Deadly day of reckoning-Canada Joy, Scots Gloom

To have a final is a nice finale to any competition but why another match to produce a third when there is already one seems to be a match too far. To hold it after the final is also bizarre but that is how this ICC Trophy works and so was played. Several weeks results were put on hold and form on the day was to be the sole criteria for the richest prize in cricket yet outside of the Test countries.

The winners not only go forward to the next ICC World Cup in South Africa 2003 they receive a huge development package from ICC, part of a largesse of $1 million for Kenya, Holland, Namibia and the third place winners. If Scotland had won there was the added prize of ongoing UK Lottery Money.

To have won the third place play-off today was thus to ensure a serious international cricket future while to lose would result in four more years of scimp and scrape and dependency on the enthusiasm of the voluntary sector.

With this sort of heaven and hell scenario hanging over the heads of the players the pressure was enormous. Whether the Scots ethnic origin community in Canada realised this match's importance and gave the team some support is unlikely. However the Canadian cricket community was there supporting their team and they are now ecstatic.

In theory the Scots should have won comfortably if past form was anything to go by but a one day game is anyone's nightmare and the Scots of all people have a propensity to shoot themselves in the foot at the crucial point in international competition whether soccer, cricket or anything else. In the event they did just that!

Presumably mindful of the absence of leading bowler Asif Butt and the mauling Namibia gavethe Scots bowling a few days before, George Salmond on winning the toss, elected to bat. The game had been delayed through rain and whatever the quality of covers there was going to be assistance for the Canadian seamers. The Scots top order historically is notoriously brittle and had been sustained by a wonderful run of form by wicket keeper Smith. Well George will no doubt rue his decision for the rest of his life for quickly Scotland were three wickets down and Smith had gone.

Parsons and Salmond rebuilt the innings but carefully and when they went only White contributed significantly. The tail did not wag and Turaisingham finished with a match winning five wicket haul.

A total of 170 was not enough unless Scotland bowled very well. There was hope when an early wicket fell but Ishwar Maraj hit a fine fifty to set the innings on course. Indeed the Canadians won with ten overs to spare, some turn round from their result against Scotland.

Thuraisingham takes five to wreck Scots innings


ICC Trophy, 2001, World Cup Qualifying Final, Canada v Scotland, Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club, 17 July 2001 (50-over match)

Toss: Scotland
Umpires: DB Hair (Aus) and RE Koertzen (SA), TV Umpire: EA Nicholls (WI), Match Referee: JL Hendriks (WI).


SCOTLAND innings (50 overs maximum)
DR Lockhart   c Davison   b Thuraisingham   8
JG Williamson c Diwan     b Thuraisingham   5
+CJO Smith    c Degroot   b Thuraisingham   6
RA Parsons    lbw         b Harris         48
*G Salmond    c Billcliff b Davison        43
CM Wright     bowled        Thuraisingham  25
GI Maiden     bowled        Harris          0
JAR Blain     bowled        Thuraisingham  14
JE Brinkley   run out (Bagai/Thuraisingham) 0
KLP Sheridan  not out                       0

Extras        (b 2, lb 17, w 7, nb 1)      27
TOTAL     (9 wickets, 50 overs, 193 mins) 176
DNB: DJ Cox.

FoW: 1-7 (Williamson, 3.4 ov), 2-24 (Lockhart, 11.1 ov), 3-24 (Smith, 11.3 ov), 4-125 (Parsons, 37.1 ov), 5-129 (Salmond, 38.5 ov), 6-133 (Maiden, 39.3 ov), 7-173 (Wright, 49.1 ov), 8-174 (Brinkley, 49.3 ov), 9-176 (Blain, 49.6 ov).

Bowling-Joseph 8 1 24 0 (1nb, 3w), Thuraisingham 8 2 25 5 (3w), Davison 10 0 34 1, Degroot 6 0 24 0, Seebaran 10 1 22 0, Harris 8 0 28 2 (1w).



CANADA Innings (target: 177 runs from 50 overs)
JM Davison   c Smith      b Blain     0
I Maraj      c Salmond    b Blain    50
D Chumney    c Salmond    b Sheridan 36
IS Billcliff run out (Salmond/Smith) 23
*JV Harris   bowled         Cox      35
NA Degroot   not out                 19
M Diwan      not out                  1
Extras      (b2, lb1, w5, nb5)       13
TOTAL (5 wickets,39.5 overs,165 mns)177
DNB: +A Bagai, S Thuraisingham, D Joseph, BB Seebaran.

FoW: 1-1 (Davison, 0.5 ov), 2-57 (Chumney, 13.6 ov), 3-111 (Billcliff, 25.2 ov), 4-122 (Maraj, 29.1 ov), 5-175 (Harris, 38.6 ov).

Bowling-Blain 8 0 34 2 (4nb, 2w),Cox 8 0 40 1 (1nb, 2w),Brinkley 8.5 1 27 0,Sheridan 7 0 38 1, Maiden 6 0 24 0 (1w),Parsons 2 0 11 0.


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* Match delayed by early morning rain by 45 minutes to a 11:30am start

 

 THE PRIZE AND THE PUNISHMENT

The consequences of this match's result are enormous. canada will now be part of a special ICC development investment with Kenya, Holland and Namibia up to the next world cup in South Africa in 2003. The purpose being to bring these teams to as high a standard as possible so that they can compete with the Test countries.

The package is worth some $1million and is over an above the $5million development package that will be invested globally over the next few years anyway.

For Canada this will be a real opportunity to establish cricket beyond the immigrant ethnic communities-mostly Asian and Caribbean- and renew the fight with American Baseball and Softball that has been so dominant for near 100 years.