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Carlsberg ICC Trophy
24 March - 12 April 1997
Three Weeks In Malaysia: The 1997 Carlsberg ICC Trophy
The battle of the associates.
The sixth ICC Trophy was the largest international cricket tournament ever staged. Hosted in Asia for the first time, 22 teams participated, including every ICC associate member except for Nepal. Italy and Scotland made their appearances for the first time, and had entirely differing fortunes as the competition progressed to a heart-stopping finish as two giants of Associate Member cricket battled to the very last ball.The teams are playing this year for a variety of incentives: the Trophy itself to the tournament winners, places in next year's inaugural Commonwealth Games cricket contest (also in Malaysia) for the four best eligible teams, and a place in the first division of the anticpiated two-tier structure for the 2001 ICC Tournament. Plus the most lucrative incentive of all: one of three places in the 1999 World Cup in England, together with all the prestige, sponsorship and developmental opportunities which that brings. Changes to residential qualifications meant that defending champions the United Arab Emirates were considered outsiders in their bid to repeat their victory.
For the Malaysian Cricket Association, it is their greatest event to date, following on last year's Asian Cricket Council championships and the internationally-televised "Super 8" competition. And speaking of media, this year's ICC Trophy tournament attracted live television coverage for the first time (during the semis and final), whilst a more ambitious first was achieved through complete live Internet coverage of the entire tournament by CricInfo (which is a story unto itself).
The first week.
The threat of rain loomed over the commencement of the tournament, disrupting most practice matches, but play began unhindered on March 24. The first result took little more than an hour's play to achieve, as East and Central Africa were dismissed for 26 by the Netherlands who overhauled their total in just 5.3 overs. Azam Khan achieved the first statistical marvel of the series with seven wickets for nine runs.Among the more impressive victories on the opening day was the USA's 106 run win over Singapore. The US followed this up on Day Two with a 189 run victory over Gibraltar. A team from a nation whose cricketing prowess evaporated after the First World War, and which was chosen against the backdrop of two rival bodies struggling for control of the game in the USA, they commenced the series with great hopes of qualifying for the next round. Kenya, the giant-killers of the West Indies in 1996, were moving more shakily. Their encounter with Singapore on Day Two was much more tentative than USA's the day before, overhauling Singapore's 89 all out, but with just two wickets to spare.
Day Three, and the opposite fortunes of newcomers Scotland and Italy were becoming apparent, Scotland notched up an 87 run victory over fancied Hong Kong, whilst Italy lost by 101 runs to a Papua New Guinea team competing against the backdrop of political crisis and upheaval in their home country.
The United States met stiffer opposition on Day 4 from the Irish team who administered the first American defeat in a last-over thriller. Kenya continued to win, but win shakily, this time against Gibraltar. But the team going calmly about the job of quelling all comers was Bangladesh - a convincing win over Denmark their third out of three to date. A nation of 120 million and an untapped subcontinental force in the cricketing world, they came so close to World Cup qualification in the 1990 ICC tournament and were pushed out of the final four in 1994. This time, everyone expected better.
Day Five saw the arrival of the rain for the first time, and the Duckworth-Lewis rain rule was invoked to determine victories by Malaysia and Gibraltar.
On Day Six, the eight places in the Second Round were beginning to settle. The United Arab Emirates hopes crashed as Bangladesh bowled them out for 95. Kenya put their indifferent start behind them with a 119 run victory over Ireland, Maurice Odumbe 99 not out. The gap between Scotland and Italy was finally realised in their head-to-head clash, Scotland winning 273 to 142.
The final eight was settled on the final day of the first round; Day Seven. UAE didn't make it, nor did Bermuda - fourth-placegetters in 1994, and now coached by former Australian mentor Bob Simpson. And nor did the United States of America make the final eight. A win over Kenya would have been sufficent, and form over the previous week suggested that this was possible. Kenya scored 243 for seven in their innings, but nineteen overs later, the USA's World Cup dreams were over, and over convincingly - all out for thirty-two!
The event that overshadowed all else on Day Seven occurred at the PKNS ground. Israel were scheduled to play Gibraltar at the PKNS, but word had reached hard-pressed tournament organisers that Muslim fundamentalists, protesting the presence of the Israeli team in Malaysia, were planning a demonstration at this game. Normally barred from the country, it was only by special arrangement, and a condition for the tournament to be staged there, that the Israeli team were granted permission to enter Malaysia to compete. Arrangements were made for a venue swap with the Canada-Netherlands game, and the Israeli side were driven under tight security to their new ground. Unfortunately the safety of the Canadian and Dutch sides was not treated as cautiously. The demonstrators, most hiding behind masks, believed the Netherlands players were the Israelis and began menacing them and set fire to the Carlsberg advertising signs. Canada and the Netherlands had to abandon their match without a ball being bowled, but with both assured of a second round place the shared points from the game had little bearing.
For Israel, this was an unhappy tournament. The first sporting team from Israel ever to visit Malaysia was the subject of a number of Muslim fundamentalist protests, and venue switches during the second week were common. Finally, with equal-last place secured, they left the country as soon as they could. One of the more disturbing "crowd" interventions in cricket history.
The second week.
With fourteen teams playing for placings and for the fun of it, the top eight grouped into two sections of four each. The first day of the second round saw Kenya inflict a massive win over Canada as Maurice Odumbe's 148 not out (with seven sixes) was more than the opposing team put together. The Duckworth-Lewis formula saw Ireland home against the Netherlands. The next day and the rain was worse, all games started but none finished. On the third and final day, the rain was interfering again and the calculators were out, but at the end of the day Bangladesh, Kenya, Scotland and Ireland were through to the semi-finals. Denmark's thrilling seven run win over Canada meant naught for both, although Canada will return to Kuala Lumpur next year for the Commonwealth Games. The Dutch bid for their second consecutive World Cup entry was no more.
The last, long, week.
Four games remaining, the two semis, the third place playoff, and the final. The playing schedule showed four days' play with a rest (reserve) day inbetween. The rain became more frequent. Every match was affected, and every reserve day was used. Wisely the tournament regulations permitted continuation of matches across to the reserve day rather than cancelling and replaying the original match. All of the last week's finals became two-day fixtures. Ireland failed to stop Kenya's march to the final to the tune of just seven runs, Odumbe once more the hero with 67.Bangladesh's encounter with Scotland was next. The interest in this semi was enormous among Bangladesh fans the world over, as victory in this match guaranteed their first World Cup place. The first day ended with Bangladesh 243 for 7, and the target proved too much for the Scottish on the second evening as they fell to 171 all out. The event, followed live on radio and internet, was an occasion of enormous celebration for Bangladesh fans everywhere, said by many to be the nation's greatest moment since independence in 1971 - and they hadn't even won the tournament. For the players, the reward to each of a car, free medical care, and a mobile phone. This would never have happened in Dr Grace's day. One sour note of the occasion was that the celebrations in Dhaka saw at least one fatality.
The playoff for the third and final World Cup place saw a scenario that just a few years ago would have been thought totally bizarre - Scotland versus Ireland in Kuala Lumpur! Rain reduced the match to 45 overs a side, and the Duckworth-Lewis formula saw Ireland chasing 192 after Scotland had scored 187 for 8. It made no difference as the Irish fell for 141 all out. Scotland, the first-timers of this tournament, were now qualified for cricket's most important limited-over competition, the World Cup. For Ireland a sense of disappointment, but coach Mike Hendrick has achieved much with his team and with sixteen teams to compete in the 2003 World Cup, next time around Ireland's hopes may yet be fulfilled.
Saturday, April 12, and overnight rain ensured a late start and a two-day final. Before a strongly pro-Bangladesh crowd, Kenya were 15 for 2 when Steve Tikolo came to the crease. At 58 for 3 Maurice Odumbe joined him. They put together a partnership of 138 of which Odumbe contributed 43, Tikolo playing the innings of the tournament to finish with 147 from 152 deliveries. Bangladesh used nine bowlers as Kenya scored 241 for 7 from their fifty overs - stumps at Saturday's end.
Sunday, and persistent rain delayed the start of play for six hours, reducing Bangladesh's innings to 25 overs. The Duckworth-Lewis-adjusted target was 166: over 6.5 runs per over. On the first ball of the innings, Martin Suji clean bowled Naimur Rahman, and it looked as if Kenya were well on their way to victory, but then Mohammad Rafique and Minjahul Abedin blasted fifty runs in less than seven overs. The batsmen who followed kept the scoreboard whirring, and with five overs remaining Bangladesh needed 45 to win with five wickets in hand. Wickets kept falling but Saiful Islam and Khaled Mashud kept the runs and the sixes coming. It came down to the last over, Bangladesh were 155 for 8, eleven to win, two wickets remaining. This is how the CricInfo commentators, and the world following the game on the Internet, saw that final over:
"24.1 MA Suji to Khaled Mashud, SIX, powerful shot straight down the ground. The crowd go wild 24.2 MA Suji to Khaled Mashud, no run, wild swing and misses 24.3 MA Suji to Khaled Mashud, wide: no run, the crowd cheer 24.3 MA Suji to Khaled Mashud, one run, dabs it and takes a sharp single. The pressure in mounting 24.4 MA Suji to Hasibul Hussain, no run, swings and misses 24.5 MA Suji to Hasibul Hussain, two runs, the crowd goes wild. Midwicket The field adjustments. All players are coming in to save the single 24.6 MA Suji to Hasibul Hussain, legbye: one run, and the crowd go wild The Bangladeshis have won it. The stumps are taken out as a souvenir. The players jog around the field in jubilation."
A leg bye off the final ball possible, and Bangladesh secured the 1997 ICC Trophy championship. A fine ensemble performance by their team under manager Ghazi Ashraf Lipu and the coaching of West Indian legend Gordon Greenidge, who has been subsequently awarded Bangladesh nationality. The man of the tournament was Maurice Odumbe, the leading run-scorer with 493 runs at an average of 98.60 and a strike-rate of 86.94. One hopes he will still be available for Kenya's 1999 World Cup campaign. As ever, controversies were present over these three weeks, but they failed to overshadow the successes. The tournament was a success for the Malaysian Cricket Association as they prepare for the Commonwealth Games. It was an unexpected success for Scottish cricket, except possibly by the Scottish team themselves who brimmed with confidence prior to the event, who will now meet their southern neighbours in 1999. It was a technological success for CricInfo in presenting the first ever live coverage of the tournament to an information-hungry world. And it was a success for the ICC as plans for expansion of the world game gather momentum.
Whichever country is to be the host, bring on the 2001 ICC odyssey!