ACS Overseas First-Class Annual 2017

Matches in 2017 As usual, this section includes Test matches during the 2017 ‘off’ season, including the memorable 1-1 drawn rubber between lowly Bangladesh and mighty Australia. Also included are Sri Lanka’s difficult home Tests of 2017: a narrower-than-expected victory in a single Test against Zimbabwe followed by three shellackings at the hands of India. During August South Africa A played two games against India A, resulting in a win apiece. The Intercontinental Cup 2015-17 made further progress: a rain-ruined game between Scotland and Namibia was followed by another draw between Ireland and the Netherlands. However, the supposed prize for the winner of the Cup, the opportunity to challenge for Test status, was abruptly removed in June when the ICC decided to elect the two leading participants, Afghanistan and Ireland, to full membership. The interim Intercontinental table is shown below as at the end of the 2017 season. It will be seen that Ireland retains a narrow lead despite losing to second-place Afghanistan when the sides met in India in March. In view of the ICC’s decision a few months later to elevate both nations to full membership, this game was almost a ‘shadow’ Test match; Afghanistan won it by an innings. The table makes clear the gap in class between the two leading teams and the rest. ICC Intercontinental Cup 2015-2017: Interim table P W WLF L LWF DWF DLF ND A TL Pts Quot 20 14 0 6 9 3 3 10 1 Ireland 6 4 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 89 1.354 2 Afghanistan 5 3 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 4 81 1.877 3 Netherlands 6 2 0 1 1 0 2 0 0 0 52 0.817 4 Papua New Guinea 5 1 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 40 0.830 5 Hong Kong 5 1 0 2 0 1 0 0 1 0 39 1.014 6 Scotland 5 0 0 1 0 1 0 2 1 12 37 0.903 7 United Arab Emirates 5 1 0 3 0 0 0 1 0 4 27 0.851 8 Namibia 5 1 0 3 0 0 0 1 0 4 27 0.690 The table is shown as at the conclusion of Ireland v Netherlands, 15-18 August 2017. The remaining league matches are scheduled to be played in the 2017/18 season, with the final round of four matches taking place simultaneously in the UAE commencing on 29 November. * * * But possibly the most notable event covered in this section is the extension of first-class status to domestic matches in Ireland. The Irish Inter-Provincial Championship involved three teams: Leinster, Northern (representing, roughly, the eastern part of Ulster), and North West (the western part of Ulster). There are also Cricket Unions covering the provinces of Connacht and Munster but these do not as yet take part in the Championship. 637