Beyond the Boundary!

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.