West Indies batsmen showing signs of improvement

By Mariah Ramharack April 04, 2021

On many a Sunday, I realize that people have looked at the stories they have seen throughout the week with different lenses. I have my own personal take on some of these trending issues and I will share them with you. Welcome to #INCASEYOUMISSEDIT the 2021 edition with Mariah.

 

 Positive signs for Windies batting

West Indies batting has been a matter of concern, especially in the Test format for some time.

As recently, as of July 2020 when West Indies faced England in three Tests, the Jamaica Observer newspaper blared the headline “West Indies bowlers undermined by batting woes” a sentiment shared by many newspapers in cricket-loving nations around the world.

After winning the first Test against England, the West Indies only survived 70.1 overs in the second innings of the second Test. It was even worse in the second innings of the third Test when they lasted a mere 37.1 overs as England completed a 269-run win in Manchester.

However, against Bangladesh and in the just concluded test series against Sri Lanka, the Windies have shown signs of improvement.

Generally speaking, West Indies batsmen do not face enough balls and hence give their wickets away cheaply. Against Sri Lanka, there was a refreshing change in attitude and application.

In the final Test, Captain Kraigg Brathwaite made 126 in the first innings- his ninth Test century, his first as captain and 85 in the second. In all, the skipper batted 813 minutes, the most in a Test for the Windies. In that time, he faced 507 balls, the joint-most by a West Indian in a Test match since Brian Lara's 400* off 582 balls against England in 2004.

Similarly, Kyle Mayers and Jason Holder each spent time at the crease while setting a 377-run target for Sri Lanka. Mayers faced 76 balls for his 55 while Holder scored 71 not out off 88 balls.

In the first Test, Nkrumah Bonner’s maiden century of 113* was an exercise in patience and determination. Batting at number three, the 32-year-old Jamaican faced 274 balls in more than seven hours at the crease.

 There is still a lot of work to be done but the early evidence suggests that the West Indies batsman might finally be on the right path.

 

 Sergio Aguero still has value

 It has been confirmed by Premier League club Manchester City that Sergio Aguero will leave when his contract expires at the end of the season.

However, this does not mean that his career has come to an end.

This season has been a challenging one for the striker, who has had to endure injury, Covid-19, and lack of game time. In his 14 appearances, he has started nine games and scored three goals.

Despite his struggles, he is arguably the best non-English striker to grace the Premier League and the numbers speak for themselves. Aguero is the fourth highest goal scorer in the Premier League history with 181 goals. He also leads the statistics in the rate of scoring in English top-flight football since 1992.

Aguero’s famous goal in injury time against QPR in 2012 when he clinched the club’s first English title in 44 years, is one for the books. Overall, he has helped The Citizens to four Premier League titles, one FA Cup and five League Cups.

Though slowed by age and injury, in Saturday’s game against Leicester City, he worked hard off the ball and contributed to his side’s win, something he has done constantly during his incredible career at Manchester City.

His boots will not be easily filled as was made clear by Pep Guardiola.

“I want to be clear. Maybe we'll find a new player to replace Sergio. In terms of numbers, he might be replaced, but in terms of what he means to the club, it is impossible.” 

 

Why are super teams an issue for some in the NBA?

The news of LaMarcus Aldridge joining the Brooklyn Nets did not sit well with many Los Angeles Lakers fans with many saying the Nets are so desperate for a championship they are buying one. Lakers superstar Le Bron James’ son Bronny also weighed in tweeting, “All this to stop a 36-year-old man in Year 18.”

LA Lakers CEO and owner Jeanie Buss, who sees the move as making the NBA a more compelling product said, “So, bring it on.”   

Personally, I see nothing wrong with the Nets creating a super team because LeBron has done the same many times in the past.

In fact, LeBron created his own super team with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami Heat in 2010-2011. He also helped assemble Kevin Love Kyrie Irving for the championship-winning Cleveland Cavaliers.

 And while the Nets signed the talented LeMarcus Aldridge it is important to note that the Lakers also recently signed two-time all-star centre Andre Drummond, who is averaging 17.5 points and 13.5 rebounds this season despite having not played since February 12.

 

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    LeBron James bemoaned the Los Angeles Lakers suffering from a "weird" NBA review call as the Golden State Warriors triumphed on Saturday.

    The Lakers trailed 124-120 with 1:50 remaining of the fourth quarter when a delay started after Los Angeles coach Darvin Ham challenged an out-of-bounds call that granted the Warriors possession.

    Ham's questioning was proved correct as the Lakers were granted the ball but, in the process, the Lakers were punished for points after the officials reviewed LeBron's earlier three-pointer.

    LeBron was deemed to have been in contact with the paint when shooting from the corner, with his three-point conversion reduced to two by the officials.

    "I've never seen that be called before like that, in that particular time," said James, who finished with 40 points, 9 assists and 8 rebounds.

    "That was kind of weird. It took some momentum away from us. I didn't believe I stepped on the line.

    "I knew how much space I had over there. And when I shoot, I shoot on my tippy toes, so it's kind of hard for me to have a heel down."

    NBA official David Guthrie explained the call after the game, though that did not quell the frustrations from either side.

    "James' left foot is out of bounds as he begins to shoot," Guthrie said. "Yes, it is reviewable at that time.

    "The rule is Rule 13, Section II(f)(3): Whether the shooter committed a boundary line violation, the replay center official will only look at the position of the player's feet at the moment they touch the floor immediately prior to the release of the shot. This can be applied during other replay triggers as well."

    Despite profiting from the review, even Golden State coach Steve Kerr was unsure of the ruling.

    "I also don't like the rule that you can go back and look at an out of bounds, or LeBron's 3," Kerr said. "That seems to happen once or twice a year. I'd love to see that rule go away.

    "I think we're trying so hard to get everything just right, at the expense of the flow. Who cares if a guy's foot is half an inch on the line?

    "Is that worth going back 45 seconds and changing everything, with the unintended consequences? It's not my favourite rule, for sure."

    Although Kerr surprisingly took the side of the opposition, LeBron was content to prioritise fairness rather than lament the method of replay reviews.

    "At the end of the day, you want to get it right," LeBron said. "So, it's unfortunate what happened. But you want to try to get it right, obviously.

    "And our crew has a job to do, which is the referees, they have a job to do, and they have to do it at the best they can. So, all good."

    If the review decision was not bemusing enough, the last two minutes of the game took more than 20 minutes due to additional shot-clock malfunctions.

    The Lakers twice tried to restart play but the shot clock was not in cohesion, leaving the stadium announcer to count the time down due to the technology issue.

    "It was bizarre," Kerr added. "It seems like a few times a year you get clock issues. That's about as extreme as I've been a part of where the backup unit doesn't work either.

    "It's unfortunate. I felt bad for the fans. That was a great game, and then the last two minutes everyone is just kind of looking at each other wondering what to do."

  • LeBron: Lakers 'playing good ball' despite playoff peril LeBron: Lakers 'playing good ball' despite playoff peril

    LeBron James believes the Los Angeles Lakers are still playing "good ball", despite a 120-107 loss to the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday.

    The defeat leaves the Lakers at 36-31, ninth in the Western Conference and three games back of the Kings, who currently occupy the sixth seed and would avoid the play-in tournament were the season to finish now.

    The Kings' win on Wednesday means they have swept the Lakers 4-0 this season. Domantas Sabonis starred for Sacramento with 17 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists, while Harrison Barnes also hit seven 3-pointers as James finished with just 18 points.

    The Lakers need an upturn in form if they are to avoid the play-in tournament, but despite suffering a defeat to a playoff rival in Sacramento, James still feels his team played well in some spots.

    "We already knew we were in the gauntlet of our schedule," James told reporters.

    "We already knew we had all the teams that were coming in, everybody positioning and jockeying, some of the best teams in the league. We knew it was a tough stretch for our ball club.

    "But even with the loss to Denver, even with the loss to Sacramento both times, we've still been playing some good ball."

    The win for Sacramento means Sabonis has now played against fellow center Anthony Davis 10 times during his career, winning all 10 of those clashes.

    However, Sabonis hopes the growing talk of his impressive record against nine-time All-Star Davis quietens down, joking: "I don't pay attention to that.

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  • Sammy to assign bowling roles to match batting prowess in hunt for T20 World Cup triumph Sammy to assign bowling roles to match batting prowess in hunt for T20 World Cup triumph

    Having already identified a powerhouse batting line-up, West Indies white-ball Head coach Darren Sammy says the only task left is to assign specific roles for bowlers to be fully prepared for this year’s ICC Men's Twenty20 (T20) World Cup at home in June.

    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 have left Sammy upbeat about the prospects, as they look ahead to the global showpiece to be hosted jointly in the West Indies and United States.

    “The way my batters batted, I think it’s the first time a team had scored over 200 three-consecutive times whether batting first or chasing, and it speaks volumes of the power that we have in that squad. It sends a strong message to the world from our batting group that West Indies is a dangerous force,” Sammy said in a recent Cricket West Indies interview.

    “I’ve said it before to my guys. I said to them, ‘I’ve seen this team before, this type of power, the explosiveness’. It was a team that I captained before, so to see it eight years since I left the game... man, it’s exciting times for us in the World Cup coming in June," he added.

    Still, death-overs bowling remains an issue with the team, and as such, Sammy pointed out that they are in the process of finalizing candidates for various bowling roles.

    Rising fast bowler Shamar Joseph is on Sammy’s radar for the World Cup, especially after the 24-year-old’s headline-grabbing debut in the Australia Test series earlier this year.

    Joseph’s exploits were widely celebrated across the region and Sammy believes winning the World Cup on home soil would help sustain that interest in the game.

    “When West Indies do well, there’s a buzz. You saw Shamar Joseph’s exploits in Australia and how it created a buzz in the Caribbean. So, for us, and for me as a coach, to lift the silverware, it will mean everything," Sammy declared.

    “But, obviously we need to tinker and work on some different bowling roles and that myself, James Franklin and the captain [Rovman Powell] have been speaking to various persons that we want to execute different roles.

    “I’ve been speaking and working diligently with our analysts looking at grounds, different venues we’re going to have [for the T20 World Cup] and the different dimensions and different conditions in the surface and making sure we have the right personnel to fill in those key roles," he shared.

    Rovman Powell and his men will begin their World Cup campaign with a Group C contest against Papua New Guinea in Provi­dence, Guyana, on June 2.

    However, until then, Sammy said the focus is on their preparation to ensure efficient execution when game time comes.

    “The preparation both on and off the field is going good. Leading up closer to the World Cup, I think a few of my boys will be in the IPL playing. We have a series probably just before the World Cup – three matches against South Africa – so building up to that, we’ll be ready," Sammy explained.

    “And again, we’re at home, we know the conditions, it’s not about adapting. It’s just about making sure we execute well when the day comes," he ended.

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