EC Roundup – 15th December 2024 – Americas Subregional goes to final day

Welcome to this week’s Emerging Cricket Roundup, condensing all the major news into one easy-to-digest place. In this week wrap:

Headlines

Tense finish set for Americas Subregional

Uganda dominate Continent Cup

Namibia sweep Malaysia

Tournaments underway in Asia

Tense finish set for Americas Subregional

Qualification in the Americas Subregional will be settled on the final day. Two places in the regional final have already been claimed, by Bermuda and Cayman Islands, with Bahamas and Argentina still in contention for 3rd.

Bahamas require a win against Mexico on Monday to secure their place in the regional final. If they lose, Argentina will be presented with a chance at redemption, playing Brazil in the final game of the tournament, in which they need a win.

Bermuda and Cayman Island are already qualified, and will play for top spot on the final day. The only blemish on Bermuda’s record so far is a washout against Argentina. Meanwhile Cayman Islands are 6-1 going into the final day, having suffered only a shock loss to Suriname.

At the rear of the field, every team has picked up at least one win, and competition over all the minor placings is in play on the final day.

Uganda dominate Continent Cup

A 10-match clean sweep demonstrated Uganda’s dominance at the Continent Cup T20 Africa in Rwanda. After winning all nine league-stage games, the Cricket Cranes defeated Nigeria by 6 wickets in the final.

Aside from Uganda’s dominance, the pecking order was less clear cut. Across nine group-stage games, Nigeria won four, Rwanda won three and Botswana two, with each team beating each other at least one in the process.

Unsurprisingly, the Ugandas dominated the individual performances, with all five of the leading wicket-takers sporting the Cranes’ jersey. Henry Ssenyondo led the way with 22 dismissals. And though Robinson Obuya top the batting charts, each team had an entry in the top 5 run-scorers. Oscar Manishimwe (Rwa), Selim Selau (Nga), Riazat Ali Shah (Uga) and Karabo Motlhanka (Bot) completed the top 5.

Namibia sweep Malaysia

Namibia continued their WT20I tour of Asia with a 3-0 series win over Malaysia. The Capricon Eagles won by 6 wickets, 27 runs, and then again by 6 wickets in the trio of matches in Kuala Lumpur.

A low scoring series, a total of 100 was only surpassed once, in the 2nd T20I when Namibia batted first. With run scoring at a premium, the damage done by Namibia’s Sune Whitmann and Yasmeen Khan saw the Eagles to three comfortable victories.

Tournaments underway in Asia

Asia continues to be a hotbed of cricket, with two more multi-team tournaments kicking off in the region in the past week.

Dubai is yet again on hosting duties, as the Gulf T20I Championship begins. UAE host Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Qatar for a 16-match event. After two rounds of action, the hosts are the only unbeaten side. Qatar are winless after two with the other four teams holding 1-1 records.

Meanwhile in Malaysia the first U19 Women’s Asia Cup is taking place. The hosts are participating, along with the four Asia full members and Nepal, as all six teams prepare for the U19 World Cup in January.

Malaysia were beaten heavily by Sri Lanka in the opening game, by 94 runs. Nepal are yet to begin their tournament, but face Pakistan and then India on Monday and Tuesday. Malaysia play Bangladesh on Tuesday in their final group stage game.

Coming Up

Action continues in the Gulf T20I Championship until the 21st of December and the U19 Women’s Asia Cup until the 22nd. The Americas Subregional will conclude on Monday 16th.

T20I Bilateral series continue to populate the calendar: Gibraltar make use of the European winter sun to host Jersey for two WT20Is, whilst Bhutan are preparing to host Myanmar in a 5-match WT20I series from Saturday.

Finally, action begins in the Women’s European Cricket Championship. Italy meet development teams from England, Ireland, Scotland, and the Netherlands in the 5-team T10 tournament which takes place in Spain over the coming week.