Canada to host U-19 Americas tournament

Canada will host the U-19 Americas tournament at King City, Ontario, one hour's drive north of Toronto at the Maple Leaf Cricket Club. The MLCC formerly hosted the inaugural Americas Cricket Championships in 2000 and subsequently also hosted many of the games of the ICC Trophy in 2001.

Maple Leaf Cricket Club has four turf squares specifically installed by the Canadian Cricket Association from special assistance funds donated by India, Pakistan and IMG/TWI from the second and third Sahara Cup series of games. Subsequent cancellation of the fourth and fifth years of the Sahara Cup has prevented further planned development of turf squares across Canada, a National Coach/Technical Director and other improvements vital to Canada's drive to ODI status by 2006.

The winners of the U-19 Americas Tournament are expected to be selected to participate in the U-19 World Cup. Canada was the Americas representative to the previous World Cup in New Zealand but can expect strong challenges from Argentina, Bermuda, Cayman Islands and the United States.

Prior to that U-19 World Cup, the Americas, with ICC's kind permission, were represented on a one off basis, by players from Argentina, Bermuda, Canada and the United States. Cayman Islands, blessed with a full time coach, Theo Cuffy, is the newest Americas' Associate and with very credible showings in the Americas 2000 Championships and in the U15 Orlando Event, are again expected to be very strong contenders.

Bermuda and Argentina, both also with full time national coaches are expected to do well. By a strange twist of fate, Canada and the United States of Americas, the largest ICC Associate Countries and both disproportionately large countries with huge numbers of teams and cricketers, receive minimal or no government or private sector support, yet struggle on at present with no National Coaches.

Americas cricket cannot blossom until these glaring inequities are corrected. Canada, the leading Americas Associate, in fact, despite hosting the ICCT 2001 at great expense, qualifying for the CWC 2003 in South Africa, and defeating Bangladesh and showing great potential has not seen any private or public support to mirror on-field accomplishments and the vast potential in the Americas.

Fixture Schedule

Date	Maple Leaf CC. King City	Maple Leaf CC . King City	Bye
Monday, July 14th	Argentina vs Canada	USA vs Cayman Island	Bermuda
Tuesday, July 15th	Bermuda vs Cayman Island	Argentina vs USA	Canada
Wednesday, July 16th	USA vs Bermuda	Cayman Island vs Canada	Argentina
Thursday, July 17th	Rest Day
Friday, July 18th	Argentina vs Bermuda	USA vs Canada	Cayman Islands
Saturday, July 19th	Canada vs Bermuda	Argentina vs Cayman Island	USA