West Indies Head Coach, Phil Simmons is already planning his team’s approach as they prepare to return to action against New Zealand in just under eight weeks. Cricket West Indies (CWI) and New Zealand Cricket (NZC) announced the proposed schedule for the bilateral series yesterday, pending approval from CWI’s Medical Advisory Committee and Board of Directors – three T20 Internationals and two Tests from November 27 to December 15.
“We are delighted to play all formats as we struggle to keep our sport alive in these difficult times. These T20 Internationals are a part of getting these guys playing together as much as possible between now and the ICC T20 World Cup next year. After the England Test series, earlier this year, this will be an excellent test of how we have improved on the things we as a team have learnt from that series. We played really well to win that first Test and did some good things throughout the series. We have a great team environment. We will continue to work and build as a team,” Simmons said on Tuesday.
West Indies are the defending T20 World Cup champions. Under the guidance of Simmons, they defeated England in the epic final in Kolkata in April, 2016, They will return to India in 11 months to defend the title. The Test series in New Zealand forms part of the ICC World Test Championship. The West Indies earned their first points in the ICC World Test Championship when they won the first Test against England at the Ageas Bowl in July – in the historic bio-secure three-match series.
If he had a chance to do it all over again, West Indies legend Curtly Ambrose would relish another match-up with iconic India batsman Sachin Tendulkar.
The fiery fast bowler claimed some 405 Test wickets with some 22,103 balls but none of them ever dislodged the wickets of India great Tendulkar. In general, Ambrose statistics suggest that on a whole he may have underperformed against India. In nine Test matches, with two contests in the Caribbean - 1989 and 1997 - Ambrose took only 15 wickets at an average of 38.33 with only one five-wicket haul.
“I’ve played a few Tests against him but have never gotten him out although I’ve gotten him out in One Day cricket, so if I could relive that, I would have loved to have gotten him out.”
The West Indies Women lost the fourth Vitality T20 International by 44 runs as part of the Sandals West Indies Women’s Tour of England 2020.
For the third time in four tosses, England won and elected to bat first against the West Indies. Shamilia Connell set up the opening over of the first match, with Aaliyah Alleyne making the breakthrough in the second over when she had Danni Wyatt caught behind for a duck.
Connell bowled the third over, once again setting up the tense situation for Alleyne to capitalize. Alleyne did not waste it as she once again teamed up with wicketkeeper Shemaine Campbelle to have England’s top scorer from the last match Nat Sciver caught behind for 6.
Karishma Ramharack playing in her first match of the series had opener Tammy Beaumont trapped LBW, while attempting a reverse sweep. For the first time in the series, England had less than 70 runs on the board after ten overs.
However, a bit of sloppy fielding and bad line and length allowed England to claw their way back to a demanding total. Amy Jones top-scored for the hosts with 55 after being dropped on 2 by Lee Ann Kirby, followed by her captain Heather Knight with 42 as England finished their innings on 166 for 6. Aaliyah Alleyne was the best West Indies bowler, taking 2 for 25 from her four overs.
ST JOHN’S, Antigua – Cricket West Indies (CWI) is pleased to announce that The West Indies Men’s Team will tour New Zealand later this year, from November 27 to December 15, for three T20 Internationals (T20I) and two Test matches. This follows confirmation by New Zealand Cricket (NZC) that they have received their Government’s approval to proceed with plans to host international cricket. The tour is subject to the final COVID-19 medical protocols being approved by the CWI Medical Advisory Committee and regional Government health and aviation officials.
CWI President Ricky Skerritt said: “We are pleased to be able to fulfill our obligation to tour New Zealand as we continue to get our ICC Future Tours Programme back on track, in spite of the financial difficulties we face. I want to thank CWI CEO Johnny Grave and Director of Cricket Jimmy Adams, and their operations team, for successfully partnering with NZC to make this tour possible. Earlier this summer, in collaboration with the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB), we restarted international cricket, globally. Fortunately, that England tour included the successful testing of safety protocols which we expect will be the standard for all international cricket tours. COVID-19 has created a most challenging period for cricketers and fans alike, with all the schedules being adjusted and amended. We see this tour as another timely opportunity to keep our players working and our fans entertained.”
Former Barbados and West Indies pacer Tino Best and current international all-rounder Roston Chase are among only four bowlers who boast of taking five wickets in a match on two occasions in the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) Twenty20 Cup Championship, now in its 13th season.
Representing ESA Field Pickwick, Best grabbed six for six against his old team Barbados Defence Force Sports Programme (BDFSP) at Paragon in 2015, and five for four against MTW at Pine Basin in 2016. Pickwick won both matches.
Chase, a Barbados Pride and West Indies batting all-rounder who bowls off-spin, picked up five for 15 for Empire against Banks (now Wildey) at The Brewery in 2012, and five for 14 against Barbados Youth at the Lester Vaughan ground, Cane Garden in 2014.
