Government will not be caught in a state of unreadiness if the final of next year’s T20 World Cup is awarded to Barbados.
That assurance has come from Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment, Charles Griffith, who says Kensington Oval will be ready to host the final in the event that the International Cricket Council (ICC) gives the green light.
While there is widespread speculation that the final will be in Barbados, neither the ICC nor Cricket West Indies (CWI) has made any official announcements. That speculation arose after president of the Barbados Cricket Association, Conde Riley announced two weeks ago that he had received confirmation from the ICC that Barbados had been selected to host the final.
Sherfane Rutherford plundered a brilliant maiden List A hundred as Guyana Harpy Eagles completed a delicate run chase to beat Leeward Islands Hurricanes by four wickets in the Super50 Cup here yesterday.
The left-hander, more known for his exploits in the shortest format, top-scored with an unbeaten 105 from just 71 balls, a knock which helped Harpy Eagles overhaul 245 with 15 balls to spare at Queen’s Park Oval, and pick up their second win in three outings.
Rutherford entered with the game slipping away from Harpy Eagles at 108 for five in the 28th over, and proceeded to change the entire complexion of the contest.
He clobbered seven fours and eight sixes, dominating a 67-run sixth-wicket stand with Kevlon Anderson (32) and a 73-run, unbroken seventh-wicket partnership with all-rounder Romario Shepherd (18 not out).
Captain Nyeem Young’s maiden List A 50 rescued West Indies (WI) Academy but bad weather eventually intervened to wreck their Super50 Cup match against Barbados Pride here yesterday.
With the innings in the doldrums at 31 for five in the 13th over, Young arrived at the crease to lead a recovery, the right-hander blasting an unbeaten 67 from 89 balls to help lift the WI Academy to 141 for six in the 39th.
Kevin Wickham chipped in with 43 from 61 balls but, more significantly, helping to mount a critical 93-run, sixth-wicket partnership with Young.
With the innings headed for an interesting finish, the rains arrived to rule out any further chance of play at the Frank Worrell Memorial Ground
RED FORCE captain Darren Bravo has hailed the triple spin threat of Sunil Narine, Akeal Hosein and Yannic Cariah, after a 114-run victory over Guyana Harpy Eagles on Saturday propelled the hosts to the top of the CG United Super50 standings.
At the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba, Red Force posted a healthy 290 for eight, led by late pyrotechnics from Cariah (71 not out off 48 balls), and half-centuries from opener Kjorn Ottley (52) and Bravo (51).
Cariah returned with the ball to dismantle the Guyana reply, claiming five wickets for 34 runs to bowl out the visitors for 176 in 33.4 overs.
The leg-spinner wrecked the Guyana chase with the big wicket of Sherfane Rutherford, who top scored with 30 off 28 balls (two fours, two sixes). He then cleaned up the lower order for his first List A five-for in a decade.
Narine was his usual frugal self with his mystery off-spin taking two for 18 in 6.4 overs while Hosein took one for 29.
Chief executive officer of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) Pete Russell says he doesn't understand why the Jamaican Government hasn't done more to bring the popular T20 tournament back to Sabina Park and invest in the competition on a whole.
The CPL, which completed its 11th season last month, has not been on home soil in four years with the last time being in 2019 when the Jamaica Tallawahs lost to the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots which featured the likes of Jamaican stars Chris Gayle, Andre Russell and Fabian Allen.
However, despite interest from the Tallawahs ownership and the CPL to host games in Jamaica again, they have failed to make a breakthrough with the Government which has left Russell perplexed.
"The discussions with [Sports] Minister [Olivia] Grange have been perfectly amicable, we've had very good discussions, but that's really about it. There's never really been a negotiation, there's never been a reason as to 'this is why we won't invest in CPL'," he told the Jamaica Observer.
