Sri Lanka stun West Indies to draw level in T20I series
Tue, Oct 15, '24
Sri Lanka's spinners ripped through the West Indies batters on a turning Dambulla surface to level the series at one apiece, as they won the second ODI by 73 runs.
Debutant Dunith Wellalage - belatedly making his T20I bow - was the pick of the bowlers, ending with figures of 3 for 9, while Maheesh Theekshana, Wanindu Hasaranga and Charith Asalanka grabbed two each. Matheesha Pathirana was the sole seamer to pick up a wicket in the innings.
With the bat, Pathum Nissanka's 54 off 49 had helped set the platform as Sri Lanka did well to keep a steady run rate throughout their innings, having won the toss and elected to bat first. There were also runs for Kusal Mendis, Kusal Perera and Kamindu Mendis, but this game was all about Sri Lanka's spinners who showed total dominance in the West Indian chase.
Hasaranga, Sri Lanka's premier spinner, bowled his first delivery of the game in the 11th over of the chase. And the fact that he picked up a wicket with that delivery was perhaps the least remarkable aspect about it.
West Indies knock England out of Women's T20 World Cup
Tue, Oct 15, '24
West Indies pulled off the biggest heist of this T20 World Cup and qualified for the semi-finals, against all expectation, and knocked one of the favourites, England.
Having last beaten England in 2018, West Indies broke a 13-match losing streak and topped Group B to set up a semi-final against New Zealand in Sharjah. That year was also the last time West Indies played in a semi-final of the T20 World Cup.
This is only the second time England have missed out on the knockouts of a T20 World Cup after being eliminated in the group stage in 2010. After wins in their first three matches, they were confident of making the final four this time. Instead, it is South Africa who join West Indies, with England's net run-rate leaving them third in the group.
West Indies win was made all the more remarkable because they were without former captain and veteran batter Stafanie Taylor, who is struggling with a knee injury. In her absence, Hayley Matthews and Qiana Joseph, found form and wiped away the bulk of the 142-run target. Matthews, playing in her 100th T20I, scored her 14th half-century in the format while Joseph, who had a career-best of 34 before this game, scored a 38-run 52. The pair shared an opening stand of 102 inside 13 overs and West Indies were on their way. This is the sixth time West Indies have successfully chased a total of 140-plus, and the second time since their record chase of 213 against Australia last December.
England, WI with little room for error as semi-finals race heats up
Mon, Oct 14, '24
Barring a couple of extreme scenarios, which will see both West Indies and England go through, this will be a virtual knockout game, with the winner directly advancing to the semi-finals. South Africa have one foot in the semi-final, but aren't quite there yet, as England can still get into the next stage with a loss against West Indies, provided their margin of defeat is small enough: a one-run loss if the first innings total is between 97 and 134 or a two-run loss if they are chasing between 61 and 96; if England are batting first, they can afford to lose with one or two balls to spare only.
West Indies will hope Stafanie Taylor is available for their final group game. The experienced Taylor, who opened against Bangladesh, was forced to retire hurt after ten overs in the small chase. Captain Hayley Matthews later said Taylor had been nursing a knee problem through the tournament: "She knows how to manage her body pretty well. She's a crucial part of our lineup, but once again, she's a fighter, and I don't think any of our doctors of physios would have her out here if she wasn't up for the challenge."
The last time these two teams played each other, England chased down 136 inside 15 overs to post a seven-wicket win over West Indies, at the 2023 World Cup, in Paarl. Overall, West Indies have won only eight of the 28 T20Is played against England.
West Indies go 1-0 up after Lewis, King outshine Kamindu, Asalanka
Mon, Oct 14, '24
Brandon King and Evin Lewis crashed 107 off 55 balls at the top of the order, to set West Indies beautifully on course to their target of 180, in the first T20I against Sri Lanka. Although the hosts' middle-overs bowlers slowed West Indies' progress, they were never in serious trouble.
They had plenty of batting to see the chase through, and Sherfane Rutherford finished it off with a four off the first ball of the final over.
Shamar Joseph was the most economical of West Indies' bowlers, conceding only 27 from his four overs. Though King and Lewis later outshone them, Sri Lanka had two half-centurions too, in Kamindu Mendis and Charith Asalanka, whose 82-run stand was the most substantial of the innings.
Lewis struck the first boundaries, launching Chamindu Wickramasinghe for a six and four at the end of the first over, but it was King who made the greatest impression while the fielding restrictions were in play. King's standard move was to run at the bowlers and blast them down the ground. So good was his hand-eye coordination, that he did it twice against seamer Asitha Fernando in the second over, before taking aim at the spin of Maheesh Theekshana in the third over.
CWI awards Men’s & Women’s Academy contracts for upcoming season
Fri, Oct 11, '24
Cricket West Indies (CWI) is pleased to announce the awarding of full-time, one-year contracts to 30 young players as part of its ongoing commitment to nurturing emerging talent in the region. For the first time, the Men’s Academy cohort will be based full-time at the CWI-owned Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG) in Antigua, while the Women’s Academy players will continue their high-performance development in their home territories with regular training camps at CCG throughout the year.
This year marks a significant step for the Men’s Academy, with 15 players under the age of 23 receiving dedicated, year-long coaching and training. These young men will have access to world-class resources, including a dedicated technical team, as they prepare for the rigors of regional and international cricket. The Women’s Academy, which was launched during the 2023/24 season, continues to offer young female cricketers critical development opportunities. The 15 women awarded contracts for this season will benefit from specialized training with Talent Pathway coaches and ongoing high-performance initiatives in their respective territories and CCG, as well as experiencing an international tour.
Speaking about the contracts, Miles Bascombe, CWI Director of Cricket, emphasized the importance of both programmes:
The CWI Academies are instrumental in bridging the gap between junior and senior levels, ensuring that both men and women receive the support they need to succeed internationally. By focusing on holistic development and providing tailored, high-performance programming, we are accelerating the growth of our emerging players and securing a bright future for West Indies cricket.
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