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By Peter Della Penna (on Twitter)

The West Indies Cricket Board has announced ticket prices for the two Twenty20 International matches to be played against New Zealand on June 30 and July 1 in Florida. Reserved chairback seats at the Central Broward Regional Park in Lauderhill will cost $30 while general admission tickets to sit or stand on the grass embankment will cost $20.

The prices are in similar range to the cost of tickets for the pair of Twenty20 matches two years ago at the same venue between New Zealand and Sri Lanka. The prices at that event, The Pearls Cup, were $35 for reserved and $22 for general admission for the first match which took place on a Saturday while Sunday ticket prices were $27 for reserved and $17 for general admission. A total combined attendance figure of 8,600 across two days wound up being the turnout.

Image (right) - The Central Broward Regional Park stadium in Lauderhill, Florida, is the venue which will host two Twenty20 Internationals between New Zealand and the West Indies on June 30 and July 1.

The WICB release stated that tickets will go on sale two weeks prior to the first match at each venue for the New Zealand tour. In addition to the two Twenty20s in Florida, New Zealand and the West Indies are scheduled to play five ODIs beginning on July 5 – two in Jamaica and three in St. Kitts – followed by two Test matches. The first Test will be in Antigua from July 25-29 before returning to Jamaica for the second from August 2-6.

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By Peter Della Penna (on Twitter)

Owen Graham, 45, has been an influential youth coach and player in the San Francisco Bay area cricket community for nearly 20 years. His resume includes being a championship winning captain for the San Francisco Freedom in the lone season of the US Twenty20 league known as Pro Cricket, being one of the founding coaches at the California Cricket Academy, coaching in the NCCA junior development program and most recently working as the head coach for the East Bay Youth Cricket Association.

So when he was recently diagnosed with cancer, the west coast cricket community didn’t hesitate to rally around the well-liked personality known simply as “O.G.”

Image (right) - Owen Graham

“His spirit is definitely high,” said EYCA president Gopal Samant, regarding Graham’s attitude since being diagnosed with multiple myeloma. “He’s appreciative of the fact that the community has got together and put aside the political differences of all the leagues and a lot of people are offering a lot of love and care.”

A social media campaign was started a few weeks ago by the tech savvy cricketers in the Silicon Valley to help raise funds for O.G.'s cancer treatment and immediately word spread north to Seattle and south to Los Angeles. In less than 48 hours, the Northwest Cricket League raised $2500 and mailed a check to Samant, who is one of the community leaders organizing the efforts to raise money for Graham. One of the others leading the charge is Ganesh Sanap, former president of the NCCA and a close friend of Graham’s, who says that the reaction by the community is just an indication of the “legend” that is O.G.

“People take to him very quickly,” said Sanap. “There’s very few Jamaicans here in the Bay Area. Everyone else here is Indian or Pakistani. That Jamaican accent, people get attracted to him, his coaching techniques, his depth of cricket knowledge.”

According to Sanap, Graham had been experiencing back pain for a short while and when he went to see a doctor, he was told he had a tumor. Despite losing some weight, his appetite and some of his physical strength, Graham has stayed positive in the face of his diagnosis. Samant says that Graham will have at the very least six months but probably closer to a year’s worth of treatment beginning with surgery and continuing with chemotherapy.

“He’ll have to go through surgery,” said Samant. “There is a tumor on his spine so they have to take it out through surgery because it’s causing numbness in his body and in his legs. After that he’ll have to go through chemo so he’ll be out of action for six to nine months for sure.”

Samant says that the EYCA has agreed to continue paying Graham’s coaching fee while he is going through treatment so that he’ll be able to meet his normal living costs including rent. He says it’s the least that EYCA can do for someone who has contributed so much not just to getting EYCA started, but to all of the youth cricketers in the Bay Area.

“I have not found another person as passionate as him who had the reason to take the game to the right place,” said Samant. “OG obviously has been a pillar of putting together the structure, the curriculum, what needs to be done and what doesn’t need to be done. His importance to EYCA goes without saying. He’s been the primary pillar who helped us define how a club needs to run and what kind of infrastructure we need.”

However, his medical bills are projected to reach six figures and Graham does not have health insurance. As a result, the NCCA and BACA leagues in addition to the EYCA are collecting money to help alleviate the financial burden on Graham. The single dad has a 15-year-old daughter who lives with him. He also has a 5-year-old son who was living with Graham before the diagnosis but has gone back to live with the boy’s mother while Graham receives treatment.

“I don’t know how much people can help him but whatever they can that is what we are appealing,” said Samant. For more information on ways to donate funds for O.G.’s treatment, please contact Gopal Samant at cricket.eastbay@gmail.com.

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Vikram Dravid, a doctor by trade and a member of the British Officers Cricket Club, recently published his first novel called 'Not Just Cricket' joining the growing list of USA based cricketer-writers, including Joseph O'Neill and Ewart Rouse.

The book was officially launched at the 25th anniversary celebrations of the revival of the British Officers Cricket Club in Philadelphia on November 20th 2010.  More recently, the author donated copies of the book to the CC Morris Cricket Library in Philadelphia.

According to the novel's publisher, Cinnamon Teal, 'Not Just Cricket' weaves interlacing tales, riveting cricket games and the realities of life. The stories and experiences of his vibrant characters exhort you to think beyond the mundane and get you to reflect upon the ultimate ride, life and its very authentic challenges.  As the lives of the characters unfold in this fascinating tale, a myriad of complex and conflicting emotions come to the fore. Every new page draws the reader deeper into the book.  

The book is about Arjun, a talented but easygoing kid from the cricket-crazy metropolis of Mumbai who rises from anonymity to the glory of cricket stardom. As the narrative shifts from Mumbai to Pakistan, the novel captures the coming of age of the young protagonist.

The book is available on Amazon.com and has received positive reviews both from readers and critics.  

Saaz Aggarwal of Black and White literary blog wrote: "I had been reading slowly, enjoying the story about a typical cricket-playing boy from a middle-class family in Bombay. There had been brief glimpses of a world beyond. At page 97 the world beyond shone through, clear and unmistakable, and I understood how and why this book really wasn’t just about cricket. Cricket is the fabric; it’s also the substance of the plot. However, Not Just Cricket also carries glimpses into rich, deep aspects of life that can be revealed to most of us only through fiction because they are so removed from our scheme of things."

For more information regarding the author, please visit:  http://www.vikdravid.com/
 

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Source: USYCA and EYCA Media Release 

The East Bay Youth Cricket Association inaugurated its first youth-only home ground, a beautiful facility and a key step towards development of youth cricket  in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Pic (Right): BACA President Iftikhar Khan and EYCA President Samant Gopal inaugurating the youth cricket facility.

Providing a state of the art facility was a key promise that EYCA's founders made at the beginning of 2012 and the organization has now delivered on its promise.

"While I want to thank my current management team for all the hard work they have put in for last two years," Samant Gopal, EYCA President said on the occasion.  He also thanked EYCA's parent volunteers without whose trust and support and countless hours of work nothing would have been possible. “You guys Rock!” Mr. Gopal said.

Mr. Gopal also thanked the following members of the cricket fraternity for their resources, contacts and more importantly their knowledge: Owen Graham (OG), Ganesh Sanap, Jamie Harrison (USYCA), Sarabjit Chadda, Rajesh Suthar, Mukul Kumar, Nigel Coutinho (DreamCricket), Abrar Ahmed, Bhavani Pedadda, Sujesh Pulikkal, Anthony La Rue, Frank Camarda.

Pic (Right): Union City Mayor Mark Green receiving a flower bouquet from EYCA President Samant Gopal.

"I also want to thank Union City Mayor Mark Green.  BACA President Iftikhar Khan and all other Bay Area Club Presidents and Executive for attending our event, their support & endorsement means a lot to what we can do for the youth of this region," Mr Gopal said.

USYCA in turn expressed its thanks to Ram Varadarajan, Masaood Yunus and Kannan Muthukkaruppan for stepping up to make this "pitch of dreams" a reality.

Club Contact: Gopal Samant (President); cricket.eastbay@gmail.com

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By Peter Della Penna (on Twitter)

Scorecard powered by the New Inning Foundation

Nadia Gruny produced USA’s second half-century of the week to lead her side to an 85-run win over Bermuda on Friday in the 2012 ICC Americas Women’s Twenty20 Championship at JP Powell Oval in George Town, Cayman Islands. USA moved to 4-0 with the win to set up a winner-take-all showdown with 4-0 Canada on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at JP Powell Oval. Bermuda dropped to 1-3 with the loss. If USA beats Canada, they’ll not only claim the tournament title but will advance to the 2013 ICC Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier.

USA batted first for the fourth match in a row after Bermuda won the toss and chose to field. USA made one change to their lineup from Wednesday’s win over Argentina as Delkash Shahriarian replaced Geetha Shawkarla.

Anahita Arora became Gruny’s third opening partner of the tournament on Friday, but the move did not pay off as hoped when Arora was bowled for 4 by Reuna Richardson in the second over to make it 10 for 1. As has been the case all week after her arrival to the crease, USA captain Candacy Atkins helped build a strong partnership to put USA on the path to victory. She had scored 31 off 24 balls, including six boundaries, when she retired hurt at the end of the ninth over with the score 63 for 1. Her fitness status is unknown heading into Saturday’s crucial match against Canada.

Melissa Sandy entered at number four and scored 9 before she was stumped by Rickelle Smith off the bowling of Rachael Smith to make it 79 for 2 in the 13th. Gruny and Karen Bayles accelerated rapidly over the final seven overs in a 73-run partnership for the third wicket. Bayles scored 29 off 25 balls with three fours and a six while Gruny made 54 off 58 with five boundaries before she was bowled by Richardson on the final ball of the innings as USA finished their 20 overs on 152 for 3. Richardson finished with 2 for 32 for Bermuda.

The score was way beyond what Bermuda was capable of chasing with their brittle batting order. Richardson was the first to go, bowled by Triholder Marshall for 1 to make it 10 for 1 in the third over. Bermuda captain Terry-Lynn Paynter top scored with 20 off 16 balls opening the innings, but when she was the second to go in the fifth over, it effectively sealed the fate for both teams on the day.

Number three Maryellen Jackson scored 14 not out from a painstakingly slow 48 balls. Brittney Marshall was dismissed for 5 by Gruny, who is making a strong case for Player of the Tournament. Claudine Beckford had Rickelle Smith caught by Arora for 1 to make it 44 for 4 in the 12th before a flurry of wickets fell in the final over.

Melissa Sandy and Claudine Beckford teamed up to run out Precious Smith for 10 to make it 62 for 5. Samantha Ramautar then struck twice to stretch her team lead to eight wickets at the tournament. She bowled Lauren Faris for a golden duck and then bowled Emma Simmons for 2 as Bermuda finished their 20 overs on 67 for 7. Ramautar finished with figures of 2 for 10 in four overs while Marshall took 1 for 9 in four and Beckford finished with 1 for 8 in four including three maidens.

In Friday’s other matches, Cayman Islands defeated Brazil by seven wickets to put Brazil in danger of being relegated to ICC Americas Women’s Division Two. Brazil won the toss and batted first in a match delayed by rain that was reduced to 13 overs. Brazil posted 57 for 8 with 23 of those runs coming in extras. Vanessa Cameron Clarke took 3 for 14 for Cayman Islands. Wyvonne Forbes scored 20 off 22 balls at the top of the order for Cayman Islands to propel the chase as the host country reached the target with 3.2 overs to spare for their first win of the tournament while Brazil remains winless at 0-4.

Canada also won a rain-reduced match over Argentina by 11 runs. Argentina won the toss and as they have done all week elected to chase with each team’s innings shortened to five overs per side. Canada posted 35 for 4 in their 30 legal deliveries but Argentina could only manage 24 for 6 in reply. Argentina fell to 2-2 with the loss.

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A report titled 'Independent Accountant's Report on Applying Agreed-Upon Procedures' was issued by Keefe, McCullough & Co., the independent accountant engaged by USACA in connection with the election of April 14, 2012. 

In the report, the firm describes its engagement as an 'agreed-upon procedures engagement.'   The firm clarified that it made no representation regarding the sufficiency of the procedures described in the report for the purpose for which the report was requested or for any other purpose.

"We were not engaged to, and did not, conduct an audit, the objective of which would be the expression of an opinion on the selected criteria.  Accordingly, we do not express such an opinion," the report noted.

Inspite of the above careful wording contained in the report, USACA described the report as the 'Report of Independent Election Auditor' and USACA counsel noted that the report completes the auditor's work under Article XXII, Sections 2 and 3 of the USACA Consitution 'and certifies the results of the election.'

The accountant attested that 'the procedures outlined in the report were performed, which were agreed to by USACA' as indicated in the engagement letter dated March 22, 2012 and one additional procedure (regarding the appeals) that was in an amended engagement letter dated April 20, 2012.  

The accountant noted no substantive findings specific to the following five steps undertaken. 

1. Review of nomination process and results. (The accountant noted that the nomination process was already completed)
2. Prepare elections ballots based on nomination results.
3. Distribute ballots by federal express mail.
4. Collect and count election ballots. (The accountant explained that one member had misplaced the ballot and his vote was subsequently accepted.)
5. Announce results at annual meeting.

Step 6 involved a review of appeals to vote by any League that submits a 'timely challenge' (those received prior to April 14, 2012 12:00PM), for restoration of voting status.  The appeals were a desperate act prompted by the opening provided by Judge Koh in her order on April 13, 2012. 

The accountant's review was limited to six leagues and to an assessment of the Board of Directors decision in conjunction with the findings and recommendations noted in the Compliance Review Results report dated February 25, 2012.   

The accountant appeared keen on conveying that no independent additional procedures were performed to determine voting eligibility noting that "Had we performed additional procedures, other matters might have come to our attention that would have been reported to you."

Post Script: To the leagues that are struggling, here is an old poem in consolation:

"If the wild bowler thinks he bowls,
Or if the batsman thinks he's bowled,
They know not, poor misguided souls,
They too shall perish unconsoled.
I am the batsman and the bat,
I am the bowler and the ball,
The umpire, the pavilion cat,
The roller, pitch, and stumps, and all."

Andrew Lang - Brahma

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By Peter Della Penna (on Twitter)

Scorecard powered by the New Inning Foundation

The USA Women’s team posted their lowest total of the week, but held on for a 10-run win over Argentina on Wednesday in the 2012 ICC Americas Women’s Twenty20 Championship at JP Powell Oval in George Town, Cayman Islands. USA moves to 3-0 with the win while Argentina was dealt their first loss to fall to 2-1.

After the success they had in fielding first against Bermuda and the Cayman Islands, Argentina sent USA in to bat after winning the toss. USA made one change to their lineup from the previous two matches as Beulah Pidakala made way for Geetha Shawkarla.

Triholder Marshall was promoted to open the batting with Nadia Gruny, but the move failed to pay dividends for USA as Marshall was dismissed without scoring by Lucia Culley in the second over to make it 7 for 1. A day after scoring a half-century, Melissa Sandy also fell for a duck, caught off the bowling of Sharon Seaton to make it 9 for 2 in the third.

USA captain Candacy Atkins joined Gruny and the pair commenced the first of two modest but vital partnerships for USA in the innings. The pair added 29 for the fourth wicket before Atkins was dismissed in the 10th over by Catalina Greloni for 6. Gruny was bowled by Alison Stocks in the 11th for USA’s top score of 27 to make it 44 for 4 before Samantha Ramautar was runout in the 12th for 1 by Seaton to make it 49 for 5.

Karen Bayles and Anahita Arora then worked to get USA to a competitive total by building a 34-run partnership for the sixth wicket, the biggest stand for either side on the day. Mercedes Esperon ended the partnership in the 18th over by dismissing Arora for 13 to make it 83 for 6 before Bayles was runout in the next over for 20 to make it 85 for 7. Claudine Beckford and Sara Farooq finished unbeaten on 5 and 3 respectively to push USA to their 20-over total of 92 for 7. Stocks had the best figures for Argentina with 1 for 9 in two overs.

While the target was not big, Argentina’s slow start to the chase cost them badly in the end. Clara Culley scored just 1 off 8 balls opening the innings before being dismissed by Ramautar while Esperon came in at number three and scored just 2 off 8 before she was bowled by Farooq to make it 23 for 2 in the seventh over. Argentina’s other opener, Dirce Yuli, was runout for 15 off just 33 balls to make it 34 for 3 in the 10th. Argentina started their chase needing just 4.65 runs per over to win, but by the halfway point of the innings the required run rate was approaching six per over and continued to climb for the rest of the innings.

Argentina captain Veronica Vazquez and Sofia Retamales put on 29 runs for the fourth wicket, but the partnership spanned from the 10th to the 17th over at a time when acceleration was needed but never happened. Retamales was finally caught behind for 17 off Ramautar and Vazquez was bowled in the next over for 10 off 28 balls by Sandy, who took off the wicketkeeping pads to bowl.

Argentina entered the final two overs needing 24 runs to win but could not score any boundaries during the final 12 deliveries and only had three in their entire innings. Ramautar trapped Violeta Yuli for 5 to make it 69 for 6 and Georgina Retamales was dismissed by Sandy for 5 in the final over to make it 78 for 7. Seaton scored 4 not out to take Argentina to their final total of 82 for 7. Extras wound up being the top score for Argentina with 23, including 13 wides.

Ramautar once again proved difficult to get away, taking 3 for 8 in four overs. Farooq took 1 for 14 in three overs while Sandy finished with 2 for 10 in two overs.

In the other matches on Wednesday, Canada also maintained their unbeaten record with a 106-run win over the Cayman Islands. Canada won the toss and batted first, posting 191 for 4 in their 20 overs. Joanna White produced the highest score for any player so far in the tournament as she finished 99 not out off 62 balls including 13 boundaries. Cayman Islands finished at 85 for 6 in their chase as Kamna Mirchandani continued her excellent tournament with the ball for Canada, taking 3 for 15.

Cayman Islands remain winless on the week along with Brazil, who lost to Bermuda by seven wickets. Brazil won the toss and batted first but could only scrape together 93 for 4 in 20 overs. Bermuda stuttered at 14 for 2 in the fifth over, but Brittney Marshall entered at number four to steer the chase with 40 not out in 46 deliveries, including five boundaries and a six, to reach the target with nine balls to spare for Bermuda’s first win of the tournament.

All teams have an off day on Thursday before returning to action on Friday. USA will take on Bermuda at JP Powell Oval starting at 3:30 p.m. EST. Brazil and Cayman Islands play each other with both teams still searching for their first win. The loser of that match is in danger of being relegated to ICC Americas Women’s Division Two.

Canada takes on Argentina in the other match on Friday and if both USA and Canada stay true to form by notching wins, it would mean both teams would enter their Saturday showdown with 4-0 records. The winner would not only claim the tournament title but also a spot at the 2013 ICC Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier.

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By Peter Della Penna (on Twitter)

Scorecard powered by the New Inning Foundation

The USA Women’s team made it two wins from two matches on Tuesday with an 88-run win over Brazil in the 2012 ICC Americas Women’s Twenty20 Championship at JP Powell Oval in George Town, Cayman Islands. USA wicketkeeper Melissa Sandy was named Player of the Match after top scoring with 51 off 45 balls including two boundaries in USA’s total of 142 for 5 before restricting Brazil to 54 for 9. Brazil falls to 0-2 with the loss.

Brazil won the toss and elected to field as USA used an unchanged XI from their first match against Cayman Islands. Once again, the team got into an early hole as Karen Bayles was run out for 2 and her opening partner Nadia Gruny was dismissed for 11, giving Karina Lagoa a return catch to make it 23 for 2 in the sixth over.

On Monday, USA captain Candacy Atkins teamed with Sandy to produce a 55-run stand for the third wicket but on Tuesday the pair nearly doubled that output with a 103-run partnership to take complete control of the match. The partnership finally ended in the 18th over when Lagoa struck again to remove Atkins for 35. Sandy hung around until the final over when she was run out before Triholder Marshall was stumped for a duck on the final ball of the innings off the bowling of Erika Reinehr. Lagoa finished with 2 for 26 for Brazil.

Lagoa was a one-woman show for Brazil, top scoring with 25 before being run out for the fourth wicket, as she got little support elsewhere. Reinehr was bowled off the first ball of the chase by Marshall and Claudine Beckford followed with two quick wickets to make it 5 for 3 in the fourth over. Only a 29-run stand between Lagoa and Ana Vicentin saved Brazil from further humiliation. After Lagoa was runout, Akshatha Rao dismissed Vicentin for 13 to make it 48 for 5.

Two more runouts occurred in rapid succession while Marshall returned to claim Rachel Maingot for a duck. When Samantha Ramautar bowled Fernanda Goes for Brazil’s fifth duck of the innings, the score was 53 for 9 in the 18th. Maria Costa added one run to the total in the final two overs as she and Helena Dias ensured their side was not bowled out.

Marshall had USA’s best figures on the day taking 2 for 2 in four overs with two maidens. Beckford took 2 for 8 in four overs while Ramautar finished with 1 for 3 in four overs and Rao took 1 for 18 in four.

In the other matches on Tuesday, both Canada and Argentina remained unbeaten with wins over Bermuda and Cayman Islands respectively. Bermuda and Cayman Islands remain winless which means three teams sit at 2-0 while the other three sit at 0-2.

Canada won by 77 runs, posting 150 for 8 after being sent in to bat. Extras wound up as the top score with 40 while Durriya Shabbir scored 29. Lorraine Kenton then took 3 for 8 in the field for Canada as they restricted Bermuda to 73 for 7.

Argentina secured a second consecutive 8-wicket win behind solid bowling performances by Sharon Seaton (1 for 6 with two maidens), Violeta Yuli (2 for 7), and Mercedes Esperon (2 for 17). Cayman Islands were held to 79 for 8 as a result. Clara Culley scored 26 in the chase before being runout while Argentina captain Veronica Vazquez finished 26 not out to lead her side to victory with 6.1 overs to spare.

USA faces their first major challenge of the tournament on Wednesday when they take on Argentina at the JP Powell Oval. The match is scheduled for an 11:30 a.m. EST start.

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By Peter Della Penna (on Twitter)

Scorecard powered by the New Inning Foundation

USA gave the Cayman Islands Women’s team a harsh introduction to international cricket, beating the host country by 68 runs on Monday in the 2012 ICC Americas Women’s Twenty20 Championship at Smith Road Oval in George Town, Cayman Islands. Nadia Gruny top scored with 36 off 32 balls, including three boundaries, in USA’s total of 125 for 4 before they bowled out Cayman Islands for 57 in 19 overs.

USA won the toss and batted first as Geetha Shawkarla, Delkash Shahriarian and Sahar Azmat sat out of the starting lineup for USA while the Cayman Islands Women’s team embarked on their first ever official match. Gruny and Karen Bayles opening the batting but Bayles didn’t last long, out third ball without scoring to Paulette Robinson to make it 16 for 1. Gruny was joined by USA captain Candacy Atkins and the two added 38 for the second wicket before Gruny was bowled by Sheila Rankine.

Former Trinidad & Tobago representative Melissa Sandy came to the crease and along with Atkins produced the biggest partnership of the match with 55 runs for the third wicket. Sandy eventually departed for 27 off 32 balls, caught by Cayman Islands captain Molly Anne Moore off the bowling of Carmel Harms. Atkins left two runs later for 29 off 44, caught by Harms off Deserne Cox. Samantha Ramautar and Triholder Marshall then added on another 14 runs before the end of the innings to take USA to a total which they easily defended.

Robinson had the best figures for Cayman Islands with 1 for 6 in two overs. Rankine was the most expensive with 1 for 33 in four overs. Cayman Islands conceded a total of 23 extras in the field, including 16 wides.

Cayman Islands never had a chance in the chase after losing three quick wickets, sliding to 7 for 3 in the sixth over. Robinson was run out without facing a delivery while her fellow opener Harms got a duck in more orthodox fashion, trapped LBW by Ramautar before Indiana Watson-Scott was bowled by Claudine Beckford for 1.

The fourth wicket stand of 18 between Moore and Wyvonne Forbes was the best of the innings for Cayman Islands. Forbes was eventually out for 4 to give Beckford her second wicket. Akshatha Rao dismissed Carnet McField for 3 to make it 36 for 5 and Gruny bowled Cox for 2 to make it 43 for 6 in the 14th over.

After being USA’s leading wicket-taker last November in Bangladesh, Marshall finally got into the act as Vanessa Cameron Clarke was pinned LBW for 2 to make it 52 for 7 in the 17th. Moore’s resistance was finally ended by Ramautar in the next over for 18 off 45 balls to make it 52 for 8. Marshall ran out Melrose McFarlane for 1 to make it 53 for 9 and Beulah Pidakala wrapped up the match at the end of the 19th as she pulled off USA’s third runout of the innings, sending Rankine on her way for 2.

Beckford had USA’s best figures in the match with 2 for 2 in four overs including three maidens. Ramautar was just as impressive with 2 for 4 in three. Marshall finished with 1 for 10 in four but only three of those runs were conceded off the bat. Extras wound up being the top score for Cayman Islands in the innings as USA gave away 23 of them including 18 wides.

In the other matches on Monday, Canada defeated Brazil by 126 runs in the morning match at J.P. Powell Oval. Brazil won the toss and sent Canada in to bat and the tournament favorites were happy to oblige, racking up 181 for 3 in their 20 overs. Durriya Shabbir top scored for Canada with 63 off 52 balls, including four boundaries, and was part of a 99-run partnership for the third wicket with Joanna White. Brazil was then restricted to 55 for 8 in their 20 overs. Kamna Mirchandani took 3 for 13 in four overs in the field for Canada.

In the late game at J.P. Powell Oval, Argentina won by 8 wickets over Bermuda. Argentina won the toss and sent Bermuda in to bat. The decision worked to great effect as Bermuda was bowled out for 59 in 17.5 overs. Sharon Seaton opened the bowling and did the early damage for Argentina, taking 3 for 24 in four overs. Mercedes Esperon applied pressure later in the innings, taking 2 for 1 in three overs. Extras top scored for Bermuda with 14. Argentina chased the target in 10.4 overs. Dirce Yuli top scored with 23 off 25 balls.

USA returns to action on Tuesday against Brazil at the J.P. Powell Oval at 11:30 a.m. EST.

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By Venu Palaparthi 

The debate on the eligibility of leagues to vote has now completely shifted away from what is the right thing to do to foster an inclusive spirit of cricket. The ongoing battle can best be described as technical in nature and there is even greater evidence now than ever before that USACA is keen on using every tool available to exclude leagues from the democratic process instead of spending the time, money and energy to make USACA an inclusive and thriving organization.

Pic (Right): Election has become a technical tug of war

The court provides an opening to disenfranchised leagues

Judge Koh, in the order denying preliminary injunction in the Ram Varadarajan and CCA v. USACA case, wrote:  "The plain text of the USACA Constitution vests dispute resolution powers in the independent auditor over 'questions arising in connection with the right to vote.' Thus, there appears to be a remedy under the USACA Constitution yet to be exhausted. Failure to exhaust would bar all of Plaintiffs’ claims here."

The court's determination that the auditor was empowered to resolve their eligibility gave an opening to several disaffected leagues to appeal to the independent auditor, which they did in the hours following the publication of Judge Koh's order working through the night. It is a testament to the leagues' perseverance and passion for the sport that they acted as fast as they did. 

By the morning of the election, over a dozen leagues had already sent their appeals to the auditor, Keefe, McCullough & Co., LLP.   "To assist you, we are willing to answer any and all questions and provide any and all pertinent information that will help you independently ascertain our right to vote in this election," the leagues pleaded.

Election not yet certified

Following Judge Koh's order, the election proceeded and the business of certifying the election remained. However, by April 18, it was clear that the audit firm was on a sticky wicket.

A debate now rages on regarding this apparent contradiction between the remedy mentioned by Judge Koh, which the leagues have sought to use, and USACA's position regarding the role of the 'independent auditor.' 

USACA's lawyers have told the auditor very clearly that, "It is the Board's sole responsibility under that Section to make the determination of voter eligibility."  USACA's lawyers also noted that it was the USACA board's position that, "You [the auditors] have no authority to conduct such an independent audit."   The letter argues that, "Resolution of disputes means making a decision based on the evidence and arguments presented to you by the parties at the time of the election. It does not include conducting an entirely new and independent investigation." 

Counsel for Ram Varadarajan and CCA wrote that they, "disagree with how the USACA Board is trying to encroach on the impartiality of Keefe, McCullough & Co., LLP, in its role as the independent auditor, by imposing rules, structures, and timelines that make it impossible for you to properly perform your duties." They reminded the auditors that, "because the Board uses leagues’ membership dues to pay your fees, USACA’s member leagues are as much your clients as the Board of USACA."

The USACA board, needless to say, is eager to shut out the 32 disaffected leagues and have the election certified. In his letter to the auditors, the USACA counsel noted that the board, "does not countenance any further delay of the final certification of the election results." 

"You should decide the leagues' timely requests promptly based on the evidence submitted to you," USACA has advised the auditors.

But the lawyers for Varadarajan and CCA point out that the USACA board and counsel should not be allowed to improperly influence the auditors' decision-making and that the auditors should not rely on Mr. Chance's findings stating that Judge Koh had described the so-called compliance process as "suspicious."  

Independent Auditor may not conduct further audit, USACA says

USACA's lawyer wrote that it was the board's position that the auditors, "are not authorized under the USACA Constitution, New York law or the terms of your engagement by USACA to conduct a further audit or factual investigation or to rule upon requests submitted after the annual meeting ended." 

The counsel for Varadarajan and CCA countered that some of the information that USACA provided the auditors may have been inaccurate. A similar observation was made in connection with the information provided to the auditors in connection with at least one other league that this author has reviewed. According to one source, a handful of leagues have written to the auditors citing discrepancies in the assessments sent to the auditors by USACA.

For your reference, and so you can form your own judgement, here is what the constitution says about the role of the independent auditor in Article XXII:

Section 2: There shall be an independent auditor, appointed by the Board, who shall ensure that all voting/elections are conducted in a fair and impartial manner. Said auditor shall be a Certified Professional Accountant (CPA). The independent auditor shall:

i. Determine the number of legitimate members and shall issue the ballots to the members consistent therewith.
ii. Determine at a general meeting the existence of a quorum, the validity and effect of proxies.
iii. Receive votes, ballots or consents.
iv. Hear and determine all challenges, and questions arising in connection with the right to vote.
v. Count and tabulate all votes, ballots or consents.
vi. Determine and record the results, and do such acts as are proper to conduct the election or vote with fairness to all members.

Section 3: Upon request of the person presiding at the meeting or any members entitled to vote thereat or any other legitimate member, the independent auditor shall make a report in writing of any challenge; questions or matters determined by him/her and execute a certificate of any facts found by him/her. Any report or certificate made by the auditor shall be prima facie evidence of the facts stated and of the votes.

Business as usual?

Of course, none of this has prevented USACA and some of the newly elected administrators from continuing the process of filling key positions. Mr. Nabeel Ahmed was reportedly named acting CEO of USACA, a position that according to the constitution must be advertised. Some regional administrations have quickly moved to nominate and elect people to a variety of positions even as the membership status of several of  leagues remains unresolved.

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By Peter Della Penna (on Twitter)

The USA Women’s team will be working at less than full strength for the second tournament in a row as several first-choice players could not make the trip to the Cayman Islands for this week’s 2012 ICC Americas Women’s Twenty20 Championship. The winner of the round-robin event featuring Argentina, Bermuda, Brazil, Canada, Cayman Islands and USA will clinch a spot at the 2013 ICC Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier.

The tournament figures to be a two-horse race between the USA and Canada. USA went to the 2011 ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier after beating Canada in a three-match 50-over challenge series at Toronto in July 2010. However, Canada swept USA convincingly in a pair of Twenty20 matches on the same 2010 tour and enters this tournament as the likely favorite to come out on top.

Of greater concern for USA is team stability and chemistry. Last November, a half-dozen players stayed home after a dispute with USACA over tour stipends for the 2011 ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier in Bangladesh. At least four first-choice players won’t be going to the Cayman Islands either and six changes overall have been made from the squad that went to Bangladesh.

Shebani Bhaskar, USA’s leading scorer in Bangladesh, is unavailable due to school commitments. Also staying home are the second and third leading scorers from the tour to Bangladesh, Erica Rendler and former captain Doris Francis, as well as Ritu Bhargava.

On the positive side, Triholder Marshall and Samantha Ramautar, USA’s top two wicket-takers from the Bangladesh tour, have made the trip to the Cayman Islands. Ramautar was also USA’s most economical bowler in Bangladesh with 4.28 runs per over and the off-spinner bowled the most overs on tour with 50 in six matches.

Another plus is the return of Candacy Atkins. One of the top performers at the 2011 USACA Women’s Tournament, Atkins was also a vital member of the USA Women’s team in 2010 that beat Canada in the three-match 50-over series. However, she was one of the players who stayed home from going to Bangladesh after the dispute over stipends. Not only is she returning to the squad, but she will captain the team. USA will need major contributions from Atkins to have any shot at finishing in first place.

Atkins needs to step up to help bridge the gap that exists between senior players and very inexperienced ones. Five players have yet to make their debuts for USA. They include Sahar Azmat, Karen Bayles, Beulah Pidakala, Melissa Sandy and Geetha Shawkarla. Sandy formerly represented Trinidad & Tobago before moving to the USA and Bayles turned in decent but not great stats at the 2011 USACA Women’s Tournament.

Azmat and Pidakala were bizarrely selected despite a total of four runs in three innings between the two at the 2011 USACA Women’s Tournament while Azmat had bowling figures of 1 for 128 in one match against the tournament champion Tri-State Lynx squad. Shawkarla didn’t participate in the USACA Women’s Tournament in 2011.

The team will be coached by Basil Butcher Jr. Other members of the management team are manager Jacqueline Frank, Selwyn Caesar and Brian Jackson. USACA has not made any formal announcement about what roles Caesar and Jackson are serving on tour.

USA squad for 2012 ICC Americas Women's Twenty20 Championship: Candacy Atkins (captain), Anahita Arora, Sahar Azmat, Karen Bayles, Claudine Beckford, Sara Farooq, Nadia Gruny, Triholder Marshall, Beulah Pidakala, Samantha Ramautar, Akshatha Rao, Melissa Sandy, Delkash Shahriarian, Geetha Shawkarla.

USA’s schedule at the 2012 ICC Americas Women’s Twenty20 Championship
Monday, March 23 – vs. Cayman Islands at 3:30 p.m. EST
Tuesday, March 24 – vs. Brazil at 11:30 a.m. EST
Wednesday, March 25 – vs. Argentina at 11:30 a.m. EST
Friday, March 27 – vs. Bermuda at 3:30 p.m. EST
Saturday, March 28 – vs. Canada at 3:30 p.m. EST

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Following the national election on Friday, the President of USACA reportedly announced the appointment of Nabeel Ahmed as acting CEO adding that the board would move quickly to make it a permanent appointment.  This was also broadcast via a newly established USACA Twitter feed, which has since gone dark. 

Nabeel Ahmed is the founder of Michigan based Great Lakes Cricket Conference and has played a key role in promoting cricket in his region over three decades.  A successful businessman, Mr. Ahmed was also the First Vice President of USACA until he resigned in November of 2010. 

Following his resignation, he launched his campaign for President of USACA but by the start of the year, his campaign faded out, prompting rumors that he may have entered into an electoral pact.

At the time of his resignation, Mr. Ahmed wrote, "There has been some improvement in the last two years but USACA should have been more organised with effective leadership. The whole system has to be revisited; the favours have to stop. Everybody has to be selected on merit. I have watched the system very closely and I exactly know what USA cricket community and stakeholders need and are looking for."

"We need to start electing right people starting from clubs to leagues to regions and eventually the USACA board," he added.

In the context of an election in his own region, Mr. Ahmed wrote: "My mission is very clear and that is to take cricket to next level in this country through pure democratic process, fairness, accountability, selection at merit, equality through all the regions, respect for member at all the levels."

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It was smooth sailing for Gladstone Dainty, who won by a huge majority of 10 votes.  This was widely expected because a majority of the leagues that were aligned with Mr. Dainty's opponents had been deemed non-compliant. 

With just 15 leagues voting in the election, Gladstone Dainty received 12 votes for President while his opponent Ram Varadarajan got 2 votes. Kenwyn Williams and Maq Qureshi drew a blank.  One league could not be accounted for.

For the election of Treasurer, Dainty's ally John Thickett got an identical number of votes (12).  Once again, this was exactly as expected.  His opponent Gangaram Singh got 3 votes. 

For the position of First Vice President, which saw the incumbent and two regional directors in the fray, Michael Gale prevailed with 9 votes while Shahid Ahmed and Krish Prasad got 2 votes each.  Maq Qureshi got one vote while Ahmed Jeddy drew a blank.  Once again, one league was not accounted for.  Although Krish Prasad lost the election for First Vice President, he will continue to serve on the national board as the regional representative of the New York region.

In the election for Second Vice President, Rafey Syed (6 votes) sneaked past Ahmed Jeddy (5 votes) in a very close election.  Both Rafey Syed and Ahmed Jeddy were members of the last administration and both were aligned with Dainty.  Hemant Buch and Maq Qureshi received 2 votes each. 

For the position of Secretary, Kenwyn Williams defeated John Aaron by a 10-5 margin. 

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United States District Court Judge Lucy Koh has denied the request for a preliminary injunction to delay the USACA general elections scheduled for April 14 in order to allow leagues that were in good standing as of November 30, 2011 the right to vote. The full ruling can be read here.

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By Peter Della Penna (on Twitter)

Judge Lucy Koh’s appeal to both sides in the Varadarajan v. USACA court case to come to a resolution has fallen on deaf ears according to court documents filed today at U.S. District Court in San Jose, California. A motion hearing was held Thursday after which both sides were asked by the judge to negotiate a settlement without her having to intervene.

According to documents filed on Friday, USACA President Gladstone Dainty issued a declaration document in which he states that he asked the USACA board if they would “voluntarily consent to adjourn the election scheduled for April 14, 2012 by 30 days” and whether or not the board would agree that “the independent auditor has the authority to determine questions of eligibility to vote”. Dainty stated that the board responded “No” to both questions by a 7-3 vote.

Lawyers representing Ram Varadarajan and the California Cricket Academy filed a statement to inform that they approached USACA after Thursday’s court hearing and made a formal proposal to resolve the dispute. The document starts off by stating that, “During yesterday’s hearing on Plaintiffs’ motion for a preliminary injunction, the Court acknowledged what appeared to be election irregularities and suspicious activity. However, before ruling on Plaintiffs’ motion, the Court asked the parties to meet and confer in an effort to resolve their dispute.”

Among the items included in the Varadarajan proposal to resolve the dispute were: a 45-60 day postponement of the election to ensure certainty and a final resolution; agreeing on the appointment of a CPA from one of the big four accounting firms to serve as the auditor; accepting a proposal that the “top six criteria” from the Robert Chance compliance audit serve as a way to determine “substantial compliance” by which the independent auditor would then review evidence to determine if a league is eligible to vote; agreeing to make the independent auditor’s ruling final and binding with no more appeals available.

“For reasons we do not understand, USACA refused this reasonable, sensible and principled accommodation,” writes David Marroso, attorney for Varadarajan and CCA. “Instead, USACA insists that its self-interested determination and supposedly impartial ‘appellate committee’ already acted as independent decision makers. However, two (of five) members of that committee publicly excoriated the committee as fraudulent, corrupt and a sham. These two members have ‘no dog in the fight,’ for they are Presidents of leagues allowed to vote—yet what they saw happening was so disturbing they have publicly criticized the unfair process.”

The court documents include emails from both Minnesota Cricket Association President Masaood Yunus and Northwest Cricket League President Faizan Janjua which are critical of the USACA appeals process from which they sat on. Janjua’s email was published Thursday on DreamCricket.com.

Also included in the documents as an exhibit is an email chain between USACA General Manager Manaf Mohamed, Washington Metropolitan Cricket Board President Avinash Varma and newly elected Atlantic Region representative to the USACA board Keith Gill. Varma’s documents show that he is the elected president of the WMCB, yet claims that Gill has usurped his power and falsely claimed to be the president of the WMCB by signing a notary public in order to obtain the league’s voting ballot for the USACA general elections.

“This is a blatant misrepresentation and will have legal ramifications,” writes Varma. Mohamed had written to Varma stating that President Dainty and the rest of the USACA board would take a vote to determine who was the legitimate president of the WMCB. If Gill, a known Dainty ally, were to be acknowledged by the USACA board as the WMCB president, it would overrule the wishes of 14 of the 16 WMCB clubs who held a meeting reaffirming their vote to recognize Varma as the president of the league.

“The President of USACA has NO business interfering in WMCB matters,” writes Varma. “WMCB clubs have spoken and USACA has no choice but to accept their decision. Period.”