Around Scotland -January 2012
Around Scotland this January brings you some of the recent happenings from the cricketing world. This month features a West Indian artefact, change of dates for Scotland’s ODI matches against the UAE and another former Saltire selected for Australia.
Revised dates for UAE v Scotland
The International Cricket Council (ICC) today announced a change in date for two of the four upcoming 50-Over League and ICC Intercontinental Cup third round fixtures that are scheduled to be played in March and April.
The 50-over games between the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Scotland in Sharjah will now be played on 7 March and 9 March respectively, while the 50-over games between Namibia and Canada in Windhoek will now be played on 10 April and 12 April, respectively.
The Intercontinental Cup fixture between Namibia and Canada sides has been moved a day earlier. So, the four-day game will now begin on 5 April with its scheduled conclusion for 8 April.
The fixtures listed below include both ICC Intercontinental Cup dates along with the 50-Over League fixtures and details of Twenty20 International matches that will be played by the teams during the window from February through to April.
The revised fixtures are underlines and marked in red font:
UAE v Scotland
16-19 Feb – ICC Intercontinental Cup, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah
7 Mar – 50-over match, 50-Over League, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah
9 Mar – 50-over match, 50-Over League, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah
Kyle Coetzer set to play in the Bangladesh BPL
Scotland and Northants batsman, Kyle Coetzer will be participating in the Bangladesh Premier League next month for Chittagong, who paid $25,000 for the 27 year-old batsman after an impressive 2011.
Coetzer will miss the Intercontinental cup match against the United Arab Emirates, but will be able to adjust to the T20 format before the ICC T20 World Cup Qualifiers in Dubai for which he is available.
Coetzer will get the opportunity to take on some of the world’s big stars, with the likes of Shahid Afridi, Herschelle Gibbs and Kieran Pollard playing in the competition. Coetzer is not the only Associate player to be involved, Ireland’s Niall O’Brian and Afghanistan’s Hamid Hassan will also be representing the Associates.
River Tweed West Indian cricket artefact set to be sold
A West Indian cricket artefact discovered near the River Tweed in the Scottish Borders is expected to fetch more than £100,000 at auction.
The belt buckle was found with a metal detector by Londoner Clive Williams while he was on holiday in 1979.
Auctioneers Bonhams believe it to be the oldest known cricket artefact from outside the British Isles.
It will go under the hammer at a sporting memorabilia auction in Chester on 30 May.
With the help of the MCC, the British Museum, the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, the National Portrait Gallery and the Victoria and Albert Museum, Bonhams said it had been concluded that the buckle featured an Afro-European slave playing cricket in Barbados circa 1780.
It is believed to have links to the Hotham family who have centuries-old connections to the West Indies, the Royal Navy and cricket.
The Admiral Sir Alan Hotham was a cricket devotee and lived upstream from where the buckle was found.
In the 1780s his ancestor, the 1st Baron Admiral William Hotham, served in the West Indies, notably Barbados, during the American War of Independence.
Author James A Michener has described the buckle as "a valued piece of social history".
The late CLR James, the historian, journalist, theorist and cricket writer, once said: "The little buckle and its fascinating story enrich cricket and must go on enriching the whole world."
Since its discovery, the buckle has featured on postage stamps, coins and trophies in the West Indies.
It will be the first time that it has appeared at auction.
Bailey named as Australia T20 Captain
Former Saltire, George Bailey has been named as Australia’s T20 captain for their matches against India.
The Australian T20 team is currently ranked sixth in the world and the selectors have decided that the team needs a refresh before the ICC T20 World Cup, to be held in Sri Lanka this September.
Bailey has earned credit for Tasmania’s success in recent years - last season they won the Sheffield Shield, while the year before they won the one-day competition.
Australian selector, John Inverarity said "He's widely respected throughout Australia. Those who play with him regard him very highly as a captain and as a leader. We've seen from Michael Clarke's leadership, he has done very well not least because of his astute decision making on the field and George certainly has that too."
The decision means Bailey, 29, will play his first match for Australia in any format next week, and he will do it as captain. Bailey has been part of an Australian squad in the past - he was called up for the ODIs in New Zealand in early 2010 when Clarke returned home for personal reasons - but did not win a cap.
Bailey will be the second ex-Saltire to earn their full Australia debuts in the past few months, as Ed Cowan recieved a call up to the Test side that played India on Boxing day, scoring 68.
If you have any stories that you would like us to feature in our Around Scotland section please email benfox@cricketscotland.com
