODI coudl have a very different result.

I will be there once again, providing the ONLY LIVE SCORES in the world (don't I feel special). Tomorrow I will bring further enhanced coverage, trying to give you the individual scores and how wickets fall as well. Since it is two hours since the match ended and there are still no scorecards posted, I will also bring a scoresheet with me and provide you with that as soon as I get home. Until then, thanks for watching.

Score Update

Kenya 237-9 (50 ov) (Kamande 68, Tikolo 50, Thuraisingam 4-35, Osinde 3-46)
Canada 129 all out (37.4 ov)

Kenya win by 108 runs.

Canada v Kenya ODI LIVE Scores Here

The weather is looking beautiful for the weekend ODIs against Kenya. Tomorrow Mainly Sunny with a high of 27C, Sunday Mainly Sunny with a high of 29C. Perfect weather to check out a cricket match in the great city of Toronto. Hours of Play are as follows: Start at 10:00 am, Lunch from 1:30-2:10, Close at approximately 5:40.

I will be posting live scores right here on this blog, using the wonder of technology that is the Nokia 3595 mobile phone. The site may get a little messy, as each update will be its own post, but bear with it and you will have scores every time a wicket falls, and quite often even when there are no wickets. That's all for now, cheers.

Preview of Kenya ODI Series

After the Intercontinental Cup match last weekend, Canada and Kenya will renew acquaintances this weekend with a 2 match ODI series. These matches will serve Canada with some much-needed ODI experience heading into the ICC Americas Championship later this month. Kenya comes in looking for revenge after a close loss on the weekend, while Canada would love to post a sweep of the tourists.

The Kenyans come in with the same lineup they carried in the 4-day match:

1. S. Tikolo (C)
2. T. Odoyo
3. H. Modi
4. K. Otieno (wk)
5. T. Mishra
6. P. Ongondo
7. N. Odhiambo
8. J. Kamande
9. T. Suji
10. B. Patel
11. T. Muange
12. H. Variaya
13. C. Obuya

They have some questions to answer at the top of their order as the opening combination of Otieno and Patel scored a disappointing 9 runs over two innings in the previous match. Steve Tikolo will be looking to put up some large numbers in the ODI in an effort to lead his team to victory.

The Canadian selectors make some controversial changes to the lineup:

1. J. Davison (C)
2. Q. Ali
3. A. Bagai (wk)
4. U. Bhatti
5. D. Chumney
6. G. Codrington
7. S. Dhaniram
8. G. Barnett (replaces H. Dhillon, injury)
9. S. Heaney
10. N. Ifill
11. D. Maxwell
12. H. Osinde
13. K. Sandher
14. S. Thuraisingam

The additions of Chumney, Codrington, and Ifill (at an average age of 38) is a case of selectors putting in their 'buddies' rather than the best players in the country. These players are all mediocre at best, and due to their age have no room left for development. The team would be much better served having a young player who is developping and woudl benefit from international experience, rather than giving these old boys one last go-round. That being said, I do enjoy watching Codrington bat with no helmet on, even when facing the pacers.

The matches will be played Saturday and Sunday at the Toronto Cricket Skating and Curling Club (Avenue + Wilson Road). Play will be from 10:00 am to 5:40 pm each day. Admission is free, and parking is available at the school across the road. The weather forecast presently says 28 and sunny for Saturday, but 31 and Thundershowers for Sunday. Hope to see a good turnout at the match, come out and watch some cricket!

Canada beat Kenya by 25 Runs

The Kenyan team felt right at home with the weather, but it was the home side who took the victory in Canada's first match of the 2006 Intercontinental Cup.

The four day match contested at the Maple Leaf Cricket Club in King City was intense throughout, and the match was truly balanced on a knife-edge until the very end. When the dust had settled, Canada emerged victorious by 25 runs and jumped to the top of the Group B points table in the tournament.

Canada won the toss and chose to bat, hoping to get a good start to the match. They did not do particularly well at that, losing their first 4 wickets for just 60 runs and reeling at 102-7 at lunch. The saviour of Canada's first innings (and indeed, the match) was Qaiser Ali providing 91 runs from the 7th spot in the batting order and remaining until the end of the innings. The final wicket came when Puvendran Ravishankar skied a ball which was taken easily by Peter Ongondo (who also took 4 wickets for 49 runs).

Kenya then began their first innings hoping to make a good start and keep their wickets safe. Henry Osinde and Umar Bhatti had a different idea and they each took two wickets before the close leaving Kenya 14-4 at close and considering their chances the next day. As Canada the day before, Kenya's middle order bailed them out, Tanmay Mishra providing an unbeaten 83 and bringing Kenya painfully close to Canada's total. They were just 4 runs shy when Hiren Varaiya edged a ball, taken by Pubudu Dassanayake off the bowling of Umar Bhatti. This gave Canada a boost, as well as an important 6 bonus points in the standings given for a 1st innings lead.

Canada's second innings began much better than the first. Geoff Barnett and captain John Davison provided a first wicket partnership of 46 before Davison was retired and Canada reached 52-1 at the close of play. Barnett ended up putting up 136 runs, including a 112 run partnership with Ashish Baghai and Canada were looking dominant for the first time in the match sitting at 260-4. On this occasion, however, it was the lower order that failed the Canadian side. None of the last 6 batsmen managed to reach double digit scoring, and Canada slumped to 286 all out.

Kenya began pursuit of their target, 291, with 22 overs left to be played on the third day. Plenty of time for them to reach the target, or, for Canada to bowl them out. It seemed apparent at this point that, barring rain, there would be a result in this match. Once again Kenya lost both of their openers quickly, this time both to Bhatti, and sat at 21-2. Captain Steve Tikolo and Tony Suji stabilized though, and Kenya reached 45-2 at close. Throughout the fourth days play it was anyone's match, both sides taking advantages over one another at various points. John Davison only took a single wicket for the match, but it was an important one. He bowled Steve Tikolo on an even 50 runs, breaking up a 75 run partnership with Tony Suji that threatened to catch the Canadian total. Collins Obuya was close to playing hero on this day as he recorded 89 runs, but Umar Bhatti was to be the man today. Within 3 overs of the new ball being taken, Bhatti took 2 wickets. He took the final 4 wickets of the match, 6 in the innings, and 10 overall. The final out came when centurion Geoff Barnett took a neat catch in the slips to retire Collins Obuya giving Bhatti 10 wickets and setting off celebrations in King City. Man of the match honours were shared by Bhatti and Barnett for Canada.

The win is an important one coming off a disappointing trip to Trinidad earlier in the year. It also gave us the maximum 20 points in the Intercontinental Cup table and put us in a good position to move towards a berth in the finals. The crowds were good on the days I attended, and I even saw short highlight packages on CTV and CityTV News. Hopefully this is the beginning of a higher profile for cricket in Canada both in the media and in the public.

Up next are 2 ODIs against the Kenyans this coming weekend at the Toronto Cricket, Skating, and Curling club. Then the following weekend Canada resume their Intercontinental Cup campaign against Bermuda.

Welcome to Canadian Cricket

Spurred on by the general lack of information during the recently completed Intercontinental Cup match between Canada and Kenya, I felt it necessary to establish a new source for information on Canada's Cricket team. So here it is. I will update this site as often as I can with scores, news, controversy - anything to do with Canadian Cricket. Hopefully some people find this site useful and I look forward to hearing from many of you and meeting some other Canadian Cricket fans. My first real post will follow soon, and will detail my experiences at the Canada-Kenya match in which Canada prevailed by 25 runs. Cheers till then.