Red Force batsman Jyd Goolie retired hurt on 90.
file
Well-played unbeaten half-centuries from captain Joshua Da Silva and Jyd Goolie, propelled Trinidad and Tobago Red Force to a six-wicket victory over Windward Islands Volcanoes on Saturday’s final day of their fourth round West Indies Championships contest at Queen’s Park Oval.
Having seized control of the four-day encounter from day one, the Red Force, through a series of solid all-round batting and bowling performances, wrapped up proceedings and condemned the Volcanoes to their first loss of the season.
Resuming at 10-2 in search of another 176 runs for victory, Red Force lost night watchman Bryan Charles for four, and veteran batsman Jason Mohammed for 14, which left them in a spot of bother.
However, Goolie, who resumed from an overnight score of two, was watchful throughout in his unbeaten 90 off 212 balls, which includes nine fours. He led a decent fifth-wicket partnership with Da Silva to put Red Force on the cusp of victory, before retiring hurt.
From there, West Indies wicketkeeper/batsman Da Silva pushed on in an unbeaten 96-ball 53, including six fours, to get his team across the line. Tion Webster, who made an unbeaten 107 in the first innings, only had a small role to play on this occasion, as he ended unbeaten on one run from four balls.
Four Volcanoes bowlers shared the wickets.
Scores: Windward Islands Volcanoes 191 (Alick Athanaze 56, Sunil Ambris 35, Kavem Hodge 28, Tevyn Walcott 28; Anderson Phillip 13-4-37-5, Khary Pierre 3-21, Jayden Seales 2-48) and 288 (Sunil Ambris 71, Jeremy Solozano 70, Shamar Springer 40, Ryan John 34, Alick Athanaze 28; Jayden Seales 3-45, Anderson Phillip 2-65, Khary Pierre 2-67, Bryan Charles 2-67).
Trinidad & Tobago Red Force 294 (Tion Webster 107 not out, Jason Mohammed 56, Vikash Mohan 52, Kjorn Ottley 47; Kenneth Dember 22-2-63-5, Shamar Springer 3-76) and 186 for four (Jyd Goolie 90 retired hurt, Joshua Da Silva 53 not out).
Meanwhile, Guyana Harpy Eagles registered their second win of the campaign, as they better a gritty Barbados Pride by 32 runs in their contest at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua.
Scores: Guyana Harpy Eagles 436 (Veerasammy Permaul 90, Kevlon Anderson 87, Kevin Sinclair 72, Tevin Imlach 55, Tagenarine Chanderpaul 40, Gudakesh Motie 37, Matthew Nandu 28; Kemar Roach 2-52, Jason Holder 2-52, Jomel Warrican 2-98) and 136 for eight declared (Kevlon Anderson 33, Kevin Sinclair 25, Veerasammy Permaul 24, Kemol Savory 22 not out, Tagenarine Chanderpaul 20; Jomel Warrican 3-32, Jair McAllister 2-21, Chemar Holder 2-40).
Barbados Pride 230 (Jonathan Drakes 101, Shane Dowrich 41; Nial Smith 3-54, Isai Thorne 2-37, Gudakesh Motie 2-38) and 309 all out (Zachary McCaskie 87, Jason Holder 76, Jomel Warrican 40 not out, Shane Dowrich 26, Kraigg Brathwaite 23; Niall Smith 4-87, Veerasammy Permaul 3-66, Gudakesh Motie 3-71).
Hayley Matthews leads from the front as West Indies Women take 2-0 lead over Pakistan Women with seven-wicket victory at Karachi
In yet another stunning performance, West Indies Women’s captain Hayley Matthews led her team to a commanding seven-wicket victory over Pakistan Women, securing a 2-0 lead in their five-match T20 series in Karachi on Sunday.
Matthews showcased her all-round prowess by first starring with the ball, taking an impressive 3 wickets for just 25 runs to restrict Pakistan Women to 121-7 in their allotted 20 overs. Despite a resilient 55 from Muneeba Ali, the hosts struggled against the visitors’ bowling attack, with Matthews leading the charge. She received support from Chinelle Henry, Karishma Ramharack, and Afy Fletcher, each claiming a wicket to stifle Pakistan’s batting efforts. Matthews also contributed to a crucial run-out that ended Pakistan’s innings.
With a manageable target of 122 for victory, Matthews continued her dominance, opening the batting for West Indies Women. She began her innings aggressively, smashing 10 boundaries on her way to a match-high 58 runs off just 43 balls. Her attacking display laid a solid foundation for the run chase.
Supported by contributions from Shemaine Campbelle (21) and Chedean Nation (unbeaten 17), Matthews guided her team to victory in emphatic fashion, sealing the win with 10 balls to spare.
Matthews’ outstanding performance with both bat and ball underscores her invaluable role as a leader and key player for the West Indies Women’s team. Her contributions have been instrumental in securing consecutive victories against Pakistan Women, setting a strong foundation for the remainder of the series.
The West Indies Women will look to build on this momentum as they aim to maintain their winning streak and clinch the series against Pakistan Women in the upcoming matches.
Motie's heroics lead West Indies A to victory over Nepal in T20 thriller: Series level at 1-1
In a thrilling encounter at Kirtipur, Gudakesh Motie emerged as the standout performer for West Indies A, propelling his team to a crucial victory over Nepal in the second T20 International to level the five-match series at 1-1. Motie's exceptional all-round display, featuring an unbeaten 33 off just eight balls and impactful bowling, played a pivotal role in securing the win.
Batting first, West Indies A faced early setbacks but rallied behind Andre Fletcher's resilient 43 and Captain Roston Chase's 23. However, wickets fell at regular intervals, leaving the team in a precarious position at 115 for 7. When Fletcher departed, the onus fell on Motie to provide a late surge. With only 13 balls remaining, Motie unleashed a blitz, smashing two fours and four sixes to power his team to a competitive total of 160 for 7. Matthew Forde contributed with an unbeaten 11 as Sagar Dhakal and Kushal Bhurtel each picked up crucial wickets for Nepal.
In response, Nepal's captain Rohit Paudel led the charge with a magnificent 71 off 48 balls, keeping his team in contention. However, Nepal's batting struggled against the West Indies A bowling attack, with only Gulsan Jha offering notable support with 26 runs. Motie continued to make an impact with the ball, claiming 2 crucial wickets for 244 runs alongside Obed McCoy, who showed signs of returning to form with his 2 for 24.
Despite Paudel's heroics, Nepal fell short in their chase, ultimately conceding victory to West Indies A by 10 runs. Motie's exceptional performance earned him the Player of the Match award.
The third match in the series is set for Wednesday, May 1, 2024.
Russell defends CPL's contribution to regional cricket but open to suggestions on improvements
With their long-term agreement with Cricket West Indies (CWI) heavily scrutinised by government leaders and cricket stalwarts, chief executive, Pete Russell of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) defended the product’s positive contribution to cricket in the region.
Addressing the gathering on Friday’s final day of the CARICOM conference on West Indies cricket themed ‘Reinvigorating West Indies Cricket’, Russell said the CPL is one of CWI’s largest domestic commercial partners.
While noting that CPL contributed significantly to player economic welfare, with nearly US$28 million spent on salaries since the start of the tournament in 2013, Russell, also revealed that cumulative losses, across both the league and franchises for the past 11 years, stand at US$40 million.
“Dennis O’Brien and Digicel have been the principal investors, not only investing in the league from day one but they also spent money on sponsorship and media rights. The franchises have also pumped in significant money, money that helps pay players and coaches, as well as investing in local businesses around the region that help make the games happen. All the franchises have made losses.
“So, on the positive side, Cricket West Indies has been paid close to US$17 million in sanction fees, so over the past 12 years CPL would be one of CWI’s largest domestic, commercial partners. Caribbean players have taken home US$27.7 million in player salaries since the tournament’s inception, all paid for by the franchises,” Russell declared during the event held in Trinidad and Tobago.
“Each year, it takes US$25 million to run this tournament over five weeks. CPL and the franchises bear all these costs. There is no financial burden on CWI or the territorial boards, so the risk is 100 per cent ours.
“So that is our starting point each and every year. So as you can imagine, the commercial challenges are considerable just to break even,” he added.
Russell’s response came as government leaders and West Indies legend Sir Clive Lloyd, suggested that the 50-year contract between CPL and CWI be re-negotiated.
The issue of the league’s ownership was also called into question, as they view was largely expressed that there would potentially be more development and earnings for players, if CWI controlled the tournament.
But, Russell, a member of the CPL management team rebutted.
“What is interesting is that other leagues around the world are following the lead of CWI. They are also looking for third-party investors to help fund their leagues. The English Cricket Board are in the process of selling The Hundred, the Australian Cricket Board are courting outside investors for the Big Bash, Cricket South Africa sold all their rights to host broadcaster Supersport, and the new American Major League Cricket is 100 per cent privately owned,” Russell shared.
“In time, only the IPL will end up being 100 per cent owned by its domestic board and that is simply because they can afford to do so. So, trust me when I say, ownership isn’t everything, and smart stewardship and partnership can yield better results. But of course, we’re always happy to listen to any suggestions on how we can improve things,” he ended.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
