The International Cricket Council (ICC) today announced the schedule for the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier 2012 which will take place in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from 13 to 24 March, 2012. Sixteen sides from across the globe will feature in the 12-day tournament which will be played at five venues – Dubai International Cricket Stadium and ICC Global Cricket Academy grounds No.1 and No.2 in Dubai, Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Zayed Stadium and the historic Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

The 16 teams have been divided into two groups with Afghanistan, Netherlands, Canada, Papua New Guinea (PNG), Hong Kong, Bermuda, Denmark and Nepal forming Group A and Ireland, Kenya, Scotland, Namibia, Uganda, Oman, Italy and the USA comprising Group B.

Cricket Scotland is delighted to announce that England will return to Scotland to play a One Day International on Sunday August 12^th 2012.  The match will be England’s third visit to play the Scots after previous games in 2008 and 2010.

In 2010, England won by 7 wickets at Citylets Grange.  A crowd of over 4,000 was royally entertained by some superb cricket on the day. Scotland scored 211 with excellent contributions from Gavin Hamilton, Kyle Coetzer and Dougie Lockhart. In reply England eased to victory, set up by a century opening partnership by Andrew Strauss and Craig Kieswetter.

Netherlands all-rounder Ryan ten Doeschate has become the ICC Associate and Affiliate Player of the Year for the second successive year at the LG ICC Awards in London. The voting academy chose ten Doeschate over other top Associate and Affiliate players including Afghanistan's Hamid Hassan and the Ireland duo of Paul Stirling and Kevin O'Brien. It is the third time ten Doeschate has claimed the award, the first time he picked up the title was in 2008 while he also won the award last year.

During the 12-month voting period, all-rounder ten Doeschate played for the Netherlands in six ODIs making two centuries and one half-century. His batting average was 61.40 for the period with a strike rate of 89.24.

The Scotland squad to travel to Namibia has been released (August 25). The tour will include an ICC Intercontinental Cup fixture, a competition which Scotland reached the final of in 2010, along with two 50 over games as part of the ICC One-Day League.  The tour finally culminates with five T20s against their hosts, as the Scots continue their preparation for next year’s World T20 qualifying event in Dubai.

Fraser Watts, Oliver Hairs and Marc Petrie will join the squad for both the One Day and T20 games whilst uncapped Tyler Buchan and Jan Stander come in for the T20 phase of the tour.

Helmien Rambaldo led the Netherlands to their first European Women's Championship, making an unbeaten 106 as her side achieved a comprehensive 94-run victory over Scotland in the final game of the tournament.

It was Rambaldo's first international century, and it enabled the Dutch to reach a daunting 246 for three. Dropped at slip off Kathryn White before she had scored, she proceeded to bat throughout the innings, and faced a total of 132 deliveries, hitting five boundaries.

She was given great support by Carolien Salomons, who shared in a second-wicket partnership of 151 and contributed a solid 100-ball 71 before she was run out by a direct hit from point by Leigh Kasperek, who threw down the stumps at the non-striker's end as the Dutch batsmen attempted a quick single.

A thunderstorm accompanied by torrential rain brought a premature and dramatic end to the cricket on Thursday, but not before Ireland had played themselves into a strong winning position against Scotland. Ireland's 90-run victory under the Duckworth/Lewis system was a fair reflection of their superiority, and gave them an outside chance of retaining their European 50-over title – but only if the Scots bounce back from this defeat to surprise hosts the Netherlands in Friday's final game.

Scotland again got away to a great start after inserting their opponents, with Emma Flanagan bowled by Kathryn White in the first over and Amy Kenealy run out by a quick return from Samantha Haggo shortly afterwards, but thereafter a solid performance from the strong Irish batting line-up saw them reach an imposing 241 for six. Skipper Isobel Joyce led the way with a splendid innings of 85, made from 91 deliveries with six boundaries and by the time she was fifth out, stumped off the bowling of Sahar Aslam, the total had reached 164.