BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Anthony Bramble’s second first class hundred underlined Guyana Jaguars’ dominance, and a late strike by seamer Raymon Reifer left Barbados Pride with a mountain to climb in their third round match of the Regional Four-Day Championship here yesterday.
The right-handed Bramble stroked an unbeaten 130 as Jaguars piled up a massive 548 all out in their first innings on the second day of the high-profile fixture at Kensington Oval. Reifer struck 75 while 20-year-old Sherfane Rutherford reminded of the reasons why he was recently snapped up in the Indian Premier League by smashing an exhilarating 54 from a mere 43 balls.
OPENER Jeremy Solozano maintained his good form this season, stroking an unbeaten 78 to prop the TT Red Force against Leeward Islands Hurricanes in the West Indies Four-Day Championships at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba, yesterday.
Solozano’s knock led the Red Force to 149 for four at the close of day two in response to the Hurricanes' first innings massive total of 425. Red Force still trail by 276 runs and will need a valiant effort with the bat today to reach anywhere close to the visitors' total.
The Red Force looked to be in a fairly comfortable position at stumps with Solozano and captain Denesh Ramdin at the crease. But 10 minutes before close of play, Ramdin was caught for 31 at mid-wicket by Akeem Saunders off Jeremiah Louis. Nightwatchman Daniel St Clair stayed to the end with Solozano. The 23-year-old Solozano, who scored a century in TT’s opening match against Windward Islands Volcanoes, has faced 166 deliveries and struck 16 fours in over three hours at the crease.
The left-hander said his team still has a chance despite losing the experienced Ramdin. “We lost the captain late but the team still has more batting to come and everybody on the team is capable of batting. I believe we are capable of putting up a good score and a good fight tomorrow,” Solozano said. Red Force will be counting on him and Yannic Cariah to do the bulk of the scoring today.
Scorpions vs Volcanoes
The Jamaica Scorpions are 226 runs ahead of the Windward Islands Volcanoes with four second innings wickets still in tact at Sabina Park.
The West Indies Championship match is the lowest scoring of the three matches this round, with the Scorpions earning a 97-run advantage from the first innings despite only scoring 210.
Scores in the match so far, the Scorpions 210 and 129-6 against the Volcanoes, 113 all-out.
WHEN the match between the TT Red Force and the Leeward Islands Hurricanes bowled off yesterday, Montcin Hodge was at the wicket and when play ended he was still there. The right-handed opener ended on an unbeaten 112 to put the Hurricanes in a strong position against the Red Force in the Cricket West Indies Regional Four-Day Tournament.
The Hurricanes closed the day on 291 for six in the first innings, at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Tarouba. It was the third first class century scored by Hodge in his 68th match. Hodge would have been glad to convert his 50 into a century, as his conversion rate has not been the best over his career. The Anguillan scores half centuries fairly regularly having cracked 23 fifties during his career. His knock yesterday lasted 278 deliveries and included 14 fours and one six.
Four-time defending champions Guyana Jaguars made the opening day their own with a complete batting performance led by Chandrapaul Hemraj’s 144, Raymon Reifer’s 53* and Anthony Bramble’s 51*. The Guyana Jaguars ended the day on 319-5 in 90 overs.
In the “Land of the Flying Fish” – Barbados, the man from Enterprise, East Coast Demerara, dominated the star-studded Bajan team. Barbados Pride Captain Shamarh Brooks won the toss and gave the Guyana Jaguars the opportunity to bat on a fresh Kensington Oval pitch. Under beautiful sunshine in Bridgetown, Barbados, Chandrapaul Hemraj and Tagenarine Chanderpaul trotted out to bat – a new-look opening combination, with the returning Hemraj replacing fellow left-hander Trevon Griffith.
An aggressive Hemraj and a solid Chanderpaul produced the solid foundation that set an early tone for the dominant Jaguars team. Chanderpaul, who was once slower in his scoring rate, was overshadowed by Hemraj, who was timing the ball with ease and grace. In the early part of Hemraj’s innings, he got going with three consecutive boundaries against Miguel Cummins in the sixth over of the day. The elegant left-hander, who played international cricket in 2018 for West Indies, was dropped on 33 in the slip cordons off the bowling of Cummins, but since then, he was brilliant.
CWI Press Release: St John’s, ANTIGUA – Richard Pybus has been appointed interim Head Coach of the WINDIES Men's team with immediate effect. He will lead 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.
“Meanwhile, the CWI Board of Directors have already approved a succession planning program for regional coaches and will simultaneously be conducting a regional search in order to appoint a long-term Head Coach for the WINDIES Men’s team from September 2019 onwards”.
Richard Pybus said “I am really looking forward to working with Jason and the Test and ODI teams, as well as Carlos and the T20I team, as we continue to build WINDIES cricket. We've got a great home series against England coming up. England are a high-quality side who will be an excellent test of the team in our home conditions. We then have an ODI Triangular Series against Ireland and Bangladesh in Dublin. Ireland will be looking to make a statement after missing out on CWC qualification and Bangladesh have beaten us home and away in our recent ODI series. The CWC is on the region's mind and we will be looking to use the England Series and Ireland Triangular to build into that.”
Director of Cricket, Jimmy Adams, says “Richard comes into the role with previous international experience having worked with both Pakistan and Bangladesh. Due to his current and previous involvement in CWI, he possesses a good working knowledge of both players and coaches as the team prepares for important home series against England and India with the 2019 World Cup to be played between those series.”
Pybus was Director of Cricket (West Indies) from 2013 to 2016 and since returned to be the High-Performance Director from February 2018. Richard has served at several high-level technical areas in South Africa, Bangladesh and Pakistan.St John’s, ANTIGUA – Richard Pybus has been appointed interim Head Coach of the WINDIES Men's team with immediate effect. He will lead 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.
“Meanwhile, the CWI Board of Directors have already approved a succession planning program for regional coaches and will simultaneously be conducting a regional search in order to appoint a long-term Head Coach for the WINDIES Men’s team from September 2019 onwards”.
Richard Pybus said “I am really looking forward to working with Jason and the Test and ODI teams, as well as Carlos and the T20I team, as we continue to build WINDIES cricket. We've got a great home series against England coming up. England are a high-quality side who will be an excellent test of the team in our home conditions. We then have an ODI Triangular Series against Ireland and Bangladesh in Dublin. Ireland will be looking to make a statement after missing out on CWC qualification and Bangladesh have beaten us home and away in our recent ODI series. The CWC is on the region's mind and we will be looking to use the England Series and Ireland Triangular to build into that.”
Director of Cricket, Jimmy Adams, says “Richard comes into the role with previous international experience having worked with both Pakistan and Bangladesh. Due to his current and previous involvement in CWI, he possesses a good working knowledge of both players and coaches as the team prepares for important home series against England and India with the 2019 World Cup to be played between those series.”
Pybus was Director of Cricket (West Indies) from 2013 to 2016 and since returned to be the High-Performance Director from February 2018. Richard has served at several high-level technical areas in South Africa, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
ROSEAU, Dominica – Former Test off-spinner Shane Shillingford has been reportedly suspended by Cricket West Indies for an illegal action, ruling him out of the third round of the Regional Four-Day Championship which starts tomorrow.
According to DBS Radio, the Dominican was apparently reported following Windward Islands Volcanoes’ first-round match against Guyana Jaguars in St Lucia. Video footage was subsequently sent to England for analysis, confirming the suspicion of match officials.
It is understood that the two deliveries from Shillingford which came under the spotlight were his faster ball and the doosra.
CWI is yet to make a statement on the matter but Shillingford was not named in the Volcanoes 13-man squad to face Jamaica Scorpions at Sabina Park.
Quoting sources close to the Volcanoes franchise, DBS Radio said the 35-year-old could appeal the decision or now undergo rehabilitative work on his action. However, costs associated with an appeal are prohibitive and the bowler is likely to opt for adjusting his action.
DBS Radio quoted an official of the Dominica Cricket Association as saying the body was “well aware” of the matter and were “gathering all the facts” before making a statement.
It is not the first time Shillingford has found himself in trouble with officials over his action. In fact, he only resumed bowling in 2014 after being slapped with an International Cricket Council ban for an illegal action.
CWI Media Release:The return of a number of WINDIES stars – headed by fit-again Test and One-day International captain Jason Holder – will be the key feature of the third round of matches in the West Indies Championship, starting tomorrow.
Pride vs Jaguars
The addition of Holder, Roston Chase, Shane Dowrich, Kemar Roach and Ashley Nurse to the Pride line-up, and opening batsman Chandrapaul Hemraj, as well as all-rounder Raymon Reifer and Sherfane Rutherford to the Jaguars squad, should make for an intriguing contest in the renewal of the regional game’s longest-running rivalry.
Sadly, Shai Hope (Pride) and Shimron Hetmyer (Jaguars), two of the WINDIES’ brightest batting prospects, will miss the contest for varying reasons.
The two teams currently occupy the top two positions in the standings, following contrasting wins in the previous round before the holidays, and will be looking to make headway in a rivalry that produced some fascinating games during the Professional Cricket League era over the last four seasons.
While the Jaguars comfortably dispatched of the Hurricanes in the second round to formalise their top billing, a depleted Pride side climbed into second spot, after they came from behind to log a stunning victory over Jamaica Scorpions in a low-scoring affair.
Holder will not lead the Pride however, leaving Shamarh Brooks in the role that he has played from the start of the season and in the preceding West Indies Super50 Cup, but how well the WINDIES captain has recovered from his injury, ahead of the England Tour of the West Indies, starting later this month, will be closely monitored.
Recent history favours the Jags in this contest. They have won three of the eight matches between the two sides in the PCL era, including two in the Pride’s backyard.
Half of the matches in this period have also ended in draws – and this is the likely outcome unless there is a dramatic occurrence.
Squads: PRIDE (from) – Shamarh Brooks (captain), Kraigg Brathwaite, Jonathan Carter, Roston Chase, Miguel Cummins, Shane Dowrich, Keon Harding, Jason Holder, Aaron Jones, Shayne Moseley, Ashley Nurse, Kemar Roach, Jomel Warrican IN–Chase, Dowrich, Holder, Nurse, Roach; OUT–Justin Greaves, Chemar Holder, Shamar Springer, Tevyn Walcott, Hayden Walsh Jr JAGUARS (from) – Leon Johnson (captain), Christopher Barnwell, Anthony Bramble, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Keon Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Raymon Reifer, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Vishaul Singh, Veerasammy Permaul, Clinton Pestano IN–Hemraj, Reifer, Rutherford; OUT–Trevon Griffith, Tevin Imlach, Akshaya Persaud
Red Force vs Hurricanes
Both teams have been juiced up for the match with the return of the WINDIES pair of Denesh Ramdin and Kieran Powell to the helm of the respective units.
The two WINDIES starts will have their work cut out trying to inject confidence back into their sides, as both teams enter the contest having lost in the previous round.
Red Force let it slip against Windward Islands Volcanoes at this same venue and Hurricanes were outplayed by the all-conquering Jaguars.
Bowling will be the key for both sides with Red Force strengthened with the inclusion of WINDIES tearaway Shannon Gabriel, but batting will be decider.
Red Force have won five of the eight matches the two sides have contested in the PCL era, but the Hurricanes will recall their tense, one-wicket victory in the second half of last season in their opponents’ backyard.
Squads: RED FORCE (from) – Denesh Ramdin (captain), Yannic Cariah, Bryan Charles, Joshua Da Silva, Shannon Gabriel, Kyle Hope, Imran Khan, Amir Jangoo, Jason Mohammed, Anderson Phillip, Khary Pierre, Jeremy Solozano, Daniel St. Clair IN –Gabriel, Pierre, Ramdin; OUT–Ricky Jaipaul, Odean Smith, Tion Webster HURRICANES (from) – Kieran Powell (captain), Sheno Berridge, Nelson Bolan, Keacy Carty, Rahkeem Cornwall, Jahmar Hamilton, Montcin Hodge, Damion Jacobs, Alzarri Joseph, Jeremiah Louis, Devon Thomas, Akeem Saunders, Terance Warde IN–Hamilton, Powell; OUT–Rajendra Chandrika, Orlando Peters
Scorpions vs Volcanoes
Judging by results in the PCL era, this match is likely to have a winner, as all of the previous eight contests between the two sides have ended in outright results.
The Scorpions have won five of the matches and this will be good news, along with the return to the line-up of the WINDIES trio of Fabian Allen, Rovman Powell and fast bowler Oshane Thomas.
After suffering a devastating loss in the previous round, the home team will be looking to kick-start their season with a victory in a match that will be played under the lights with a pink-ball.
The face a Volcanoes side that came from behind to oust Red Force in the previous round and whose batting will be fortified by the return of WINDIES batsman Sunil Ambris.
Squads: SCORPIONS (from) – Paul Palmer (captain), Fabian Allen, Jermaine Blackwood, Dennis Bulli, John Campbell, Assad Fudadin, Reynard Leveridge, Jermaine Levy, Nikita Miller, Rovman Powell, Aldaine Thomas, Oshane Thomas, Chadwick Walton IN–Allen, Fudadin, Powell, Thomas; OUT–Derval Green, Andre McCarthy, Steven Taylor, Kenroy Williams VOLCANOES (from) – Kirk Edwards (captain), Sunil Ambris, Alick Athanaze, Roland Cato, Larry Edward, Tarryck Gabriel, Kavem Hodge, Ray Jordan, Shermon Lewis, Obed McCoy, Denis Smith, Devon Smith, Josh Thomas IN–Ambris, Edward, McCoy; OUT–Delorn Johnson, Shane Shillingford, Tyron Theophile
