Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal all scored half-centuries as India reached 288-4 at stumps on day one of the second Test against the West Indies on Thursday.
The hosts won the toss and decided to bowl first at the Queen’s Park Oval.
Based on proceedings on day one, that seemed like the wrong choice as India started the day with a 139-run opening partnership between first Test centurions Jaiswal and Sharma.
Jaiswal, who hit a magnificent 171 on debut in Dominica, made a 74-ball 57 while Sharma, India’s Captain who hit 103 in the last Test, fell for 80 off 143 balls with the score on 155 in the 39th over.
Jaiswal’s knock included nine fours and a six while Sharma hit nine fours and two sixes.
Shubman Gill (10) and Ajinkya Rahane (8) were the other Indian batsmen to fall before the end of play.
Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja will be at the crease when play continues tomorrow.
Kohli, who hit 76 in the first Test, will resume on 87* searching for his 29th Test hundred while Jadeja will resume on 36*. Kohli has, so far, faced 161 balls and hit eight fours.
Kemar Roach, Shannon Gabriel, Jomel Warrican and Jason Holder have each taken a wicket for the West Indies.
On what was an action-packed opening day at the Caribbean Area Squash Association (CASA) Junior Championships on Saturday, most of the medal favourites safely progressed to the next round, setting up even more mouth-watering prospects for sports enthusiast, heading into Sunday’s second day of action in St Vincent and the Grenadines.
In boys’ Under-17 action, Jamaica’s Thomas Overton defeated Barbadian Armaan Suleman in straight sets, 11-3, 11-3, 11-8; Shiloh Asregado of Guyana bettered Trinidad and Tobago's Yohann Marchock 3-0, after posting 11-1, 11-6 and 11-7 scores in the three games.
Luke Wilson of Barbados also came out tops 11-6, 11-7, 11-3 in his contest against Trinidad and Tobago’s Sanjiv Mungal, while Guyana’s Demetri Lowe got the better of Trinidad and Tobago’s Marcus Camps-Campins 11-5, 11-9, 8-11, 8-11, 11-8 in a hard-fought contest.
However, when it came down to second round action, it was Guyana’s Louis da Silva, who earlier had a bye, Daniel Henderson, Luke Wilson, Vincentian Jaydon Williams, Andrew Cox, Elias Carpol, Jamaica’s Lucas Thomson and Mohryan Baksh, also of Guyana, that will contest the third round.
Da Silva will square off against Henderson, Wilson against Williams, Cox against Carpol, while Thomson and Baksh, will lock horns.
Trinidad and Tobago’s Christophe Bovell is among those that secured their spots in the next round in the boys’ Under-15 category, following a 11-13, 11-6, 11-12 and 14-12 win over Bermuda’s William Frith.
Guyana’s Richard Rodrigues also progressed after bettering Vincentian Dru Sanuel 12-10, 11-8, 8-11, 11-1 in a match that lasted 24 minutes, while Bermuda’s Charlie Makin scored an 11-6, 11-4, 11-8 win over Avian Wade of Guyana in a 16-minute contest.
Blake Edwards ensured will have another representative in the next round, as he easily brushed aside De’ron Lewis 11-6, 11-2, 11-3.
Jayden George of St Vincent and the Grenadines was given a bye, along with Barbadian Daniel Sealy, Bermuda’s Owen Rosorea and Zevieh Abraham of British Virgin Island.
Meanwhile, byes were the order of the day in the opening round of the boys’ Under-19 category, but when they got to the second round is where the true quality came to light.
Nicholas Verwey of Guyana outclassed Barbadian Aidan Parris 8-11, 11-5, 11-7, 11-3 in a four-set match that lasted a half-hour. Verwey will next tackle Jamaica’s Alex Chin, who defeated British Virgin Islands Louis Day in straight sets, 11-6, 11-6, 11-1.
Barbadian Alex Stewart and Jamaica’s Tobias Levy are also set to lock horns after both registered comfortable three-set wins over Russell Forrester and Neil McComb respectively, while another Jamaican Arjan Trehan and Guyana’s Michael Alphonso, will meet in the other contest.
On the girls’ side of action, Jamaica’s Katherine Risden defeated Darci Reich of US Virgin Island 11-3,11-3, 11-2 in a 14-minute match, to book her spot in the next round of the Under-19 category. She is set to face Sumairaa Suleman of Barbados, who was given a bye.
Another Jamaican Savannah Thomson bettered Vincentian Nadira Morgan 11-5, 11-9 and 11-1 in a 17-minute match. She awaits her opponent which will either be Trinidad and Tobago’s Sigourney Williams or Guyana’s Kirsten Gomes.
In Under-17 category, the Barbados pair of Eboni Atherley and Sarrayah Yearwood and Jamaica’s trio of Elle Wilson, Mehar Trehan and Sanjana Nallapati, are those who were safely through to the next round at the time of writing.
Trinidad & Tobago took gold in the men’s 4x400m relay on Friday’s final day of Athletics at the 2023 CAC Games in San Salvador.
The team of Che Lara, Renny Quow, Machel Cedenio and Jereem Richards combined to run 3:01.99 for gold. The Barbados quartet of Kyle Gale, Rasheeme Griffith, Rivaldo Leacock and Desean Boyce ran 3:02.12 while the Dominican Republic took bronze in 3:02.19.
In the field, Jamaica’s Adrienne Adams threw 55.43m for bronze in the women’s discus throw. Cuba’s Silinda Morales threw 61.95 for gold while Mexico’s Alma Pollorena threw 55.58m for silver.
Jamaica’s netballers created history at the 2023 CAC Games on Friday when they defeated Trinidad and Tobago 50-36 to win the first ever gold medal in the sport at the games.
The squad comprised of mainly next-generation players outscored their Trinidadian opponents 12-10, 11-6, 15-11 and 12-9 in what was perhaps the Jamaicans’ most competitive match of the competition.
Simone Gordon scored 41 goals from 43 attempts for the gold medallists with Rebekah Robinson scoring 11 goals from her 13 attempts.
Afeisha Noel sank 24 of her 26 attempts. She was supported by the sterling efforts of Joelisa Cooper, who was perfect from the circle with her 12 goals.
The Jamaicans were dominant throughout the tournament defeating Barbados 62-34 and then demolishing the Cayman Islands 116-10. They scored more than 100 points against the Dominican Republic who were swamped 110-7 before trouncing St Vincent and the Grenadines in their penultimate match of the series.
Trinidad and Tobago, meanwhile, defeated the Dominican Republic 108-10, Barbados 50-47, and the Cayman Islands 90-12 before suffering their first loss against the Jamaicans.
In the play-off for the bronze medal St Vincent and the Grenadines edged Barbados 51-50.
Mary-Ann Frederick topped the scoring for the bronze medallists with 40 goals with Shellisa Davis adding the other 11.
Jada Smith led the scoring for Barbados with 26 goals while Latonia Blackman adding 24 in the valiant effort.
The Cayman Islands defeated the Dominican Republic 51-33 in the playoff for fifth and sixth.
While the Caribbean islands continue to experience mix fortunes at the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games, Trinidad and Tobago seems poised to add a fifth gold medal to their tally when they square off against Mexico in the men’s hockey final on Thursday in El Salvador.
The twin island republic, which currently sits 10th on the standings with 11 medals –four gold, three silver and four bronze –saw its men’s hockey better Barbados 8-2 in semi-final action on Wednesday to book their spot in the coveted gold medal encounter.
Teague Marcano led Trinidad and Tobago’s charge with a hat-trick, while Tariq Marcano and Anthony Vieira both had a brace and Joel Daniel had the other. James Gooden and Ayube Che Warner, got the consolation goals for Barbados.
By virtue of that defeat, Barbados will face Cuba for the bronze medal, with Jamaica and Dominican Republic set to do battle in the fifth-place playoff, while Guyana will lock horns with El Salvador in the seventh-place game.
Earlier, Barbados moved up to 13th on the medal table, after adding another bronze to its tally, courtesy of the women’s hockey team’s 4-2 penalty win over Dominican Republic, after they initially played out a 2-2 stalemate in regulation time.
Ayana Wilson and D’Jamilia Edwards were the scorers for Barbados, as Ana Williams and Cecilia Oflaherti got on the score sheet for Dominican Republic.
Barbados’s seven medals so far include one gold, one silver and five bronze, with Dominican Republic in seventh position, has 12 gold, 26 silver and 41 bronze in their 79-medal tally.
The women’s gold medal game between Cuba and Mexico was also decided on penalty with the Mexicans snaring the top medal with a 3-2 scoreline, after they played to a 1-1 stalemate in regulation time.
Mexico who are currently atop the medal table with 273 medals, 116 gold, 84 silver and 73 bronze, got their goal from Sofia Perez, while Cuba, who sit third with 138 medals -54 gold, 38 silver and 46 bronze –got their goal courtesy of Sunaylis Nikle.
Jamaica’s women also edged Trinidad and Tobago 2-1 on penalty in the fifth-place game, which initially ended 1-1. Kaitlyn Olton gave Trinidad and Tobago the lead before Shana-kay Tullonge placed the Jamaicans back on level terms.
Meanwhile, Puerto Rico bettered Bermuda 4-2 in the seventh-place game.
Colombia (182), Venezuela (116) and Puerto Rico (73) are positioned behind Mexico and Cuba as the top five nations on the medal standings. Bahamas (four), St Lucia (two) and Guyana (one) currently sit 15th, 16th and 17th respectively, while Jamaica with five silver and four bronze, occupy 19th position.
In badminton action also on Wednesday, Jamaica’s Samuel Ricketts booked a semi-final spot following a two-set 21-7, 21-10 win over Trinidad and Tobago’s Will Lee.
He will be joined in the last four by Mexico’s Luis Gerrido, who bettered El Salvador’s Uriel Canjura 2-1; Yeison Del Cid of Centro Caribe Sports, who defeated Cuba’s Roberto Herrera 2-0 and another Mexican Armando Gaitan who also registered a 2-0 straight set win over Colombia’s Miguel Quirama.
On the women’s side of action, Jamaica’s Tahlia Richardson beat Centro Caribe Sports Eneida Santizo 2-0 in straight sets, CCS’s Nikte Sotomayor, who bettered Dominican Republic’s Alissa Acosta.
Mexico’s Haramara Gaitan defeated Dom Republic’s Nairoby Jimenez 2-0, while Cuba’s Taymara Oropesa, also booked a spot in the semi-final with a 2-1 win over Mexico’s Sabrina Solis in a three-set contest.
Tahlia Richardson later joined forces with Katherine Wynter to secure Jamaica a spot in the Women’s Doubles semi-final, after they defeated El Salvador’s pair of Margareth Revelo and Gabriela Barrios 2-0 in straight sets.
Jesus Ferreira notched another hat trick as the United States topped Trinidad and Tobago 6-0 in Charlotte, North Carolina on Sunday night in their Group A finale, securing a first-place finish in the group and a spot in the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup quarterfinals.
Ferreira is the first player to score hat tricks in two different Gold Cup games in the same tournament and is also the first U.S. player to score hat tricks in back-to-back games.
The U.S. opened the scoring in the 14th minute. US defender DeJuan Jones pushed forward from his left back position and found midfielder Cristian Roldan near the edge of the area.
Roldan’s attempted a cross that fell back into Jones’ path, and he crossed for Ferreira. Ferreira took one touch and hit the ball past Trinidad and Tobago goalkeeper Marvin Phillip on the half-volley.
The defending champions doubled their lead in the 38th minute when Djordje Mihailovic set up Alejandro Zendejas to cross. Ferreira’s first shot was deflected by Phillip, but Ferreira put a shot back on goal that was deflected and went over the line.
Ferreira then completed his hat trick right before halftime with a penalty conversion and a 3-0 lead.
Trinidad and Tobago thought it had its opener after the hour mark, when Shannon Gomez thumped a shot from distance but saw his effort bounce off the post.
Instead, it was the U.S. adding a fourth next. Cade Cowell ran onto a wayward pass from a Trinidad and Tobago player and was one-on-one with Phillip.
After shifting past the goalkeeper with a cut back to his right foot in the box, Cowell finished for his first career Gold Cup goal.
It was 5-0 in the 79th minute when DeAndre Yedlin combined with Julian Gressel, whose pass found Gianluca Busio, who scored with a right-footed shot for his first-ever goal for the United States.
The final goal came in stoppage time, with Brandon Vazquez scoring off the bench, running onto a pass into the box from Cowell and finishing the move.
With the result and Jamaica’s 5-0 victory over St Kitts and Nevis, the USA finishes first in Group A and moves to the quarterfinals awaiting the runner-up of Group D.
Trinidad and Tobago turns its attention to Concacaf Nations League League A play, which begins in September.
For all the talks about his winless streak in eight friendly games, Jamaica's Head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said he never paid much attention to those numbers as the fact remained that he was yet to lose a game at a major tournament.
In fact, Hallgrimsson, who registered his first win since taking the reins to guide the Reggae Boyz late last year, pointed out that the team's 4-1 drubbing of Caribbean rivals Trinidad and Tobago in their second Concacaf Gold Cup Group A fixture on Wednesday, was a strong indicator that time and greater consistency, could lead to better results going forward.
Prior to this Gold Cup triumph, Hallgrimsson had lost 0-3 to Argentina, 0-1 to Trinidad and Tobago, and 2-1 to Qatar and Jordan respectively, in friendly fixtures. His record also includes, 1-1 and goalless score lines with Cameroon and Trinidad and Tobago, also in friendlies, followed by a 2-2 Nations League stalemate with Mexico and more recently a 1-1 stalemate with United States in their Gold Cup opener.
While for some the victory Demarai Gray (14th and 28th), Leon Bailey (17th) and 17-year-old Dujuan "Whisper" Richards (90+2), who became the youngest scorer in the history of the tournament, was a relief, the Icelandic tactician said the focus was more on building a competitive team.
Andre Rampersad (49th) got the consolation for the twin island republic.
"It didn't affect me at all, I was not counting," Hallgrimsson declared during a post-game press conference at Citypark in St Louis, Missouri.
"I will tell you another fact, I haven't lost a competitive game for Jamaica and that is what matters, the competitive matches. I am pretty sure this team will grow, there are a lot of young players starting to play for us and they will only grow as the tournament gets older. That is the important thing about tournament like these.
"Normally in a FIFA Window when you have players for seven days, eight days, maximum, and you have two matches, there is so little you can do to connect with them at that time. But when you have a tournament like this, you can always add things where you can improve the understanding between individual players. So, it's helping us a lot which is why it's important to be here and that is why it is important to make it to the Copa America next year as well, so we can continue grow as a team," he added.
Hallgrimsson, who was also taken to task about his selection of rising sensation Richards, argued that the late goal scored by the Chelsea-bound prospect, justified the coaching staff's decision.
He reiterated the fact that the former Kingston College talisman, who was making his Gold Cup debut, still have immense scope for improvements which will come in time as Richards learns from his more experienced counterparts.
"Normally I don't like to talk about individual players, but we were criticised for picking the kid and he only needed 10 minutes to score a goal, so that shows why we selected him, and I don't think he knows what he is going to do, the opponents don't know what he is going to do but he is lethal.
"I have to admit when he took the shot, I was wondering why he was shooting from that range, but he scored, so he is kind of like the guy that defy the odds a little bit and all teams need players like him. As I said before he has a lot to learn, but he still knows a lot and can do a lot right now," Hallgrimsson shared.
He also spoke highly of Gray, who celebrated his 27th birthday with a brace in only his second appearance as a Jamaican international.
"Demarai, everybody knew he was a longtime coming, I think we started talking about him coming to Jamaica two years ago so for everyone to see now how good a individual talent he is, taking players on, he is a real quality on the field, and he is fast as well. It will take time for him to really get into the tactics and get to know the players around him, but I think it was a good birthday present he gave to all of us scoring two goals and I think he had a really good game," Hallgrimsson noted.
That said, Hallgrimsson lauded the dominance of his Reggae Boyz unit to not only consistently break down the Soca Warriors 5-4-1 defensive formation, but more importantly, maintain their composure and firm defensive posture for the most parts.
"We have good depth in the squad, not much difference between some players and we have tried these players in these positions before, so it was good to give both Javain [Brown] and Dexter Lembikisa a chance to play and Amari'i was a little bit injured, so we didn't want to risk him so that's why Taxi [Kemar Lawrence] started at left back and did a good job there. But at half time, he felt a little stiffening up, so we moved Dexter to the left and Joel Latibeaudiere played right.
"So there were a lot of changes going on in these positions and then just the rotations of the centre-backs, I think Dishon Bernard did a really good job, so I hope Jamaicans are happy to see that there is a young centre-back coming up, he showed his strength and character in this game and in generally was really good," Hallgrimsson reasoned.
"I don't think Trinidad created a chance except for the goal, I think that was the only chance they created, so that's good and shows the defensive game we played today (Wednesday)," he ended.
Trinidad and Tobago's Head coach Angus Eve intends to lift the mood of his dejected players, as they aim to keep their Concacaf Gold Cup campaign alive after being outclassed by Jamaica in a 1-4 loss that has basically eliminated the Soca Warriors from the tournament.
Trinidad and Tobago's chances of claiming one of two spots from Group A evaporated thanks to goals from Demarai Gray (14th and 28th), Leon Bailey (17th) and Dujuan Richards (90+2). Andre Rampersad (49th) pulled one back for the twin island republic.
Angus and his team still have a glimmer of hope of progressing to the knockout stages, but it will require an unlikely win or draw against powerhouse and favourites United States in their final group fixture on July 2, while hoping newcomers St Kitts and Nevis also pull off an unlikely win over Jamaica by a wide margin.
United States, who hammered St Kitts and Nevis 6-0 currently heads the group on four points, same as Jamaica but with a healthy six-goal difference to Reggae Boyz three. Trinidad and Tobago are third on three points, while the Sugar Boys on their Gold Cup debut are yet to earn a point.
"We just have to pick the guys up, the dressing room is very dejected this is the first match we have lost in about nine for the season and we don't normally concede goals but I thought that the second half when we came back on I thought that we were really in the game and we created a lot of chances," said Angus, who rued what he thought was a handball against Jamaica's defender Damion Lowe.
In real time, it seemed the ball did in fact come off Lowe's hand and Mexican referee Fernando Guerrero thought so too when he initially awarded the penalty. However, by the VAR, the replay showed that the ball came off Lowe's head.
"I think the handball should have been a penalty. Unfortunately, we don't get to see it (replays) on the pitch anymore, at one point we had a tablet where we could see it. From where we were, the hand was in an unnatural position, but it was a penalty and then it wasn't a penalty, we didn't get any explanation as to why not," Angus argued.
Going into the second contest with a 5-4-1 defensive formation after a comprehensive 3-0 win over St Kitts and Nevis in their opener, Trinidad and Tobago seemingly had all their bases covered, but things didn't pan out as Angus expected.
Their defence was easily and consistently broken down by the Jamaicans who were quick to press the ball and the Soca Warriors were at times caught ball watching. In fact, Gray was left unmarked on both occasions when he scored and the one attempt Trinidad and Tobago made at pushing a high line, they were beaten by a timely run from Bailey who went on to beat Nicklaus Frenderup in a one-one-one situation.
The Soca Warriors did come into their own in the second have and looked threatening in open play, though they were unable to get anymore that Rampersad's cheeky heel finish.
Aside from possibly being star-struck, Angus believes there was some positives to work with which he is hoping they can improve on ahead of Sunday's encounter.
"I thought the second half we were way more positive it seems like we settled down better credit to Jamaica, the type of players that they have and the quality that they have in the team, we don't have that type of quality, so it was always going to be a struggle.
"But when you give away soft goals...I thought we gave away a lot of soft goals very early and we had to dig ourselves out of a hole. I think we also started really slow, but as I said I take full blame for it, the aim was to keep the game as tight as possible in the first half so we could go out and express ourselves a little bit more in the second half, but we just didn't defend well," Angus explained.
That said, the tactician gave some insight to his decision not to start three of his best players in what was a vital fixture.
"Triston Hodge had a tight hamstring, Kevin Molino is just coming back into football, and he complained that he was really tired so he didn't feel like he could start and then Auvray had some little knocks and bruises. So, we made the three changes, we were trying to keep the game a little bit tight in the first half so we could probably get those players on.
"So, we had the plan from the time they got the goals, unfortunately we seem to be a bit nervous, I think big name (players) probably scare us and we made some bad mistakes. But I take full blame for the result because I am the coach of the team," he ended.
Demarai Gray had a birthday to remember, as he got on the score sheet twice to lead Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz to a 4-1 win over Caribbean rivals Trinidad and Tobago in their second Concacaf Gold Cup Group A fixture, at Citypark in St Louis, Missouri on Wednesday.
Gray, making his second appearance for the Reggae Boyz, celebrated his 27th birthday in style when he scored his first goal as a Jamaican international in the 14th minute and added a second in the 28th minute.
The Everton winger’s second came after Leon Bailey (17th) doubled the lead, while Chelsea-bound rising sensation Dujuan Richards, who was an 82nd-minute substitute, capped the victory with his first senior team goal in the 90+2 minute. With that, the 17-year-old became the youngest ever goalscorer in Gold Cup history.
Trinidad and Tobago got what turned out to be a consolation through Andre Rampersad in the 49th minute.
The win –which was also Heimir Hallgrimsson’s first since taking the reins as Jamaica’s Head coach late last year –provisionally saw the Boyz to the top of the standing on four points, one ahead of Trinidad and Tobago.
Group favourites United States, on a point, were leading newcomers St Kitts and Nevis, without a point, 4-0 at half-time in the late kickoff.
The much-anticipated clash between Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago
Was the first international men’s game to be played at the 22,000-plus capacity stadium and though it wasn’t the most attractive or entertaining encounter, the spectators that turned out were well treated to five goals.
It was initially projected to be a close contest, especially as the Soca Warriors Head coach Angus Eve opted for a defensive 5-4-1 formation that was expected to prove difficult for the Reggae Boyz to break down.
But it became clear early that the objective of the formation would prove futile, as Michail Antonio dispossessed a defender a played a cheeky pass off to send Bobby Reid on his way. However, Reid took an unwanted touch and later hit the ball in the side netting.
The Soca Warriors briefly enjoyed a good passage of possession where they looked threatening in open play but couldn't create any meaningful opportunity and later found themselves behind.
In the 14th minute, a decent build up by the Reggae Boyz ended with Bailey finding an unmarked Gray, who buried his right-footed effort in the left corner beyond the slightly advanced, Frenderup in goal for Trinidad and Tobago.
Bailey doubled the lead three minutes later when he timed his run to perfection to latch on to a long pass from Joel Latibeaudiere and finished with aplomb in a one-one-one situation with Frenderup. The goal was initially flagged as offside, but that decision was later overturned on by VAR.
The Soca Warriors tried to play their game but were hardly allowed any room to cause any problems for Jamaica’s defence and, as such, only absorbed consistent pressure.
They found themselves 3-0 down before the half-hour mark after Kevon Lambert won possession and found Antonio. The West Ham man then slipped by a defender and placed a pass on a platter for the wide-opened Gray to complete one of the easiest finishes of his career.
As the score remained unchanged at the break, the half-time team talk by Angus, coupled with Jamaica's defensive frailties, saw Trinidad pulling one back four minutes into the resumption.
Captain Levi Garcia got away from Jamaica’s debutant Dishon Bernard and drove a pass in for Rampersad to apply a back heel finish beyond Andre Blake, while under pressure from two defenders.
Still, the Jamaicans continued to apply consistent pressure and created numerous opportunities to add to their tally, but those were squandered due to both faulty shooting and poor decision-making.
It wasn’t until close to the end that they got another when Richards’s shot from a distance took a wicked deflection and sailed past the flat-footed Frenderup, who had no chance.
Teams: Jamaica -Andre Blake, Damion Lowe, Kemar Lawrence (Dexter Lembikisa 46th), Bobby Reid (Shamar Nicholson 62nd), Joel Latibeaudiere, Kevon Lambert, Demarai Gray, Leon Bailey (Dujuan Richards 82nd), Michail Antonio (Corey Burke 77th), Dishon Bernard, Javain Brown (Daniel Johnson 62nd)
Subs not used: Coniah Boyce-Clarke, Jahmali Waite, Kaheem Parris, Jonathan Russell, Adrian Mariappa, Amari’i Bell,
Booked: Brown (9th), Lowe (75th)
Trinidad & Tobago: Nicklas Frenderup, Alvin Jones, Sheldon Bateau, Kareem Moses, Aubrey David, Shannon Gomez (Molik Khan 76th), Malcolm Shaw, Andre Rampersad (Kevin Molino 63rd), Ajani Fortune (Kaile Auvray 46th), Levi Garcia, Neveal Hackshaw
Subs not Used: Marvin Phillip, Denzil Smith, Leland Archer, Luke Singh, Triston Hodge, Ryan Telfer, Joevin Jones, Real Gill, Kadeem Corbin
Booked: Hackshaw (5th), Bateau (41st), Jones (73rd)
Referee: Fernando Guerrero (Mexico)
Assistant referees: Enrique Bustos (Mexico); Jorge Sanchez (Mexico)
Fourth Official: Reon Radix (Grenada)
Var: Benjamin Pineda (Costa Rica)
Avar1: Ricardo Montero (Costa Rica)
Trinidad and Tobago collected the first victory of the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup group stage with a 3-0 triumph over Saint Kitts and Nevis in Group A action on Sunday at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
It was Trinidad and Tobago’s first Gold Cup group stage win since the 2015 edition. Despite the result, it was a historic day for Saint Kitts and Nevis, who were playing their first ever Gold Cup group stage match.
Trinidad and Tobago enjoyed the bulk of possession in the first half and they were able to crown it with a goal toward the end of the half, as Alvin Jones struck in the 43’ to hand the Soca Warriors a 1-0 lead.
Neveal Hackshaw floated a pass into the area and Jones, with great class, brought the ball down with his chest and then volleyed into net.
Trinidad and Tobago kept their foot on the gas in the second half and were able to double their lead in style thanks to a superb strike from Ajani Fortune.
Fresh off the bench and into the match in the second stanza, Fortune received a ball outside the Saint Kitts and Nevis area, eluded a trio of defenders before firing into net to make it 2-0 in the 65’.
Trinidad and Tobago were keen to tack on more to not give Saint Kitts and Nevis any hope and they stretched the lead to 3-0 in the 73’ when some defensive pressure forced a turnover and Levi Garcia’s deep cross deflected off a Saint Kitts and Nevis defender and into goal.
From there, the Trinidad and Tobago defense took over to nail down the victory and secure a full three points.
In the next match, Trinidad and Tobago will face Jamaica on June 28th at City Park in St. Louis, white St. Kitts and Nevis will go up against the United States on the same day.
He may not fancy wearing the cycling gold-medal favourites tag, but Nicholas Paul's current vein of form certainly puts him in that position heading into the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games in El Salvador.
Paul, who started his season with a series of unstoppable performances at the UCI Nation’s Cup in Milton Canada, as well as the ‘Speed Paradise’ and the Carnival of Speed events at the National Cycling Centre (NCC) in Balmain, Couva, all in April, followed that up with victory in the Men’s Elite Sprint at the International Cycling Union (UCI) Class One event in Germany recently.
The Trinidad and Tobago stalwart again placed his class on display at the PanAm Elite Track Cycling Championships in Argentina where he won the Sprints and Keirin, while clocking a new track record 9.349 seconds in the flying 200m.
Paul also joined forces with compatriots to place second in the Team Sprint and he rightly expressed delight at the accomplishments.
"Firstly, I would like to give God thanks because without him none of this would be possible. The Pan American Cycling champions in Argentina was a great experience, my races were well executed, and I am very happy with my performance," Paul told SportsMax.tv.
"It was also great to have my countrymen there with me and a great feeling to have won a team medal as well. Everyone on the team played their part, we performed accordingly and came out with a good result," he added.
While those performances represent a massive boost to his CAC Games charge and positions him to achieve other targets this year, the 24-year-old is by no means grandstanding against rivals in El Salvador.
"I am definitely pleased with another solid performance going into the CAC Games. It's all about trying to be consistent while working towards my ultimate goal which is Olympic Games qualification.
"But every event is different, and I am confident but not overconfident, so my plan presently is to just do my best for my country while taking things one competition at a time," he shared.
Though the mindset is always to improve on previous performances and that requires a holistic approach and a strategic vision of what he wants to achieve.
"Presently I don’t have any planned changes to my programme for CAC Games, however, I’m always focused on getting better at my craft every day, therefore changes can be made accordingly, but we will see how that goes as time goes by," Paul said.
The Sugar Boyz are preparing for their historic first match in the Concacaf Gold Cup against Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday in Fort Lauderdale.
At training on Thursday morning, Coach Austin Dico Huggins said the team celebrated their qualification to the Gold Cup, but are now focused on their match on Sunday.
“We already celebrated. We already had our fun. So now...we are at the training field getting ready for our game and Sunday," Huggins said from the training pitch of DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale.
"The players are very happy to be in this situation. So, we are now ready to work," he added.
Coach Huggins made it clear that St. Kitts and Nevis is not just content with qualifying, but are prepared to compete with the other teams in the tournament.
“We are here to compete. We're small but as a local saying always goes, we're small but we tallawah. So we're gonna be there competing, working hard to ensure that we are successful and we get the job done,” Huggins said.
Meanwhile, for the St. Kitts Nevis fans in the diaspora who have been attending the games, Coach Huggins expressed appreciation and is looking forward to the continued support of fans at home and in the US.
The Sugar Boyz will play Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday at the DRV Pink Stadium in Fort Lauderdale at 3:30 pm, followed by the United States on Wednesday, June 28 at 9:30 pm at Citypark, St. Louis, and Jamaica on July 2nd at 7 pm at The Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara.
The PANAM Hockey 5's World Cup Qualifiers concluded on Sunday, June 11, 2023 with Jamaica sealing a World Cup spot after defeating Paraguay in the 3rd place game, while the USA clinched the title with a penalty shootout win over Trinidad and Tobago.
With blazing speed and clinical finishing, the Jamaican team dominated Paraguay, securing an impressive 5-2 victory.
Nickoy Stephenson turned in a Man of the Match performance, scoring a hat-trick, while Shemar Gordon added a brace to secure a well-deserved win. The Jamaicans flew out of the blocks as Nickoy Stephenson opened the scoring in the 2nd minute, then doubled the lead with a 6th minute strike. The Paraguayans were stunned by the intensity and fast attacking play when Shemar Gordon added a third in the 8th minute for a 3-0 lead. However, the Paraguayans thought they got a lifeline when Vera Elias scored in the 10th minute but those hopes were quickly dashed as Stephenson completed his hat trick a minute later.
Despite going down to three men after a quick succession of cards, the Jamaicans were able to hold off the Paraguayans, led by a valiant display of tactical discipline backed up by truly astute goalkeeping from Goalkeeper of the Tournament and captain, Ajani Burton.
The Jamaicans were able to seal victory and put the game beyond doubt with a 19th minute goal from Shemar Gordon for a final score of 5-2.
This momentous accomplishment is a testament to the talent, dedication, and resilience of the Jamaican players, as echoed by Head Coach Duvaughn Henlon.
"We are very elated and ecstatic that we made it to the World Cup, and I’m very proud of the players who have been playing some very good hockey over the week. We are happy that we delivered for Jamaica but will turn our attention to preparing for the Central America and Caribbean Games, which start in the next two weeks, to try and achieve those goals."
Henlon went on to thank the coaching staff, management team, sponsors, family, and friends and called for additional support from corporate Jamaica.
Meanwhile, the final between United States against Trinidad and Tobago ended in a 2-2 draw. In the nerve-wracking shootout, the United States of America showcased nerves of steel, emerging triumphant with a 3-2 score line.
Trinidad & Tobago took a very early lead when Pierce Mickell scored in the 1st minute before the USA equalized eight minutes later through Sundeen Tyler. Marcano Teague then gave the Trinidadians another lead in the 15th minute before the USA equalized, once again, through Michael Barminski Jr in the 17th minute.
An unbeaten half-century from captain Shemaine Campbelle lifted Guyana to a crucial eight-wicket win over defending champions Jamaica in their Cricket West Indies (CWI) Women’s T20 Blaze match on Thursday.
The stylish right-hander made 50* from 49 balls including five fours and shared an unbroken third wicket stand of exactly 100 with allrounder Shakibi Gajnabi, as the Guyanese successfully chased 110 in the opening match of the triple-header at Warner Park, St Kitts.
Gajnabi supported well with 37 not out from 46 balls and the result was achieved with 12 balls remaining, giving Guyana their third win of the tournament.
Earlier in the day, fast bowler Celina Whyte took 2-11 from her allotted four overs – removing Sheneta Grimmond for six and fellow opener Katana Mentore for two but Campbelle and Gajnabi combined to dominate.
When Jamaica batted captain Stafanie Taylor led the way again with 48 off 49 balls with five fours and one six, as the Jamaicans reached 109-6 from their 20 overs after they won the toss and chose to bat.
Taylor added 55 for the second wicket with Keneshia Ferron (20) and put on 32 for the third wicket with Natasha McLean (27), but their effort was never going to be enough to seriously challenge Guyana. Seam bowler Cherry-Ann Fraser was the pick of the bowlers with 3-18 from three overs.
In the day’s second encounter, Trinidad & Tobago secured a six-wicket win over the Leeward Islands.
Divya Saxena (37) and Jahzara Claxton (36) led the way for the Leewards as they made 120-5 off their 20 overs batting first.
Off-spinner Anisa Mohammed took a pair of wickets in her four overs while conceding only 21 runs while Kirbyina Alexander took 2-15 from three.
Trinidad & Tobago then reached 121-4 with 14 balls to spare thanks to a solid all-round batting effort including contributions from Shunelle Sawh (26), Britney Cooper (21*), Shalini Samaroo (20) and Anisa Mohammed (19*).
The day’s third game saw Super 50 champions Barbados score a dramatic four-wicket win over the Windward Islands off the last ball of the match.
Qiana Joseph led the way with a run-a-ball 50 while Malika Edward contributed 20 as the Windwards posted 128-8 off their 20 overs.
Pacers Shamilia Connell and Allison Gordon led the way with the ball for Barbados with 3-16 and 2-20 from their respective four over spells.
The successful Barbados chase was then led by the Knight sisters with Kycia getting 49 at the top of the innings and Kyshona getting 19* including the winning runs. Naijanni Cumberbatch also contributed a crucial 22 as Barbados ended up 121-6 off their 20 overs.
Zaida James took 2-27 from her four overs for the Windwards.
With one round of matches left, Guyana and Barbados are currently level on 12 points with Barbados at the top via head-to-head record. They are followed by the Windwards (8), Trinidad & Tobago (8), Jamaica (8) and the Leewards (0).
On Saturday, Jamaica will take on the Windward Islands, Barbados will face the Leewards and Guyana will face Trinidad & Tobago.
Defending champions Jamaica got their second win in a row in the CWI Women’s T20 Blaze with a six-run win over Trinidad & Tobago while Barbados and the Windward Islands each got their first wins of the tournament over Guyana and the Leeward Islands, respectively, in a triple-header at Warner Park on Sunday.
Stand-in captain Rashada Williams (32) and Chedean Nation (32) both led Jamaica to 115-9 off their 20 overs against the Trinidadians, for whom veteran off-spinner Anisa Mohammed took 3-19 off her four overs.
The chasing effort saw only Britney Cooper provide any real resistance with 29 as Neisha-Ann Wasome’s 3-16 from four overs helped restrict T&T to 109-9 off their 20 overs.
Barbados secured a narrow three-wicket win over Guyana in the day’s second encounter.
Guyana, while losing only three wickets in their 20 overs batting first against Barbados, managed only 91 thanks to a 46-ball 32* from Katana Mentore and a 51-ball 35* from Cherry-Ann Fraser.
Barbados, who were at one point reeling at 63-6 in the 17th over, managed to creep across the line thanks to a match-winning 17* from captain Shakera Selman. Openers Trishan Holder (19) and Kycia Knight (16) made crucial early contributions.
The valiant Guyanese bowling effort was led by Kaysia Schultz’s 3-13 from four overs.
The day’s opener saw the Windward Islands get a comfortable 45-run win over the Leeward Islands.
The Windwards made 127-4 off their 20 overs thanks to 37 from Jannillea Glasgow, 24 from Pearl Etienne and 21* from both Kimone Homer and Qiana Joseph.
The Leewards were then restricted to 82-6 in their 20 overs thanks to 2-21 off four overs from Zaida James and a miserly four over spell from Afy Fletcher which saw her pick up a wicket while conceding only 13 runs.
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