EC Roundup – 19th January 2025 – U19 World Cup underway

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

Headlines

U19 World Cup Prep ramps up

Associates at the BPL & ILT20

U19 World Cup underway

Action has begun in the Women’s U19 T20 World Cup in Malaysia, with the first round of group stage fixtures completed over the course of Saturday and Sunday, though rain has often spoiled the occasion.

It has been a tough start for the hosts, who suffered a mammoth 139-run defeat to Sri Lanka, only making 23 all out in pursuit of 163, with no batter making it past 7, with six ducks. With defending champions India also in their group, Malaysia will be heavily reliant on beating West Indies for a shot at the Super Sixes stage.

Three of the associate sides have had their opening game washed out by rain. This was particularly frustrating for Samoa and Nigeria, whose head-to-head opening fixture in Group B would have been each side’s first ever, as both sides are at their debut tournament. The two sides will face off against New Zealand and South Africa, with one guaranteed a place in the Super Sixes, but likely via Net Run Rate. USA also had their opening fixture in Group C against Pakistan abandoned without a ball bowled.

Finally, in Group D, both Scotland and Nepal suffered heavy defeats to Australia and Bangladesh, respectively. Scotland managed 48 all out and had their antipodean opposition complete the chase inside 7 overs, for the loss of one wicket. Nepal resisted longer in their defence of 52, claiming five wickets but losing in the 13th over. The two sides meet on Monday, with the winner likely to progress to the Super Sixes.

Associates at the BPL & ILT20

The overwhelming volume of franchise cricket in January creates opportunities for associate players to gain franchise experience. Associate players have been gracing the field in both the Bangladesh Premier League, and the International League T20 in the UAE.

Steven Talyor has enjoyed some success at Rangpur Riders, who sit top of the BPL with eight wins from eight matches. Taylor has made four appearances in this time, and raised 78 runs with a high score of 39 in his most recent match. Compatriot Saurabh Netravalkar has yet to make his debut for the Riders.

Meanwhile Aaron Jones and George Munsey have been representing the Syhlet Strikers. The duo have been regulars thus far, with Munsey appearing in all seven of the Strikers matches, and Jones has six. Munsey’s 133 runs, including a fifty against Chittagong, and Jones 82 runs have been in vain so far, with Syhlet sitting 6th on the table with only two wins.

Namibia’s JP Kotze has recently featured for the struggling Dhaka Capital, but only managed 8 on his debut.

Over in the UAE, players from all corners of the emerging game have been picked up in the ILT20 squads, with many also gaining game-time. Brandon McMullen made an excellent start for Dubai Capitals, making 58 in the opening game of the tournament, and has accumulated 109 runs across four matches.

Gerhard Erasmus was another standout from the first week, awarded Player of the Match for his 50* or 34 balls in Gulf Giants win over the Capitals. The following day Aayan Afzal Khan claimed a four-fer though the Giants were heavily defeated. A number of other notable performers include Alishan Sharafu and Rohan Mustafa, who have been consistent run scorers for Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, and Sharjah Warriorz, respectively. The USA’s Ali Khan has also started to find his groove with ball for ADKR.

Action in the BPL continues to the 7th of February, and the ILT20 until the 9th of February.

Beyond the boundary

Could Scotland be set for a shock tour of Sri Lanka in March? An apparent tweak to the Future Tours Programme now has the Saltires pencilled in for a six-match white ball tour of Sri Lanka, overlapping with the ICC Champions Trophy, for which the hosts did not qualify. No official announcement has been made at this time but it looks positive for the Scots to get their first away bilateral tour of a full member.

Meanwhile Nepal have confirmed dates and fixtures for their upcoming WT20I tri-series. A nine-match, triple round-robin between the hosts, Thailand and Netherlands will be hosted at the TU ground. Matches take place between 30th January and 7th February

Coming Up

The Women’s U19 T20 World Cup and ongoing franchise tournaments dominate the calendar until early February, with little bilateral cricket scheduled this month in the associate world until next month.