Since the beginning of this year, Associate Members of the International Cricket Council (ICC) have been eligible to play official Twenty20 Internationals that award ranking points. The ICC is due to publish the first extended T20I rankings in May 2019.

​Cricket Finland and Cricket España are delighted to announce a reciprocal T20I series to be played in 2019-20. The series will comprise 2 x 2 matches, of which the first two will be played at the Kerava National Cricket Ground (KNCG) in Kerava, Finland on 16-18th August 2019, and the latter pair in Spain in spring 2020.

The teams last met in the Netherlands World T20 Qualifier in September 2018, where Finland emerged victorious. The four-match series will help prepare the sides for the next T20 World Cup Qualifier to be held in 2020. Both associations intend to make the best of the official status of inter-Associate T20I’s by including more bi-laterals in their international match schedules.

The series will also mark the first official international match use of Finland’s main cricket ground, the KNCG. Developed in 2011-14 and located some 30 kilometres from Helsinki city centre, the ground has modern facilities for live streaming matches and organising social activities on match days.

More information on event accreditation and live streaming locations of the series will be made available in due course by the associations.

Over the past 2 months we have been running trials for the young players in our Finnish leagues, all of whom were under 22 years of age as at 31.12.2018. The purpose of these trials was to find talented young players that want to take cricket more seriously and take extra steps in developing their skills. We also want to develop these players in the hope they can become eligible for future senior Finnish National Bears senior squad selections.

This team will continue training through the 2019 winter and will take part in the indoor league as the Under-22 Finnish Bears squad. All this in preparation for the regular summer season, when we plan further development activities for the squad - to be announced.

The U22 squad will be coached by Henry Sewell, who will work together with the senior Finnish Bears squad management group.

Congratulations to the following selected players, their clubs in brackets:

• Areeb Quadir     (SKK)
• Zeerak Ijaz          (Southern Stars CC)
• Shreshth Sukhman Bhaskar (HCC)
• Unais Khan         (SKK)
• Sagar Bhandari (Nepal CC)
• Arun Bhatia       (HCC)
• Muhammad Zubair Tariq (Helsinki Gymkhana CC)
• Abdul Haji Ibrahim (Tampere CC)
• Muhammad Kashif (Greater Helsinki CC)
• Rabin Khanal     (Nordic Warriors SC)
• Jannaten Nayem (Club’71 KS)

For all contact details of Cricket Finland go to: https://www.cricketfinland.com/contact-us.html

Cricket Finland is pleased to announce that Muhammad Monis Amjad (Monis) has been appointed to the role of CricHQ Coordinator for the 2019 season. During 2018 Monis has been helping Cricket Finland with maintenance of the Cricket Finland website and other IT issues, and we are very pleased that he has agreed to also take up this important position. Monis has already started in the role and all future queries concerning CricHQ should be directed to him. His contact details can be found here.
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Everyone at Cricket Finland wishes to thank outgoing CricHQ Coordinator Krishna Chhetri for all his help during 2018. Monis will report to the LSC Chairman, Sean Walsh.​

Cricket Finland is providing a unique opportunity for all cricket enthusiasts to participate in umpiring education. The course is meant for anyone interested in umpiring, whether or not they have attended a short course before, and will provide an encompassing education in the Laws, our Playing Conditions, and softer aspects of officiating matches. All are invited to participate in this exciting journey.

The course will be conducted online on a weekly basis for 2 hours each time, from January 5th to late April. The sessions will be recorded and can be viewed later by absentees. The course ends with an exam planned during the last week of April, successful completion of which provides a pathway for entry into the Cricket Finland Umpiring Panel structure. A minimum of 60% online course attendance will be required for exam participation. 

The syllabus will include all the MCC Laws, practical match management issues, and Cricket Finland Playing Conditions, alongside some interesting examples and videos from Cricket Finland league games for illustration.

Sriharsha Kuchimanchi will be the course leader, with assistance from Jari Schabel and Aadhavan.

Successful participants will be considered for allocation together with the Panel Umpires to officiate the Premier League games and other important games/tournaments within the Cricket Finland league system. Additionally, they will be included into the weekly panel umpire webinars for facilitating their development. Umpires who are frequently officiating league matches will be able to apply for reimbursement of their allowances on a monthly basis from 2019 onwards.

​The course fee is only 20 Euros.

Please register here: https://www.suomisport.fi/events/b1b144f0-0cc7-4289-b29f-65a817d3ba18

For those of you not present at the 2018 Annual Awards Dinner on November 10th, here is news of a great extra discount deal from our equipment partner SURRIDGE. The same great partner who provided the FINNISH BEARS with their clothing for the World T20Q last September!
 
Special 30% Discount Offer for Club Web Shops set up…valid until December 21st only!
 
4 clubs that started with CF/SURRIDGE last spring, already have their club web shops up & running. For interested new CF member clubs (not personal members), all set-up process details have been sent out to your main club contacts. So please get in touch with them to get your new club clothing for 2019 leagues! 

All players in T20 leagues in 2019 will need coloured clothing, so here's a great chance for your club to sort itself some new gear at a very special price! 

Strong performances in 2018 Finnish Leagues and the Elite T20 series have resulted in some new additions to the Men's Finnish Bears squad who have now started winter training. Congratulations go to:

Adnan Syed (Otaniemen Kriketti Kerho)
​Sanju Shrestha (Nordic Warriors SC)
Abdul Ghafar (Empire Cricket Club)
Muhammad Zia Ur Rehman (Greater Helsinki CC)

Also continuing in the squad for the winter, after their late summer 2018 elevation to the Finnish Bears Men's squad for the World T20 Regional Qualifiers in Netherlands, are:

Shoaib Tahir Qureshi (Southern Stars CC)
Aniketh Pusthay (Helsinki CC) 
Md Nurul Huda (Bengal Tigers CC)


* To qualify for the Finnish Men's Bears squad you need a Finnish passport or a minimum permanent residence in Finland of 3 years. 

If you live in Finland or you have a Finnish passport and are between 16 and 22 years old as at 31.12.2018, then this announcement is for you!
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The Under-22 Finnish Bears national squad is a huge step for the development of young players in Finland. The aim of this squad is to be an ideal place to improve your game in a structured team, which is a step above club cricket in Finland. We will be working on all aspects of your game ready for future senior team selections. We are planning matches against the senior team and looking to get other opponents in place for the summer 2019.

We will start by holding trials at Pallomylly sports hall in Myllypuro, Helsinki on Saturdays Nov 24th, Dec 8th, 22nd and Jan 5th. You will need to be at the hall latest 16:45 and the sessions will end 19:00. You will need to bring your own kit to each of the sessions. To be eligible for selection you will have to attend at least 2 of these 4 sessions. You are naturally welcome to attend all 4 of these trial sessions to make your mark! After the last trial session, we will be looking to select a squad of 15-20 players.

If you are interested in taking part in the trials please send a response to Finnish National Squad Assistant Coach, Henry Sewell, via email by latest Friday Nov 16th, 2018. 

Ja vielä lyhyesti suomeksi:
Oletko 16-22-vuotias kuluvan vuoden 2018 lopussa? Jos olet, tämä tiedotus koskee sinua!

Alle 22-vuotiaiden Krikettikarhujen valmennusrinki on tärkeä kehitysporras nuorille kriketinpelaajille Suomessa. Tämän ryhmän tehtävä on antaa tuleville aikuisten maajoukkeen pelaajille seuravalmennusta vahvempi pohja.

Järjestämme kokeilujakson kiinnostuneille, potentiaaleille pelaajille Helsingin Myllypurossa, Pallomyllyn liikuntahallissa lauantaina 24.11., 8.12., 22.12.2018 ja 5.1.2019 klo 16:45-19:00. Varustaudu asianmukaisella urheiluvaatetuksella ja -kengillä. Kokeilujaksolta valitaan 15-20 pelaajaa jatkamaan alle 22-vuotiaiden miesten maajoukkueringissä. Jotta voit tulla valituksi, sinun tulee osallistua vähintään kahteen em. treenikerroista.

Jos olet kiinnostunut, ota yhteyttä Suomen miesten maajoukkueen apuvalmentajaan, Henry Sewelliin sähköpostilla tästä pe 16.11.2018 mennessä.     

#GoBears #Kriketti #Krikettikaikille #Löydäomalajisi

URGENT REMINDER FOR THE ANNUAL AWARDS DINNER 10/11/2018

Please see an update on securing your ticket here. 

​Individual tickets can be purchased personally or as a multiple group of members from your club as one.

Please note that tickets can only be purchased through this link:SuomiSport and that entry will only be possible with a pre-purchased ticket.  There will be NO tickets sold at the door.

We look forward to seeing you there and celebrating another successful season of cricket in Finland!

The ​Annual Cricket Finland Awards Dinner this year will be held at the Windsor Restaurant in Pasila, Helsinki on Saturday November 10th starting at 6pm... hurry and book your ticket using this Event Tickets link to SuomiSport so you don't miss out.

No pay, no place - max 180 places available by advance booking, so don't leave it late! Places can be booked & paid for individually, or then multiple tickets can be sourced via your SuomiSport club admin. Dress code is smart casual.

It will be a night to remember with great prizes, so please make sure all your club members & friends are there to celebrate!
All the winners have been personally advised they will be getting an award, so join us to find out who they are and from which clubs. Ticket sales will CLOSE on SuomiSport Monday November 5th at 11:59PM.

More details can also be found by clicking this link to our latest Off Breaks newsletter.

See you all on November 10th!