Jersey and Kuwait look to seal progress as ICC Challenge League A returns

The final leg of the ICC Cricket World Cup Challenge League A takes place in Kenya over the next fortnight with the top two spots still up for grabs.

Originally scheduled to be held in Qatar, the tournament will instead head back to Nairobi due to ongoing conflict in the Persian Gulf.

Jersey and Kuwait arrive in possession of the two qualification spots for the World Cup Qualifier Play-off but their fates are far from sealed with Papua New Guinea and Denmark chasing close behind.

Meanwhile Kenya and Qatar occupy the bottom of the table, they will be looking to avoid having to play the Challenge League Play-Off and potential relegation from the List A system.

The ICC have yet to confirm what the next 50-over cycle will look like but all indications are that only the top team in each Challenge League will be eligible for promotion to League 2 through the World Cup Qualifier Play-off. Italy have already secured that spot in Challenge League B which wrapped up in August.

Jersey come into the tournament buoyed by the return of star Asa Tribe. It’s been over a year since the England hopeful last turned out for his national side, appearances for Glamorgan, England Lions, Welsh Fire and Paarl Royals have kept him busy over the last 12 months. 

The islanders know that two wins from their five games will guarantee a qualification spot while four wins will make top spot certain.

Kuwait will be switching into 50-over mode just seven days after a successful T20 Qualifier campaign where they topped Asian Sub-Regional A, including a dominant 58 run victory over rivals Qatar.

They enjoyed a fantastic run at the last League A leg in Jersey to propel them towards a top two spot, beating PNG and Denmark while tying with the hosts in one of the all-time great associate games.

Papua New Guinea suffered terribly in that leg, picking up only two points from ten available and even those only came through abandonments. Things went from bad to worse off the field as wicketkeeper Kiplin Doriga was charged with robbery and later jailed for three years.

Left-arm seamer Semo Kamea returns to the squad having not featured since the 2024 T20 World Cup while 19 year-old Dauncey Tom receives his first call-up from the U19s.

Denmark have named a very young squad with 8 of the 14-man unit agead 24 or under. Simon Sorensen, Nicholas Sonne-Ruud and Mustakim Aslam have all been added to the bowling attack this year while New Zealander import Seb Heath has aided the batting line-up. The young Kiwi has been turning out for Northern Districts A back home.

Things have been looking a bit brighter for Kenya recently after they lifted the ILT20 Continental Cup in September, beating rivals Uganda by 39 runs in the final. Captain Dhiren Gondaria’s form will play a massive part if they are to have any success, he scored four consecutive half-centuries in that tournament and will be relied on again here. 

They lie in 5th spot, three points behind Denmark, and know that an opening day win against the Danes will be essential to climbing out of the relegation zone.

Bottom of the table Qatar have an altogether tough task, knowing they must win at least three games to have any hope of avoiding the Challenge League Play-off, they only have a single victory in the tournament so far.

The Gymkhana Club and Ruaraka Sports Club will host the 15 fixtures across 11 days in Nairobi with the tournament running from 21-31 October.

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