The World Cricket League (WCL) Championship qualifying match between leaders Netherlands and Kenya, has been moved from Nairobi to East London due to security reasons in Kenya.
Kenya was due to host the sixth round match at the Nairobi Gymkhana club grounds on 6 and 8 October, but political uncertainty and security concerns ahead of the October 17 Presidential election re-run has led to a switch of location. It is the second WCL Championship match Kenya is being forced to play away from home. The country is currently placed fifth in the standings.
The Netherlands head the eight-team championship with 16 points followed by Papua New Guinea, which are two points behind in second place from 10 matches played. The top four teams will join the lowest ranked four from ICC One Day International (ODI) championship for the 2018 Cricket World Cup qualifiers, which will decide who will play in the 2019 World Cup in England.
The Kenyan team will arrive in East London on Friday 29 September with warm up matches expected to take place at Fort Hare and Police Park against Border Invitation teams. The Netherlands team will arrive on Monday 2 October
The One Day International matches will take on Friday 6 October and Sunday 8 October 2017 at Buffalo Park with Reserve days in place.
CEO of Border Cricket said “We have really been bowled over by this great surprise but we are excited as we have been requesting more content for East London. We only have a few days to plan for such games, but this will assist us in showcasing that we have the ability to host such matches”.
