June 2010 saw Argentina take part in the Americas Division One in Bermuda featuring Bermuda, Canada, USA, Cayman Islands and Bahamas.
 |
| Eighty years of experience - Donny Forrester and Bernie Irigoyen |
The quality of cricket was extremely high. The outstanding batter of the tournament was Ritwan Cheema, who has not only scared bowlers from associate nations, but has also scored 89 in 61 balls against the West Indies in 2008. Bermuda had ex Glamorgan and Warwickshire batter David Hemp. The USA‘s star performer was all-rounder Lennox Cush, who was previously included in the Stanford Twenty20 provisional squad. With this amount of quality around Argentina finished a creditable 4th, its highest ever position.
 |
| Argentine warm up |
Argentina and The Bahamas provided the strangest game of the tournament. Argentina posted 333 for 5 in 50 overs, a team record. After the Bahamas were 16 for 2 some people may have thought the game was over. However, the Bahamas batters had other ideas. They promptly put on 197 for the 3rd wicket in 17 overs! The reason for this carnage was that The Bahamas had to chase down the total quickly to try and avoid relegation on run rate. The carnage continued with the incoming batters scoring at a ridiculous rate up until the score was 332 for 7 in 33 overs.
 |
| The boys go out to battle against The USA |
 |
| I receive a bucket of Ice over me after victory against The Cayman Islands |
Then madness happened, the 8th wicket was caught behind and then a crazy run out brought the number eleven in. After he blocked out the rest of the over the number seven batter took strike and promptly hit the ball through the covers. After running one The Bahamas players started to celebrate in the middle of the wicket thinking the ball had gone for four. However, the Argentine fielder chased the ball down and threw the ball into the wicket keeper. The last batter was run out trying to make his ground when he realised the ball had not gone to the boundary.
 |
| Savage bowling in an amazing spell which had Bermuda 40 for 4 |
Final score - match tied 333 for 5 in 50 overs plays 333 for 10 in 33 overs with a total of thirty five sixes hit in the game. Who said 50 over cricket was dead!!
 |
| Lucas Paterlini - 138 v The Bahamas |
Simply brilliant game. Very interesting articles. Loved reading your blog.
ReplyDeleteArgentina in between were doing quite good and had reached WCL Division 2. But after that I have seen a great fall. In each tournament they have lost all matches and relegated. Now they are in Div 5. How come a sudden rise and then such a fall. What happened in Argentina?