WEST INDIES Academy pulled off yet another coup when they produced a composed all-round performance to thrash Guyana Harpy Eagles by 92 runs in the Regional Super50 Cup yesterday.
After recovering from 135 for seven in the 32nd over to post a competitive 263 all out off their allotted 50 overs, the Academy then mowed down favourites Harpy Eagles for a paltry 171 in the 36th over to march to their third win in six games and enhance their quest for a semi-final spot.
Matthew Forde, better known for his pace bowling, led the Academy’s courageous effort with the bat, top-scoring with 52 from 55 deliveries and the impressive Teddy Bishop extended his decent form with 48 from 46 balls, just falling short of his third 50 of the campaign.
Captain Nyeem Young chipped in with a breezy 42 from 44 balls while Joshua Bishop (33) and Kevin Wickham (32) lent support as the Academy dug deep to keep themselves in the game after off-spinner Kevin Sinclair (2-36), left-arm spinners Veerasammy Permaul (2-38), and Gudakesh Motie (2-39) and fast bowler Shamar Joseph (2-59) threatened to undermine the innings cheaply.
ALL-ROUNDER JUSTIN Greaves smashed a maiden List A hundred and leg-spinner Hayden Walsh Jr took his wickets tally to 13 with a four-wicket haul, as Leeward Islands Hurricanes brushed aside Windward Islands Volcanoes by 114 runs in Super50 Cup action yesterday.
The 29-year-old Greaves, who played three One-Day Internationals for West Indies last year, plundered 121 off 126 deliveries – a knock which powered Hurricanes to 293 all out off their 50 overs at Queen’s Park Oval.
Jahmar Hamilton struck 50 from 72 balls while captain Alzarri Joseph belted a cameo 11-ball 24 down the order.
In reply, all-rounder Shamar Springer followed up his two-wicket haul with a top score of 58 off 69 deliveries but Volcanoes faltered for 179 all out in the 43rd over.
In a bid to boost the sports tourism industry, Barbados is seeking to borrow $50 million from the African Import/Export Bank (Afreximbank) to upgrade the historic Kensington Oval “to the next level”, Prime Minister Mia Mottley announced on Monday.
As she addressed the second AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum 2023 (ACTIF23) in Guyana, she said the US$25 million (BDS$50 million) loan will have a “highly competitive” seven per cent interest rate and a seven-year repayment period, and it will be allocated for the urgent refurbishment of the iconic cricket stadium. Barbados is to host matches in the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
In a speech that also touched on road tennis, football, athletics and music, she sought to connect the cricket loan with Barbadian tourism’s prospects and her vision of future African-Carribbean cultural solidarity: “We understand the power now that sports and culture give us in being able to deepen the solidarity and expand the business markets necessary for our hoteliers, our purchases of all goods and commodities because it is within our reach.”
Mottley’s announcement of the Afrexibank loan comes 18 years after the Owen Arthur administration borrowed a combined $200 million from the Inter-American Development (IDB) and commercial banks for the demolition of the old stands and the redevelopment of the stadium in 2006 for the 2007 Cricket World Cup. The stadium also staged the final of the T-20 Cricket World Cup in 2010.
Legendary cricket broadcaster, Joseph ‘Reds’ Perreira, on the request of President Irfaan Ali, will conduct a workshop for cricket commentators from November 16-18 at the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC). The three-day event will seek to cover the fundamentals of cricket commentary under the theme, ‘Taking it to another level.’
Among the areas to be covered are preparation, voice training, audience attentiveness and the significance of the match officials. Former Test player now international Match Referee, Reon King; Regional Umpire Shannon Crawford and international scorer Trevor Hussain are scheduled to make presentations on the opening day.
For the workshop, Perreira has secured discussion papers and notes from a number of cricket personalities in the Region, including former West Indies cricketers Richard ‘Prof’ Edwards and Michael Findlay along with contributions from Barbadian-born England batsman Roland Butcher, former Windward Islands and Combined Islands player Lockhart Sebastian, former Jamaica cricket administrator Pat Terrelonge, former Cricket West Indies Chief Executive Officer Bruce Aanensen, commentators Alexis Jordan, Colin Murray and Sunil Ramdeen and journalists Guyanese Tony McWatt and Trinidadian Nasser Khan.
DESPITE some of Jamaica's premier sporting venues being in need of major upgrades, relevant stakeholders said they haven't been affected by Monday's earthquake.
The estimated 5.6-magnitude earthquake was felt islandwide at approximately 10:57 am on Monday, with dozens of aftershocks felt throughout the course of the day including at Stadium East where two Wray and Nephew Jamaica Premier League matches were being played.
Though no deaths were reported, there were a number of reports concerning damage to buildings and other assets, for citizens and businesses alike.
However, operations manager of Independence Park Limited (IPL) Martin Spaulding says National Stadium and Stadium East weren't affected, but he will have a better understanding when general manager of IPL Major Desmon Brown returns from overseas.
"No damage was done. I did an inspection and saw nothing but when he [Major Brown] comes he's going to get our structural engineer, that comes to us once a year, to speed him up. He gets here sometime next week and he will check what we can't see with the naked eye," he said.
