ACS Overseas First-Class Annual 2014

Matches in 2013 A total of 190 first-class matches were played during the 2013 season but of these, 170 were in England and Wales and full scores will be found in the 2014 Wisden . This section therefore provides scorecards for the remaining 20 matches. Leaving aside England’s home Tests against New Zealand (2) and Australia (5), there were only four Tests in the 2013 season, all in Zimbabwe. Bangladesh visited in April for a short series between the two bottom-placed Test nations, which ended in a 1-1 draw. The hosts recorded a crushing win in the first Test, on the back of twin hundreds by their captain Brendan Taylor, but Bangladesh fought back to win a second Test strewn with errors by both sides. Overall the two games did not show the basement of Test cricket in a favourable light, and this impression was reinforced in July, when a Zimbabwe ‘Select XI’ led by Taylor and containing many current Test players was well beaten by the Australia A team. On this evidence Zimbabwe might have regarded with some apprehension the arrival of Pakistan for two Tests in early September, but in fact the outcome was unexpectedly encouraging from the hosts’ point of view. They began by securing a worthwhile lead of 78 in the first Test, and it took an unbeaten double century from Younis Khan followed by a Zimbabwean collapse to restore normal service in the second innings. In the second Test, however, Zimbabwe were highly competitive throughout and scrapped their way to a narrow but well-merited 24-run victory. This 1-1 result, against opposition of unquestionable Test quality, offered a much-needed shot in the arm for Zimbabwean cricket. Seven matches in 2013 were part of the Intercontinental Cup, as the current edition of the Tournament, running from 2011 to 2013, neared its close. Ireland, with big wins over Scotland and the Netherlands, consolidated its position at the head of the table; while Afghanistan defeated Namibia and made certain of the runners-up position, and with it the right to play Ireland in the final. Thus left with nothing to play for but pride, the other sides contested the remaining positions in the league. Netherlands had a particularly difficult time with three defeats out of three, losing not only to Ireland but to Canada and Namibia as well. In other matches, Scotland recorded an encouraging win against Kenya, while Canada and the UAE shared a rain-affected draw. The final matches of the league stage, plus the final, are covered in the section dealing with the Rest of the World in 2013/14, which also includes a final table. Apart from the four Tests in Zimbabwe and the seven Intercontinental matches, the remaining nine games all involved ‘A’ sides. Australia A were particularly active: the team undertook a short tour of the British Isles, with first-class matches against Scotland, Ireland and Gloucestershire (for the scorecard for the last of these see Wisden 2014, page 753); followed (with substantial changes of personnel) by a trip to Africa to play a ‘Select XI’ in Zimbabwe (actually, almost the full Test side) and two matches against South Africa A. The scale of Australia A’s wins against Scotland and Ireland tended to put into perspective the standard of participants in the Intercontinental Cup, although in fairness it should be added that in these matches Australia A, led by Brad Haddin and containing several current Test players, was a distinct cut above the normal standard of ‘A’ teams. For the African tour it was of more normal ‘A’ team strength despite the inclusion of David Warner, who was in temporary disgrace after an altercation in England with Joe Root. Australia A proved too good for the Zimbabwe 11