Beyond the Boundary!

Continuing our look at associate players involved in county cricket action this year, we first look at the Derbyshire v Warwickshire County Championship match at the County Ground in Derby. Denmark’s Freddie Klokker has recovered from his first ball duck in the first innings and is currently unbeaten on 76 at the close of play on three. His Danish international team-mate Johan Malcolm scored 31 in Loughborough UCCE’s second innings against Worcestershire. That match ended in a draw, and Dutch international Alexei Kervezee did not bat in Worcestershire’s second innings.

The other Dutchman involved in county cricket this year, Ryan ten Doeschate, took one wicket in the Middlesex second innings, and was out for 18 in the Essex second innings, Essex struggling on 123/5 chasing 299. Eoin Morgan scored 25 for Middlesex to add to his first innings 18.

Irish wicket-keeper Niall O’Brien did not add to his overnight score of 60 as his Northamptonshire captain declared overnight. Bermuda’s Steven Outerbridge, playing for Cardiff UCCE, scored 29 in the second innings to add to his fine first innings score of 85. His international team-mate David Hemp is currently captaining Glamorgan in a day/night match against Gloucestershire in Cardiff, and was out for five opening the batting.

International cricket is to return to Bermuda after the ICC approved the National Sports Centre in Hamilton to host Intercontinental Cup matches. They will play Scotland at home in July, their first home match since 2004.

They have been having problems with the quality of the pitch at the ground since then, and it was memorably described by ICC pitch expert Andy Atkinson as being more suited for growing carrots. The ground still hasn’t been approved to host ODIs though.

More here.

Three more European countries could be set to join the ICC if their applications are approved at the ICC’s annual meeting in Dubai at the end of June. Bulgaria, Estonia and Turkey are the three countries applying.

In addition, Guernsey and Vanuatu have applied for elevation to associate membership. An ICC team is currently inspecting Guernsey, whilst Vanuatu’s application is dependent on them meeting the playing standards criteria during WCL Division Five at the end of this month.

In addition, the British Virgin Islands are set to become the first nation to break away from the West Indies and join the ICC as an affiliate member. More on that one here.

Continuing our now regular series of looking at how associate players are doing in county cricket, today has seen more of them put in decent performances for their county/university teams.

In Durham’s County Championship match against Lancashire at Old Trafford, Scotland’s Kyle Coetzer was looking to improve on his eight first innings runs, but could not as he was caught behind for a duck off the bowling of Andrew Flintoff.

Ryan ten Doeschate took two more wickets against Middlesex to finish with 4/75 in the Middlesex first innings. He then scored just 23 as Essex were bundled out for 207. He has so far bowled two overs in the Middlesex second innings, conceding one run. He has come on first change for Essex, who perhaps have finally realised that he’s a decent bowler.

Denmark’s Freddie Klokker would have cheered himself up after his first ball duck yesterday by taking four catches for Derbyshire against Warwickshire today, and not in his usual position behind the stumps. The other Danish player involved in first-class action today, Johan Malcolm did not bat or bowl in Loughborough UCCE’s match against Worcestershire, whilst Dutch international Alexei Kervezee added a catch to yesterday’s innings of 41 on his Worcestershire debut.

Meanwhile in Northampton two associate players were in the runs. For Cardiff UCCE, Bermuda’s Steven Outerbridge was their top-scorer with 85, whilst for Northamptonshire Niall O’Brien was unbeaten on 60 at the close of play.

After being kept strictly to second XI action until now, Dutch international Alexei Kervezee has made his debut for Worcestershire in their first-class match against Loughborough UCCE. He made 41 from 80 balls before he was caught behind off the bowling of another young European international; Denmark’s Johan Malcolm, which was his maiden first-class wicket. Malcolm finished with 1/40 from his 13 overs, and was 20 not out opening the batting for his team.

The other Dane playing county cricket today didn’t have it as good, with Freddie Klokker falling for a first-ball duck in Derbyshire’s County Championship match against Warwickshire. Ireland’s Eoin Morgan was in action for Middlesex today against Essex and made a painfully slow 18 (from 93 balls) before he was caught behind off the bowling of Dutchman Ryan ten Doeschate, who also picked up the wicket of former Irish international Ed Joyce to finish with figures of 2/61.

And that’s not all. Scotland’s Kyle Coetzer was playing for Durham against Lancashire, and scored 8 before becoming one of Andrew Flintoff’s four wickets on an Old Trafford pitch that saw twenty wickets fall in the day. Ireland’s Niall O’Brien could only manage four for Northamptonshire against Cardiff UCCE, and he was bested by a Bermuda international, Steven Outerbridge who was 12 not out at close of play for the university side.

With eight associate internationals (and a former one) in county cricket action today, and more still involved in county cricket this season, it’s a good sign that these countries can produce quality players capable of playing professionally. Unfortunately, one must worry about how many of them will be lost to England in the future.

Scotland have beaten Lancashire by two runs in a close match at Old Trafford today, thanks to 3/26 from Dewald Nel. Ireland were also in Friends Provident Trophy action today, and they lost to Northamptonshire by 8 wickets. Paul Stirling scored 70, and Niall O’Brien scored 75, though that was for the opposition.

Other associate players were in action for their counties in today’s Friends Provident Trophy matches too. Kyle Coetzer top-scored for Durham with 61, though it wasn’t enough to prevent a five wicket defeat.

Eoin Morgan scored 34 for Middlesex in their seven wicket win against Sussex. Ex-Irishman Ed Joyce was the top scorer for Middlesex in that match with 80. Meanwhile, Bermuda’s David Hemp scored 47 in Glamorgan’s seven wicket defeat against Worcestershire.

The itinerary for Australia’s tour of England next year has been announced, and included on the tour is a match against Scotland on the 28th of August. The match will be an ODI assuming Scotland finish in the top six of next year’s World Cup qualifier, and assuming the ICC don’t change their mind on the top six associates/affiliates getting ODI status.

Cricinfo reports that IPL teams could be visiting Canada this year. The article does not mention whether that will mean exhibition games between IPL sides or matches against the Canadian national side.

Canada will hold their first Twenty20 inter-provincial tournament in two week’s time in King City, north of Toronto. Whilst a proposed inter-city Twenty20 league doesn’t seem to have taken off, Canada will be preparing well for the associates Twenty20 tournament in Belfast later this year.

Singapore batsman Sagar Kulkarni has hit what is thought to be the world’s first Twenty20 200 in a Singapore Twenty20 Cup match. He scored 219 from just 56 balls with 18 sixes and 23 fours.

More here.

Already in form with the bat recently, Dutch international Ryan ten Doeschate gave a reminder of his bowling talents yesterday by taking 5/57 for Essex against the touring New Zealand team at the County Ground in Chelmsford.

Included amongst his wickets were James Marshall, Jacob Oram, and recent setter of the Twenty20 record score Brendon McCullum.

This of course will send signals to the England selectors. Ten Doeschate, by my calculations, has already met the residential requirements to play for England, and would just need to get British citizenship to meet the ECB requirements. From what I can tell, he is still playing this season on his Dutch passport, so England won’t be selecting him just yet.

**UPDATE**

Ten Doeschate took the last New Zealand wicket this morning to finish with figures of 6/57.