Antigua and Barbuda minister of sport, Daryll Matthew, insists the country’s preparations to host matches for the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup remains on track, despite concerns being raised in recent weeks.
The matches for the tournament will be played in Antigua, Guyana, Saint Kitts, and Trinidad. Antigua has been earmarked to host the Super League quarter-finals, semi-finals the finals, in addition to the 3rd, 5th, and 7th place playoffs.
The main venues that will be used are the Coolidge Cricket Ground and the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium but there have been questions asked about the state of some of the practice grounds with the tournament set to bowl off on January 14.
Two of the venues of concern are the Liberta Sports Club and the Police Recreation Ground. At Liberta, issues were recently brought to the fore regarding the reconstruction of a section of the facility’s fencing and work for the bathrooms.
Matthew insists there is no need to worry, however, as the government fully intends to honour its commitment.
“I just want to assure the public of Antigua and Barbuda that all of the venues will be ready. We’re almost there in terms of our readiness to host what is probably the largest international cricket event on our shores and the nation will be proud,” Matthew told the Antigua Observer.
“The major area of work that needs to be done [in Liberta] is one part of the fencing and so you can be assured that those things will be completed because it is part of our hosting requirement and so we do not have the option to not do it,” he added.
The ICC Under-19 World Cup will take place between 14 January – 5 February.
“We’re actually hosting the quarterfinals, semifinals, and the finals for the Under-19 World Cup, and immediately following that we will be hosting the Test series with England, the Richards-Botham series and so we will be hosting a four-day warm-up match and then go right into the first Test so for the next eight to 10 weeks we should be having a substantial amount of cricket here in Antigua and Barbuda.”
ECB chief insists no decision made on Mott future
England and Wales Cricket Board chief executive Richard Gould has denied reports a decision has already been made on Matthew Mott's future as white-ball coach.
Mott's future has been called into question in the aftermath of England's failure to defend their T20 World Cup crown in the United States and West Indies, losing to India in the semi-finals.
Mott also oversaw England's calamitous 50-over World Cup campaign last year, as they lost six of their nine matches in India and crashed out in the group stage.
Reports earlier this week suggested the decision had already been made to dispense with Mott's services, with Eoin Morgan a contender to succeed him, though the former limited-overs captain has since said he has no interest in the role.
Asked by BBC Test Match Special if Mott's future had already been decided, Gould said: "That's not true. That's certainly not true.
"Matthew Mott is a really good guy and coach. He's got a great track record and it is the same with [captain] Jos [Buttler].
"We are always assessing options - that is what happens in high-performance sport, you are always assessing your options.
"You never want to be drawn into being given the dreaded vote of confidence or anything like that. Competitive sport always brings scrutiny and decisions.
"We'll constantly want to assess our options but we'll always want to do the right thing by the sport, the team and individuals."
West Indies grab three late wickets on day one as third Test against England in the balance
England lost three wickets in a dramatic end to day one of the third Test against West Indies, leaving them in a precarious position after restricting the tourists for 282.
Gus Atkinson finished with figures of 4-67, while Chris Woakes took 3-69 for England, as only a fine sixth-wicket stand from Jason Holder and Joshua Da Silva saved West Indies from being bowled out for a much lower total.
But England, chasing a 3-0 series whitewash, let their dominant position slip when taking up the bat for the final 35 minutes, Zak Crawley (18), Ben Duckett (3) and Mark Wood (0) being dispatched as bowler Jayden Seales dropped them to 38-3.
Windies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite won the toss and chose to bat, leading his side to a solid start before a spell of three wickets in five overs before lunch put England on top.
Atkinson accounted for Mikyle Louis (26) and Alick Athanaze (2) on either side of Wood sending stumps flying with a full delivery to dismiss Kirk McKenize for 12.
Brathwaite's knock of 61 was brought to a halt shortly after the action resumed, the captain gloving Wood's leg-side ball to Jamie Smith as the tourists slid from 76-0 to 115-5 in 45 balls.
Holder (59) and Da Silva (49) then shared 108 to drag the Windies towards a respectable total, but things looked bleak for them when the latter feathered Woakes' ball through to Smith.
Having gone 30 overs without a wicket, England needed just 14 more to polish off the tail, the highlight being a terrific diving catch from Joe Root to send Gudakesh Motie (8) packing.
England were given just over half an hour with the bat to cap Friday's action, but any hopes of a serene finish were soon dashed.
Holder made two terrific catches off Seales' bowling, the first from Crawley's thick outside edge and the second to dismiss Wood for a duck, either side of Alzarri Joseph's cracking delivery accounting for Duckett.
That spell ensured what had been a good day for the hosts ended on a sour note, with the Windies sure to target quick wickets when the action resumes on Saturday.
Data Debrief: Atkinson and Seales dominate
This series began with all the focus on James Anderson as England's greatest-ever bowler bowed out at Lord's, but Atkinson has taken centre-stage since making his Test debut in the opening match and now has 20 wickets through five innings.
That is eight more than West Indies' Jayden Seales, the next-most prolific bowler in this series, has managed.
Seales was determined to have an impact on day one, though, and his two wickets at the death have set the stage for a far more competitive match than those England won at Lord's and Trent Bridge.
Caribbean athletes arrive in Paris, sharing early experiences on social media
The anticipation for the 2024 Paris Olympics is building as Caribbean athletes have arrived in the French capital, sharing their experiences and activities on social media. Ahead of Friday's highly anticipated Opening Ceremony, these athletes are giving fans a glimpse into their Olympic journey.
Dominican triple jumper Thea Lafond was among the first to share her arrival in Paris. In an Instagram post captioned "We Made It," she stands proudly with her husband and coach in front of a Paris 2024 banner, capturing the excitement of reaching this milestone. Her coach and husband, Aaron Gadson, has been documenting their stay in Paris on his Instagram page, showcasing their arrival, the layout of the Olympic Village, and various facilities, including the training center, cafeteria, and entertainment center.
Team Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is also in Paris ahead of the games. The SVG Olympic Committee shared images on Instagram of their team, which includes swimmers Alexander Joachim and Kennice Greene, poolside and in training for the Olympics. Joachim and Greene are set to compete in the 50m freestyle events. Track and field athletes Shafiqua Maloney and Handal Roban, competing in the women's and men's 800m events respectively, have also been spotted training on the track.
Jamaica's athletes have started to arrive in Paris as well. Navasky Anderson, who will run in the 800m, posted on Instagram about his arrival and shared videos from the Olympic Village, showing his teammates in high spirits. Jaydon Hibbert, set to compete in the men's triple jump, detailed his journey to Paris in a vlog on his X and Instagram accounts, capturing the excitement of arriving with teammates and settling into the Olympic Village.
Long jumper Chanice Porter took to Instagram to share photos of herself and other athletes in Paris. She reposted a photo with Cejhae Green, an Antiguan and Barbudan sprinter competing in the men's 100m. In an Instagram story, Porter can be seen sitting in the Olympic rings beside teammate Jehlani Gordon, who will compete in the 4x100m relay.
Barbadian athlete Sada Williams, who will compete in the women’s 400m, announced her arrival in Paris with a picture captioned "Paris, I've arrived!" on Instagram, adding to the growing excitement among fans.
Fans have been flooding the athletes' posts with positive comments, offering words of encouragement and praise. The vibrant social media updates have not only provided a behind-the-scenes look at the Olympic preparations but have also heightened the anticipation and excitement for the upcoming games.
As more Caribbean athletes continue to arrive in Paris, their enthusiasm and high spirits are palpable. They are eager to represent their countries and showcase their talents on the world stage, bringing pride to their nations and inspiring fans back home.
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