South Africa A Tour of Zimbabwe

 South Africa A seized the series however, as they have done throughout the series, Zimbabwe held their own.

Wellington Masakadza got 4 wickets in the match to end with 6 in the series but could not help South Africa A from.reaching 287 - the highest total of the series.

In the chase, Zimbabwe were let down by their batsmen 5 of the 6 opening batsmen out for 11 runs or fewer. From 85-5,  they would have been pleased to have got to 251 but they left too much for their lower order.

Andile Phelukwayo got 143 runs across the three games to claim the most runs across the three games.

5 T20s start on Monday. 

South Africa A tour of Zimbabwe

 South Africa A have had an inauspicious start to their tour of Zimbabwe despite some decent individual performances. Despite a score of 87 from all rounder Andile Phelukwayo and a score of 273, Zimbabwe managed to chase down the total with relative ease despite the match finishing with Zim needing 7 runs in 2 and a half overs.

Today South Africa scored less than they did in their first ODI (266) but had Zimbabwe 4 down for 93 before the rain set in. Reeza Hendricks was the biggest scorer with 102 off 107.

Wickets have been shared fairly evenly for both teams but Lizaad Williams' 4-48 is the best combined across the two games.

The deciding ODI is on Friday before 5 T20s. 

Capricorn Women's Tri-Series 2022 Wrap Up

As perhaps has been expected, Zimbabwe have dominated this competition; winning all their matches including a comprehensive victory by 7 wickets with 65 balls remaining in today’s final against Namibia. On the other end of the scale, Uganda went winless throughout the competition.

 

Despite this lack of team success, Uganda’s Janet Mbabazi was the highest wicket taker with 11 wickets. Zimbabwe’s Chipo Mugeri-Tirpiano fell away after her first two scores of 80 and 46 but still ended up top of the batters with 172 runs across 5 games. An impressive feat considering she sat out 2 games.

Capricorn Women's Tri-Series 2022

 This looks likely to be a low scoring tournament. 

Namibia limped to 90-9 in their twenty with Evelyn Anyipo gutting their top order in a killer 4th over that read W . W . W . 

Anyipo was let down by her batters though, as they fell short by 12 runs in the chase. Only three batters got into double figures. 

In the afternoon matches Zimbabwe had to fight for their win against Uganda. Zim put on just 100 thanks to Concy Aweko's 3-10; the best figures of the tournament so far. Zimbabwe's total would have looked even bleaker if it weren't for Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano who again top scored with 46. She is the tournament's highest run scorer. 

Tomorrow is a rest day with games resuming on Saturday. 

 

Capricorn Women's Tri-Series 2022

 Been a bit quiet on the women's cricket front of late but the wait is finally over as Zimbabwe, Namibia and Uganda play out the Capricorn Women's Tri-Series over the next week.

The opening game provided something of a shock as 11th ranked Zimbabwe were turned over by 21st placed Namibia; theoretically the lowest placed team of the three.

It was the Zimbabweans strike rates that let them down with only Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano scoring at greater than a run a ball. She scored 62% of the team's 130 runs in the twenty overs. Namibia did not find the chase a cake walk but paced their innings better to reach the total with 3 balls left in it.

Namibia play Uganda tomorrow. 

Nepal Pro Club Championship Wrap Up

 The Cricket Association of Rupandehi are the Pro Club champions of Nepal as they beat Malaysia XI by 7 wickets with 6 balls remaining. 

Malaysia did not make it easy for them as they registered 140-6 in the first innings - the highest total of the tournament. Despite the stern target, Rupandehi made light work of the chase largely thanks to opener Prajjwol Thapa who got 71 off 61 and left the arena with his team needing just 7 more runs for victory. 

Rohit Paudel had a good tournament for Nepal Army Club with 190 - however exactly half of those runs came from one match against the Armed Police. 

Rupandehi's Basir Ahamad got 2 wickets in the final to take his tally to 10 for the tournament. Notable mention needs to go to Sachin K Singh who got figures of 4-1-20-6 in his one game for Push Sports Delhi against Nepal Police Club and never played again. The man knew he had peaked. 

Nepal Pro Club Championship Update

 Before tomorrow's showpiece final, it was time to to sort out the chaff from the slightly better chaff with the 5th and 3rd place playoffs. 

The 5th placed play off was a total crushing of Push Sports Delhi by the Armed Police Force. The Police's Bhuvan Karki must feel like he's walking on the moon thanks to figures of 4-23 as PSD were all out for 62. Other than their opener, the highest score achieved was 6 by their number 11. 

The 3rd place playoff was more of a battle, but still a bowlers affair. Uttar Pradesh put on 139-8 - the joint highest total of the tournament. This was backed up by an all round performance with the ball; however Vipin Chandra (one of two bowlers to get 3-16) gets my player of the match award as he also contributed 11 with the bat. Nepal Army Club will have to settle for fourth this year. 

Zimbabwe Regional Men Twenty20 Round Up

The last 3 days have seen the North of Zimbabwe play off against the South in three Regional Men's Twenty20 games. 

For fans of points of the compass, the North prevailed in all three matches....but who were the stand out performers and what might selectors have learnt? Lamentably not a lot. 

In Zimbabwe's Domestic Twenty20 Competition two players impressed with bat and ball. That was Milton Shumba and Brad Evans. Two players have impressed with the bay and the ball in this competition....and that is Milton Shumba and Brad Evans.

 Both saved their best for last with Shumba adding 54 runs to his 38 and 15 from the previous matches to finish as top scorer. Slightly more impressively Brad Evans managed to top the wicket taking tally having played just two games. He got 3-27 in the first fixture and 4-22 today. 

Nepal Pro Club Championship Round Up

 The final of this tournament will be played out on Saturday with Rupandehi facing off against Malaysia XI.

Malaysia had an unusual semi final against Uttar Pradesh as it was only 5 overs a side due to rain. Malaysia got 44-3 whilst Uttar Pradesh could only manage 30.

The second semi was unaffected and more of an entertaining prospect, however Rupandehi ran out comfortable winners. The all-round prowess of Basir Ahamad had the largest effect on the game. He broke the Army Club's opening partnership and then effected a run out for the second wicket before finishing with figures of 2-17. The Army were all out for 103. Rupandehi didn't get off to the strongest start and were 20-3 but he shepherded his side to the total for the loss of 4 wickets. 3 of those four wickets went to the fast bowling of Bikram Sob. 

Rohit Paudel is still the highest run scorer with 187 but is now out of the competition with Malaysia's Virandeep Singh 47 behind him. Virandeep is also the tournament's best bowler with 9 wickets @ 5.22.

ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2 Update

 

With their third victory in a row, Scotland have leapfrogged the UAE, who have played 3 games more than them, and taken second place. This time it was Papua New Guinea who were put to the sword with relative comfort.

Scotland put on 287-5, their highest in the 15 games they have played. However it was their bowlers who impressed the most, especially Gavin Main who got his maiden ODI fivefer to gut the middle order and tail.

The 123 run victory was the third largest margin of victory in the tournament; the largest being the reverse fixture 4 days ago.

ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2 Update

 

Gimme a I

Gimme a C

Gimme a C 

Gimme a M...

Agh....this could take ages. The ICC Men's Cricket World Cup League 2 is back with Oman, Papua New Guinea and Scotland all having faced off twice over the last two days. 

'Table-toppers' Oman won their first game of this leg against Papua New Guinea. PNG put up a spirited fight when they put on 224 in their opening salvo but Jatinder Aingh's 116 ball 118* was just too good for too long. 

Scotland have some games to make up having played the second fewest in the table but have chalked up two wins. First a huge one against Papua New Guinea on Saturday and a more narrow one against Oman yesterday. Papua New Guinea are now winless and now remain bottom of the table.

Nepal Pro Club Championship Round Up

 Another couple of games to report on today; both very friendly to the bowlers.

The Armed Police Force lost their first game of the tournament and looked equally as inept in this morning's outing as they were 76 all out in 17.1 overs thanks to a majestic 4-11 from Prince Shahi. Uttar Pradesh managed to chase down the meagre total in 13 overs for their second win. It was Shahi's second four wicket haul after he got 4-15 against Talent Hunt Academy on Saturday. 

Malaysia Club XI used 9 bowlers in their match against Push Sports Delhi; surprisingly considering one of them took fivefer. Virandeep Singh's figures of 5-9...with all his wickets coming in successive balls. That will will take some beating in this tournament...and in any other. He kept PSD down to 132, a total that Malaysia chased down with 3 overs to spare. The win sees Malaysia overtake their rivals on the table by dint of NRR. 

Tomorrow's Group B tussle sees the two winless teams match up in the forms of the Armed Police Force and Talent Hunt Academy. Malaysia will hope to bag their second win as they face off against bottom of the table Nepal Police Club in Group A. 

Nepal Pro Club Championship Round Up

 Nepal's T20 competition kicked off last week. So far the biggest winners are Rupandehi and Nepal Army who have both won 2 from 2 whilst Nepal Police and the Talent Hunt Cricket Academy are both hunting their first win. 

In terms of great individual success Push Sports Delhi's Sachin K Singh registered 6-20 in their opening round win against the Police. Rohit Paudel has benefited from playing twice but his 80 last week against the Armed Police was bolstered by a further 42 against Talent Hunt to see him as the highest overall runscorer and the player with the highest total. 

National Super Provincial 4-Day Tournament Round Up

 Lamentably rain cancelled out the final days play of the National Super League 4-Day Tournament. This meant that Kandy won thanks to their first innings lead over Jaffna.

It has been a batsmen's paradise of a Tournament with Kandy's Kamindu Mendis top of the pile with 886 runs. With 4 100s and 4 50s across the tournament and an high score of 137 it's clear that he's a class above. In terms of one off achievements though, nobody for the better of Roshen Silva's 174* which was registered in the first round of fixtures. Colombo's Roshen only played the 4 fixtures but ended with a sky high average of 101.33.

Colombo topped the league table but were knocked out in the semi-final by Jaffna, they had the wicket taking prowess of Prabath Jayasuriya who got 26 wickets in a mere 4 games. Two players registered 7fers in an innings but Nuwan Pradeep did so in just 21 overs leaking just 52 runs. Another noteworthy achievement is Malinda Pushpakumara who got twelve wickets in one match against Kandy. The Dambulla man registered the best match figures of the tournament. 

National Super Provincial 4-Day Tournament Final Update

Kandy have the all important first innings lead as Jaffna were downed for 227. Lasith Embuldeniya was the chief destroyer of Jaffna's cause however was very expensive; ending the innings with figures of 4-100.

Kandy are 52-1 after 15 overs; a lead of 269. 

National Super Provincial 4-Day Tournament Final Update

 After being 288-2, Kandy would have perhaps felt disapinted to be all out for 444. That is largely down to Dilum Sudeera who got the 4 stoic wickets from the overnight partnership and a further two more for figures of 4-86. 

Jaffna's chase got off to a bad start with their opening partnership getting just 38 runs. They went to stumps on 42-1. 

National Super Provincial 4-Day Tournament Final Update

Whilst hardly a household name, I genuinely Believe that Oshada Fernando may well be one of the most in form cricketers of 2022.

Already averaging 67 before this final game, the Kandy man got his 7th half century score out of 9 innings and could possibly rack up his fourth century tomorow. He went to stumps on 91* with his team on an impressive 288-2 wickets. This competition has been very friendly for the batters and, with first innings totals being integral in the case of a draw, we could be in for another big one today. 

National Super Provincial 4-Day Tournament Update

 Oshada Fernando is in absolutely dynamic form yet v again as Kandy have made their way to the finals of the National Super League 4-Day Tournament. He scored his fourth century in five games to take his total to 603 runs @ 67 as he put Galle to the sword in the semis thanks to a first innings lead in a high scoring draw.

Jaffna made it through to the final with an outright victory over Colombo who prevailed by 9 wickets. Despite the loss, Kamindu Mendis saw a return to form as he gota century after having only returned from injury in the last round of matches.

Kusal Mendis (799) and Prabath Jayasuriya (26) are the highest run scorers and wicket takers respectively.