Cricket’s Sixes format is starting to take root in Africa, as the inaugural Africa Sixes tournament that wrapped up over the weekend was quite successful. SuperSport: “Following the success of the inaugural Africa Sixes Challenge, the organisers hope to expand the Global Softech Sixes tournament by playing the event in three Southern African countries in 2015, said Jacques Faul, CEO of the host franchise, The Unlimited Titans. … Faul said plans are under way to include Namibia and Zimbabwe in next year’s program and to play the Global Softech Sixes over three rounds from July to September.” This format has legs, everyone. Here’s the wiki. Might as well get to know the rules now.
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Peter Della Penna has the scoop: The USA will be going to Uganda: “After several weeks of deliberation, the USA Cricket Association is going ahead with plans to prepare a team for ICC WCL Division Three in Uganda. The decision was reached at a meeting of the USACA board last week despite a formal vote not being taken on the matter. … USACA is now in a time crunch to conduct a camp before the deadline to submit a final squad to the ICC by Friday September 26, 30 days before the start of the tournament in Uganda. The latest USACA would conceivably be able to hold such a camp would be the weekend of September 19-21, but it is unclear if such a camp will be arranged at such short notice.” Sounds about right.
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Speaking of Uganda, the African Cricket Cup is happening right now. But Cricinfo has nary a peep about it. Find the fixtures and results and live scoring on the Africa Cricket Association’s website.
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Meanwhile, in Silicon Valley (via the Guardian): “Recently arrived tech workers from southern Asia, especially India, are helping to galvanise a cricket boom, as new teams in the San Francisco bay area are reinvigorating a sub-culture that began with the 1990s dotcom bubble. … ‘Technology and cricket are intertwined. People come seeking jobs and bring their culture and sport,’ said Abrar Ahmad, a founder of the Bay Area Cricket Alliance, a non-profit that has seen its number of teams more than double from eight to 17. ‘Almost every city here has its own grounds. We’ve come a long way.’ … In addition to the men’s teams there is now also a youth league, a women’s team, an academy, tournaments, equipment stores and practice facilities.” It’s happening, folks.
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More information on that bonkers plan to play cricket at 19,000ft from The Daily Echo: “Simon Rogers, 39, from Winchester, is part of a group climbing the Tanzanian mountain to raise £200,000 for Cancer Research UK, Rwanda Cricket Stadium Foundation and Africa development charity Tusk. … On September 20 two teams will climb almost 20,000ft over seven gruelling days, battling freezing temperatures and extreme altitude sickness, before playing a full T20 match in a crater at the summit. … Only two thirds of the mountain’s 25,000 annual climbers reach the crater, and none have topped the feat with a game of cricket.”
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Programming note: the Ireland vs. Scotland ODIs will be streaming live on Quipu.TV.
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