Canada splits warm-ups for ICC qualifier

Cricket with Dalchand Bissoon

Nitish Kumar – topscores at 68.
Nitish Kumar – topscores at 68.

Canada lost their first warm-up match for the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier by eight wickets against the Western Districts Cricket Union last Monday at Grange Cricket Club Ground, Raeburn Place, Edinburgh.

Canada elected to bat scored 146 all out in their 20 overs with Nitish Kumar topscoring with 68, allrounder Hiral Patel scoring 44 and Saad Bin Zafar making 13, the only batsmen to reach double figures.

S U. Fernando picked up four wickets for 25 runs in three overs.

Western Districts Cricket Union in reply scored 147 for two wickets in 18.3 overs with B. Williams undefeated on 53. Junaid Siddiqui and Jeremy Gordon picket up one wicket each.

In their second and final warm-up match last Tuesday, against Namibia, at Goldenacre, Edinburgh, Canad bounced back, defeating the hosts by 74 runs.

The match was delayed by rain and was reduced to a 13 overs / side game.

Canada took first strike and scored 149 for three wickets with skipper Rizwan Cheema smashing a hurricane 98 from only 37 deliveries which included 10 sixes and seven fours. Hamza Tariq was undefeated on 19 and Nitish Kumar was 17 not out.

Namibia in reply was all out for 75 in 11.4 overs with G.Snyman 11 and S.F.Burger 10, the only two to reach double figures. Saad Bin Zafar picked up four for 16. C. Pervez and S.S Dhindsa took two wickets each.

Canada play their first ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier match in Group B tomorrow (July 10) against Kenya at Myreside, Edinburgh.