There wasn't much of a honeymoon period for Richard Pybus. No sooner had he been announced as West Indies' interim head coach - even before he had been announced, really - the criticism started to flow. And if that was, in part, due to an allegation that due process had not been followed in making the appointment - an allegation rejected by CWI - it was also down to his history.
Whether Pybus likes it or not, he brings baggage to the role. Yes, his experience, both as a coach and in the region, is undeniable. But so is the fact that he was at the centre of the dispute that saw West Indies abandon their 2014 tour of India. As a result, several prominent figures in Caribbean cricket are sceptical about him and seem unafraid to vocalise those views. And, as Peter Moores found in his second stint as England coach, such baggage can drag a man down pretty quickly if results don't go his way.
Long-standing opener Montcin Hodge hit his second hundred of the season to earn Leeward Islands Hurricanes a dramatic two-wicket victory and send Guyana Jaguars stumbling to their first defeat in the Championship in two years on the final day of their fifth round match at the Guyana National Stadium.
Hodge cracked 14 boundaries in 127 from 320 balls in close to seven hours at the crease to put the Hurricanes firmly on course for victory, after they resumed from their overnight total of 32 for one.
He shared 153 for the second wicket with former WINDIES Under-19 World Cup-winning batsman Keacy Carty, whose 67 from 193 balls in 3 ¾ hours included nine fours, and later 59 for the sixth wicket with Jaison Peters.
But his dismissal – caught and bowled by Veersammy Permaul – with nine needed for victorty, saw the Hurricanes lose two more wickets to the long-serving Jaguars left-arm spinner for eight runs in the space of 16 balls to slide to 290 for eight.
Peters, not out on 37, held his nerve however, to swing WINDIES leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo over mid-wicket for six to formalise the result.
The last time Jaguars lost in the Championship was to the Hurricanes back in April 2017, with the defeat only their third of the CWI Professional Cricket League franchise era which began in 2014-15.
Jaguars however, remain at the top of the Championship table with 85.6 points and Hurricanes fortified their hold on second place with 59.8 points – 10.2 ahead of third-placed Barbados Pride.
Half-centuries from first innings century-maker Chadwick Walton and Brandon King propelled Jamaica Scorpions to their first win of the season with a six-wicket victory over Windward Islands Volcanoes at the Grenada National Cricket Stadium.
The day started well for Scorpions, when left-arm spinner Dennis Bulli grabbed the last Volcanoes wicket with the first ball of the day to end with 5-54 from 16.1 overs and match figures of 10-148, the first time he achieved the feat in first-class matches.
The Scorpions chased started steadily, but they slipped to 53 for two before King came to the crease and put on 102 for the third wicket with Walton – their second hundred-run stand of the match – to get the chase back on track.
As he has been apt to do in the past, Tyrone Theophile caused a few jitters in the Scorpions camp with his part-time off-spin, grabbing 4-44 from 18 overs.
But Barbadian Kenroy Williams, not out on 36, anchored two small, but vital partnerships to carry Scorpions over the finish line.
Scorpions still remain at the bottom of the table on 32.6 points – 0.4 behind Trinidad & Tobago Red Force – and Volcanoes slip to fourth on 48.4.
TAROUBA, Trinidad (CMC) — Barbados Pride expectedly cruised to an easy victory over Trinidad and Tobago Red Force, defeating them by seven wickets in their fifth-round match in the Regional Four-Day Championships at Brian Lara Cricket stadium here yesterday.
Having started the day in full control of the match by restricting the Red Force to 62 for six at the end of the second day's play, the Pride skittled out the home side for just 103 with medium pacer Shamar Springer claiming three of the four wickets to fall.
With fast bowler Marquino Mindley having done the damage the previous evening by taking four quick wickets, Springer followed in his footsteps.
Jaguars vs Hurricanes
On a day in which the post lunch session was lost due to illness of eight of the Leewards Hurricanes players, a haul of 6-17 from off-spinner Rakeem Cornwall kept their fifth round of the Regional First-Class tournament against leaders and four times defending Guyana Jaguars in the balance when bails were lifted yesterday.
A carefully constructed from 40 from 175 balls and 194 minutes from Tagenarine Chanderpaul, an entertaining 46 from Clinton Pestano who batted 87 balls, 75 minutes with a four and four sixes and a responsible 57-ball 39 from Romario Shepherd who faced 57 balls and batted for 65 minutes and shared in a 57-runs stand with Kemo Paul with two fours in 22, rallied the Jaguars to 269 leaving the Hurricanes to get 291 to win.
By the close the Hurricanes were 32-1 from 16 overs after Skipper Kieran Powell suffered another failure when he was LBW to Kemo Paul for seven at 16-1. But Monchin Hodge (17) and Keacy Carty (3) were together at the crease with their team needing 259 to win from 98 overs today.
Scorpions vs Volcanoes
ST GEORGE'S, Grenada (CMC) — A four-wicket haul by Larry Edwards helped the Windward Islands Volcanoes secure a slim 13-run, first-innings lead — but a strong bowling effort by the Jamaica Scorpions ensured honours were shared at the end of the penultimate day of their Regional Four-Day match at Grenada National Stadium here yesterday.
Edwards grabbed four wickets for 79 runs to help earn the Volcanoes an unlikely first-innings lead, but Dennis Bulli hit back by grabbing four wickets to help keep the game balanced.
Chadwick Walton's fifth first class century had looked to be enough to help the Scorpions overtake the Volcanoes' first-innings total of 285.
Surprisingly though, the Scorpions fell just short, with Edwards accounting for the final four wickets to fall.
Walton had resumed on 113, but added just 12 runs to his overnight total before being adjudged leg before wicket to Kavem Hodge.
Kenroy Williams too became a victim of Hodge to be out for 21 as the Scorpions slipped to 231 for six.
Edwards then struck to remove Aldaine Thomas for six, Bulli for 15, Jerome Taylor for a two-ball duck, and finally Derval Green for 24 to wrap up the innings.
THE TT Red Force were in serious trouble last evening, in their West Indies Four Day Championship fifth round day/night match against the Barbados Pride, at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Tarouba.
After dismissing the Red Force for 170 early on the final session, on Thursday evening, the Pride closed the day on 52 runs for the loss of three wickets. Yesterday, they pushed on to 215, with Nicholas Kirton and Shamar Springer both scoring 47. For the Red Force, pacers Odean Smith and Anderson Phillip took 3/32 and 3/73 respectively.
The Red Force, up to press time last evening, were 29/3 with Barbados-born opener Kyle Hope on two (off 55 deliveries) and captain Denesh Ramdin on five.
Jamaican-born fast bowler Marquino Mindley took all three wickets to fall, all to catches in the slips.
Left-handers Jeremy Solozano and Amir Jangoo were held by Jonathan Carter at first slip, while Mohammed edged a loose drive to Anthony Alleyne at third slip.
Things looked upbeat for the Red Force as they got two wickets early in the first session yesterday.
The second day’s play at Providence began with rain and ended in similar fashion. Hurricanes were bundled out for 175 in their first innings, and Clinton Pestano was the star with the ball, finishing with 4-50 while fellow Berbician Romario Shepherd grabbed 3-29. In the second innings, Guyana Jaguars were 76-2, with a lead of 97 runs after rain ended the second day’s play. Rahkeem Cornwall was once more among the wickets, removing Griffith and Johnson in the final session. Leeward Islands Hurricanes began the second day 139 runs behind, at 57-3. Akeem Saunders and Terrance Warde were the Hurricanes batsmen. Romario Shepherd started proceedings for the Jaguars by bowling a testing maiden to Saunders. The morning session was ideal for the Jaguars to make inroads and take control of the game after a 30-minute rain delay prior to the first ball being bowled. Keemo Paul, bowling from the media centre end in tandem with Shepherd, made the Hurricanes batsmen play at most of the deliveries. Saunders was the first wicket of the day, when he was out caught behind for a fighting 28 from 88 balls, including four boundaries. Shepherd had, in the previous over, induced a catch off this batsman, but it was dropped at second slip by Griffith. Shepherd however remained patient, and was rewarded with the wicket of Saunders, with the score on 97-4.
Scorpions vs Volcanoes
At close of play yesterday, the Scorpions were 214 for 4 in reply to Volcanoes 285. C Walton was on 113* and K Williams 20*. B King contributed 52. For the Volcanoes Ray Jordan closed the day with 2 for 27 in 11 overs.
CRICKET WEST INDIES AFFIRMS RICHARD PYBUS’ APPOINTMENT
Fri, Jan 18, '19
CWI Media Release:
Cricket West Indies (CWI) is standing by its decision to appoint Englishman, Richard Pybus interim Head Coach of the WINDIES Men's team.
Following a meeting of the Board of Directors on Thursday, January 17, the organization affirmed that the appointment of Pybus was made with the support of more than two-thirds of its board to ensure the team had strong leadership ahead of the busy cricket season this year.
Pybus, who was the architect of the West Indies trifecta of 2016 World Cup titles (World T20, Women's World T20 and Under-19 World Cup) while serving as WINDIES cricket director, leads the technical team for the upcoming visit of England, the Triangular Series in Ireland, the 2019 Cricket World Cup (CWC), and the visit of India in July and August. During this interim period, Pybus’ tour of duty in the demanding months ahead will be supported by a technical team, which includes some of the game’s leading experts from within the region and around the globe.
CWI advised that the decision to appoint the coach had been further reviewed and approved by the Corporate Governance, and Audit Risk and Compliance Committees.
Recent public charges leveled at the sporting body by an objecting board director have now been referred to the governing body’s Ethics Committee for review.
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