Afghanistan and Jersey continue on road to ICC Cricket World Cup 2011

Afghanistan and Jersey continue on road to ICC Cricket World Cup 2011

Fine all-round performance by Nabi Eisakhil; Peter Gough and Steve Carlyon feature in century opening stand; Mathew Hague takes 5-38

Afghanistan and Jersey qualified for the ICC World Cricket League Division 4, the next stage of qualification for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, when they convincingly won their ICC World Cricket League Division 5 semi-finals in Jersey on Friday.

Afghanistan successfully defended a small total of 142 runs to defeat Nepal by 37 runs at the Grainville while Jersey outsmarted the USA by 84 runs at the FB Fields.

Afghanistan and Jersey not only progressed through to Saturday’s final but will also join Hong Kong, Fiji, Tanzania and Italy in the six-team ICC WCL Div. 4 set for the Tanzanian capital of Dar Es Salaam from 4 to 11 October.

In turn, the top two teams from that tournament will progress to WCL Div. 3 in Argentina next January and hope to finish in the top two to qualify for the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2009 in the UAE, which incorporates Divisions 1 and 2.

The top four Associate or Affiliate teams from the ICC World Cup Qualifier will book their places at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 to be staged in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

A feature on the USA cricket team will be available to all SNTV subscribers via SNTV’s 1900 or 2100 GMT feed. ICC will provide further video news releases during the tournament via SNTV, the content, date and timing of which will be provided in due course.

The star of Afghanistan’s victory was Mohammad Nabi Eisakhil who scored a priceless 48 from 64 balls with three fours in his team’s 142 all out in 49.3 overs and then returned figures of 6-0-15-2 as Nepal was bowled out for 105.

Electing to bat first in overcast conditions, Afghanistan made a confident start but collapsed from 26-0 to 40-4 in a space of 10.4 overs before Mohammad Stanikzai (18) and Nabi held the innings together with a 43-run fifth-wicket partnership off 72 balls.

After the departure of Stanikzai with the score at 83, Nabi added another 26 runs for the sixth wicket with Rais Ahmadzai (22). But when Nabi became the sixth batsman out at the score of 119, the last four Afghanistan wickets could add only 23 runs in 37 balls to be dismissed for 142.

For Nepal, Shakti Prasad Gauchan and Besant Regmi bowled well and shared six wickets between them while captain Binod Kumar Das took 2-20.

In turn, Nepal’s innings never got going after it lost opener Paresh Lohani on the second ball before it slumped to 72-7 in 33 overs. The last three wickets offered some resistance but it was not enough to guide Nepal home and it was bowled out for 105 with 25 balls remaining.

Afghanistan’s fast bowler Dawlat Ahmadzai was the destroyer of Nepal’s top order and finished with figures of 10-3-18-3 while Hamid Hassan (2-12), Abed Gul (2-13) and Nabi Eisakhil (2-15) also bowled well in favourable conditions.
Hassan was overjoyed with his side’s win. “It is a huge win for Afghanistan. For four months we have been thinking about ICC WCL Div. 4, so it is like a dream come true.

“The (World Cup) dream is alive and we’ll try our best to get to 2011.”

“The people in Afghanistan will be very happy and there will be huge celebrations. They will all be in the roads dancing and everything,” said Hassan.

At the FB Fields, a brilliant century opening stand between Peter Gough and Steve Carlyon and a five-wicket haul by captain Mathew Hague was the cornerstone of Jersey’s 84-run victory over pre-tournament favourite the USA.

The two openers featured in a 122-run partnership in 31.3 overs, the cornerstone of the home side’s 220-5 after being put into bat. Gough scored 65 from 110 balls with four fours and Carlyon’s 88-ball 45 included three fours.

In the middle-order, Ryan Driver (28 not out) and Hague (25) also batted well and added 37 runs for the third wicket. Driver and Jon Gough (15 not out) put on 33 runs from the last 22 deliveries.

The USA slumped from 25-0 to 32-3 in reply before it recovered to 99-4. But that was its high-water mark as it lost its last six wickets for 37 runs in almost 12 overs to be bowled out for 136 with 11.4 overs to spare.

Fast bowler Hague, later adjudged man of the match, was the wrecker-in-chief of the USA’s innings and finished with figures of 9.2-1-38-5. Driver also bowled to a teasing line and length to record figures of 10-2-32-3.

Hague hailed his team’s achievement, saying: “It feels absolutely fantastic. I am so proud of everybody today. Posting 220 on the board while batting first when there was a fair bit in the wicket, was a fantastic effort.

“Peter Gough and Steve Carlyon got us off to a great start and the bowling performance was excellent.”

A disappointed USA captain Steve Massiah said: “Obviously I am disappointed because I had believed we would finish in the top one or two and move forward.”

In classification matches, Botswana beat Germany by 10 runs while Singapore defeated Mozambique by 54 runs, Japan outplayed Vanuatu by 99 runs and Norway beat Vanuatu by 52 runs.

Scores in brief:

Semi-finals

At Grainville, Afghanistan beat Nepal by 37 runs
Afghanistan 142 all out, 49.3 overs (Mohammad Nabi Eisakhil 48, Rais Ahmadzai 22; Shakti Prasad Gauchan 3-12, Basant Regmi 3-30, Binod Kumar Das 2-20)
Nepal 105, 45.5 overs (Dawlat Ahmadzai 3-18, Hamid Hassan 2-12, Gul Abed 2-13, Nabi Eisakhil 2-15)

At FB Fields, Jersey beat USA by 84 runs
Jersey 220-5, 50 overs (Peter Gough 65, Steve Carlyon 45, Ryan Driver 28 not out, Mathew Hague 25; Imran Awan 2-37)
USA 136 all out, 38.2 overs (Rashard Marshall 39, Aditya Thyagarajan 25; Hague 5-38, Driver 3-32)

5th-8th place, semi-finals

At Les Quennevais 1, Botswana beat Germany by 10 runs
Botswana 127 all out, 45.4 overs (Abdul Patel 46; Farooq Ahmed 4-15)
Germany 117 all out, 38.5 overs (Karan Kapoor 4-37)

At Les Quennevais 2, Singapore beat Mozambique by 54 runs
Singapore 203-8, 50 overs (Chris Janik 41, Narender Reddy Bonguram 44; Mohmed Aasif Aiyub Koliya 3-26)
Mozambique 149 all out, 46.4 overs (Abdul Razak 3-16

9th-12th place, semi-finals

At Victoria College, Japan beat Vanuatu by 99 runs
Japan 238-6, 50 overs (Gavin Beath 68, Ahmed Munir 66, Patrick Giles-Jones 38; Pierre Chilia 3-34)
Vanuatu 139 all out, 39.3 overs

At Farmers CC, Norway beat Bahamas by 52 runs
Norway 202-5, 50 overs (Shahid Ahmed 77 not out, Ehtsham Ul Haq 56 not out)
Bahamas 150 all out, 39.5 overs (Ryan Tappin 51, Mario Ford 32 not out; Mubasshar Bhatti 3-20, Zaheer Ashiq 3-33)

Saturday’s fixtures:
Afghanistan v Jersey, final, Grainville; Nepal v USA, 3rd/4th position, Farmers CC; Botswana v Singapore, 5th/6th position, FB Fields; Germany v Mozambqiue, 7th/8th position, Victoria College; Japan v Norway, 9th/10th position, Les Quennevais 1; Vanuatu v Bahamas, 11th/12th position; Les Quennevais 2.