Before the first ball, there is a structured routine.
He hands the white floppy hat to a teammate, marks out his run-up and does a demo run to the crease while the umpire and batsman settle into their mark.
He slowly walks back, head down in immense concentration. What follows is an instinctive check of the ball.
He then turns- number 84 on his back- and starts his rhythmic stride to the crease.
There is not much head movement or swaying of the arms in the run-up to the popping crease, but he generates enough momentum for the release of a thunderbolt.
As the ball gets older, the pace gets a few clicks higher and the back bends for the occasional uncomfortable bumper, peppering some of the best regional players.
ST JOHN’S, Antigua – The Cricket West Indies (CWI) Men’s Selection Panel today named three uncapped players in a 12-man squad for the first Test match against Bangladesh to be played at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua from Thursday, June 16 to Monday, June 20.
The uncapped players are wicket-keeper/batsman Devon Thomas, left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie and fast bowler Anderson Phillip. Thomas has played 21 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and four T20 Internationals (T20Is). Motie has so far played one T20I and was a reserve for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates last year. Phillip was in the squad throughout the recent Apex Test Series victory against England, but has not made his debut to date. He has featured in three ODIs, including last week’s 3-0 Series win against the Netherlands and is in the ODI squad for the ongoing ODI Series in Pakistan. The Test squad also includes left-handed allrounder Raymon Reifer who has one match on his record.
Experienced fast bowler Kemar Roach is to undergo a fitness assessment as he recovers from an injury sustained in the English County Championship with Surrey. If he is passed fit, he will be included as the 13th player in the Test squad. Allrounder Jason Holder is unavailable for selection as CWI has granted his request for a period of rest and recovery. He will therefore miss Bangladesh’s all-format tour of the West Indies. Batter Tagenarine Chanderpaul and fast bowler Shermon Lewis have been selected as reserves.
PROVIDENCE, Guyana – Barbados opened their T20 title defense with a low-scoring win over home team Guyana in the second match of first round of matches in Cricket West Indies’ Women’s T20 Blaze tournament.
Hayley Matthews and Kyshona Knight posted a 38-run partnership as the Bajans were bowled out for 86 all out in 19.2 overs. Matthews top-scored with 35 while Kyshona had 15. Cherry-Ann Fraser was the pick of the Guyanese bowlers as she bagged 3-11 from 3.2 overs. The home side however stumbled with the bat and were 79-9 off their 20 overs as Barbados earned a seven-run victory.
PROVIDENCE, Guyana- The region’s best women’s cricketers have assembled in Guyana for the CWI Women’s T20 Blaze and CG United Women’s Super50 Cup.
The CG United Women’s Super50 Cup, which was scheduled to be played first, has now been switched to the later part of the competition due to the prevailing weather conditions in Guyana. The T20 Blaze will now start the tournament on Tuesday, June 7 at the National Stadium in Providence.
The last time the region’s best women’s players met was back in 2019 before the Covid-19 pandemic forced Cricket West Indies to postpone the tournament.
The Captain of Barbados, defending champions of both the CG United Women’s Super50 Cup and T20 Blaze, Hayley Matthews, welcomes the return of the tournament,
“It’s pretty exciting that we’re having a regional tournament this year. It’s very crucial for the development of women’s cricket in the region. The postponement over the last two years due to the covid-19 pandemic has been unfortunate but we’re here now and looking forward to playing against the best in the region.”
NICHOLAS Pooran proved himself worthy of the captaincy of the West Indies white-ball cricket team with a definitive series win over the Netherlands. He led his team to convincing victories in all three games played on May 31, June 2 and 4.
For those who are quick to judge and believe that it’s “only the Netherlands,” I would like to remind them that all games have a winner and a loser. Now, if it were that WI had lost to their opponents, the hue and cry, plus insults, would have been heard throughout the WI.
It is my point of view that the winner of any staged professional contest must always be praised because that’s the reason for participating.
Pooran also was the captain when WI won their clash with the Australians, four games to one, in a T20 rubber at home last year.
Although the apologists might put forward the view that the Australians were not at their strongest, I make bold to say, neither were the WI.
However, this was the Trinidadian’s first series after having been given the reins of leadership officially. Also, the Netherlands is an improved side and not the Holland of the past, who weren’t cricketers of experience.
