THE GUARDIAN, Wednesday, July 10, 2013
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CricketWeekly Countdown To Jersey 2013 WCL Division Six Championship
‘We will do everything possible to retain our position in Division Six’ By Christian Okpara ECHNICAL Committee T Chairman of the Nigeria Cricket Federation (NCF) admits that the Jersey 2013 World Cricket League Division Six Championship would be a tough competition, but he is sure that Nigeria would not be disgraced at the competition. The Division Six Championship holds from July 21 to 28 in Jersey, with the top two teams moving to Division Five and the third placed team remaining in the division for the 2015 edition of the competition. However, teams placed from fourth to sixth would be relegated back to their regional competitions, that is, completely out of the world stage. That is a situation the NCF dreads, according to Egwuatu. The six teams from around the world would play one another as they aim to progress up through the ICC World Cricket League. Aside Nigeria and Jersey, the other teams in the competition are Bahrain, Kuwait, Argentina and Vanuatu. The team left on a training tour of England at the weekend and while in England they would be tutored by some of the best English coaches in game, as well as play some tune up games before moving to Jersey. Speaking on the team’s preparations for the competition in Jersey, Egwuatu said, “we took time to select a team
of Nigeria’s best players and we camped in Abuja for a long time trying to get the boys to their best possible form. “We have a board of selectors, which apart from me, also includes Uthe Ogbimi, Okon Ukpong, Kunle Adegbola and Chris Sokoya. “The bulk of the team that won the WCL Division 7 tournament in Botswana was retained with minimal changes. We needed to strengthen our top-order batting and fortify our spin department. We also needed to give width and latitude to our lower order batting and give our bowling extra edge. “Emmanuel Okwudili made a comeback to the team to challenge for a top order batting place, just as Leke Oyede returned as an all-rounder. The only debutant is Mathias Devadayal, who will operate as our offspinner. “In choosing the players, we looked at their skill and technique, tactical awareness, players’ form, the playing condition in Jersey, discipline and team play, team formation and structure, adaptability to condition and players’ expected roles in team.” He disclosed that the friendly games lined up for Nigeria are the tie with Bockhampton (on Monday), tomorrow’s match against Queries Cricket Club and another one against Herefordshire on July 14, among others.
Two Sri Lankan umpires banned after sting operation RI Lanka Cricket has SSagara banned two umpires, Gallage and Maurice Zilva, who were named in a sting operation last year dealing with illegal payments for influencing firstclass matches. A third umpire, Gamini Dissanayake, has been downgraded from the top umpire’s panel for a year and issued a “severe warning” by the board CEO. The decisions came after an emergency executive committee meeting in Colombo, where the recommendations of the disciplinary committee’s recommendations were endorsed. The sting, broadcast by India TV, claimed to have “exposed” several first-class umpires from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan, who were allegedly willing to give decisions favouring players for a fee.
In the sting, conducted in July and August 2012, the reporters claimed to belong to a sports management company and promised the umpires officiating assignments in events of all kinds around the world, largely domestic Twenty20 leagues. The hardest hit of the three Sri Lankan umpires was Gallage, who was banned for 10 years from all cricket, while Zilva got a three-year ban. Dissanayake, the third Sri Lankan umpire named in the sting, was the most highprofile of the three, having regularly been the fourth umpire in international matches, though he was yet to be one of the main officials in an international game. The Pakistan and Bangladesh boards have already handed out punishments to their umpires caught in the sting.
Ademola Onikoyi is one of the stars of the Nigerian team to the Jersey 2013 World Cricket League (WCL) Division Six Championship.
Team Nigeria beat London club in tune-up game HE Nigerian national T cricket team on Monday bowled off the final phase of their preparations for this month’s ICC World Cricket League Division VI by beating Wiltshire Quaries of London by two wickets. The Nigerian team, comprised of 14 players and led by Technical Director, Olisa Egwuatu, departed Nigeria on Saturday for the United Kingdom, where they are scheduled to play four friendly matches during the trip sponsored by a former President of the Nigeria Cricket Federation, Dr. John Abebe. The World Cricket League Division VI holds between July 19 and 29 in Jersey, an island off the coast of the UK. Wiltshare Quaries reportedly took to the crease first, scoring 174 all out, while in the reply the Nigerian team met their target and eventually won by two wickets. Speaking in an interview, President of the NCF, Emeka Onyeama, described Nigeria’s victory against Wiltshare Quaries as heart warming, while expressing NCF’s gratitude to Dr. Abebe for sponsoring the trip.
“It was a very wonderful experience,” said Onyeama. “Winning the first friendly game has given the players a big psychological boost. I’m optimistic that they will win their remaining friendly games and will go to Jersey like hungry lions. “I would want to use this medium to thank Abebe for making the London trip possible. As you know he is a former president of the federa-
tion (cricket). What he is doing is in the spirit of the new board. We are looking for his support seriously.” The cricket federation, revealed Onyeama, was still in search of funds to ensure there are no financial hiccups when the national team arrives Jersey for the world league event. “We want to urge well-meaning Nigerians to support the team because we are still
looking for funds. The government promised to support us but they are yet to deliver,” he said. The Nigerian team will tomorrow file out against Poctene Cricket Club in the second match of the training tour of London. An NCF delegation, said Onyeama, will on July 15 leave Nigeria to join the cricket team before they depart from London for Jersey on July 18.
Australia’s Clarke thrilled by Compton’s exclusion from England’s Ashes team USTRALIA Captain, A Michael Clarke said he was “happy” batsman Nick Compton was left out of the England squad for the first Ashes Test. Compton, 30, who scored two Test tons in New Zealand this year and an 81 and 79 against Australia recently, was dropped in favour of Joe Root, who will open the batting with Alastair Cook. “I’m happy Nick’s not playing to be honest. He’s got a bit of class and has good
defence,” said Clarke. “We haven’t bowled to Joe Root yet.” Compton initially lost his place when he was replaced By Root as opener for the Ashes warm-up match against Essex. The Durban-born batsman, grandson of the late England batsman Denis Compton, made his Test debut in India in November, scoring 208 runs in the four matches at an average of 34. The Somerset player shone
during the tour in New Zealand earlier this year but then revealed that England selector Geoff Miller told him he had “lost some confidence” following a poor performance against the same opposition in the second Test at Headingley. Root, on the other hand, scored a match-winning 71 from 120 balls against New Zealand at Lord’s in May to put himself ahead of Root in the thinking of the selectors.