The Jamaica Scorpions and the Leeward Islands Hurricanes are both in strong positions to push for victories, while the defending champs, Guyana Harpy Eagles, are in the ascendancy against the Barbados Pride after the close of play on the second day of the opening round of matches in the West Indies Championship yesterday.
The Scorpions routed the Volcanoes for just 195 runs and have already established a lead of 214 runs, while the Hurricanes already lead the West Indies Academy by 347 runs.
At Arnos Vale: After starring with the bat, Jermaine Blackwood returned to do damage with the ball, picking up three wickets to give the Jamaica Scorpions a handy 142 run first-innings lead against the Windward Islands Volcanoes.
Blackwood added just eight runs to his overnight score of 101 as the Scorpions, resuming on 291 for seven, were eventually dismissed for 337.
OUTGOING WEST Indies Test head coach Andre Coley has called for the players to build on their historic Test win in Pakistan and to be hungry for more success.
Coley said while those two historic wins were memorable, he wants to see the West Indies win on a more regular basis.
“Every match we play we set out to win.
“When I reflect on those two wins away from home, there was a willingness to learn and adapt quite quickly and you want to ensure that you’re not necessarily starting series away from home where you’re looking to catch up all the time,” Coley said during an interview on Tuesday.
Qiana Joseph’s explosive 63 and Deandra Dottin’s blistering 49 set the stage for a comprehensive 106-run victory for the West Indies Women over Bangladesh Women at Warner Park in St Kitts on Wednesday. The win gave the hosts an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series, securing the series victory with one match to spare.
After being sent in to bat, West Indies Women piled up an imposing 201-6 in their 20 overs, with Joseph leading the charge in a breathtaking 36-ball knock that included 11 fours and two sixes. Captain Hayley Matthews provided early fireworks with 27 from just 18 balls, striking six boundaries before falling to Rabeya Khan.
Dottin then took over, smashing 49 from just 20 deliveries, blasting three fours and five sixes in a display of raw power. She fell just short of a half-century, caught off the bowling of Shorna Akter, but her knock had already given West Indies a commanding total.
Guyana's Matthew Nandu had a rousing start to his career, scoring a century on first-class debut and almost repeating the feat on List A debut, in 2023. He then suffered a slump in form but is rising again, having topped the run-charts for Guyana in the 2024 Super 50 competition, with 260 runs in six innings at an average of 43.33. The 21-year-old has now been appointed Guyana's vice-captain as they prepare to defend their four-day title in the West Indies Championship, which will kick off on January 29.
Guyana will open their campaign against Barbados at Providence. Nandu has fond memories of his 126, spanning over eight hours, against the same opposition on debut in North Sound almost two years ago.
"Before making my debut I was nervous but after I got a hundred it was a special feeling," Nandu recalled, speaking to ESPNcricinfo during a camp at the Super Kings Academy in Chennai in December 2024. "Yes, not many people can say that they have a hundred on debut, but I think we can now leave that behind and keep moving forward. "I don't want to look back at the past, I want to continue looking at tomorrow and what it brings."
Deandra Dottin and captain Hayley Matthews delivered dazzling performances to power West Indies Women to a dominant eight-wicket victory over Bangladesh Women in the opening T20I at Warner Park on Monday.
Dottin showcased her trademark power-hitting as she blasted an unbeaten 51 off just 22 balls, including seven towering sixes. Matthews, steady and composed, anchored the innings with an unbeaten 60 off 54 deliveries as the home side chased down Bangladesh’s 144 for three in emphatic style. They finished on 145 for two in 16.5 overs.
The chase began with Matthews and opener Qiana Joseph putting on a strong 63-run stand. Joseph contributed a brisk 29 from 21 balls before she went caught by Sharmin Akter off Fahima Khatun in the eighth over.
Shemaine Campbelle (three) followed soon after, as she became Khatun’s second scalp to leave West Indies at 73 for two in the 11th over.
