ACS Oveseas First-Class Annual 2013

Rest of the World in 2012/13 The league stage of the current edition of the ICC Intercontinental Cup began in 2011 and continued in the 2012/13 season with one match in Namibia and three in the United Arab Emirates. By the end of the season most of the sides had played five of their seven matches and the table was taking shape, as Ireland and Afghanistan drew away from the rest. The Cup is due to conclude in the 2013/14 season with a final between the two top-placed sides in the league. In addition, the annual encounter between MCC and the English county champions again took place in the UAE, even though it is effectively the curtain-raiser to the 2013 English season. Given the timing of the match in late March, however, it is counted as belonging to the 2012/13 season, rather than 2013. The other matches in this section are Namibia’s home games in the South African’s 3-day Provincial Competition. This is the only format in first-class cricket in which a non-Test nation is routinely matched against teams from an ICC full member, so it is arguable that it is the best guide to the strength of countries at the next level below Test status. If so, the indications are not encouraging for any potential expansion of Test cricket. Namibia finished for the third season running firmly in last place in the Provincial Competition, and in fact has not won a match in this competition since recording a solitary success in 2010/11. And it would be fair to say, without intending any disparagement, that the Provincial Competition is not counted among the world’s stronger first-class events. Yet in the Intercontinental Cup, Namibia occupies what might be termed a solid mid-table position – some way short of Ireland and Afghanistan, perhaps, but certainly not the weakest team. In the season under review, for instance, Namibia began with an impressive performance in the Intercontinental Cup against Kenya, scoring over 600 and winning by an innings. But this was soon put in perspective by a string of disheartening performances in the Provincial Competition, of which the worst were probably the successive innings defeats at the hands of fellow-strugglers Border and KwaZulu Natal. So the impression has to be, on admittedly scanty evidence, that the Intercontinental Cup is not at all strong by worldwide first-class standards. Nevertheless, the competition is of real value: it offers a regular and organised context for first-class ticket in leading non-Test nations, in contrast to the intermittent and uncoordinated contacts that were previously all that was available to cricketers outside the Test world. If the ICC wishes do more to encourage a wider excellence in first-class cricket, it could do worse than encourage full members to host short tours by teams taking part in the Intercontinental Cup, Ireland and Afghanistan in particular. This would allow Test aspirants to try their strength in three- or four-day first-class matches against opponents of known quality, such as English counties or other recognised first-class sides. This would, alongside the Intercontinental Cup, allow a fuller evaluation of the strength of leading non-Test sides, besides giving them more opportunities to develop their skills. (JCB) 659