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Plough Islands cricket team
|
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: |
vs. |
Last Test: |
vs. |
Most runs: | Shauna Weaver (2224) |
Most wickets: | Naomi Salisbury (136) |
Matches played: | 31 |
One Day Internationals |
First ODI: |
vs. |
Last ODI: |
vs. |
Most runs: | Shauna Weaver (1002) |
Most wickets: | Naomi Salisbury (33) |
Matches played: | 18 |
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.
1. Crest & colours
2. History
2.1 Early development
2.2 Organised competition
2.3 Global Cricket Federation
3. Current players
4. See also
4.1 Acknowledgments
4.2 Links
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)

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

195 (64.1 overs)
Martin Hery 55
Andrew Baxter 5-35
258/5 (136.0 overs)
Martin Hery 114*
Matthew Davy 2-46
17th June 2018
December Park, Sutton
Match drawn
The following players have played a senior international match for the Plough Islands during the 2020 season;
Name | Date of birth | Batting style | Bowling style | Domestic team |
Kevin Laing (captain) | 26 September 1986 | Right-hand bat | Right-arm medium | Bradford |
Rory Aliyev | 16 August 1999 | Right-hand bat | Right-arm leg break | New Dalmatia |
Sarah Ashe | 30 August 1994 | Right-hand bat | Right-arm off break | New Hibernia (first class), Constabulary (one day) |
Andrew Barrett | 4 June 1990 | Right-hand bat | Right-arm off break | Redcliff |
Andrew Baxter | 9 January 1990 | Right-hand bat | Right-arm fast | Sutton & Avalon |
Tim Bleasdale | 1 June 1989 | Right-hand bat | wicket-keeper | Swift |
Matthew Davy | 13 November 1992 | Right-hand bat | Right-arm leg break | Sutton & Avalon |
Arthur Donovan | 30 April 1989 | Right-hand bat | Right-arm off break | Redcliff |
Andrew Fairfield | 7 April 1985 | Left-hand bat | Slow left-arm unorthodox | New Dalmatia |
Alec Fedorov | 22 February 1993 | Left-hand bat | Slow left-arm unorthodox | New Dalmatia |
Terry Gibbs | 17 November 2001 | Right-hand bat | Right-arm leg break | Sutton & Avalon (first class), University (one day) |
David Heath | 24 January 1987 | Left-hand bat | Left-arm medium | Sutton & Avalon |
Jannie Hendricks | 19 August 1999 | Right-hand bat | Right-arm leg break | Swift (first class), University (one day) |
Graeme Holt | 5 July 1988 | Left-hand bat | Left-arm medium | Redcliff |
Jonathan Iddon | 12 January 1994 | Right-hand bat | Right-arm leg break | Bradford |
Ilya Lebed | 28 September 1993 | Left-hand bat | wicket-keeper | New Dalmatia |
Audrey Leggett | 12 March 1988 | Right-hand bat | Right-arm leg break | Bradford |
Leanne Martin | 27 March 1989 | Left-hand bat | wicket-keeper | Bradford |
Colin McCarthy | 19 June 1991 | Right-hand bat | Right-arm fast-medium | New Dalmatia |
Naomi Salisbury | 21 December 1992 | Left-hand bat | Slow left-arm orthodox | Bradford |
Shauna Weaver | 30 January 1994 | Right-hand bat | Right-arm leg break | Swift |
Colin Williams | 1 October 1989 | Right-hand bat | Right-arm leg break | New Hibernia |
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!