Desert Ashes

19th July 2005

As you would naturally expect, when British and Australian soldiers are serving together in such circumstances, the subject of cricket is never far from peoples minds. The two units have therefore undertaken to play a Desert Ashes Series in parallel to The Ashes.

Due to the operational constraints, each (of the five) matches will be played for one day only, 25 overs per team. The matches will be played on the first day of each test, with the coin toss in Iraq happening at the same time as the toss in the UK. Because of the extreme conditions (temperatures of 50C) there will be rolling substitutions to allow water breaks, however only the named 11 will be eligible to bat and bowl. Each bowler will be allowed a maximum of five overs, and there will be a new ball every 13 overs to allow for increased wear and tear on the outfield. All other rules are as per test rules. A qualified umpire will be provided by each side.

The Smitty Ground, is a flattened (thanks to the help of the Royal Engineers) and rolled out area of the camp next to the helicopter landing site (HLS). The wicket has been dug out and laid with smooth concrete, and an Astroturf mat has then been laid down.

Timetable

Dates for the five matches will be as follows: 21 JUL, 04 AUG, 11 AUG, 25 AUG, 08 SEP. The coin tosses will be at approximately 1300 hrs local time, to coincide with the 1000 hrs toss in the UK. Matches will then commence an hour later.