Saim Ayub and Shai Hope each scored a half-century as the Guyana Amazon Warriors completed a dominant six-wicket victory over the Trinbago Knight Riders and maintain their unbeaten start to the 2023 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) campaign on Tuesday night.

The Amazon Warriors won the toss and opted to field first. The decision went in their favour when they restricted the Knight Riders to 45-2 at the end of the PowerPlay. However, despite taking regular wickets the Knight Riders had several useful cameos throughout their innings to post a challenging 173 to win.

The Amazon Warriors timed their chase perfectly in reply and had an excellent partnership between Ayub and Hope to thank as the two batters scored half centuries to lay the foundation for the Amazon Warriors power hitters to seal the victory at the death.

In the first innings, the Knight Riders got off to a bad start losing Mark Deyal and Nicholas Pooran in the PowerPlay, the latter falling to a tremendous one-handed catch from wicket keeper Azam Khan.

When Martin Guptil skied one off the bowling of Imran Tahir to leave the Knight Riders on 57-3, the innings needed rebuilding.

Akeal Hosein and Lorcan Tucker stepped up to task the and put the Knight Riders back in the game before Tucker was run out for 38 off 25 balls.

Andre Russell kept the momentum up by hitting a couple of Republic Bank maximums before he departed for a quick-fire 14. His dismissal brought Kieron Pollard to the wicket and the captain responded with a brutal 25 from 12 balls, however, like those before him he failed to kick on.

Ultimately the innings was underpinned by Akeal Hosein. His unbeaten 44 helping to guide the Knight Riders to a competitive score of 172-8.

Much like the Knight Riders, the Amazon Warriors were to get their innings off to an inauspicious start. Chandrapaul Hemraj falling inside the first two overs for 10.

However, Ayub and Hope went on to lay the foundation for the Amazon Warriors chase with a brilliantly constructed partnership of 93 from 67 balls.

Despite Ayub (62) and Hope (51) eventually falling at the back end of the innings. Azam Khan and Shimron Hetmyer hit several Republic Bank maximums to seal the win in style.

The victory means the Amazon Warriors return to the top of the 2023 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) table.

Scores: Guyana Amazon Warriors 175-4 (Ayub 62, Hope 51; Russell 2-29, Khan 2-30) beat Trinbago Knight Riders 172-8 (Hosein 44*, Tucker 38; Smith 3-31, Paul 1-17) by six wickets

The Guyana Amazon Warriors Women got their first win of the 2023 WCPL season with a 21-run triumph over the Trinbago Knight Riders Women at the Queen’s Park Oval on Tuesday.

The Amazon Warriors posted 132 all out in 19.5 overs after winning the toss. Sophie Devine continued her good form this season with a top score of 48 while Captain Stafanie Taylor made 32 against four-wicket hauls from Anisa Mohammed and Marie Kelly for TKR.

Knight Riders Captain Deandra Dottin then led the way with 35 but it wasn’t enough as they were restricted to 111-9 off their 20 overs.

Shreyanka Patil (2-15 from four), Karishma Ramharack (2-16 from four), Sophie Devine (2-27 from four) and Shabnim Ismail (2-29 from four) all bowled well for the Amazon Warriors.

A one-man batting show from Jonny Bairstow was not enough for England as New Zealand sealed a six-wicket win at Trent Bridge to level the T20 series 2-2.

England captain Jos Buttler rested himself for the decider and would have been happy with what he saw as Bairstow smashed 73 from 41 balls at the top of the order, with six sixes and five fours to his name.

That conjured memories of his match-winning Test century against the same opponents at the same ground last summer, but after he holed out in the 12th over England ran out of steam as they slowed to 175 for eight.

Dawid Malan and Liam Livingstone both made 26 but neither were fully fluent as the Black Caps reasserted control with their spin contingent, who shared six wickets.

Meanwhile Harry Brook, whose hopes of forcing his way into England’s World Cup squad puts both Malan and Livingstone at some risk, could only manage four.

After finishing the England innings with five for 38 in the last five overs, New Zealand came out firing and made a confident pursuit to complete their comeback from 2-0 down with Buttler making an unexpected substitute’s outing behind the stumps after Bairstow reported a niggle.

Tim Seifert (48), Glenn Phillips (42) and Mark Chapman (40no) combined to take down England, who could not keep a check on the boundary count.

The pick of the home side’s bowling attack was 18-year-old Rehan Ahmed, making his debut on home soil after his rapid rise over the winter.

He was sharp and economical with two for 27 in his four-over allocation and also completed a run out, a timely reminder of his promise almost six months since his last England appearance.

The real business is now set to begin, with a ODI series starting in Cardiff on Friday in what represents a final warm-up for next month’s World Cup in India.

But England, whose evening ended with 16 balls unbowled as Luke Wood mis-fielded to gift the winning runs, will need to sharpen up.

Jonny Bairstow hammered 73 as he carried England to 175 for eight in their T20 series decider against New Zealand.

Bairstow was in bruising form at Trent Bridge, giving the Black Caps an unwanted reminder of last summer’s memorable Test century in Nottingham, nailing six sixes and five fours as he made the most of a 41-ball stay.

With England leading 2-1 at the start of this fourth and final match, Bairstow threatened to drag the game away from the tourists but his departure in the 12th over heralded a shift in momentum.

With captain Jos Buttler resting himself New Zealand snapped up four for 35 to chip away at the middle order and finished well as England managed just 38 off the last five overs. Six wickets fell to spin, with Mitch Santner claiming three for 30.

Bairstow began in electric form as he came out swinging and rendered his opening partner Will Jacks a virtual bystander.

The Yorkshireman, favouring the leg side, jabbed Matt Henry for six over midwicket, milked Santner’s first visit, then greeted Kyle Jamieson by twice heaving him over the ropes. When Tim Southee attempted to exert some contol with a fuller length, he was pumped over long-on.

Jacks, who would later nick Ish Sodhi for 16 to complete a quiet series, was confined to rotating the strike as his partner accounted for 43 of the first 50 runs.

No English batter has ever reached a half-century inside the six-over powerplay before but Bairstow came within two runs of the feat, all at a flamboyant strike rate of exactly 200.

With Jacks gone, Bairstow continued to carry the show, bringing up the England hundred by stepping back and lifting a Santner drag-down for his sixth six. He was gone next ball, looking for another big blow down the ground, but he had left a formidable platform.

England threatened to waste it somewhat as Dawid Malan and Harry Brook – the former in possession of a preliminary World Cup spot that the the latter covets – both failed to convince.

The Brook bandwagon has put pressure on the selectors since he was omitted from the provisional squad for next month’s tournament, but he made four from eight balls and was caught off a modest Sodhi delivery.

Malan made his way to a sluggish 26 but picked out deep square when he tried to pick things up against Santner in the 16th. Moeen Ali went the same way moments later as England threatened to fall away and Sam Curran also came and went quickly.

Liam Livingstone hit a couple of sixes as he chipped in 26 before Henry dismissed him with the closing ball of the innings, while Rehan Ahmed also cleared the ropes on his home international debut. But New Zealand finished strongly, keeping the total well below the predicted peak during Bairstow’s assault.

Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) president Christopher Samuda welcomes discussions to possibly include cricket in the Olympic Games for a second time in its history, as he believes it will provide the much-need shot in the arm required to move the sport forward, financially and otherwise, from a Jamaica and Caribbean perspective.

With the executive board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) set to deliberate new sports to be welcomed into the fold, cricket is said to be among those being strongly considered for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

According to reports, men’s and women’s Twenty20 cricket is heavily favoured to make the cut to become an Olympic sport for just the second time since the 1900 Paris Games, as IOC president Thomas Bach is reportedly a big fan of bringing the sport on board, given its mass appeal in countries such as India, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Those three nations are by no means world-beaters in other Olympic sports, but if cricket was included for 2028, the tournament would no doubt command the attention of sports enthusiasts, especially with England, Australia and New Zealand, expected to be involved.

However, it is understood that organisers would only allow cricket at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles under the condition that flag football –a non-contact version of American football –would also be added to the Games.

Still, Samuda believes cricket being considered is a win, in and of itself for the sport, and if it does in fact get included in the 2028 multi-sport showpiece, the move could have a far-reaching impact on Jamaica and the wider Caribbean, especially at a time when there are overwhelming concerns about the failure of West Indies cricket.

“The JOA welcomes discussions on the inclusion of cricket on the agenda for the LA 2028 Olympic Games as an expression, not only of inclusivity, but also of global sport maturing in response to diversity and imperative of engaging a fraternity which has, as others, become highly commercial,” Samuda said.

“A sporting, but also, a cultural institution in the lives of West Indians, a name historically inherited with colonialism which geopolitical historians now show a preference for the Caribbean.

“Cricket’s inclusion will give the sport in Jamaica and the Caribbean a well needed fillip and an opportunity for capital to commercialize the sport for its own sustainability without compromising Olympic values, for at the JOA, we celebrate character and merit as pre-requisite to rewarding monetarily,” he told Sportsmax.tv.

The number of sports contested at the Olympic Games has rapid increased in recent times.

With the addition of golf, some 38 sports were played at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, but that number jumped to 46 at the Tokyo Games, as 3x3 basketball, BMX, karate, rugby sevens, baseball, softball, skateboarding, surfing and speed climbing were all added.

The number will drop to 45 for next year’s Paris Games with the culling of baseball/softball and karate, while breakdancing has been included for the first time.

Twenty20 cricket already enjoyed somewhat of a test run at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham with an eight-team women’s tournament.

Barbados was a part of that historic tournament which saw Australia, India, and New Zealand, winning the medals.

On that note, Samuda weighed in on the views of whether Jamaica and other Caribbean islands would compete individually or collectively under the West Indies umbrella.

“The debate as to whether the Caribbean should compete as individual countries, as obtained in the Olympic movement, or collectively as the West Indies, should consider that independence encourages the development of talent and accentuates a national identity and pride which are priceless qualities of nationhood,” Samuda shared.

“As small as we are in the Caribbean with bigger countries having an unfair numerical advantage, our instincts at surviving and our ability to do so admirably, has been demonstrated in other sport such as football and track and field,” he added.

In any case, Samuda pointed out that once the business model of the sport is properly aligned with the prospects, then the potential exists for positive spinoffs, financial and otherwise, from a qualifying tournament alone.

“Cricket still has the ability of mass appeal and its inclusion in the Olympic Games will serve to deepen its capital, and the playing of qualifying tournaments, if the sport’s business model is right, will heighten interest across generations and gender and attract investment,” he reasoned.

“Sport is a qualitative investment in the human capital and there are many social and cultural values that can be learnt at the crease over and above the boundaries of sport,” the JOA president noted.

Surrey took a big step towards successive LV= Insurance County Championship titles,  needing just four overs on day three to secure a convincing victory over Warwickshire by an innings and 97 runs.

Surrey brought up their eighth win of the Division One campaign, increasing their advantage over their promotion rivals.

Warwickshire lost 17 wickets on day two at the Kia Oval and were soon bowled out for 138 after resuming play still 109 runs behind the leaders at 126 for seven.

It did not take long for the hosts to see off their opponents, with
victory coming just 15 minutes into the day’s play when Jordan Clark bowled last man Chris Rushworth for six with the last ball of his second over.

In Division Two, Leicestershire kept themselves in the hunt for promotion with an eight-wicket win over Gloucestershire.

After Rishi Patel and Sol Budinger lost their wickets early in the piece, an unbeaten partnership between Colin Ackermann (93) and skipper Lewis Hill (62) which yielded 161 runs guided the hosts to their 168 target inside 42 overs at Uptonsteel Grace Road.

The Foxes still have work to do but have a game in hand away to Sussex next week, victory there could set up an intriguing final couple of games in which Leicestershire and their chief promotion rivals Worcestershire both face the same opponents – Yorkshire and Durham – in their last two fixtures.

Worcestershire, who sit one place above Leicestershire, strengthened their grip on second place with an 80-run win defeat of Glamorgan at New Road.

Their fifth victory of the campaign came with more than a day to spare and handed Glamorgan their first loss in the competition this season.

Sri Lanka Under-19s were 163-3 at stumps on a rain-affected day one of their first youth Test against the West Indies Under-19s at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium on Tuesday.

Only 38 overs were possible on the day after the hosts won the toss and decided to bat first.

Opener Pulindu Perera, who hit 155 in the third ODI last week, followed that up with a 66-ball 71 including eight fours and two sixes.

Captain Sineth Jayawardene, who opened the batting as well, made a run-a-ball 34 while Ravishan Nethsara ended the day 31*.

Tarrique Edward, Nathan Sealy and Isai Thorne are the West Indian wicket-takers, so far.

England spinner Sarah Glenn says cricket would be the perfect fit for the Olympic Games.

International Olympic Council president Thomas Bach has hinted in a recent interview that he would like to see T20 cricket added to the roster of sports at the 2028 Los Angeles games.

Glenn was part of the squad that represented England at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and would relish the chance to play in LA.

“Definitely, cricket is a sport that can fit anywhere and it would be exciting if that happens,” she said.

“It will be a weird feeling because we are used to driving towards the World Cup and Ashes, they are such unique events for us.

“It will have a weird feeling to start with but it would develop into something that we would really want to win and take charge of, a bit like when we were in the Commonwealth Games.

“We didn’t know what to expect, the opening ceremony was very different, but once we got out there it was just a game of cricket.

“Hopefully, it could also open cricket to a new audience that is invested in to the Olympic Games. We always want to push our game forward.”

Glenn is part of the England squad that is hoping to wrap up a T20 series win over Sri Lanka.

Heather Knight’s side were pegged back in the three-match series on Sunday, meaning Wednesday’s match at Derby is the decider.

It is the perfect venue for Glenn, who was born in the city and has many special memories at the County Ground.

“It is really special, I grew up playing here and grew up coming to watch the cricket and asking for autographs afterwards,” she said.

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“So it is quite a special ground and I will definitely be engaging with the crowd after the game as well.

“Back then I didn’t know as much about women’s cricket, it wasn’t in the public’s eye as much and seeing that young girls can have female cricketers as role models is really exciting.

“I definitely wasn’t expecting to now be giving autographs, but it naturally just happened because I enjoyed the game. It will be nice to chat to fans after the game and hopefully inspire them.”

Lauren Bell will not be involved for England after she pulled out of the match, and forthcoming one-day series, due to illness.

Middlesex’s Josh de Caires took career-best figures of seven for 105 as Essex were reduced to 303 for nine on day one of their LV= Insurance County Championship Division One clash.

Nick Browne (59) and Sir Alastair Cook (58) put on a century stand before De Caires, the 21-year-old son of Michael Atherton, took centre stage.

His efforts saw Essex reduced to 169 for five inside 16 overs en route to 303 for nine at the close.

Surrey are set to extend their lead at the top of Division One after taking 17 wickets on the second day at the Oval.

The hosts were all out for 396 and Warwickshire were subsequently bowled out for 161 thanks to Kemar Roach (four for 64) and Dan Worrall (three for 34).

Surrey then enforced the follow-on and the Bears quickly fell to 35 for five as Worrall and Jordan Clark took three wickets each.

Dan Mousley remains at the crease with an unbeaten 60, but Warwickshire closed on 126 for seven, still trailing by 109.

Keith Barker’s five-wicket haul saw Hampshire take control as Somerset were all out for 137.

Kyle Abbott’s dismissal saw Jack Brooks earn his first five-wicket haul of the season as the hosts were all out for 308 in the morning.

Barker then got off to a flying start to dismiss Sean Dickson in the third over and Andrew Umeed top-scored for Somerset with 43, leaving Hampshire to resume on day three on 45 without loss.

Josh Bohannon’s mammoth knock put Lancashire in the driving seat as they lead Northamptonshire by 160 runs.

The 26-year-old batted nearly the entire day to hit 175, his highest score of the season, and shared a partnership of 150 with George Balderson.

Alex Lees and Graham Clark both put on centuries as Durham took advantage against Sussex in Division Two.

Lees earned his fifth Championship century of the season with 103, putting on a 146-run partnership with Scott Borthwick, who scored 56.

The hosts lead by 158 with five wickets remaining and Clark (102*) and De Leede (71*) remained unbeaten at stumps.

A vital final session saw Leicestershire regain control over Gloucestershire on an eventful day two.

From a position of relative comfort overnight, Colin Ackermann’s dismissal saw the hosts collapse from 150 for three to 204 all out with top-scorer Rishi Patel earning 73.

Patel became Luke Charlesworth’s maiden first-class victim and the bowler took three wickets in total alongside Zaman Akhter’s four for 46.

Gloucestershire posted 95 for three at tea, but Leicestershire regained the upper hand through Tom Scriven (three for 43) as the visitors closed on 179 for eight, with a lead of 134.

Jamie McIlroy’s four wickets helped Glamorgan fightback as Worcestershire closed day two on 127 for eight in their second innings.

Eighteen wickets fell on the second day, including Logan van Beek’s four wicket-haul as Glamorgan were reduced to 170 all out, as wicketkeeper Chris Cooke top-scored with 38, but Worcestershire still held the advantage with a first-innings lead of 114.

However, McIlroy returned career-best figures of four wickets for 27 runs as the hosts reached stumps on 127 for eight.

Wayne Madsen missed out on a century in his 200th first-class appearance for Derbyshire as Yorkshire took a 229-run lead at Scarborough.

Madsen hit 93 for the visitors along with opener Mitch Wagstaff, who also posted 52, but they were soon reduced from 173 for three to 247 all out.

Seam duo Matthew Fisher and Jordan Thompson both claimed three wickets each for Yorkshire, who built on their lead in the second innings finishing the day on 179 for two.

Openers Fin Bean and Adam Lyth put on a century stand before James Wharton and captain Shan Masood scored an unbroken half-century partnership to close.

West Indies pacer Kemar Roach took four wickets in the first innings to help Surrey have a 109-run lead over Warwickshire at stumps on day two of their County Championship fixture at the Kia Oval on Monday.

Roach grabbed figures of 4-64 from 13 overs to help restrict Warwickshire to 161 all out in 44.3 overs replying to Surrey’s first innings total of 396.

Michael Burgess led the way for Warwickshire with 54 while West Indies Test captain Kraigg Brathwaite made 16.

Roach’s new ball partner, Daniel Worrall, provided excellent support with 3-34 from 12 overs while Tom Lawes took 2-27 off 6.3 overs.

At stumps on day two, Warwickshire were 126-7 off 33 overs following on. Dan Mousley ended the day 60* off 70 balls. Kraigg Brathwaite followed up his first innings 16 with nine.

Worrall (3-17 from seven) and Jordan Clark (3-22 from six) have done most of the damage so far in the second innings.

Scores: Surrey 396 off 109.4 overs (Ben Foakes 125, Cameron Steel 71, Dom Sibley 65, Jamie Smith 60)

Warwickshire 161 off 44.3 overs (Michael Burgess 54, Kemar Roach 4-64, Daniel Worrall 3-34) & 126-7 off 33 overs (Dan Mousley 60*, Daniel Worrall 3-17, Jordan Clark 3-22)

Harry Brook’s World Cup hopes continue to loom large as England prepare for their T20 decider against New Zealand, with vice-captain Moeen Ali admitting a selection U-turn remains possible.

Brook was left out of a preliminary 15-man squad for next month’s 50-over title defence after Ben Stokes returned from one-day retirement to take up a place in the middle order.

That was a surprising move given the 24-year-old’s burgeoning reputation and Brook reacted in the perfect manner, crashing a stunning century in his final innings of The Hundred before adding rapid-fire knocks of 43 not out and 67 in victories over the Black Caps.

Skipper Jos Buttler appeared to leave the door ajar for the Yorkshireman by saying there was a “long time” before the official September 28 deadline and noted that Brook was not in the squad “at the moment”.

Speaking ahead of the summer’s final T20 at Trent Bridge, with England 2-1 ahead despite a 74-run defeat on Sunday, Moeen acknowledged the issue was far from settled.

“He’s been unlucky to miss out but the way he’s playing he could come back in, you never know,” said the all-rounder.

“Harry Brook is going to be a great player and he’s playing great at the minute. It’s a great headache to have as a side and I’m sure the captain and the coaches are thinking the same thing.

“It’s so difficult for the captain and the coaches, so I’m glad it’s not my call.”

Dawid Malan is the player who may find his spot under threat should Brook make another statement in Nottingham. He revealed he was relieved to see his name in the provisional announcement given the tight squeeze for batting places has scored just two runs from 15 deliveries in his last two innings to invite further pressure.

But Moeen has made it clear that his track record in limited-overs cricket, where he has been a reliable scorer for several years, will not easily be overlooked.

“One thing with Malan is, he’s never let the team down,” said Moeen.

“You’re guaranteed runs from him, he hardly ever fails. He’s been on all the tours and done really well, he’s always scored runs. He’s a top player in his own right, he’s never let England down. These last two innings, he’s obviously human and people do miss out, but he will score a lot of runs for England to come.”

Both Moeen and Malan are 36, the latter’s birthday celebrations stymied by Sunday’s heavy defeat, and form part of a seasoned side that looks ripe for renewal in 2024.

Opener Jason Roy has already suggested as much and Moeen is not shrinking from the fact that he could be approaching the end of his ODI career.

“A lot can happen still but I think not just for England, for most countries, there are a lot of players in their mid-thirties who might just think about retiring after the World Cup,” he said.

“I’ve not really fully thought about it but it potentially could be, yeah.”

In the immediate term, England will be eager to deny New Zealand a share of the spoils in the T20 finale and, while a clean sweep would have been good for confidence, Moeen sees the benefit of tuning up with a decider.

“I think it’s difficult to compare 50 overs to T20s, but it’s good being under pressure as a side,” he said.

“I think we’ll learn more in the 50-over series but still you can learn, the T20 World Cup’s not too far away and on these kind of wickets we need to adapt better. New Zealand are a top side, they have been for many years. They’re very dangerous with a lot of very good players.”

 Rahkeem Cornwall bludgeoned his way to the first CPL ton this season as the Barbados Royals successfully chased 221 runs to complete a remarkable eight-wicket win over the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots in the 2023 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) on Sunday.

St Kitts and Nevis Patriots won the toss and chose to bat first, and they reaped the rewards as Andre Fletcher and Will Smeed put together the highest opening partnership of this year’s tournament so far, 115 runs, to galvanize their team. A rapid half-century from captain Sherfane Rutherford, from just 24 balls, would then propel the total to 220-4 after 20 overs.

However, Barbados Royals would produce a sensational chase in response, Rahkeem Cornwall leading the way with a 45-ball century to ensure they achieved a stunning eight-wicket victory in front of a home crowd.

It was a sublime batting performance from the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots, with Andre Fletcher and Will Smeed guiding their team to 70-0 in the PowerPlay.  Their partnership would reach 115 before Rahkeem Cornwall would dismiss them both with his off-spin.

The Patriots continued to try to accelerate the score, and in a tactical move, batter Jyd Goolie was retired out in the 17th over, having scored 22 off 16 balls. Captain Sherfane Rutherford would showcase his destructive abilities, scoring 65 runs in just 27 balls, his innings including five sixes, to allow the Patriots to reach a formidable 220-4 after 20 overs.

Barbados Royals would themselves have an effective PowerPlay; despite losing the wicket of Kyle Mayers, they scored 67 runs in the first six overs of their chase.

Rahkeem Cornwall would launch his way to a 23-ball half century, as the Royals continued to find the boundary after the fielding restrictions were lifted. 

Cornwall continued to unleash the big shots as he reached a century in just 45 balls, his first CPL century. Cornwall would retire hurt after reaching 102 runs, but Rovman Powell and Alick Athanaze would see the Royals home, ensuring they won by eight wickets, as they finished on 223-2.

The next leg of the 2023 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) will continue on Tuesday evening as the action reaches Trinidad & Tobago.

Scores: Barbados Royals 223-2 (Cornwall 102, Powell 49*; Bosch 1-29, Drakes 1-34) beat St Kitts and Nevis Patriots 220-4 (Rutherford 65, Smeed 63, Cornwall 2-27, Brathwaite 1-66) by eight wickets.

The Barbados Royals kept their unbeaten record thanks to Erin Burns producing a great half-century in the 2023 Massy Caribbean Premier League (WCPL).

In the WCPL’s final match in Barbados for 2023, the Amazon Warriors won the toss and batted first as they did in their last fixture, ending in a similar fashion to the opener between these same teams last Thursday.

In much similarity to their opener, a strong Powerplay of 51-0 set the visitors on their way before a rebuild led by some big hitting from Natasha McLean got them to a competitive total.

Run rate was never an issue in reply to 146 for the Royals but with wickets falling frequently Burns’ resistance was required to win the game; late partnerships with the lower-order flipped the match in their favour, finishing the chase in the final over.

In a near-carbon copy of the opening match of the 2023 WCPL with Sophie Devine and Suzie Bates leading off the first innings in a similar fashion to that of Thursday night. Hayley Matthews used seven different bowlers inside the opening eight overs, searching for the all-important breakthrough.

The Kiwi pair put on 74 for an opening stand before Amanda-Jade Wellington produced the perfect leg-spinner's delivery to dismiss Bates for 30 in a pick-of-the-bowlers spell of 1-21.

With Devine looking set for another half-century, the Amazon Warriors’ innings was setback to a restart when Devine fell to a good catch in the deep by Aaliyah Alleyne with the score at just 78.

After persisting against a long list of spinners from the Royals, the visitors were able to rebuild with McLean leading the way with three sixes in her 26-ball 38, helping the Warriors to 146-4.

In reply, Matthews and Laura Harris got starts once again for the Royals; the latter scoring all 18 of her runs from sixes before being dismissed by the experience of Shakera Selman featuring for the first time with the ball in the 2023 edition.

With wickets falling frequently through Selman and Patil, the Royals were 75-5 from 10 overs and the match was in the balance. Burns’ timely knock when wickets fell around her continued the Australian’s remarkable form in the WCPL, knocking off the final 30 runs in 14 balls, winning the match with four balls to spare in an unbeaten 42-run partnership with Wellington.

Guyana Amazon Warriors face up to Trinbago Knight Riders next as the tournament moves on to Trinidad.

Scores: Barbados Royals 147-7 (Burns 53*, Matthews 22; Patil 4-34, Selman 2-15) beat Guyana Amazon Warriors 146-4 (Devine 42, McLean 38; Burns 2-32, Wellington 1-21) by three wickets.

England assistant coach Marcus Trescothick acknowledges World Cup selection is causing anxiety amongst the squad but has backed Dawid Malan and Liam Livingstone to come good.

Malan and Livingstone struggled during Sunday’s emphatic 74-run defeat to New Zealand at Edgbaston, which kept the four-match T20 series finely poised at 2-1 to the world champions ahead of Tuesday’s finale in Nottingham.

While Malan and Livingstone were both named in last month’s preliminary squad for the 50-over World Cup, Harry Brook remains the elephant in the room after Ben Stokes’ decision to reverse his ODI retirement saw Brook left out.

Brook has responded in scintillating fashion and even white-ball captain Jos Buttler admitted there is a “long time” left with England not forced to nail down their final 15-man squad until September 28.

Trescothick admitted: “When there is that element and the noise from outside the changing room is going on, of course you start to question (things) sometimes, especially if you are not playing well, but you deal with these anxieties and problems on many occasions.

“It is up to the individuals, with our help as coaches, to get the best out of them and to get them in the right frame of mind. That’s all you try and do, right?

“You can only keep going into the middle, keep going into the nets and doing the right things because eventually it falls back into place.

“These are challenging times and we know that. Selection always brings that little something but it is about pushing and to keep giving them that opportunity.

“That is what we will do from our point of view, support them as much as we can and give them every opportunity then leave the rest for either them to score runs or the selectors to do what they want to do after that.”

If Brook is to force his way into England’s World Cup squad and final XI, Malan and Livingstone are heading up the list of vulnerable parties.

Malan contributed an 11-ball innings of two in Birmingham after a four-ball duck at Old Trafford and while he scored 54 in the series opener, the 36-year-old was dropped by Trent Rockets in last month’s Hundred to highlight his lack of fluency.

But Trescothick insisted: “We have been working at various times in the nets and opportunities when we do, talking about the fundamentals of what he does when he plays well and what he gets right.

“We won’t change that practice in what we’re trying to achieve, but it takes a bit of time.

“You know when you are going from not having batted much for the period the players have been in The Hundred, they need an innings, they need a score.

“Sometimes it is a journey, sometimes it is quickly but we will keep doing the same stuff and eventually it will click back into place. There is no doubt about it.”

Trescothick is equally convinced about Livingstone despite a lean spell with the bat with a top score of 28 in The Hundred, while he has not passed fifty for England since last July against Netherlands.

“Before we know it, he will be back and playing a major part,” England’s assistant coach said of Livingstone, who took one wicket for 55 on Sunday.

“He has played a decent amount of games, but he wouldn’t have batted a massive amount, so you still need that rhythm, timing and volume of balls you face. That’s what we will try between now and going into the World Cup to obviously get that volume up.

“The package Liam brings, the all-round cricketer we know he is and what we’ve seen in the past, let’s just give him that little bit of time.

“We know what he can do. He can win you the game with the ball or win you the game in the field, or with the bat so let’s let it happen.”

Trinbago Knight Riders recorded a dramatic two-run win over defending champions Jamaica Tallawahs in the 2023 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) on Sunday.

 Jamaica Tallawahs won the toss and chose to field first, producing a disciplined bowling performance to restrict Trinbago Knight Riders to 142-8 after 20 overs. Kelvin Pitman, making his CPL debut, had an outstanding game as he took three wickets, including that of the opposing captain, Kieron Pollard.

The Tallawahs would have a bright start to their chase but would lose four wickets in the first 10 overs to find themselves in trouble. Waqar Salamkheil and Andre Russell, would prove decisive, taking five wickets between them and restricting runs as the Tallawahs faltered to 140-7, losing by just 2 runs.

The Jamaican franchise got off to an ideal start to the game with experienced seamer Mohammad Amir delivering an opening maiden over.

Openers Martin Guptil and Mark Deyal would however bat through the Powerplay and build a solid foundation to the Knight Riders innings with a 58-run partnership. The complexion of the tie would then completely change as the Knight Riders lost three wickets, including that of Nicholas Pooran, for just five runs. Kelvin Pitman, on debut for the Tallawahs, took two of those wickets within the same over in a brilliant display. The Knight Riders attempts to accelerate the scoring were derailed as they would lose five wickets in the last five overs to finish on 142-8.

Jamaica Tallawahs opened their chase with captain Brandon King and Alex Hales, the duo also batting through the powerplay as they put on a 57-run partnership.

Brandon King lost his wicket to the leg spin of Salamkheil; Jermaine Blackwood was also dismissed four balls later to a super Nicholas Pooran catch, and when Shamarh Brooks departed the very next ball, the Tallawahs looked in trouble at 58-3. More wickets would tumble and despite a late flurry of runs from Chris Green and Imad Wasim, they would ultimately lose by two runs in a nail-biting finish.

 Trinbago Knight Riders will look to continue their winning form as they play their next four games in front of a home crowd.
Scores: Trinbago Knight Riders 142-8 (Pollard 33, Tucker 30, Deyal 30; Amir 3-20, Pitman 3-27) beat Jamaica Tallawahs 140-7 (King 36, Green 32; Russell 3-34, Salamkheil 2-21) by two runs