KAMPALA, Uganda — Canada is moving up the cricket ladder after finishing runner-up at the ICC World Cricket League Division 3 tournament.
The Canadians join tournament winner Oman in securing promotion to Division 2 and continuing on the road to the 2018 ICC Cricket World Cup qualifier. The Canadian men played in three straight World Cups from 2003 to 2011 but have fallen down the pecking order in recent years.
They now move to World Cricket League Division 2 play with the top two teams there advancing to a 10-team World Cup qualifying tournament.
Canada and Oman's match to settle who finished first ended in a no result Tuesday due to rain.
Put into bat, Canada scored 176 runs for three in its 38 allotted overs with 17-year-old opener Bhavindu Adhihetty scoring 86 from 108 balls. Captain Nitish Kumar added 50 in a 102-run first-wicket partnership.
Oman's Zeeshan Maqsood scored 32 before the rain set in and play was abandoned after 4.3 overs.
Oman, which was playing in Division 5 last year, earned first place by virtue of its 4-1 round-robin record. Canada was 3-2.
"Overall, we played well so I will not say we are disappointed," said Canada coach Henry Osinde. "The big aim was to qualify and then go on to win the tournament. Today, we batted well 176 in 38 overs but the rain gods had different plans and the game was abandoned.
"We lost our easy games and they went ahead of us so I give them full credit for winning the tournament."
Singapore finished third, followed by the U.S., host Uganda and Malaysia.
The Canadian Press
