Plough Islands cricket team

Plough Islands

Plough Islands cricket crest

Board:	Plough Islands Cricket Association
Captain:	Kevin Laing
Coach:.	Lourens Hendricks
Known as:	Foxes, Islanders

Test (left) and ODI (centre and right) kits

Tests

First Test: (GCF)	vs. Lisander at Sutton, 17 July 2018
Last Test: (GCF)	vs. Lisander at Highrock, 2 May 2020
Most runs:	Shauna Weaver (2224)
Most wickets:	Naomi Salisbury (136)
Matches played: - Wins: - Defeats: - Other results:	31 14 10 7 drawn

One Day Internationals

First ODI: (GCF)	vs. Ko-oren at Sutton, 12 March 2019
Last ODI: (GCF)	vs. Krytenia at City Centre, 5 June 2020
Most runs:	Shauna Weaver (1002)
Most wickets:	Naomi Salisbury (33)
Matches played: - Wins: - Defeats: - Other results:	18 12 4 2 tied

The Plough Islands cricket team, administered by the Plough Islands Cricket Association (PICA), represents the Plough Islands in international cricket competition. Popularly known as the Foxes, the team play predominantly Test and One Day International cricket, and compete in major international events as well as undertaking tours to other nations in the cricketing multiverse; the Plough Islands are a full member of the NS Global Cricket Federation, attaining this status in 2018.

Cricket was introduced to the Plough Islands by the first British settlers in 1750; aided by the islands' mild climate and a largely rural population, the sport became widespread during the 19th and 20th centuries, with records of club games surviving from the early 1800s. The sport became increasingly competitive following World War I, and the first national representative teams were selected in the 1930s, although owing to their geographical isolation fixtures were sporadic. Following independence in 1960 under a Marxist-Leninist government, the governing body was nationalised and cricket clubs were promoted as a centrepiece of the new social order, but the islands' traditional sporting links with the Commonwealth were severed and the national team became dormant for some time. After several decades, the Plough Islands affiliated with the Global Cricket Federation in 2018, which saw a revived national team play a more regular schedule of matches, including for the first time full Tests and One Day Internationals.

The sport is extremely popular on the islands, and the national team is followed closely by both state media and the general Plough Islander population; both home and tour matches are broadcast in full by Plough Radio. The team receives considerable state support, although the players themselves are entirely amateur in keeping with the egalitarian principles of the socialist state, and since 1973 has been entirely selected on merit with no segregation by sex or gender identity. Since their return to international competition, the team have been increasingly competitive; as of June 2020, the Plough Islands are ranked sixth in Tests and third in One Day Internationals.

The emblem of the Plough Islands team is the coat of arms of the Plough Islands Cricket Association, which was adopted in 1992 and replaced an earlier non-heraldic emblem, and is blazoned thus; Vert, two foxes rampant addorsed, the tails nowed, the dexter Gules and the sinister Argent, and above all a representation of the Plough Or. The colours of the two foxes represent the involvement of the Association in both first-class cricket, played with a red ball, and limited-overs cricket, played with a white ball. This is worn inter alia on the shirts, helmets, and hats of players, together with the national flag on the left sleeve of the shirt; the popular nickname of the Foxes for the national team derives from both the crest and the large feral red fox population on the islands.

The Plough Islands generally play in the national colours of green and amber, as seen on the crest and national flag. In common with other national teams, players wear all white clothing in Tests; the current Test playing kits feature contrasting dark teal green trim on the sleeves and sides of the body and trousers, as well as a green collar. The playing kits for One Day Internationals are of a similar pattern, but predominantly dark green, with contrasting amber trim and collars; an alternate kit, of the same design but in red, is worn when playing other teams in green. All three kits feature a stylised map of the Plough Islands woven into the fabric, and are made locally at the Red Flag clothing and textile co-operative in Redcliff.

(under some reconstruction)

The Plough Islands
324 (131.4 overs)
Matthew Davy 89
Zoran Kendall 3-70
220 (71.3 overs)
Kevin Laing 69
Idário Florian 4-48

Lisander
195 (64.1 overs)
Martin Hery 55
Andrew Baxter 5-35
258/5 (136.0 overs)
Martin Hery 114*
Matthew Davy 2-46

First Test, Lisander in the Plough Islands
17^th June 2018
December Park, Sutton
Match drawn

The following players have played a senior international match for the Plough Islands during the 2020 season;

Acknowledgments

The author wishes to thank the people of the NS Sports community for their feedback while this was written - many, many people contributed, but special thanks must go to Starblaydia for his assistance with coding and general advice, particularly to the author as a very confused newbie, and to all the teams the Plough Islands have played against and collaborated with through the years; long may it continue.
Thanks must also go to the Zimbabwe cricket team, for keeping the author interested in and passionate about cricket for over 20 years, through thick and, sadly more often than not, thin - maita zvenyu, and go Chevrons!

Links

Overview of the Plough Islands