FROM the small village of Moruga to the renowned Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), former West Indies women’s cricketer Merissa Aguilleira is the first women’s cricketer from the Caribbean to become an honorary life member of the London-based club. Aguilleira was shocked when she heard the news, admitting she thought it was a prank.
Aguilleira is one of 17 new life members, but the only West Indian. Aguilleira, who retired from international cricket in 2019, is the 29th West Indies cricketer to become a life member. The other former TT and West Indies cricketers inducted previously are Deryck Murray (1990), Larry Gomes (1998), Brian Lara (2013) and Ian Bishop (2019).
“When they first e-mailed me about the award, I thought it was a prank,” Aguilleira laughed, when speaking to Newsday on Wednesday.
She said seeing the other great cricketers on the list made the moment even more special. “This morning when I woke up to that list I was most amazed. I was thankful, I was shocked. God alone knows how I felt within that moment. Actually seeing my name on top of that list and looking at MS Dhoni and the great Mithali Raj and all these inspirational leaders throughout the world (was unbelievable). It is just a blessing and I really thank God for the opportunity.”
Are Rajasthan Royals missing a trick by batting Shimron Hetmyer down the order? In their five-run loss to Punjab Kings on Wednesday, they sent Hetmyer out at No. 7 when they needed a stiff 77 from 36 in a chase of 198.
Hetmyer took them close with his 36 off 18, bringing the equation down to 16 off the last over, but Tom Moody and Sanjay Manjrekar strongly feel Hetmyer should bat much higher up because he is a more “complete” batter, not just a finisher.
“I think he’s a far better player than that,” Moody said on ESPNcricinfo’s T20 Time:Out show after the game.
“He is not a [Kieron] Pollard or Andre Russell type player that’s geared for the last six overs. Both these players are obviously IPL icons so they’ve got specific skillsets. Hetmyer can potentially do that but he is more of a complete batsman than that.
We’ve seen him batting at No. 3 in 50-over cricket for West Indies, he doesn’t play a lot of cricket for them now but when he first started as a young player, [he was] scoring international hundreds for the West Indies…he’s a top-order player.
“Players of that calibre need to be out there following in the wake of Sanju Samson and Jos Buttler.”
In the Royals’ first game this season, batting first against Sunrisers Hyderabad, they had sent out Hetmyer at No. 6, but after their top order of Yashasvi Jaiswal, Buttler and Samson had blasted quickfire fifties, Hetmyer wasn’t required as much as he was in Wednesday’s chase.
Trinidad and Tobago remained perfect in the 19 and Under Tri-Nation Girls’ Cricket 30-over series as they sealed their third consecutive victory over Windward Islands at the National Cricket Centre in Balmain, Couva, on Tuesday.
A brilliant opening stand of 112 runs from Shunelle Sawh (72) and Samara Ramnath (38) bolstered the hosts to 190/6 after their 30 overs. Sawh faced 81 balls and hit seven fours.
In their turn at the crease, Windward Islands’ Jenellia Glasgow (84) was the only batter to trouble the TT bowling attack as the visitors were restricted to 155/9.
Doing the damage with the ball for TT was Amelia Khan (2/15), Samaroo (2/19), Djenaba Joseph (2/29) and KDJazz Mitchell (1/44).
This was TT’s third win on the trot against the Windwards in the tournament over the past week. TT now shift focus to three consecutive matches against Barbados, bowling on Friday, Sunday and Monday.
TT coach and former national player Gibran Mohammed was pleased to notch another victory but said the team still has work to do.
BARBADOS SUFFERED an early blow to their title defence when they went down by 18 runs to Jamaica in the opening round of the West Indies Rising Stars Under-15 Championship yesterday.
Asked to chase 166 for victory at Liberta Sports Club, Barbados were bowled out for 147 off 39 overs, despite opener Gadson Bowens’s top score of 64.
The run chase was undermined by Demarco Scott (3-12) and Adrian Silvera (3-22), both picking up three wickets apiece.
Earlier, Scott had also taken centre stage with a top score of 49 as Jamaica rallied to 165 all-out in the 43rd over.
Scott struck four fours in a 91-ball knock, adding 77 for the third wicket with Savio Jones (34), after Tyson Gordon (21) and Damien Daley (12) had posted 47 for the first wicket.
DELHI, India (CMC) – West Indies fast bowler Alzarri Joseph once again played a key role with a brace of wickets as Gujarat Titans easily brushed aside Delhi Capitals by six wickets to continue their unbeaten start to the Indian Premier League.
The 26-year-old, fresh from helping West Indies to a Twenty20 International series win over South Africa, claimed two for 29 from four outstanding overs and helping restrict Capitals to 162 for eight from their 20 overs at Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday.
In reply, rookie left-hander Sai Sudharsan top-scored with a Man-of-the-Match unbeaten 62 from 48 deliveries to propel Titans over the line with 11 balls to spare.
Titans top the table with four points but are one of only four teams which have played twice already.
Sent in, Capitals were lifted by Captain David Warner who struck 37 from 32 balls while Axar Patel hit 36 from 22 deliveries and Sarfaraz Khan, a patient 30 from 34 balls.
