A superb all-round performance from captain by Hayley Matthews led Barbados to a big victory over Windward Islands at St. Paul’s Grounds in the CG United Women’s Super50 Cup.

The world-rated all-rounder took a six-wicket haul, including a hattrick, and made a half-century as the Bajans secured a 73-run victory on Monday. The victory has put the defending champions on course for a third successive title.

Sent into bat first, Barbados posted 228-6 from their 50 overs. Matthews notched her second half century of the tournament to top-score with 64 off 74 balls, which included five fours and a six, while Kyshona Knight continued her good form with 55 from 82 balls and Aaliyah Alleyne added 47.

Matthews and Knight shared in an 89-run partnership for the second wicket. Zaida James was the pick of the Windwards bowlers, finishing with figures of 10-1-38-2.

Afy Fletcher led the Windwards run-chase with a captain’s knock of 43 from 36 deliveries. She shared a 44-run second wicket partnership with Zaida James but it was the 37-run ninth wicket partnership between Pearl Etienne and Nerissa Crafton that gave Windwards hope.

Matthews took her best List A figures of 10-2-28-6, as she ran through the Windwards batting order.

Windwards were all out for 155 in 32.2 overs. Fast bowler Shamilia Connell had the next best bowling figures of 3.2-0-18-2.

At Warner Park, Guyana lost seven wickets in their chase of 67 runs in 28 overs to defeat Jamaica by three wickets via the Duckworth/Stern/Lewis method in a rain-affected match.

Jamaica batted first and made 94 in 40.3 overs. Natasha McLean was the top scorer with 31 and Stafanie Taylor scored 15. Plaffiana Millington was the best Guyanese bowler with figures of 10-5-21-3 followed by Ashmini Munisar with 6-0-15-2.

The rains came with Guyana on 7-0 after four overs and kept falling for almost three hours, forcing the implementation of the DLS method. 

Guyana looked set to cruise to victory but the Jamaica bowlers struck at consistent intervals to cause a spot of panic in the Guyanese camp. But West Indies Under 19 captain Ashmini Munisar showed nerves of steel as she guided her team to victory before the clouds burst again for light rain. Munisar scored 11 not out from 13 deliveries. Celina Whyte was the best Jamaica bowler, with figures of 6-0-14-3 followed by Kate Wilmott with 3-0-15-2.

At Conaree Sports Ground, the day’s third contest between Trinidad and Tobago Red Force Divas and the Leeward Islands had to be abandoned due to rain.

This was not before Djenaba Joseph was able to strike her highest List A score of 90, sharing in an 81-run partnership with skipper Anisa Mohammed to was not out on 45, to take the Red Force Divas to their highest total of the competition, 253-6 from their 50 overs.  The rains came during the innings break and never subsided for play to resume, forcing match officials to abandon the match.

Barbados lead the table with 16 points followed by Trinidad & Tobago (10), Windwards (8), Guyana (8), Jamaica (4) and Leewards (2).

The fifth and final round of matches will be played on Wednesday. Jamaica face the Windwards at Conaree; Barbados face hosts Leewards at Warner Park; while Trinidad & Tobago Red Force Divas meet Guyana at St Paul’s.

Half centuries from Kirk McKenzie and Tagenarine Chanderpaul have left West Indies “A” in an excellent position after day one of their first four-day “Test” against Bangladesh “A” at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.

After winning the toss and choosing to bat, the tourists ended day one 220-2 off 68 overs.

McKenzie and Chanderpaul laid a solid foundation with a 130-run opening partnership.

McKenzie led the way with a 124-ball 86 including 12 boundaries and a six while Chanderpaul ended the day 70* off 190 balls including five fours.

Raymon Reifer was the other batsman dismissed for 26 while Alick Athanaze was 35* alongside Chanderpaul at stumps.

Jofra Archer has been left “distraught” after yet another injury nightmare saw him ruled out of England’s entire Ashes summer with a new stress fracture in his right elbow.

Archer has not played Test cricket for more than two years but had high hopes of returning to face Australia after a long and arduous journey that has seen him undergo several bouts of surgery on his elbow, as well as a stress fracture of the back which derailed his planned comeback last year.

But he is now facing another extended period on the sidelines and there must now be grave doubts as to whether the 28-year-old will ever again be available for the demands of the five-day format.

He made his first tentative steps towards full recovery earlier this year, featuring in England’s limited-overs tours to South Africa and Bangladesh, but his body has once again broken down following a stint in the Indian Premier League.

Archer appeared just five times for Mumbai Indians, bowling 20 overs in total, and made a mid-tournament visit to Belgium for further treatment on his elbow.

He reacted angrily on social media when news of that trip was reported in the media and managed to bowl at express pace after returning to the IPL. But he was sent home injured soon afterwards and England’s worst fears have now been realised.

He was seen as a key figure in ruffling Australian feathers, as he did during his Test debut at Lord’s in 2019 when an unforgettable duel with Steve Smith left the batter concussed by an unplayable bouncer.

Rob Key, director of men’s cricket at the England and Wales Cricket Board, said: “He’s got another stress fracture in an elbow that’s been trouble for a long time.

“I’m hoping at some point Jofra deserves a bit of luck with this, because the poor lad is pretty distraught about what’s happened and it’s only just happened recently.

“You just hope that luck turns for him at some point as I’m sure it will. I’m sure we will see Jofra back to his best and winning games for England, whatever the format.”

Whether he has a chance of featuring in October’s ODI World Cup, helping defend the title he delivered in 2019 by closing out the super over in the final, remains to be seen.

Archer’s stellar abilities with the white ball, allied to his long history of fitness problems, mean there have been long-standing worries over his Test career.

Key made it clear he has no concerns around the player’s desire to succeed with the red ball, but accepted it was impossible to predict how the future will now play out for him.

“Sometimes you get the feeling that the people think he’s going to go down the white-ball road and he’s not going to be interested in Test cricket, that there’s other things on his mind that come first. That’s absolutely not the case,” he said.

“He is desperate to play all forms of cricket. He’s been desperate to play Test cricket as well and I hope that he gets the chance to do that.

“But at the moment, all cricket’s been too much for his body to cope with and we need to get past that. You just hope that down the line he will overcome this, that body will get robust enough to be able to deal with the rigours of everything. I wouldn’t sit here now and rule anything out.”

It seems fanciful to think his modest workload in the IPL has forced an injury that would not have happened had be been playing first-class cricket with Sussex, where he would have bowled more in a solitary LV= County Championship fixture.

Even so, Key promised to pore over how England managed his return to playing over recent months.

“We’re going to look at every single thing we’ve done,” he said.

“Everything we’ve done has been what we thought was the right thing for the player first – not actually for anyone else – to say what’s the best way for him to be able to have the best career he can possibly have.

“The fact is that he’s not been able to bowl more than four more overs without feeling any sort of pain so, regardless of the way that we’ve gone, whether it’s been right or wrong, I don’t think I’d change anything.”

Archer played the last of his 13 Tests against India in February 2021 and went on to have two separate operations to try to resolve the stress fracture in his elbow.

He has since missed two T20 World Cups, including England’s victory in Australia in October, as well as the previous Ashes tour Down Under in 2021-22.

James Anderson is set to be named in England’s first Test squad of the summer despite the groin injury that forced him out of action for Lancashire last week.

Alarm bells started ringing when the country’s record wicket-taker sat out the last three days of the LV= Insurance County Championship clash against Somerset, with the England and Wales Cricket Board confirming over the weekend that the seamer had a “mild strain to his right groin”.

England are due to to announce their group for the Test against Ireland on Tuesday morning and, although they will take no risks with Anderson’s fitness when it comes to team selection, the 40-year-old is expected to be included.

Anderson will continue to be assessed but a decision on his participation in the Lord’s curtain-raiser, which acts as England’s only competitive Ashes warm-up and and runs from June 1-4, will not be made until closer to the time.

Zak Crawley will also be hoping he retains the faith of a selection panel convened by director of cricket Rob Key. Former England all-rounder Luke Wright was involved for the first time, joining captain Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum.

Crawley’s place has been frequently scrutinised and a batting average of 27.60 across 33 Tests makes him vulnerable, but he has been given a long leash due to his high ceiling and ability to set a free-flowing tempo at the top of the order. An early season knock of 170 for Kent was testament to his up-side, but his lack of consistency comes through in his average of 38.88 in nine innings.

Stokes himself has been touted as a potential replacement at opener, a high-risk move that would represent a profound change of role for the skipper. There are lingering concerns over his preferred job as an all-rounder too though.

After his longstanding left knee injury flared up during February’s tour of New Zealand, Stokes spoke of his frustration at being unable to deliver as the side’s fourth seamer and his desperation to be back at full capacity in time for the Ashes.

But his time with Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League has proved trying, playing just twice for the franchise and sending down a solitary over at the cost of 18 runs. The 31-year-old subsequently picked up a toe problem and a further unspecified “setback” before being kept on the sidelines once available.

CSK have preferred another English all-rounder, Moeen Ali, due to his contribution as an off-spinner, but head coach Stephen Fleming has shed further light on the matter.

Speaking after his side’s defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday, the New Zealander suggested Stokes’ seamers were not currently an option and that he was instead being viewed as a specialist batter ahead of the final group-stage match.

“Ben’s ability to bowl overs at the moment is still a bit of a challenge, but he’s there as that batting cover,” said Fleming.

“But with Moeen bowling well in good conditions – we go to Delhi [next] which has been turning – we think the balance of the side has been right. We’re second on the table, so it’s not our style to chop and change just because we’ve had a loss where things didn’t go our way.”

Jonny Bairstow will make his return to the England set-up, almost 10 months on from breaking his leg in three places during a freak accident at a golf course. Bairstow was England’s star performer in 2022, at one stage smashing four centuries in five innings to give the new regime a thrilling, winning start.

Stokes and McCullum had both previously suggested that he would walk back into the side when fit, but there remains speculation over his role. With Harry Brook excelling since stepping into his fellow Yorkshireman’s boots at number five, he could be vying with Ben Foakes for the wicketkeeping gloves.

England would be reluctant to dispense with a man they deem to be the best pure gloveman in the world, and a steadying influence at number seven, and will be tempted to defer the final decision by taking both Foakes and Bairstow to Lord’s.

With Jofra Archer’s ongoing elbow complaint and Olly Stone’s hamstring problem taking them out of the equation, England’s pace unit should look familiar with Stuart Broad, Ollie Robinson and Mark Wood to the fore.

Durham quick Matthew Potts has taken 24 wickets at 22.50 in Division Two to push his name back into centre stage after failing to feature over the winter, while Chris Woakes could also get the call 14 months on from his last Test appearance.

The Warwickshire man missed the entire 2022 home season through injury and has yet to play since Stokes and McCullum took the reins, but he boasts a fine record in English conditions and would strengthen the lower-order batting.

President of Cricket West Indies, Dr Kishore Shallow, believes the early success of the West Indies Academy in Antigua has led Caribbean cricket’s governing body to investigate the possibility of opening similar academies around the region.

“That is something that needs to be discussed as well by the cricket development and performance committee. We’ve seen how productive and fruitful the investment in the current emerging program is to date,” Shallow said during a virtual press conference held by CWI on Friday.

The Academy was formed in 2022 and is based at the home of West Indies cricket, the Coolidge Cricket Ground.

The team, comprising young cricketers from around the region, first participated in the 2022 CWI Super50 Cup where they won one match out of six and finished last in Zone B.

Most recently, the youngsters produced an excellent showing to win the inaugural Headley Weekes Tri-Series held between April 19 and May 5 at Coolidge.

“Recently, we saw them playing and dominating against our region professional cricketers in the Headley Weekes Series and there is absolutely no reservation that investment in academies across the region could produce similar results so it is really something high on the agenda,” said Shallow before reminding people that affordability and sustainability will ultimately determine whether or not these plans move forward.

It is obviously a question of affordability and whatever we do, we have to ensure that these programs and systems are sustainable. One for the committee to discuss and send their recommendations to the board. We will also have to get the input from our finance management strategy committee as well,” he added.

The West Indies Women’s and Men’s teams will both tour Australia during the Australian summer, with dates and venues confirmed by Cricket Australia (CA) on Sunday. The West Indies Women will tour in October 2023 for three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and three T20 Internationals (T20Is), while the West Indies Men will tour in January and February 2024 for two Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is.

The Women’s ODIs form part of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Women's Championship, while the Tests will be part of the 2023-2025 ICC Men’s World Test Championship.

The Women’s T20 International Series will bowl off at the North Sydney Oval with two matches scheduled for Sunday, October 1st, and Monday, October 2nd, culminating with the third match at Allan Border Field in Brisbane on Thursday, October 5th.

Following the T20I Series, the West Indies Women will gear up for the ODI series, which commences on Sunday, October 8th, at Allan Border Field, before heading to Melbourne for the final two matches at the Junction Oval on Thursday, October 12th, and Monday, October 15th.

Hayley Matthews, the captain of the West Indies Women, expressed her excitement about the upcoming tour.

“We are looking forward to this opportunity to play against Australia as part of the ICC Women's Championship cycle. We look forward to putting up a strong fight, as we’ve been working hard to refine our skills and strategies. I’m sure the fans are going to see some entertaining cricket,” she said.

The West Indies Women will first be playing their next international fixtures against Ireland Women in June and July before heading to Australia, with the schedule for the Ireland Tour of the West Indies to be announced shortly.

The West Indies Men’s tour of Australia will start with the Test Series, playing for the Sir Frank Worrell Trophy, named in honor of the former West Indies captain and icon. The first Test will be played at Adelaide Oval on 17-21 January 2024. The second Test will be a day/night match using the pink ball at The Gabba in Brisbane from 25-29 January.

Following the Tests, the West Indies will play three day/night ODIs at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (Friday, February 2nd), the Sydney Cricket Ground (Sunday, February 4th) and the Manuka Oval, Canberra (Tuesday, February 6th). The three T20Is will be at the Blundstone Arena in Hobart, Tasmania (Friday, February 9th), the Adelaide Oval (Sunday, February 11th) and the Perth Stadium (Tuesday, February 13th).

MATCH SCHEDULES

Women’s Tour

1st October: 1st T20I at North Sydney Oval, Sydney

​2nd October: 2nd T20I at North Sydney Oval, Sydney (night)

​5th October: 3rd T20I at Allan Border Field, Brisbane (night)

8th October: 1st ODI at Allan Border Field, Brisbane

​12th October: 2nd ODI at Junction Oval, Melbourne

​15th October: 3rd ODI at Junction Oval, Melbourne

Men’s Tour

17th-21st January: 1st Test at Adelaide Oval, 10.00am

25th-29th January: 2nd Test at Gabba, Brisbane (day/night)

2nd February: 1st ODI at MCG, Melbourne (day/night)

4th February: 2nd ODI at SCG, Sydney (day/night)

6th February: 3rd ODI at Manuka Oval, Canberra (day/night)

9th February: 1st T20I at Blundstone Arena, Hobart (night)

11th February: 2nd T20I at Adelaide Oval, (night)

13th February: 3rd T20I at Perth Stadium, (day/night)

England bowler Craig Overton took umbrage at apparent criticism from Lancashire over Somerset’s non-declaration tactics as the sides’ LV= Insurance County Championship clash ended in a draw.

Somerset’s decision to carry on batting at Emirates Old Trafford despite their lead passing 300 in mid-afternoon on the final day of the Division One encounter provoked a sarcastic response from Lancashire’s official Twitter account.

Responding to one of Lancashire’s tweets after hands were shaken at 4:50pm, Overton wrote: “We came at you with a reasonable offer yesterday afternoon to make a game of it yet you declined.”

While James Rew compiled his second century of the match and finished on an unbeaten 118 and Kasey Aldridge claimed his maiden first-class hundred with 101 not out, the game had drifted by that point.

Lancashire, unable to call upon James Anderson because of a groin niggle, withdrew their first-choice attack in the afternoon session as batters Steven Croft and Dane Vilas shared the second new ball.

Lancashire used nine bowlers in total – including wicketkeeper George Bell, with Josh Bohannon taking the gloves – as Somerset finished on 398 for five to sit 433 ahead.

England wicketkeeper Ben Foakes took six catches as Surrey’s impressive attack inspired a nine-wicket victory over Middlesex at the Kia Oval.

Jordan Clark took four for 25, while there were three wickets for Sean Abbott and two for Gus Atkinson as Middlesex were all out for 240, with Foakes’ half-dozen catches a record in a first-class innings for Surrey against their London rivals.

Rory Burns was out for 14, but Dom Sibley (21no) and Ryan Patel (37no) helped Surrey ease to their 70-run target to help their side claim their third win of the season to stay top of the division.

Under-pressure England opener Zak Crawley curbed his attacking instincts and his half-century helped Kent avoid defeat against Hampshire at Canterbury.

Crawley amassed 56 off 133 balls before being stumped off Liam Dawson, while fellow opener Ben Compton’s 54 and an unbeaten 68 off 206 deliveries from Jack Leaning lifted Kent to 259 for four, still 18 runs behind but with Hampshire having given up hopes of forcing a win.

Durham extended their lead atop Division Two with a tense one-wicket victory over Yorkshire, with Brydon Carse hitting the winning runs despite batting with a runner because of a side injury.

Durham resumed at Chester-le-Street requiring 33 to win but with only two wickets in hand. Ben Raine (50no) and Matthew Potts (25) helped Durham close in on their target of 246, but the latter fell lbw to George Hill with just two more runs needed.

But Carse squirted his fourth ball away, calling Raine through for a couple as Durham got over the line to claim their third triumph of the campaign and leave Yorkshire still searching for their first win.

Leicestershire remain unbeaten despite being asked to follow-on by Sussex at Grace Road, with hundreds from Rishi Patel and Wiaan Mulder helping the hosts to a draw.

Patel (100) and Mulder (102no) ushered Leicestershire to 295 for six, having been asked to bat again the day before when they were all out for 270 in response to Sussex’s 430.

Derbyshire captain Leus du Plooy’s unbeaten 61 led the recovery from 28 for three to 166 for five as Gloucestershire settled for a draw at Derby.

Joe Root was out for 10 off 15 balls in his maiden Indian Premier League innings as Rajasthan Royals were skittled for a woeful 59 in a humbling 112-run defeat to Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Root, who was selected for the Royals’ two previous matches but did not bat, overturned an lbw decision on one before Wayne Parnell’s slower ball thudded into the Yorkshireman’s pads in Jaipur.

He reviewed in vain to become Parnell’s third victim, with the left-armer also snaring Root’s England team-mate Jos Buttler, out for a two-ball duck after slapping a short and wide delivery to cover.

Root’s dismissal left the Royals on 28 for five in response to their opponents’ 171 for five.

While Shimron Hetmyer bludgeoned four sixes in his 35 off 19 balls, the West Indies left-hander could not stop the Royals succumbing to the third lowest total in the IPL’s history – all out in 10.3 overs.

The heavy loss has dented the Royals’ hopes of a top-four play-off finish after falling to sixth with just one game remaining. RCB, meanwhile, have climbed to fifth and have two matches left in the regular season.

Royal Challengers Bangalore subjected Rajasthan Royals to a humiliating 112-run thrashing in Jaipur on Sunday, despite brief resistance from Shimron Hetmyer.

The Guyanese batsman made a 19-ball 35 that included a four and four sixes as he tried to get Royals back into the game after crashing to 31-6 after seven overs, chasing RCB’s 171-5. Former England captain Joe Root, who made 10 was the only other batter in double figures for Royals, who were skittled out for 59 in 10.3 overs.

Wayne Parnell was responsible for much of the destruction taking 3-10 from three overs. Michael Bracewell, 2-16, Karn Sharma 2-19 and Glen Maxwell 1-3 provided useful support in the rout.

Earlier, Maxwell scored 54 and Faf du Plessis 55 and Anuj Rawat provided the bulk of the scoring for RCB, who were recording their second win in their last five matches to be fifth in the league table.

Adam Zampa 2-25 and KM Asif 2-42 were the primary wicket-takers for Royals, who were losing their fourth in their last five matches.

Division One leaders Warwickshire claimed their third LV= Insurance County Championship win of the season after beating fellow title hopefuls Essex inside three days at Edgbaston.

Chris Rushworth produced another stunning display as Essex were dismissed for 215 in their second innings, the veteran seamer taking four for 62 to finish with match figures of eight for 90.

The winter arrival from Durham has now taken 30 wickets this season and his efforts, combined with Hasan Ali (four for 48), left Warwickshire needing exactly 100 for victory, which they knocked off with four wickets to spare.

Dane Paterson claimed five wickets as Nottinghamshire earned victory by an innings and 25 runs over Northamptonshire at Wantage Road.

The Steelbacks were reeling at 11 for four after Paterson’s first four victims came in an opening burst of eight overs and, despite Saif Zaib showing some resilience with 26, they were dismissed for just 72.

Northamptonshire collapsed in their first innings, losing seven wickets for 17 runs as Nottinghamshire’s bowling attack proved too strong.

Earlier Joe Clarke (76) scored his second half-century of the season to give Nottinghamshire a 97-run advantage which could have been more but for career-best figures of four for 24 for James Sales. Tom Taylor also took four wickets.

Surrey moved into the driving seat against Middlesex at the Kia Oval as a first-innings lead of 171 gave them hope of securing a third win of the season.

Jamie Smith made 97 and their last three wickets added 97 to swell their total to 380.

Middlesex, hustled out for 209 the first time around, were 128 for three at the close, still 43 behind.

Daryl Mitchell scored a debut century to put Lancashire back into contention against Somerset at Emirates Old Trafford.

The New Zealander’s brilliant knock of 105 helped a Red Roses side missing the injured James Anderson close their first innings on 326, just 35 behind the visitors.

Somerset extended that lead to 149 at the close as they reached stumps at 114 for three with opener Tom Lammonby unbeaten on 40.

Kent – dismissed for just 95 in their first innings – must battle hard against Hampshire at Canterbury to avoid defeat.

The hosts are on 66 for no loss in their second innings, trailing by 212, with Zak Crawley unbeaten on 35 and Ben Compton 30 not out.

Earlier Liam Dawson hit 84, Joe Weatherly 58 and James Fuller 51 as Hampshire posted 373 in their first innings to take a firm grip on proceedings.

Timm van der Gugten cemented his place as the leading bowler in Division Two this season as Glamorgan wrapped up a convincing victory over Worcestershire in Cardiff.

The Australian-Dutch international claimed his third five-wicket haul of the season as Worcestershire were bowled out in the first hour of play. Glamorgan openers Eddie Byrom (51 not out) and captain David Lloyd (30 not out) chased down the target of 79 to seal a 10-wicket win.

That gave Glamorgan their first victory of the season and 20 points, while Worcestershire slipped to a second defeat since their opening-round victory against Derbyshire.

Yorkshire and Durham set up thrilling finale at Seat Unique Riverside.

Defending a total of 246, Matthew Fisher claimed four wickets to turn the game in the favour of the visitors after Durham had threatened to inch their way towards victory courtesy of a fifty from Michael Jones.

Durham were 173 for eight before Ben Raine (32 not out) and Matthew Potts (13 not out) formed a defiant partnership of 40.

The home side require 33 runs to win with two wickets remaining but the fitness of Brydon Carse, who missed all of day three due to injury, is a huge concern.

Sussex boosted their bid to take over top spot in Division Two by forcing Leicestershire to follow on at Grace Road.

The home side were dismissed for 270 – with four-wicket hauls for Ari Karvelas and Fynn Hudson-Prentice – in reply to Sussex’s 430 before reaching stumps 16 without loss in their second go.

Derbyshire opener Harry Came claimed his maiden first-class century with 108 from 192 balls against Gloucestershire at Derby.

Came’s effort took Derbyshire to 251 for nine declared and, in an even rain-affected contest, Gloucestershire reached 195 for five with Ben Charlesworth unbeaten on 58.

Nicholas Pooran and Prerak Mankad starred as the Lucknow Super Giants beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by seven wickets in their Indian Premier League (IPL) fixture at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Saturday.

South African wicketkeeper batsman Heinrich Klaasen led the way with a 29-ball 47 as the Sunrisers posted 182-6 off their 20 overs after winning the toss. Opener Anmolpreet Singh (36) and captain Aiden Markram (28) also made good contributions against 2-24 from Krunal Pandya.

The successful Super Giants chase was then led by Mankad, who brought up his maiden IPL fifty on the way to a top-score of 64* off 45 balls including seven fours and two sixes.

He was joined in the end by Pooran who smashed the Sunrisers bowling to all parts on the way to a brutal 44* off just 13 balls, hitting three fours and four sixes in the process.

Australian Marcus Stoinis also contributed 40 as Lucknow reached 185-3 in 19.2 overs.

Lucknow are now fourth in the table with 13 points from 12 games.

Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago and Guyana all secured wins as action continued in the third round of the CWI Women’s Super50 on Friday in St. Kitts.

Kyshona Knight was the star of the day at Conaree Sports Club as Barbados hammered Jamaica by 205 runs.

The Bajans posted an imposing 318-8 from their 50 overs batting first, with Knight making a spectacular 144 off just 119 balls including 19 fours and a six.

She was well supported by West Indies Under-19 representative Trishan Holder (36) and captain Hayley Matthews (31) while Neisha-Ann Wasome led the way with the ball for Jamaica with 3-65 from her 10 overs.

Jamaica was forced to bat with 10 as captain Stafanie Taylor suffered an injury in the field.

Their reply never really got out of first gear, eventually folding at 113-9 in the 29^th over.

West Indies representative Chedean Nation (32) and Natasha McLean (27) were the only batters to provide any resistance against Keila Elliot’s 4-19 off 5.4 overs. Shamilia Connell and Aaliyah Williams also took two wickets each for Barbados who now have three wins in as many games.

At Warner Park, Guyana secured a nail-biting one run win over the Leeward Islands.

Shabika Gajnabi led the way with 49 and Kaysia Schultz added 25 as Guyana posted 167-9 off their 50 overs. Tonya Martin took 4-36 from 10 overs for the Leewards.

Then, despite a top-score of 74 off 124 balls from Amanda Edwards, the Leewards reply ended agonizingly short at 166-9 from 50 overs.

Shenetta Grimmond took 3-26 from her 10 overs while Plaffiana Millington (2-26) and Gajnabi (2-31) also provided good spells.

At St. Paul’s Sports Complex, Trinidad & Tobago squeezed out a narrow two-wicket win over the Windward Islands.

Afy Fletcher (50) and Qiana Joseph (29) led the way as the Windwards were first bowled out for 150 in 44.3 overs.

Karishma Ramharack took 3-24 off 9.3 overs for T&T.

Trinidad & Tobago’s successful chase was led by 53 from Reniece Boyce, 24 from Shalini Samaroo and 23* from Ramharack as they limped across the line at 152-8 in 38.3 overs.

Qiana Joseph completed an excellent all-round performance with 6-20 from her 10 overs for the Windwards.

James Anderson failed to appear for Lancashire as they rued poor catching in their LV= Insurance County Championship Division One clash with Somerset at Emirates Old Trafford.

The record-breaking England seamer left the field just before Thursday’s close of play with what was described as a “minor issue”.

The remaining Red Rose players combined to drop seven catches as teenager James Rew took centre stage, hitting 105 in Somerset’s total of 361 all out. Lancashire were 72 for two in reply at the close.

Tom Alsop’s unbeaten century helped Sussex into a strong position against Leicestershire despite Steve Smith falling cheaply.

Australia star Smith, who made a low-key 30 on his Sussex debut at Worcester last week, was back in the pavilion having scored just three off 14 balls as the match finally got under way.

However, despite his failure, Sussex still enjoyed a good second day as they made 319 for four after being sent into bat, with Alsop (118 not out), Cheteshwar Pujara (77) and James Coles (59no) leading the way.

Yorkshire edged their way into a controlling position against Durham, leading the hosts by 118 heading into day three.

George Hill claimed four wickets to help bowl Durham out for 227, with Yorkshire reaching 91 for three in their second innings and England pair Dawid Malan (33 not out) and Jonny Bairstow (16no) at the crease.

Rory Burns led from the front with a fluent and aggressive 88 as Surrey chased a significant first-innings lead against Middlesex, trailing by only 19 runs on 190 for three at stumps.

But the most eye-catching innings of a second day cut short by bad weather was Jamie Smith’s 55 not out, with the 22-year old showing off some memorable and high-class strokes.

Nottinghamshire seamer Brett Hutton took his third five-wicket haul of the season to compound former county Northamptonshire’s ongoing batting woes.

Hutton found plenty of movement under floodlights, cloudy skies and light rain and precipitated a Northamptonshire collapse from 113 for two to 158 all out.

A fluent fourth-wicket stand of 68 between Joe Clarke (41 not out) and Matthew Montgomery (34) helped Nottinghamshire close one run behind on 157 for four.

A buccaneering 10th-wicket stand of 70 restored Warwickshire’s control after Essex fought back hard at Edgbaston.

Essex closed day two on 86 for four, still trailing by 30, after Warwickshire’s last pair Hassan Ali (53 not out) and Olly Hannon-Dalby (18) clouted 70 from 69 balls to lift their side to 242.

A well-made 86 from Michael Neser and four wickets from Timm van der Gugten put Glamorgan within touching distance of their first win of the season against Worcestershire in Cardiff.

With Worcestershire ending the day on 195 for seven, 46 runs in front with just three wickets left, Glamorgan will be hoping to wrap up victory on Saturday.

Gloucestershire seamer Matt Taylor impressed on his first appearance of the season against Derbyshire, taking two for 18 from 10 overs as the hosts struggled on another day badly hit by the weather.

No play was possible until 2pm because of a wet outfield and – after Gloucestershire won the toss – Derbyshire reached 130 for five before bad light ended play early.

There was frustration for fans and players alike at Canterbury as a mere 6.1 overs were possible between Kent and Hampshire, with the visitors moving to 103 without loss, a lead of eight.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) today announced the appointments of the new Head Coaches for the West Indies Senior Men’s Teams. Andre Coley has been appointed Head Coach for the Test and ‘A’ Teams and Daren Sammy has been appointed the Head Coach for the white ball One Day International (ODI) and T20 International (T20I) Teams.

The new Head Coaches were selected following an open and transparent interview process, and the appointments were confirmed following the CWI Board of Directors meeting on Thursday 11 May.

Daren Sammy’s first assignment will be the three-match ODI Series against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Sharjah in June, ahead of the ICC Men’s World Cup 2023 Qualifier tournament in Zimbabwe. Andre Coley’s first assignment will be the two-match Test Series against India in the Caribbean in July. 

Sammy is a former West Indies captain in all three formats, who led the West Indies to the ICC T20 World Cup titles in 2012 and 2016. Since retirement, he has coached franchise teams in the Pakistan Super League and the Caribbean Premier League. Coley is a former Jamaica wicket-keeper/batsman who has coached at all levels in West Indies cricket. He was Interim Head Coach of the West Indies team on the tours of Zimbabwe and South Africa earlier this year with his most recent assignment as Head Coach of the West Indies Academy.

The 39-year-old Sammy said: “It will be a challenge but one that I’m ready for and excited about. I’m really looking forward to the opportunity, especially looking at the players we have and the impact that I believe I can have in the dressing room. I believe I will bring the same approach as I had as a player: the passion, the desire for success, and my undying love for West Indies cricket. When I look around there is an abundance of talent, and what I saw in South Africa in the white ball matches under new captains Shai Hope and Rovman Powell and the leadership provided by Andre Coley, there is great belief that we can do well. I’m looking forward to imparting my knowledge, my tactical acumen, my communication skills and my man-management skills. I get excited about putting the plans together and seeing the players execute them.”

Coley, 48, said: “I am honored to be appointed West Indies Men’s Head Coach of the red-ball team after serving in the interim role on the Zimbabwe and South Africa tours. I am looking forward to the challenges ahead, as well as the opportunities as we sharpen our focus on moving up the Test rankings, and qualifying for the World Test Championship final in June 2025. I also look forward to working with all our stakeholders, deepening relationships and fostering a high-performance mindset. I am also excited to be working closely with the ‘A Team’ as we seek to optimize opportunities for teams to play competitive cricket outside of our first-class competition and giving players greater exposure to different conditions at the international level. I believe that my expertise in the use of analytics, my leadership style and technical knowledge along with collaborative efforts alongside Daren, will make a positive contribution to player development and team performances.”

In March, CWI announced that the role of Head Coach for the West Indies Senior Men’s Teams will be split into two separate positions, a decision made with reference to the recommendation by the independent three-member World Cup Review Group to consider splitting coaching duties as one factor to help improve team preparation.

Johnny Grave, CEO of CWI said: “We are delighted to announce the appointments of Andre and Daren to the positions of red ball and white ball Head Coaches of the Senior Men’s Teams. They are well equipped for their roles, and we are confident they will bring different perspectives, skills and real passion to the West Indies dressing room. The introduction of separate coaches signals the start of a new approach for the West Indies Men’s Teams, and we know it will enable greater focus on player communication, team planning and preparation to the benefit of our players and West Indies cricket.”

The recruitment process for a Head Coach of the West Indies Women’s team has commenced and the deadline for applications of Wednesday 17 May. Further information on the timing and process for appointing a new Head Coach of the West Indies Academy to replace Coley will be announced at a later date.

England seamer James Anderson was a conspicuous absentee on the second morning of Lancashire’s LV= Insurance County Championship clash with Somerset, receiving treatment for a “minor issue”.

Anderson was in outstanding form on the opening day at Emirates Old Trafford, taking two for 16 from 14 metronomic overs, but left the field shortly before rain brought an early end to proceedings.

He did not emerge with his team-mates on Friday, with Lancashire confirming he was experiencing an undisclosed complaint.

A spokesperson said: “Jimmy is off the field with a minor issue, which is currently being assessed.”

Anderson, 40, is integral to England’s Ashes plans this summer, with bowling stocks already hit by fresh injuries to pace pair Jofra Archer and Olly Stone.

Archer has returned early from the Indian Premier League due to discomfort in his troublesome right elbow, while Stone faces several weeks on the sidelines after injuring his hamstring on duty for Nottinghamshire last week.

Anderson managed just four overs in the last home series against Australia, ruled out with a calf problem on the opening morning.

England begin their Test summer against Ireland at Lord’s, a four-day match starting on June 1, before the Ashes opener at Edgbaston on June 16.