The North West Stand of the Brian Lara Cricket Stadium will be named after Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar. But the move is not sitting well with the president of the T&T Cricket Board (TTCB) Azim Bassarath, who is asking what has Tendulkar ever done for T&T or West Indies cricket.
Chairman of the Sports Company of T&T Michael Phillips confirmed to Guardian Media Limited that the stand would be named after Tendulkar when the facility is officially opened next month and insisted that the decision was one that was made after consultation with Brian Lara.
“Our decision to name the stand after Mr Tendulkar was done on the advice of Mr Brian Lara. We have included Mr Lara in our decision making process in terms of how we roll out the launch and management of both the stadium and the academy,” Phillips said.
KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent – An all-round effort from West Indies Women’s leg-spinner Afy Fletcher led her Windward Islands side to a 75-run victory over Leeward Islands in the Women’s Regional Super50 Tournament today.
Fletcher, the Windwards captain, grabbed 3-23 from 8.2 overs, but Quiana Joseph was the pick of the home team’s bowlers with 4-35 from eight overs, as the Leewards were dismissed for 104 in 36.2 overs in the second round contest at Park Hill.
Amanda Edwards led the way for the Leewards with 21, but there was little substance from the rest of the batting, as the Windwards romped to their second straight bonus-point win of the tournament to remain at the top of the standings on 10 points.
Windwards, sent in to bat, had posted 179 in 41.1 overs built around 37 from former Windies Women’s all-rounder Cordel Jack and 29 from Fletcher.
Leewards captain Shawnisha Hector captured 3-29 from 8.1 overs, Rozel Liburd took 3-39 from 10 overs and Edwards bagged 2-24 from 10 overs.
At the Arnos Vale Sports Complex: Hayley Matthews hit a purposeful half-century to follow up a destructive spell from Deandra Dottin that wrecked Jamaica’s batting and handed Barbados a seven-wicket victory in a low-scoring affair.
Matthews, the hero for the Windies Women in the Final of the 2016 ICC World Twenty20 Tournament in India, struck 10 boundaries in an unbeaten 56 from 73 balls, to anchor the Barbadians’ successful pursuit of 88 which gave them their second straight victory of the tournament.
Earlier, Dottin, the dynamic Windies Women’s all-rounder, grabbed 4-24 from seven overs, as the Jamaicans were dismissed for 87 in 34.1 overs, after they were sent in to bat.
No Jamaica batsman reached 20, as Keila Elliott snared 2-9 from 2.1 overs and Barbados captain Shakera Selman, the Windies Women’s medium-fast bowler, took 2-17 from 10 overs, including batting star Stafanie Taylor, the Windies Women’s captain, lbw for a five-ball duck.
At Sion Hill: Former Windies Women’s captain Merissa Aguilleira helped defending champions Trinidad & Tobago get back on track in the tournament with a six-wicket victory over Guyana.
Aguilleira was not out on 30 and dominated an unbroken 43-run, fifth-wicket stand with opener Felicia Walters to take T&T past their target of 83 with 123 balls remaining.
Earlier, rookie Caneisha Isaac took 4-22 from eight overs to earn the Player-of-the-Match award, as the Guyanese were bowled out for 83 in 42.4 overs.
No batsman reached 20 for the Guyanese, whose batting was further undermined by top-rated Windies Women’s off-spinner Anisa Mohammed collecting 3-15 from nine overs and slow bowler Karishma Ramharack bagging 2-0 from 4.4 overs.
This year’s #WS50 gives the region’s best female players a final opportunity to showcase their talent in the hope of making the Windies Women’s squad heading to the ICC Women’s World Cup to be staged from June 24 to July 23 in England.
Taylor’s Windies Women’s side earned automatic qualification to the Women’s World Cup following their fourth place finish in the ICC Women’s Championship – a tournament contested between the top eight sides in the World over the last two years.
OFF-spinner Rahkeem Cornwall sparked an unusual Guyana Jaguars’ batting collapse as Leeward Islands Hurricanes took control on day one of the final round of the West Indies Cricket Board’s Professional Cricket League (PCL) Four-day game at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence yesterday. The hosts crumbled for 187 just after tea, eroded by Cornwall who grabbed his 11th five-wicket haul. The 24-year-old ripped through the batting on a pitch that offered consistent turn and bounce, with the last seven wickets tumbling for only 86 runs. Cornwall proved the bright spot for the visitors, claiming 6-68, with only skipper Leon Johnson (33), Keemo Paul (30) and debutant Bhaskar Yadram (25), providing short resistance. Pacers Jeremiah Louis and Gavin Tonge chipped in with 2-27 and 2-37 respectively. In reply the visitors reached 62 without loss at the close, trailing by 135 runs with all ten wickets standing. Montcin Hodge was unbeaten on 32, while Chesney Hughes went back unconquered on 29. Opting to bat after winning the toss, the hosts handed Yadram and left-arm spinner Anthony Adams their first-class debut.
LONDON, CMC – West Indies will play official warm-up matches against Pakistan and South Africa ahead of their campaign in the ICC Women’s World Cup starting this June in England.
The Caribbean side face the Pakistanis in Leicestershire on June 20 before clashing with the South Africans two days later in Oakham.
West Indies then play their first game of the tournament on June 26 when they take on reigning champions Australia at the County Ground in Taunton.
Captain Stafanie Taylor said the two official warm-up game would be crucial in her side’s preparation.
“We are waiting eagerly for the ICC Women’s World Cup 2017 and these practice matches will be just the kind of preparation we need ahead of it,” the Jamaican batting star said.
West Indies' middle and lower order came to their rescue in a big way as they recovered from a precarious 71 for 5 to end the opening day in Jamaica on 244 for 7. Roston Chase and Shane Dowrich added 118 for the sixth wicket after Mohammad Amir had made three breakthroughs either side of lunch as Pakistan threatened to take a firm hold on the match.
Play was called off nine overs early, as the clouds that hovered above for much of the day finally impacted the light enough to convince the umpires to lead the players off after just one over with the new ball, but the final session had not been short of action. Chase and Dowrich, whose partnership started in the first over after lunch, took their stand to three figures but just as it looked like Pakistan were running out of ideas the breakthrough came via a miraculous diving catch on the boundary to dismiss Chase, with Wahab Riaz taking a stunning grab running towards the long-on boundary.
The next ball, Dowrich was bowled by Yasir Shah as the visitors wrestled the advantage again, but some gutsy late hitting by Jason Holder and Devendra Bishoo ensured West Indies finished the day with some momentum, and a total to defend.
