Reflecting on the life and times of Garfield St. Aubyn Sobers, I cannot help but feel that all who saw him play cricket were blessed and privileged to have seen him. I can also say without fear of contradiction that I saw cricket the way cricket should have been played and that I would never see anyone else play cricket like that again.
In explaining cricket to someone who has never seen a cricket match, one would say that there are three major aspects to the game: batting, bowling, and fielding; that bowling can be either fast or spin; and that spin can be either finger or wrist. Sobers is the only cricketer in the history of the game who mastered batting and every type of bowling, as well as all the different aspects of fielding. Many of us are familiar with the saying, “Jack of all trades and master of none,” but Sobers was the Master of All Trades!
Even if he was on an opposing team to yours, one could not help but enjoy his presence on the field. What was even more endearing to all who saw cricket was that he played the game with such joy and grace that you could not keep your eyes off him. He filled us with a sense of satisfaction such as in the taste of a perfect glass of wine, the sounds of a Bach symphony, or the tones of an aria by Pavarotti.
In short, Sir Garry was to cricket what William Shakespeare was to literature.
Lower-order pushes WI’s lead past 150 on 14-wicket day
West Indies 311 & 126 for 7 (Chanderpaul 35, Joseph 22*; Abbas 3-14) lead Pakistan 282 all out (Masood 109, Imam-ul-Haq 63; Greaves 5-27) by 155 runs
Despite a historic five-wicket haul from Justin Greaves, the West Indies ended Day 3 against Pakistan staggering against the ropes, having lost seven wickets with an unclassified 155-run second-innings lead.
Greaves earlier claimed career-best figures of 5 for 27 to help dismiss Pakistan for 282 and hand Windies a 29-run first-innings advantage. Mohammad Abbas then grabbed 3 for 14, alongside Khurram Shahzad (2/36), to steer the contest back in Pakistan’s favour.
Greaves became the first-ever player in the era of statistics to record five consecutive wicket-maidens, triggering a Pakistan collapse in which the visitors lost their last 7 wickets for 38 runs, momentarily putting the Caribbean side on top.
Captain Roston Chase (8) later became the 14th and final wicket to fall on the day, edging Shahzad through to wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan, leaving the hosts seven down for 93.
A crucial 33-run unbroken stand between Sharmar Joseph (22*) and Kemar Roach (5*) then lifted West Indies’ lead to 155 on an inconsistent Tarouba pitch.
Statement from the President of Cricket West Indies, Dr. the Hon. Kishore Shallow on the Passing of Charles Wilkin, CMG, KC
It is with profound sadness that I learned of the passing of Charles Lucien Arthur Wilkin, CMG, KC, a distinguished Kittitian, lawyer, sportsman and thoughtful servant of Caribbean civilization.
On behalf of Cricket West Indies, I extend deepest condolences to his family, friends and the people of St. Kitts and Nevis.
Charles Wilkin understood that in the Caribbean, cricket is a part of our history, our identity and our understanding of ourselves. He also understood that institutions, like the game itself, must constantly be examined, strengthened and renewed if they are to serve future generations.
Pakistan 199 for 3 (Masood 88*, Imam-ul-Haq 63; Joseph 1-33) trail West Indies 311 all out (Hope 92, Hodge 84; Ali 4-50) by 112 runs
The West Indies have been forced on the back foot following two days of action in the first Test against Pakistan in Tarouba. The hosts lost seven wickets for 117 runs to be dismissed for 311. An inconsistent start with the ball then saw Pakistan eat into that total, racing to 199 for 3 at stumps, trailing by 112 runs.
Pakistan have so far batted 48 overs, 19 fewer than Windies needed for their 194 for three on Day 1. The Caribbean bowlers failed to build any pressure after the early wicket of Azan Awais, who was bowled through the gate by Kemar Roach for a nine-ball duck. They conceded 5.1 runs per over in 19 post-lunch overs.
In addition to being guilty of delivering a few too many boundary balls, the Windies bowlers overstepped the frontline seven times in a tally of extras that currently stands at 25.
They managed to tighten the screws in the evening session, where they picked up the wickets of Imam-ul-Haq (63) and Babar Azam (23) while conceding just seven boundaries.
West Indies were also close to picking up the wicket of top-scorer Shan Masood. However, they failed to get the crucial umpire’s call. The left-hander survived two close LBW appeals to finish the day unbeaten on 88.
Defending champions Barbados completed a flawless campaign to retain the 2026 Cricket West Indies Rising Stars Under-19 50-Over Championship, defeating Jamaica by 116 runs in Wednesday's championship final to cap an unbeaten run through the tournament.
Asked to bat first after Jamaica won the toss, Barbados produced another commanding run-scoring display, posting an imposing 320 for 9 from their allotted 50 overs.
The innings was anchored by an outstanding performance from all-rounder Justin Parris, who scored 100 from 98 deliveries batting at number six. Opener Kelani Clarke narrowly missed out on a half-century with 49, while Kemar Dixon added 48 and R'Jai Gittens provided late acceleration with a brisk 37 from just 19 balls.
Jamaica's bowlers battled hard, with Alixandre Elliot returning impressive figures of 4 for 40, while Jahdae Moore took 3 for 58.
Faced with a daunting target of 321, the Jamaicans were never able to build the sustained partnerships needed to challenge the defending champions. Regular wickets kept the required run rate climbing before they were eventually dismissed for 204 in 43.5 overs.
Demario Hall top-scored with 47, while captain and wicketkeeper Pajay Nelson made 36. Opener Tyson Gordon Jr. contributed 28, with Perico Henry remaining unbeaten on 22.
