The Emerging Cricket Podcast

From the balcony of Wanderers, the team review the World Cricket League Division Two action after four of five completed rounds where Oman and USA have secured ODI status and their spots in Cricket World Cup League 2. There is a four-way fight for the last two berths; Namibia has a win and NRR advantage over Hong Kong, Canada and PNG - all three sides on a solitary victory. The last round sees all sides in the top half up against those in the danger zone of the bottom three, setting up a blockbuster last day of the round-robin on Friday to decide the final two team to earn ODI status.

Join the EC team live - well, uncut - from Windhoek after day two of the crucial World Cricket League Division 2.

Joined by special guest, Bertus de Jong, we analyse the first two days of action where we've seen Oman climb to an early lead on the points table, four teams 1-1 and Canada languishing in sixth without a victory.

We saw one of the best Associate cricket (if not all international cricket) tournaments here last year, but this year has even more on the line.

We close out EC Pod 7 with a review of the Uganda-Kenya-Zimbabwe women's "Victoria Tri-series", we talk about the first ODI between UAE & Zimbabwe and answer your questions from the EC Mailbag for the first time!

Bes, Nick & Cuts take a deep dive into the final World Cricket League event: WCL2 gets underway in a week's time from Namibia's capital Windhoek. Canada, Hong Kong, Oman, PNG, USA and the hosts will fight out for the final four places in the ICC's new all-ODI "Cricket World Cup League 2". The bottom two will slot into the new CWCQ Challenge League. Hear the team's take on each of the teams and the players to look out for as well as everyone's final placings predictions.

We digest the shock sacking of Afghanistan's longstanding skipper Asghar Afghan (form. Stanikzai). We try to solve the case of the disappearing Kenya T20 tournament. There's a lot of women's cricket happening in Africa as Namibia hosts Botswana - and Kenya & Zimbabwe play the Lady Cricket Cranes in Uganda. La Manga hosts the Scottish men and women for a joint training tour as well as an Estonia, Malta, Spain T20 series. We also touch on the NZ-Asia indoor champs in Singapore.

Bes gets his chance to have his rant about Delhi not picking Sandeep - and was vindicated when he was finally selected after the podcast was recorded. We also dissect the EAP T20 World Cup qualifier, Nigeria's U19s make the country's first global cricket event and the USA close out their UAE tour with more impressive performances across the squad. Nick speaks to Dhugal from Japan Cricket Association about the expansion of the game in Kaizuma in partnership with the government to develop a ground in the city, with the chance to play international cricket there.

The EC team give their thoughts on Afghanistan’s maiden Test victory in their just concluded series with Ireland; Team USA continues to impress in the UAE; and rain threatens the EAP T20 World Cup Qualifer. They also review Sandeep’s PSL; and look forward to WCL2 next month in Namibia.

And kids, don’t oil your bat before you sand it!

All you need to know in under two minutes!

- Afghan Test win
- USA first win on UAE tour
- PNG rain
- Erasmus appointment

Get your update on the emerging cricket world in less time than an ad break. We spoke with Ireland men's captain William Porterfield leading into today's Test and Bes also gives you an update on the East Asia Pacific Region T20 World Cup Qualifiers next week and USA T20I debut later today against UAE.

On our third EC Pod: a wrap of the Thailand hosted ICC Asia Women’s Qualifier and with the news of the Ireland/Netherlands/Scotland joint venture “Euro Thrash” T20 we talk about its potential, alongside the club-based European Cricket League which also kicks off this northern summer.