ACS Overseas FIrst-Class Annual 2012

Matches in 2011 Scorecards for the 171 matches played in England and Wales in the 2011 season are all printed in the 2012 Wisden . This section contains the remaining 19 matches played elsewhere in the world. The 2011 season saw the first matches in the sixth edition of the ICC Intercontinental Cup; for more about this competition, and a league table as at the end of the 2011/12 season, see the Rest of the World section. Five Intercontinental Cup matches were played in the 2011 season (a sixth fell victim to the weather). Tours involving Tests accounted for 11 matches. In addition, Australia A played two matches in Zimbabwe, and the tradition curtain-raiser to the English season, MCC v the County Champions, again took place in Abu Dhabi. West Indies played home series against Pakistan (2 Tests) and India (3 Tests). West Indies’ First Test against Pakistan proved to be a dourly fought match of slow scoring and a welter of lbws; no fewer than 20 in the match, easily beating the previous Test record of 17. West Indies’s eventual victory was their first since 2008/09, but Pakistan fought back in the Second Test and easily secured a share of the series. India, as befitted a side ranked (at that point) first in the world, proved still tougher opponents, winning the First Test and drawing the other two for a 1-0 series win. Elsewhere, Australia played three Tests (and one other match) in Sri Lanka. Showing marked signs of recovery from their home defeat in the 2010/11 Ashes, the Australians won the First Test comfortably and secured very solid draws in the remaining Tests. The 2011 season also saw the restoration of Zimbabwe to the highest level of cricket after an exile that had lasted since 2005/06. Zimbabwe prepared for its return by hosting Australia A, who played two first-class matches against a Zimbabwe XI (winning both). Bangladesh and Pakistan then visited for a single Test apiece. Zimbabwe marked its resumption of Test cricket with an encouraging win, albeit against bottom-ranked Bangladesh, and competed well in the first innings against Pakistan before collapsing to defeat in the second. Abandoned Match Netherlands v Kenya, Sportpark Het Schootsveld, Deventer, September 7, 8, 9, 10, 2011. Rain. 13