POTHAS APPOINTED INTERIM HEAD COACH FOR BANGLADESH SERIES
Mon, Nov 19, '18
St John’s, ANTIGUA - Nic Pothas has been appointed interim Head Coach of the WINDIES Men's team with immediate effect. He will lead the technical team for the Bangladesh Tour which consists of 2 Tests, 3 ODIs, 3 T20Is series.
Director of Cricket, Jimmy Adams thinks “having Nic lead the team at this juncture is important for continuity and we look forward to strong and positive performances from the squad under his leadership”
Nic Pothas said, it is an honour to be asked to be the Head Coach of the West Indies Cricket team for the immediate future. The Bangladesh series will be a tough challenge which we look forward to embracing.”
As the West Indies prepare for a full tour of Bangladesh there are three players, at most, who are likely to be involved in all three formats; one of which is Guyanese right arm seamer—Keemo Paul. Paul made his international debut in March earlier this year, when he was called up to the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier squad to replace the injured Sheldon Cottrell in Zimbabwe. In the span of nine months, as regularly happens in sports, things have progressed at lightning speed for the twenty-year-old.
The incident in the Under-19 World Cup in Bangladesh back in 2016—in a must-win group game, when Paul mankaded Zimbabwe’s Richard Ngarava—would be the earliest memory most have of the young Guyanese. It was an action which sparked a worldwide ‘spirit of the game’ debate. So much so that England’s limited overs captain, Eoin Morgan, accused Paul of “disgraceful behaviour” saying the West Indies should be “embarrassed”. As fate would have it though, Paul was to make his international debut in front of a Zimbabwean crowd with a long memory, but the best thing about Keemo Paul? He has no chill. Every single one of his run-ups were jeered in Harare, but the Guyanese was still to claim a wicket with his first legal delivery of international cricket.
Jason Holder’s men, of course, went on to qualify for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, despite losing the Qualifier final to Afghanistan. Paul made himself a regular in the team, playing the four games for which he was in Zimbabwe, claiming five wickets with an economy of 3.72. His rise on the international stage was to continue, as he was named in the T20I squad to Pakistan the following month where his services were again warranted throughout the series.
Windies set up semi-final with Australia after thrilling win
Mon, Nov 19, '18
ICC MEDIA RELEASE
The last day of the Group stage of the ICC Women’s World T20 2018 threw up an engrossing first game at the Daren Sammy International Stadium, as the Windies beat England by four wickets in the last over of a thrilling chase. The home side enthralled the 6000-plus people with a humdinger of a win to top Group A and set up a clash with Australia in the semi-finals.
Windies v England:
The large crowd that came out on Sunday afternoon got their money’s worth, as a frenetic ending to the game saw the Windies negate a fine recovery from England. Fielding first after winning the toss, Windies opening bowler Shakera Selman picked up two early wickets. A mid-innings collapse then reduced England to 50 for six before Sophia Dunkley (35) and Anya Shrubsole (29) put on a 58-run partnership.
The pair were only separated in the penultimate over, helping England to 115-8. And it seemed it would be enough when Shrubsole picked up two wickets in her first over, sending back Hayley Matthews and Stafanie Taylor, both bowled. Then Deandra Dottin and Shemaine Campbelle combined for a 68-run partnership.
Dottin (46) was dismissed with the Windies still needing 45, but some bold hitting from Campbelle kept them in the hunt. Needing 26 off the last 18 balls. Campbelle was dropped twice in the penultimate over, but helped the Windies get close enough; they hit the five runs that remained in the last over, much to the delight of the crowd.
Windies’ Deandra Dottin, who was Player of the Match, said: “To be honest, it wasn't any pressure (to be opening the batting in this tournament). I know what kind of player I am. I can go hard. I can go medium. I can knock it around. It all depends on the situation. But knowing that you have a six overs powerplay, you would like to capitalise”
Windies: 117-6 in 19.3 overs (Deandra Dottin 46, Shemaine Campbelle 45; Anya Shrubsole 3-10) Player of the Match: Deandra Dottin
South Africa v Bangladesh:
Marizanne Kapp top scored for South Africa with 25, but four other batters failed to convert starts into big scores as two batting collapses kept the Proteas to 109 for nine in their twenty overs after being asked to bat. From being 48 for one in the Powerplay, and 60 for one soon after, they slid to 67 for four.
Chloe Tryon and Mignon du Preez then added 26 runs, before another more critical collapse. Bangladesh captain Salma Khatun took three wickets -the third giving her her 50th wicket in the format- to precipitate a slide of 5 for 14, and South Africa finished with another below par total, 109 for 9.
Bangladesh could have escaped qualification for 2020 if they had beaten South Africa with a big enough margin to also pip Sri Lanka on Net Run-Rate, but made no attempt to go down that path. Their Powerplay score was just 13 for one, and the first boundary came only in the 8th over. South Africa contained the Bangladesh batters without being very threatening, and the innings petered out to 79 for five.
Scores in brief:
South Africa: 109-9, 20 overs (Marizanne Kapp 25; Salma Khatun 3-20, Khadija Tul Kubra 2-18)
Bangladesh: 79 for 5 in 20 overs (Rumana Ahmed 34 not out)
Player of the Match: Marizanne Kapp
Semifinals:
Windies v Australia, Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua England v India, Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua
WIPA/CWI Announce Health Insurance Plan For Players
Sun, Nov 18, '18
KINGSTON, Jamaica –The West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA) and Cricket West Indies (CWI), having secured a health insurance plan for retained players from all six regional franchises and all CWI contracted international players (men and women), held a handing-over ceremony, today, Friday, November 16, 2018, at the WIPA office at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica.
The historic event saw WIPA and CWI handing over the first batch of health insurance cards to the Jamaica Scorpions players. The comprehensive health insurance plan, being offered through Excel Insurance Brokers and VIP Universal Medical Insurance (VUMI), will in addition to health insurance, provide critical illness coverage.
CEO of Excel Insurance Brokers, Kinshasa Minott, spoke of the benefits and the revolutionary nature of the plan dubbed the JN Excel VIP Members Plan. The plan is international, and the health card accepted worldwide. Players have coverage related to playing injuries as well as illnesses and injuries outside of cricket, dental, optical, prescription, diagnostic, and even emergency non-medical evacuation. The plan is being offered at no cost to players and can be continued after their playing careers are over.
WIPA President and CEO, Wavell Hinds, who is delighted with the plan, said, “We believe that it is important to provide health insurance coverage for our players. This gives them the opportunity to go out and perform at an optimum level knowing that they are covered for injuries and illnesses anywhere in the world.” President of Cricket West Indies, Dave Cameron, shared the same sentiment. “We want to provide the best possible support for our players and this initiative goes with our mandate to ensure that our players are given the best tools and support so that they can perform at the highest level on the world stage.”
WIPA and CWI will pick up the tab of the annual premiums to the tune of US$253,000.
Mandhana special, India spinners floor Australia, top group
Sat, Nov 17, '18
ICC Media Release
Smriti Mandhana’s career-best 83 helped India to a 48-run win over Australia, and ensured they top Group B heading into the semi-finals of the ICC Women’s World T20. Mandhana was given company by a breezy knock from Harmanpreet Kaur, one that saw the tournament’s 50th six hit. The win snapped Australia’s 12-match winning streak in the format, and gave India only their fourth win in 15 meetings between the two sides.
Mandhana put the Australia attack under pressure for the first time in the tournament, taking India almost single-handedly to a strong Powerplay score of 46 for one, of which she scored 37 off 22. After looking scratchy in the tournament, Mandhana looked in so such problems against the favourites, mixing drives along the ground with sixes in the ‘V’. She was joined by Harmanpreet Kaur when India were 49 for two in the seventh over, and the pair put on a symphony of stroke-play. Mandhana briefly ceded the stage to Harmanpreet, who took her chances against the spinners to hit three sixes in a 27-ball 43 (3x4, 3x6). The two put on 68 runs off just 42 balls, Harmanpreet scoring 43 of those.
When the India captain was finally dismissed in the 14th over, Mandhana took over again. Benefitting from a review that overturned an LBW, she swept and lofted into the gaps, until finally finding the deep-midwicket fielder in the 19th over, out for a personal-best of 83 (55b, 9x4, 3x6). She brought up 1000 career runs in the process. India finished with their highest T20I score against Australia, despite, Ellyse Perry’s brilliant spell of 3 for 16 in three overs.
Australia looked to be aggressive with the bat, but lost wickets at regular intervals in their chase. After a 27-run opening partnership, Deepti Sharma started the slide, removing both openers off consecutive balls in the fifth over. The two Yadavs, Poonam and Radha joined the fray, picking up the next two wickets, including that of Meg Lanning, to have Australia needing 107 off the last 54 balls with six wickets in hand.
The Indian spinners then applied the screws, using one-sided fields and conceding no boundaries between overs 10 and 14. Perry backed up her bowling with an inventive 39 not out, but she ran out of partners as the required run-rate rose; Australia were bowled out for 119, with Alyssa Healy not batting due to a concussion she sustained while ‘keeping.
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