In a thrilling turn of events at the 2024 draft of The Hundred, five West Indies power-hitting batters clinched top-bracket contracts, setting the stage for an electrifying season ahead. The draft, held on Wednesday, saw these dynamic players securing lucrative deals worth £125,000 each, promising an explosive display of cricketing prowess when the latest season of The Hundred kicks off on July 23.

The Northern Superchargers made the headlines by selecting Nicholas Pooran as their first pick, highlighting the team's strategic focus on acquiring top-tier talent. Pooran's exceptional batting prowess and aggressive style make him a formidable force on the field, adding depth and flair to the Superchargers' lineup.

London Spirit secured the services of two West Indian powerhouses, with Andre Russell and Shimron Hetmyer joining their ranks. Known for their ability to smash boundaries with ease, Russell and Hetmyer are expected to bring an exciting brand of cricket to the Spirit camp, captivating fans with their explosive stroke play.

Meanwhile, Southern Brave strengthened their batting lineup by acquiring the services of Kieron Pollard, adding the experienced all-rounder's firepower to their arsenal. Pollard's ability to turn the game on its head with his big-hitting prowess makes him a valuable asset for the Brave as they aim for glory in The Hundred.

Rovman Powell emerged as a top pick for Trent Rockets, further solidifying the West Indian presence in the tournament. Powell's aggressive batting style and knack for scoring quick runs make him a perfect fit for the Rockets' lineup, providing the team with a dynamic middle-order batsman capable of changing the course of a game single-handedly.

While the draft brought joy to these five West Indian stars, there was disappointment for Trinidad and Tobago's mystery spinner Sunil Narine, who went undrafted. Despite his absence from the draft, Narine remains a formidable force in the world of cricket, with his unique bowling skills and all-round abilities.

A four-wicket haul from Jason Holder put the Barbados Pride in a strong position over the Trinidad & Tobago Red Force at stumps on day one of their fifth round 2024 West Indies Championship fixture at the Queen’s Park Oval on Wednesday.

Holder starred with 4-47 from 17 overs as the Pride restricted the Red Force to 172 all out from just 53.5 overs after the Red Force won the toss.

Amidst the carnage, Amir Jangoo played brilliantly to finish 93* off 159 balls including 14 fours.

Chemar Holder and Shaquille Cumberbatch provided good support for Holder with 3-28 off 10.5 overs and 3-50 off 11 overs, respectively.

At stumps, the Pride reached 99-4 off 35.4 overs. Zachary McCaskie top scored with 46 while captain Kraigg Brathwaite made 30.

Khary Pierre has so far taken 2-18 from 12 overs.

Full Scores: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force 172 off 53.5 overs (Amir Jangoo 93*, Jason Holder 4-47, Chemar Holder 3-28, Shaquille Cumberbatch 3-50)

Barbados Pride 99-4 off 35.4 overs (Zachary McCaskie 46, Kraigg Brathwaite 30, Khary Pierre 2-18)

At Coolidge, leaders Windward Islands Volcanoes trail the Guyana Harpy Eagles by 296 runs at stumps on day one.

Full Scores: Guyana Harpy Eagles 308 off 80.5 overs (Kevin Sinclair 74, Kevlon Anderson 48, Gudakesh Motie 46, Veerasammy Permaul 30, Darel Cyrus 5-67)

Windward Islands Volcanoes 12-0 off four overs

At Sabina Park, the Jamaica Scorpions were 173-6 off 51.4 overs at stumps.

Full Scores: Jamaica Scorpions 173-6 off 51.4 overs (Carlos Brown 68*, Romaine Morris 42, Jeremiah Louis 3-34, Collin Archibald 2-23)

At the Sir Frank Worrell Memorial Ground, Combined Campuses and Colleges trail West Indies Academy by 289 runs at stumps.

Full Scores: West Indies Academy 300 all out off 78.3 overs (Carlon Bowen-Tuckett 76*, Johan Layne 63, Joshua Dorne 36, Joshua Bishop 32, Yannic Ottley 5-47, Jediah Blades 3-59)

Combined Campuses and Colleges 11-1 off five overs

Jason Roy and David Warner were overlooked in The Hundred draft as Andrew Flintoff kick-started a West Indies rush by snapping up Nicholas Pooran with his first pick.

Roy was released by Oval Invincibles after a modest past couple of seasons and a £100,000 base price plus his expected participation in Major League Cricket, which has a minor schedule clash with The Hundred this year, seems to have put off potential bidders.

England’s 2019 World Cup-winning opening batter was not the only big name snub as Australia left-hander Warner, New Zealand’s Kane Williamson and Pakistan’s Babar Azam were also unsold.

Instead, there was a distinct Caribbean flavour at the outset of the men’s draft as five of the seven buys in the top-tier £125,000 bracket went on big-hitting Windies stars.

Former England captain Flintoff, having been appointed Northern Superchargers men’s head coach in November in his first official role since returning to cricket, plumped for Pooran, who was bought for 2million US dollars (around £1.56million) in this year’s Indian Premier League auction.

After finishing bottom of the pile last year, the Superchargers had the first chance to fill up their squads at an event hosted at the Shard on Wednesday and Flintoff also added Daniel Sams for £100,000, Tom Lawes for £50,000 and Graham Clark for £40,000 to his roster.

London Spirit offered £125,000 deals to Andre Russell and Shimron Hetmyer while Rovman Powell and Kieron Pollard are set to receive the same remuneration from Trent Rockets and Southern Brave respectively.

As there is no schedule clash between The Hundred and the Caribbean Premier League this year, many teams have stocked up on proven Windies talents.

Welsh Fire paid £125,000 for Tom Kohler-Cadmore as did Birmingham Phoenix for Pakistan quick Naseem Shah, while England duo Ollie Pope and Dawid Malan were purchased for £50,000 by Oval Invincibles and London Spirit respectively.

Mark Wood was also conspicuously overlooked at a reserve price of £100,000 for a tournament scheduled to start on July 23 and run to August 18, although England stringently manage his workload and it seems likely the express quick will be involved in a Test against the West Indies starting on July 26.

Those who were disregarded in the draft could still feature this year, swapping in for anyone who drops out at their base price limit or higher. For example, Shaheen Shah Afridi went to Welsh Fire for £100,000 but if he was unavailable, the Cardiff-based team could select Roy or Wood as a replacement.

A total of 75 spots were filled, including 26 for the overseas contingent, across both drafts. In the women’s draft, Birmingham Phoenix retained England wicketkeeper-batter Amy Jones as their first pick.

With vaunted Australia stars Meg Lanning, Ashleigh Gardner and Beth Mooney all in the reckoning, it was a curious selection from the Phoenix, who added another two wicketkeepers to their ranks in Richa Ghosh and Seren Smale.

Mooney, the world’s number one T20 batter, was chosen by Manchester Originals while former Australia captain Lanning, who announced her international retirement late last year, was also in the top women’s pay bracket of £50,000 and is set to join England skipper Heather Knight at London Spirit.

Gardner and Annabel Sutherland also got top whack with Trent Rockets and Northern Superchargers respectively, as did Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu at Oval Invincibles and India’s Smriti Mandhana at Southern Brave.

Jemimah Rodrigues, Deandra Dottin and Suzie Bates were among the high-profile players not to get deals.

Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago all secured wins in the second round of the 2024 CWI Women’s T20 Blaze at Warner Park in St. Kitts on Tuesday.

In the day’s early game, Barbados secured a 19-run win over the Windward Islands.

The defending champions first scored 123-5 from their 20 overs after winning the toss and deciding to bat.

Opener Trishan Holder led the way with a 54-ball 68 including eight fours and a six while Aaliyah Alleyne provided good support with 28 off 27 balls including three fours.

Zaida James was the best bowler on the day for the Windwards with 2-28 from her four overs.

Erin Deane (2-12 off four overs) and Alleyne (2-17 off three overs) then starred with the ball for Barbados to restrict the Windwards to 104-8 from their 20 overs.

Captain Afy Fletcher tried her best with a top score of 28 while Namiah Marcellin hit 19.

In the day’s second game, Trinidad & Tobago dominated the Leeward Islands on the way to a comfortable nine-wicket win.

The Leewards, after winning the toss, were restricted to a paltry 78-6 from their 20 overs.

Jahzara Claxton, Divya Saxena and Shebani Bhaskar were the only batters to reach double figures with 25, 17 and 13, respectively, against 1-6 off four overs from Steffi Soogrim and 1-13, each, from Karishma Ramharack and Samara Ramnath.

T&T then needed only 11.4 overs to reach 79-1 and secure the win. Shunelle Sawh and Djenaba Joseph were the not out batters with 20* and 22*, respectively. Captain Britney Cooper also contributed 21.

The day’s final game saw Jamaica get their second win in as many games with a five-wicket win over Guyana.

After winning the toss, Guyana were only able to muster up 107-7 from their 20 overs.

Mandy Mangru and Captain Shemaine Campbelle led the Guyanese batting with 36 and 33, respectively.

Jamaica Captain Stafanie Taylor was excellent with the ball on her way to 2-12 from her four overs while Chinelle Henry also bowled well for her 2-22 from four overs.

Rashada Williams then followed up her 52 from the first game with 42 to help Jamaica reach 108-5 with eleven balls to spare.

Taylor provided good support with 33 as Nyia Latchman took 2-15 from 3.1 overs for Guyana.

The competition with continue with round three on Thursday with Trinidad & Tobago facing the Windward Islands, Jamaica facing Barbados and Guyana facing the Leeward Islands.

West Indies Women will tour Pakistan for a limited-overs series, comprising three ODIs and five T20Is, scheduled to begin on April 18.

The three ODIs will form a part of the ICC Women's Championship 2022-25, and will take place on April 18, 21 and 23.

It will be followed by a five-match T20I series from April 26 to May 3, which will provide both sides with plenty of time to finalize their preparations for this year's ICC Women's T20 World Cup.

All matches games will be played at the National Bank Stadium (NBS) in Karachi.

This will be West Indies women's second tour of the country since 2021. They last visited Pakistan in November 2021 for three ODIs, which they won.

The upcoming ODI series will be Pakistan women’s fourth at home, having earlier hosted Sri Lanka (June 2022), Ireland (November 2022) and South Africa (September 2023).

Pakistan are currently third in the ICC Women's Championship standings with 16 points, while West Indies are towards the bottom at ninth with eight points.

The T20Is will also kick start preparations for both teams in the build-up to the Women's T20 World Cup, scheduled to take place in Bangladesh in September.

Pakistan's Head of Women’s Cricket Tania Mallick said the series forms part of a strategic move.

"We extend a warm welcome to the West Indies women's team to Pakistan for the upcoming series. Hosting the fourth women's championship series at home within the 2022-25 cycle is a testament to PCB's commitment to promoting women's cricket and providing our players with opportunities to shine on the international stage," Mallick said.

“The forthcoming series against West Indies is not just about cricket; it's about developing relationships and strengthening bonds between cricketing nations. The current position of the Pakistan women’s team reflects our determination and dedication, and we aim to collect maximum points from the three championship matches at home,” she added.

Series schedule

18 Apr – First ODI, Karachi (ICC Women’s Championship)

21 Apr – Second ODI, Karachi (ICC Women’s Championship)

23 Apr – Third ODI, Karachi (ICC Women’s Championship)

26 Apr – First T20I, Karachi

28 Apr – Second T20I, Karachi

30 Apr – Third T20I, Karachi

2 May – Fourth T20I, Karachi

3 May – Fifth T20I, Karachi

Despite the pressure to live up to expectations where delivering another ICC Twenty20 (T20) World Cup title is concerned, West Indies all-rounder, Jason Holder, says it is important that players also enjoy the experience of the global showpiece to be hosted in United States and the Caribbean from June 1-29.

Holder, who expressed his excitement ahead of the tournament, believes the Darren Sammy-coached team possesses enough firepower to prove as competitive as any other team, but is also mindful that efficient execution will be crucial to their chances of securing the title.

“We've got a team with depth. I think it is very, very important to have depth. We've got mostly two-dimensional cricketers…some three, and it's a matter for us just to come and deliver,” Holder said.

“I think like anybody else in the competition, I think we’ve got really good chances, we've got to hold our nerve, deliver, and enjoy doing what we're doing. I think we wouldn't be a West Indies team if we didn't enjoy what we're doing and play the cricket we know how to play,” he added.

That said, Holder, 32, pointed to the significance of starting the tournament –which bowls off with United States against Canada at the Grand Prairie stadium, in Texas –on a high, to set the foundation for how they want to proceed throughout.

“We’ll probably know the conditions better than anybody else. T20 cricket is one of those formats where it doesn’t matter the names on paper, it’s all about what you deliver on the day. And it’s really important for us to start the competition well and set a really good precedent going throughout the entire competition,” Holder reasoned.

Cricket’s shortest format remains a strong suit for West Indies, who won both their T20 World Cup titles in 2012 and 2016 under Sammy’s captaincy.

The regional side again showcased their prowess when they won T20 series against South Africa, India and England in 2023, and posted three successive 200-plus scores in Australia earlier this year, despite losing that series 2-1. Those results, coupled with their current vein of preparations, have left Holder upbeat about the prospects for the tournament.

“I think our prep coming into the World Cup when it comes to a match-play perspective has been really good. We’ve won the last three out of four series and more than likely we’ll be going into this World Cup in good spirits,” Holder said.

“There’s lots of cricket going on, plenty of T20 cricket leading up to the World Cup which a lot of boys will be involved in. So, I think preparations-wise, I think we’ll be in good stead heading into this competition,” the former captain ended.

West Indies have been installed in Group C alongside New Zealand, Afghanistan, Papua New Guinea and Uganda.

The Windward Islands Volcanoes hold a narrow 3.2-point lead over the Leeward Islands Volcanoes entering the final three rounds of the 2024 West Indies Championship.

The Windwards suffered their first loss of the season in round four last week, going down by six wickets against the Trinidad & Tobago Red Force at the Queen’s Park Oval.

They will enter their fifth-round tussle with the Guyana Harpy eagles at Coolidge in Antigua beginning on Wednesday on 67.4 points.

The Hurricanes beat the Combined Campuses & College’s by three wickets in round four at the Sir Frank Worrell Memorial Ground to move to 64.2 points in second.

The Jamaica Scorpions, who finished at the foot of the table last season with 25.6 points, are currently third with 50.2 points on the back of their second win of the season, a two-wicket win over the West Indies Academy at Sabina Park.

The Scorpions will face the Hurricanes at Sabina Park in round five.

The Barbados Pride, on the back of a 33-run defeat at the hands of defending champions Guyana Harpy Eagles at Coolidge, are fourth with 48.2 points, one point ahead of the Trinidad & Tobago Red Force in fifth.

Both teams will do battle at the Queen’s Park Oval in round five.

The standings are rounded out by the Harpy Eagles (46.2), the West Indies Academy (30.8) and the Combined Campuses & Colleges (19.8).

The Academy and CCC will face off at the Sir Frank Worrell Memorial Ground in round five.

All round five matches will begin on Wednesday.

Two-time champion Chris Gayle and United States star Ali Khan lit up the iconic skyscraper of New York’s Empire State Building, which marked the official launch of the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Trophy Tour.

Gayle, who ignited the game’s shortest format before his retirement, had the honour of pulling the lever to light up New York’s most iconic building in the navy and magenta colours of the event. The former Jamaica and West Indies batsman also showcased the trophy which 20 teams will compete for in the June 1-29 tournament across the West Indies and United States.

The event marks the first time an ICC World Cup will be held in United States, including eight matches at the brand new, state-of-the-art modular 34,000 capacity stadium in Nassau County, New York. Newly renovated existing venues Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium in Dallas and Broward County Stadium in Lauderhill, will each host four fixtures.

Co-hosts West Indies have a rich history in T20 cricket, having won the T20 World Cup twice, with popular Caribbean tourist destinations, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Guyana, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago all hosting matches.

The ‘Out of this World’ Trophy Tour will reach 15 countries across four continents as it visits iconic sporting teams and stadia, famous landmarks, and legendary cricketers, while also giving fans the chance to get a glimpse of T20 cricket’s biggest global prize. In addition to visiting all host venues across the West Indies and United States, the Trophy tour will also visit emerging Americas cricket countries Argentina, Brazil, and Canada, enabling new fans to connect with what will be a landmark event in the region.

ICC General Manager, Marketing and Communications, Claire Furlong said the anticipation has been heightened as the historic tournament is now less than three months away.

“As we count down to the World Cup, the Trophy Tour provides fans with the opportunity to be part of the event in locations across the globe. The Tour will travel extensively across the Americas, igniting the passion of both new and existing fans to share in the excitement of T20 cricket's pinnacle global event coming to the region and what better way to kick it off than by lighting up one of the world’s most iconic buildings in one of the world’s most iconic cities,” she said.

“Cricket has more than a billion fans and we want to give as many people as possible the opportunity to get up close with the trophy that will be lifted by the winning captain in Barbados on June 29,” Furlong added.

Fawwaz Baksh ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Tournament Director echoed similar sentiments.

“The start of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup trophy tour is an emphatic signal to fans worldwide that the World Cup is coming. Throughout its Caribbean leg of the tour, fans can look forward to a plethora of engaging activities, including meet-and-greets with Cricket stars and legends, Caribbean infused cultural entertainment, and the opportunity to see and take pictures of the trophy in person at some of the region’s most iconic locations.

“In addition to fan-facing engagements, the trophy tour will also serve as a platform to leverage the continued growth of Cricket globally and to drive positive change and leave a lasting impact on communities,” Baksh said.

Meanwhile, following huge demand of more than three million ticket applications in the public ballot, additional tickets have been released for 51 of 55 matches, including fixtures where allocations were previously exhausted.

In the West Indies, tickets are now available to matches at all six host locations, including Group Stage, Super 8 and semi-final matches, ensuring as many fans as possible can attend. Fans can create an account and purchase tickets now at tickets.t20worldcup.com.This is the fastest and easiest way for fans to get the tickets they want. All online transactions at tickets.t20worldcup.com are secure. 

Also available now are a range of premium hospitality offerings inclusive of food and beverage packages for all fixtures at Nassau County International Stadium in New York and to all matches at West Indies venues at tickets.t20worldcup.com. 

The Trophy Tour schedule for March and April

March 18 to 20: New York, USA 

March 21 to 23: Houston, Grand Prairie and Dallas, USA 

March 26 to 27: Buenos Aires, Argentina 

March 28 to 29: Sao Paulo, Brazil 

April 3 to 4: Jamaica 

April 13 to 14: Barbados 

April 17 to 18: Antigua and Barbuda 

April 19 to 20: Saint Lucia 

Andrew Flintoff will get his first chance to make a mark on The Hundred as his Northern Superchargers side kick off the tournament’s 2024 draft on Wednesday.

The former England captain and 2005 Ashes hero will act as head coach for the Headingley-based side this summer, marking a formal return to cricket following some ad-hoc mentoring work with the national side this winter.

Superchargers finished bottom of the men’s table last year under Flintoff’s predecessor James Foster, meaning they have first pick this year as the teams fill their squads in an event being hosted at the Shard, with Birmingham Phoenix starting the women’s draft.

There are 75 places to fill across the men’s and women’s competitions, including a total of 26 spots for overseas talent.

Flintoff’s Superchargers have one of their top-tier £125,000 contracts up for grabs, as well as three lower-priced deals on offer.

The biggest foreign names on the table include Australia’s David Warner, New Zealanders Kane Williamson and Daryl Mitchell, Nicholas Pooran of the West Indies and Pakistan pair Babar Azam and Naseem Shah.

England’s 2019 World Cup winner Jason Roy, released by Oval Invincibles this year, is also available but has narrowed his field of options by setting a high reserve price of £100,000.

Given his expected participation in the American Major League Cricket, which has a minor scheduling clash with the Hundred, the hard-hitting opener may find himself unsold.

Dawid Malan – a former T20 world number one batter and the competition’s top run-scorer two years ago – is on the shelf at £50,000 and England’s Test vice-captain Ollie Pope comes in at a minimum of £40,000 after departing Welsh Fire.

Tom Kohler-Cadmore, currently tuning up for the Indian Premier League with Rajasthan Royals, was a winner in 2022 with Trent Rockets but is also waiting to find out where he will be plying his trade this time around.

The wicketkeeper-batter, who is hoping to nudge his case for England honours after a busy winter on the franchise circuit, told the PA news agency: “I’m looking forward to seeing where I go. I’ve always loved playing in the Hundred and the standard compares to anywhere I’ve played in the world.

“I feel like I’ll be coming back a better player from my experiences and the Hundred is a great benchmark to elevate yourself. We’ve seen guys getting picked by England based on their performances and I want to push myself forward.

“It’s best versus best and we know there’ll be three ‘gun’ overseas players in every team, so if you’re performing, you’re likely to get noticed.

“In the past I’ve played alongside great spinners like Adil Rahsid, Ish Sodhi, Tabraiz Shamsi and with batters like Joe Root, Alex Hales and Dawid Malan. The levels in training are so high and I can’t wait to find out who I’ll be joining up with this time.”

Amy Jones and Lauren Filer, who are both with England in New Zealand, are looking for new homes after leaving Birmingham Phoenix and London Spirit respectively.

Star names from the all-conquering Australia Women’s side are sure to attract plenty of interest, with Meg Lanning, Beth Mooney, Ashleigh Gardner and Annabel Sutherland vying for attention alongside the likes of Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Deandra Dottin, Chamari Athapaththu and Suzie Bates.

Representatives from last year’s winning teams, Southern Brave and Oval Invincibles, will be present at the Shard to make their picks, while others dial in remotely and make selections online during each 90-second window.

Newly crowned CG United Women’s Super50 Cup champions Jamaica opened their account in the CWI T20 Blaze with a comfortable seven-wicket win over Windward Islands Women at Warner Park on Sunday.

The Windwards, after winning the toss and batting first, posted 117-5 from their 20 overs.

Openers Qiana Joseph and Jannilea Glasgow were the chief scorers with 56 and 37, respectively, while Chedean Nation led the Jamaica bowling with 3-19 from her three overs.

Jamaica then needed only 16 overs to reach 118-3 thanks to a 35-ball 52 from Rashada Williams. Her opening partner Natasha McLean contributed 19 while Captain Stafanie Taylor and Chinelle Henry were the not out batters with 16 and 13, respectively.

Zaida James took 2-16 from her four overs for the Windwards.

Heather Knight believes she still has a “lot to offer” as England captain after nearly eight years in the post.

Knight succeeded Charlotte Edwards, who had a decade-long stint in the position, in June 2016 and her tenure has coincided with some ground-breaking moments for women’s cricket, both domestically and worldwide.

England head coach Jon Lewis recently praised Knight’s longevity and commitment as “second to none” after she withdrew from the Women’s Premier League to play a full part in the tour of New Zealand.

While great rival Meg Lanning stepped down as Australia captain and retired from international cricket late last year, Knight insisted she still gets a kick out of leading England and has much more to give.

“It’s a lot of fun and I’m still enjoying doing it,” the 33-year-old told the PA news agency.

“As long as I’m moving things and myself forward and still enjoying it, it’s something I want to continue to do.

“When I think it’s eight years, it seems like a hell of a long time but it’s gone very fast, that’s for sure, and I still feel like I’ve got a lot to offer the team to keep moving things forward.

“I enjoy that responsibility of trying to change. I’ve had to adapt my leadership as the years have gone and I quite enjoy doing that.

“There’s always a big tournament around the corner these days, there’s one every year so there’s always something to work towards and try and have a chance of being successful in.”

Knight oversaw England’s seminal World Cup triumph in 2017, when they beat India in the Lord’s final, but global trophies have since been out of their reach, hoovered up by the better-resourced Australia juggernaut.

England won both white-ball series against their fierce rivals in the multi-format Ashes last year but Knight reckons Australia are still the side to beat ahead of this year’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh.

“Teams are starting to challenge them which is a really healthy place to be,” Knight said.

“But Australia are still a very good team and ultimately they’re still the target everyone is looking to knock down.”

England take on New Zealand in Dunedin in the first of five T20s in the early hours of Tuesday morning as they begin building towards the next global event, scheduled to be held in September and October.

They will be without Nat Sciver-Brunt, Sophie Ecclestone, Alice Capsey and Danni Wyatt for the first three T20s – a prearranged agreement which allowed the quartet to focus on their WPL commitments.

But that allows those on the fringes a chance to make their mark, with Tammy Beaumont set for her 100th T20 appearance, more than two years after her 99th cap. The 33-year-old was jettisoned ahead of the 2022 Commonwealth Games but she has elbowed her way back in following some sparkling knocks in 2023.

“The door’s not shut to anyone,” Knight added. “There is that opportunity for players coming in and it will be really interesting to see how they do.

“Tammy’s not been around the T20 stuff for a long time, she’s gone away and worked on her game a lot and done things a little bit differently. She massively deserves that opportunity to come back in and open the batting in T20 cricket.

“Everyone knows Tammy is a gritty cricketer, a bit of a fighter and loves a challenge so I’m super excited how she does with this opportunity she’s got.”

In an electrifying start to the CWI T20 Blaze at Warner Park in St Kitts on Sunday, Leeward Islands Women and Guyana Women emerged victorious in their respective matches.

In a thrilling encounter, Leeward Islands Women clinched a hard-fought 12-run victory over Barbados Women, propelled by a stellar performance from Reniece Boyce. Boyce's impressive half-century, scoring 67 runs from just 52 balls, guided Leeward Islands to a total of 139-7 in their allotted 20 overs.

Naijanni Cumberbatch delivered an outstanding performance with the ball, ending with figures of 4-9 from her four overs.

Despite a valiant effort from Barbados Women, with Kycia Knight contributing 37 runs and Kyshona Knight remaining unbeaten on 50, their endeavours fell short as they were restricted to 127-5. Rozel Liburd led the bowling attack for Leeward Islands, claiming 2 wickets for 18 runs.

In the second match of the day, Guyana Women cruised to a seven-wicket victory over Trinidad and Tobago Women.

Trinidad and Tobago struggled with the bat, managing only 66 runs before being bowled out in 18.3 overs. Plaffiana Millington was the star for Guyana, returning remarkable figures of 4-5 from 3.3 overs. Shunelle Shaw was the top scorer for Trinidad and Tobago with 15 runs.

In the chase, Guyana Women displayed dominance as they reached the target with ease, scoring 67-3 in just 11 overs. Shabika Gjnabi led the charge with an unbeaten 24, supported by Shemaine Campbell, who contributed 19 runs.

Former England captain Kevin Pietersen announced his retirement from professional cricket on this day in 2018.

Pietersen, one of the best batter’s of his generation and among England’s all-time greats, said “ciao” to the sport in an emotional Instagram post at the age of 37.

After confirming he would not take part in the Pakistan Super League play-offs with Quetta Gladiators, he said he was “super proud” of his achievements in the game.

He also paid tribute to his family for being the “most unreal supporters” during his brilliant nine-year England career.

Pietersen, who had been quite publicly edging closer to retirement over previous months, wrote on Instagram: “Thank you for all the quite lovely msgs! I loved entertaining you all! Ciao, cricket! I love this game!”

It was during the 2005 Ashes where Pietersen rose to prominence after he played a starring role in a 2-1 win over Australia with a maiden Test century in the final fixture of a pulsating series at the Oval.

Further Ashes wins would follow, along with success in the shorter format of the game as the explosive batter was named player of the tournament in England’s maiden T20 World Cup win in 2010.

Overall, Pietersen scored 23 centuries in 104 Tests, while he hit a further 5,616 runs in limited-overs cricket for England in 173 matches, but his international career ended abruptly and was not without controversy.

Pietersen was a casualty of the 2013-14 Ashes in Australia where England were thrashed 5-0 and 18 months earlier had been involved in a texting scandal during a series against South Africa, the country of his birth.

The latter years of the Pietermaritzburg-born maverick’s career were spent on the T20 circuit and occasionally producing notable innings for domestic outfit Surrey.

He struck his highest first-class score of 355 not out in 2015 but it failed to convince former team-mate and then England director of cricket Andrew Strauss to recall Pietersen, who bowed out playing for Quetta Gladiators in the PSL.

Jamaica Scorpions registered their second win of the West Indies Championship campaign, as they downed West Indies Academy by two wickets on Saturday’s final day of their intriguing four-day encounter at Sabina Park.

Chasing 234 runs for victory, after they bowled out the academy team moments before scheduled close of play on Friday, the Scorpions were found wanting at 89-5 at lunch, with West Indies Test batsman Kirk McKenzie (47) and former captain Jermaine Blackwood (27) the only players to offer little resistance at that point.

However, captain Brandon King and Abhijai Mansingh staged a recovery mission to push the Scorpions to 176-6 at tea. Both batsmen were watchful in their respective knocks, as King topscored with 65 from 127 balls, including five boundaries, while Mansingh also had five boundaries in his 132-ball 42.

With less than 50 runs to get after that solid partnership was broken, Derval Green with an unbeaten 20 and Jeavor Royal, unbeaten on 18, completed the victory shortly before close.

The academy team’s pair of left-arm finger spinners Joshua Bishop and Ashmead Nedd ended with 4-79 and 3-95, respectively.

With the win, the Scorpions moved to 50.2 points in third behind Windward Islands Volcanoes (66.4 points) and Leeward Islands Hurricanes (64.2 points).

Barbados Pride (48.2 points), Trinidad and Tobago Red Force (47.2 points) and Guyana Harpy Eagles (46.2 points), come next, while West Indies Academy (30.8 points) and Combined Campuses and Colleges Marooners (20.8 points), at the foot of the standings.

Scores: West Indies Academy 324 (Joshua Dorne 83, Jordan Johnson 61, Kadeem Alleyne 52, Joshua James 36, Rashawn Worrell 25, Carlon Bowen-Tuckett 24; Ojay Shields 3-38, Derval Green 3-48, Abhijai Mansingh 2-69) and 281 (Carlton Bowen-Tuckett 53, Kadeem Alleyne 52, Joshua James 36, Ashmead Nedd 30, Jordan Johnson 26, Johann Layne 22 not out, Nyeem Young 21; Abhijai Mansingh 4-70, Peat Salmon 3-55)

Jamaica Scorpions 372 (Peat Salmon 81, Brandon King 77, Leroy Lugg 64, Derval Green 35, Carlos Brown 33, Kirk McKenzie 29; Joshua Bishop 33.2-7-96-6, Kadeem Alleyne 2-29) and 236 for eight (Brandon King 65, Kirk McKenzie 47, Abhijai Mansingh 42, Jermaine Blackwood 27, Derval Green 20 not out; Joshua Bishop 4-79, Ashmead Nedd 3-95).

Meanwhile, Leeward Islands Hurricanes were also victorious, as they defeated Combined Campuses & Colleges Marooners by three wickets at Frank Worrell Field in Trinidad and Tobago.

Scores: Combined Campuses & Colleges Marooners 273 (Amari Goodridge 75, Sadique Henry 73, Romario Greaves 58, Yannick Ottley 24; Daniel Doram 4-37, Jeremiah Louis 3-54, Rahkeem Cornwall 3-86) and 301 (Yannic Ottley 99, Odain McCatty 37, Sadique Henry 32, Zishan Motara 30, Roshon Primus 23; Rahkeem Cornwall 4-62, Jeremiah Louis 3-59).

Leeward Islands Hurricanes 259 (Kieran Powell 114, Jeremiah Louis 31, Justin Greaves 29, Rahkeem Cornwall 22, Jahmar Hamilton 21; Romario Greaves 19.2-1-63-5, Zishan Motara 2-14, Jediah Blades 2-50) and 319 for seven (Keacy Carty 61, Justin Greaves 61, Rahkeem Cornwall 42 not out, Jeremiah Louis 30, Jahmar Hamilton 28; Jediah Blades 3-50, Zishan Motara 3-71).

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).