EAP CoE Camp Completes Successful Week

The ICC East Asia-Pacific Centre of Excellence (CoE) Training Camp will now turn its attention to a week of work with a group of 'Emerging' players from the region after the elite group completed their week at Cricket Australia's Brisbane based facility.

The final two days of the camp involved some centre wicket match scenarios on a turf wicket at Churchie and a match at Alan Border Field.

"The Senior EAP Squad worked very hard for the entire week at the Centre of Excellence," said ICC East-Asia Pacific Regional Development Officer Tom Evans. "It was a great week in which all players contributed well throughout the matches or centre wicket scenarios to put their names forward for what will be a very difficult selection for 2012 Australian Country Cricket Championships."

The scenarios allowed the boys to think through match situations to further develop their game sense, while also being guided by CoE Coach John Davison.

The final game was a great test for the squad as they played a quality Australian Gateway Sports XI made up of a number of first grade players from Brisbane, some of whom have been involved in Queensland State squads.

In that match the EAP players bowled and fielded extremely well, as they had all week after previously bowling the AGS XI out for 205 in 48th over.

The pick of the bowlers was Sak Lomani (Fiji) who bowled (using new CA rules) 13 overs 5 maidens 1 for 35. Other bowlers Mulavai (Samoa), Hagihara (Japan) and Cotter (Samoa) all chipped in with 2 wickets each.

Unfortunately the batsman couldn't continue the standard they had set to finish the week on a high. A number of players got starts but just couldn't go on with it. The best of which was Cotter with 34 however wickets consistently fell and EAP were bowled out for 164.

Despite a disappointing finish with the bat in the last game it was an excellent week and all players learnt a lot and benefitted greatly from the experience.

Evan's will now spend a week coordinating a similar camp for the best emerging players in the East-Asia Pacific Region.

Meanwhile the best players from the completed week will begin preparations for the Australian Country Cricket Championships where a representative side from the region will take on Australia's best country cricketers.