West Indies great, Brian Lara, believes India can bring the best out of the West Indies when they square off in a two-match Test series beginning on July 12 in Dominica.

“It’s a young group, ably led by Kraigg Brathwaite, of course, but I feel like some of the guys can really come into their own in this series,” Lara, who is with the team as a performance mentor, said in a CWI interview on Saturday.

“It’s a tough opposition but I believe that’s the way we can get the best out of them,” he added.

The West Indian selectors have started to look to the future in the batting department with the selections of 22-year-old Kirk McKenzie and 24-year-old Alick Athanaze.

Jamaica’s McKenzie earned his selection on the back of some good performances in the inaugural Headley Weekes Tri-Series and in a subsequent A-team tour of Bangladesh.

He had scores of 221 and 50 in the Headley Weekes series and followed those up with scores of 91 and 86 against Bangladesh A.

Athanaze captained the Windward Islands Volcanoes in this season’s West Indies Championship and scored 647 runs in five matches at an average of 64.70 with a pair of hundreds and four fifties.

“They’re both young, capable players. Of course, you’d hope they had a little more experience in the first-class arena but, looking at their style of play and their attitude, I believe they do have what it takes to perform at the highest level,” Lara said.

“It may take some time but, obviously, as an international cricketer, if you’re entering this stage it doesn’t matter what age you enter; you’ve got to learn very quickly and I think they have that sort of attitude to want to learn and be willing to listen. I look forward to good things in the future,” he added.

These matches will mark the start of the 2023-25 ICC World Test Championship cycle for both teams.

“Obviously, we’ve got two very important Test matches against India that start the two-year cycle for us. We know, whether it’s at home or away from home, they’re one of the top teams in the world,” Lara said.

“I think the guys are moving in the right direction in terms of where we started the camp and where we are at this present moment only a few days out from the first Test match in Dominica,” he added.

The two teams had very different results in the 2021-23 cycle. India, currently the top-ranked Test team in the world, finished the cycle second behind Australia, who they recently lost to in the World Test Championship Final.

On the other hand, the West Indies ended the cycle in eighth, only finishing ahead of Bangladesh.

After a pair of scintillating 100m finals on day two of the JAAA/Puma National Senior and Junior Athletics Championships, Shericka Jackson and Rohan Watson emerged as the champions.

Jackson, already the second fastest woman ever in the 200m, became the joint-fifth fastest woman of all-time in the 100m with a magnificent, world-leading 10.65 to defend her national title.

Sashalee Forbes was second in a personal best 10.96 while Natasha Morrison ran 10.98 for third.

Briana Williams ran a season’s best 11.01 for fourth while double Olympic sprint champion, Elaine Thompson-Herah, was fifth in 11.06.

In the men’s equivalent, Rohan Watson, the 21-year-old who turned heads when he ran a then-personal best 9.98 in the heats on Thursday, proved that was no fluke as he held his nerve to stun the field, and the National Stadium crowd. His winning time was 9.91, another personal best.

Ryiem Forde dipped under 10 seconds for the first time, running 9.96 for second while Oblique Seville ran 10.00 for third, narrowly finishing ahead of Jamaica’s leader in the event this year, Ackeem Blake, who ran 10.01 in fourth.

Janieve Russell can now call herself a five-time Jamaican champion after she won a thrilling 400m hurdles final on day two of the JAAA/Puma national Senior and Junior Athletics Championships at the National Stadium on Friday.

Russell, the reigning Commonwealth Games gold medallist, produced a season’s best 53.75 to hold off the fast finishing Andrenette Knight (53.78) and Rushell Clayton (53.81) who finished second and third.

For Knight, this serves as redemption. Last year, she missed out on a national title after falling with 100m to go in the final after leading the whole race.

On the men’s side, Roshawn Clarke produced one of the performances of the Championships to win his maiden national senior crown.

Clarke, still only 19, brought the National Stadium crowd into a frenzy with a brilliant, world junior record-equaling 47.85. Clarke’s time also puts him second on Jamaica’s all-time list for the event behind Winthrop Graham’s 47.60 done in 1993.

Commonwealth Games silver medallist and three-time national champion, Jaheel Hyde, was second in a season’s best 48.45 while Assinie Wilson ran a massive personal best 48.50 for third.

Adelle Tracey won the Women’s 1500m title on day two of the JAAA/Puma National Senior and Junior Championships at the National Stadium in Kingston on Friday.

With a field of only two competitors, the 2022 NACAC silver medallist ran a time of 4:19.23 to finish ahead of 2018 Commonwealth Games 3000m steeplechase gold medalist, Aisha Praught-Leer (4:23.05).

The automatic qualification standard for the 1500m to the Budapest World Championships is 4:03.50 which Tracey achieved when she ran 4:02.65 at the Ostrava Golden Spike in August 2022.

Trinidad & Tobago’s Jereem Richards produced a stunning new personal best to claim 400m gold at the CAC Games in San Salvador on Thursday.

The two-time Commonwealth Games Champion in the 200m ran a brilliant 44.54 to win ahead of St. Lucia’s Michael Joseph (44.90) and Martinique’s Gilles Biron (45.06).

Richards, the reigning World Indoor Champion in the 400m, had a previous outdoor personal best of 44.79 done last year at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene.

Current world leader, Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic, dominated the field to take the women’s event in 49.95. Cuba’s Roxana Gomez was a distant second in 51.23 while Puerto Rico’s Gabriella Scott was third in 51.51.

Trinidad & Tobago took gold and silver in the men’s and women’s 4x100m relays, respectively.

The men produced a time of 38.30 to win gold ahead of the Dominican Republic (38.61) and Venezuela (39.13).

The women ran 43.43 to finish behind winners Cuba (43.17). The Dominican Republic ran 43.45 in third.

In the field, T&T’s 2012 Olympic Champion Keshorn Walcott, threw 83.60m to take gold in the men’s javelin ahead of Mexico’s David Carreon (78.03m) and Jamaica’s Elvis Graham (76.43m).

Jamaica’s Danielle Sloley threw 16.81m for silver in the women’s shot put behind the Dominican Republic’s Rosa Ramirez (17.89m). Cuba’s Leyselis Jimenez was third with 16.79m.

Texas A&M’s Lamara Distin won her second Jamaican high jump title on day one of the JAAA/Puma National Senior and Junior Athletics Championships at the National Stadium in Kingston on Thursday.

The reigning Commonwealth Games champion’s best clearance was a height of 1.91m, the same height she cleared to win the NCAA Indoor title in March. Distin also took silver at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in June with 1.87m.

Kimberley Williamson, a seven-time national champion, was second with a best clearance of 1.85m.

Tissanna Hickling is Jamaica’s national long jump champion for a third time after taking the event on day one of the JAAA/Puma National Senior and Junior Athletics Championships at the National Stadium in Kingston on Thursday.

The 25-year-old, who entered Thursday’s competition with a personal best of 6.82m set back in 2019, bettered that mark by .03m to add to her 2018 and 2019 crowns, achieving the automatic qualifying standard for the 2023 World Championships in Budapest later this year in the process.

Hickling produced a consistent card, bettering 6.50m with all her jumps.

Chanice Porter, also a three-time national champion, was second with a best jump of 6.72m while the University of Texas’ Ackelia Smith, the current NCAA champion and world leader with 7.08m done in May, was third with a best jump of 6.66m.

Jamaica secured an early lead in the CWI Men’s Rising Stars Under-19 50-Over tournament with a six-wicket win over Trinidad & Tobago at Arnos Vale on Thursday.

The Trinidadians first posted 158 all out from their 50 overs. They recovered from being 87-6 thanks to a late 57-ball 28 from Abdurrahmaan Juman including one four and a six.

Earlier, opener Nick Ramlal made 22. Michael Clarke took his second consecutive three-wicket haul for the Jamaicans with 3-30 from his 10 overs while Reon Edwards also picked up his second three-wicket haul in a row with 3-36 from nine. The Jamaicans also got a pair of wickets from Tamarie redwood and Deshawn James.

Jamaica then made quick work of their target to get their second win in as many games. Jordan Johnson led the way with an unbeaten 57 off 67 balls including two fours and three sixes. Adrian Weir also contributed 36 as the Jamaicans finished 159-4 off 33 overs.

The Windward Islands got their first win of the campaign when they beat Barbados by four wickets at Sion Hill.

Barbados, the defending champions, managed only 137 all out off 39.4 overs batting first. Gadson Bowens led the way for Barbados with 49 against an excellent 5-28 off 10 overs from Kirt Murray and 2-16 from 4.4 overs from Ackeem Auguste.

Captain Stephan Pascal then scored a composed 43 to lead the Windwards to 138-6 off 44.1 overs. Nathan Sealy and Saurav Worrell both took two wickets, each, for the Bajans.

The Leeward Islands also got their first win of the tournament with a comfortable eight-wicket win over Guyana, who slumped to their second straight big defeat.

Guyana, who were dismissed for 78 in their opening game against Jamaica, didn’t fare much better against the Leewards, making just 108 off 35.2 overs at the Cumberland Playing Field.

Only Thaddeus Lovell was able to provide any real resistance with 37 against Onaje Amory’s 3-21 off eight overs and Nathan Edwards’ 2-16 from six overs.

Malique Walsh then led the way for the Leewards with 52* as they reached 109-2 in 31.4 overs.

For the first time since 2019, the West Indies will battle India in the game’s longest format with the first Test of India’s tour of the Caribbean set to bowl off on July 12 in Dominica.

Since that 2019 series which India won 2-0, also in the Caribbean, the West Indies have played 12 series. Out of those 12, they have won four, drawn two and lost six. Three of those series wins have come in their last five series.

On the other hand, India, have won eight out of 12 series since then, including three of their last five.

West Indies vice-captain, Jermaine Blackwood, hopes the West Indians can step up to the plate against the mighty Indians.

“India is the number one team in the world right now,” Blackwood told SportsMax.tv.

“We, as a team, for the past year or two, have been playing some good cricket and now we just want to take it to another stage,” he added.

From an individual standpoint, the middle order batsman has had a rough time of it against his upcoming opponents.

In five matches, Blackwood has scored 184 runs at an average of 28.26 with a pair of fifties.

The Jamaican says he’s hoping to rectify that in this series.

“That’s why I’m here working so hard. Me and the captain spoke about wanting to lead the team with the bat and we’ve been doing that for the last year or two. That will be more important now playing against a team like India,” Blackwood said.

Brathwaite has also had a tough time of it against India, averaging just 22.40 in 11 matches.

With all that in mind, the pair will have to come good for the West Indies to have any chance of knocking off the number one Test team in the world, a sentiment which Blackwood echoes.

“We have to make sure we score the bulk of the runs. I know that we’re going to play against a tough opponent and I know that I want to score some runs for myself and the team,” Blackwood said.

“Whenever I score runs, the team normally feeds off that so that is the mentality I want to take into this series,” he added.

In May, SportsMax.tv published a story where CWI President, Dr. Kishore Shallow, said that opening new academies across the region was “high on the agenda.”

This was in reaction to the West Indies Academy coming out victorious in the inaugural Headley Weekes Series that same month, a tri series played directly after the conclusion of the West Indies Championship.

Cost and sustainability were the only concerns mentioned by Shallow about the initiative while he also said that the matter had to be discussed further by the CWI’s cricket development and performance and finance management and strategy committees.

On Thursday, Shallow was contacted by SportsMax.tv regarding developments the opening of the new academies.

The Vincentian said that, due to recent developments in West Indies cricket, they have had to focus their attention on other, more urgent matters.

Those matters, according to Shallow, are the recruitment of a new Director of Cricket as well as a new permanent head coach for the West Indies Women’s Team.

“What we are currently doing now is focusing on the recruitment of personnel. One of those positions being the director of cricket and the other being a new head coach of the women’s team,” Dr. Shallow said.

“Over the next few weeks, once we have finalized these two things, then we’re going to address the academy and all other components under the cricket,” he added.

On May 31, CWI announced that Jimmy Adams would not return as Director of Cricket while Courtney Walsh was sacked as West Indies Women’s head coach in April. Robert Samuels, who was an assistant coach during Walsh’s tenure, is currently serving as interim head coach of the team.

Monday, June 26^th will long be remembered by West Indian cricket fans for all the wrong reasons.

Their team, inexplicably, suffered a shock super over defeat to the Netherlands in an ICC World Cup Qualifiers group fixture after failing to defend a mammoth 374.

With a loss like that, questions have been raised about the confidence of the team going into the rest of the qualifiers.

Captain, Shai Hope, answered some of those questions in a press conference on Tuesday.

“Certainly, there’s going to be a lot of pain and hurt in the dressing room but we know that there’s still always a chance for us to move to the next step,” he said.

“We’re always talking about communicating amongst each other and the main thing right now is to get the guys as uplifted as possible to make sure we get the best result going into the next game,” Hope added.

One thing is for certain, people in the Caribbean are not happy with the team’s performance, something Hope says is justified.

“It’s completely understandable but, one thing I can guarantee is that you guys will never be as deflated as us. I’m sure that the pain is even more severe here in the dressing room,” he said.

As if having to play in the ICC World Cup Qualifiers wasn’t bad enough, that loss made it all the more possible that, for the first their history, they may fail to make it to the ICC Cricket World Cup.

This is how the points system works for the super sixes stage at the qualifiers: When you defeat a team in your group that also advanced to the super sixes, you take those points along with you.

So, Zimbabwe and the Netherlands both advanced from Group A alongside the West Indies. Zimbabwe beat both the West Indies and the Netherlands, meaning they already have four points while the Netherlands have two points.

From Group B, Sri Lanka already has four points while Scotland has two meaning the West Indies will start the super sixes stage in fifth place, only ahead of Oman. The top two teams at the end of the super sixes stage advance to the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup in India later this year.

With that said, the West Indies will need to go unbeaten to have any chance of advancing.

The skipper says this won’t be possible without the support of the region.

“The one thing I can ask from you guys is to continue supporting us. We’re certainly trying to put our best out there. The results won’t always go our way but we definitely need to find ways to turn it around quickly,” he said.

“We have a huge legacy behind us and we know that but we have to create our own legacy as well and ensure that, whatever we do, that we’re representing the people of the West Indies proudly,” Hope added.

The West Indies will begin their super sixes campaign against Scotland on July 1.

Two-time double Olympic sprint champion, Elaine Thompson-Herah, made her much anticipated season debut in the 100m at the JAAA All Comers Meet at the Ashenheim Stadium at Jamaica College on Saturday.

The 30-year-old ran a pedestrian, by her standards, 11.23 to win comfortably win ahead of Racers Track Club’s Jodean Williams (11.38) and Titans International’s Shurria Henry (11.76).

This race almost never happened, however, as Thompson-Herah revealed in a very candid post-race interview that her persistent injuries almost caused her to quit the sport entirely.

“Honestly, I’m feeling good despite the fact that I’ve been out so long. It has been a challenging one but, I still hang on. I almost gave up but I have faith and I came out here to just test my body to see where I’m at. My training has not been how I wanted it to but, the fact that I missed so much and came out here and ran 11.23 today, I’m just grateful,” she said.

Prior to Saturday’s race, Thompson-Herah’s last competitive outing was a 200m race at the Tom Jones Memorial Invitational on April 14 where she ran 23.23 to finish second.

Between then and now, the sprinting superstar has struggled with injuries such as a persistent Achilles injury which hampered her for most of the 2022 season, shin splints and a knee injury which Thompson-Herah said “shut down my entire body to the point where I could not do anything.”

“The past couple months have been rough. Most days I’m not able to do anything so I’m just grateful I was able to be here in spikes. I’ve been bouncing spikes and track shoes so, to come out here and get a clean race, God is good,” said Thompson-Herah.

“People see us on the track all the time but they don’t know what comes behind that. I cried most mornings when I was driving home in my car because I see that I’m working hard and I’m not getting the results I want. I was on the verge of giving up, honestly, but God spoke to me and said ‘you cannot give up right now because I took you this far,” she added.

Despite her Olympic exploits, she has yet to win an elusive individual World Championship gold medal. Her best result in the 100m was her bronze medal from last year’s Eugene World Championships while she won a 200m silver medal at the 2015 edition in London.

So, why is it that she can’t replicate her Olympic successes at the World Championships? This is a question Thompson-Herah still can’t answer herself.

“I don’t know why World Championship season always seems very challenging for me. I have not changed anything, I’m not doing anything wrong but it’s like a test to see if I can do it or not. This one has tested me a lot and it tested me last year as well,” she said.

With the Jamaican National Senior and Junior Championships scheduled for July 6-9, Thompson-Herah says that she is going there with no expectations of a fast time, but instead just hoping for a spot on the team to Budapest later this year.

“I didn’t see trials coming, honestly. I’m just going there, not expecting the result, just trying to get into the top three. I’m not looking for a fast time or anything. I just want to make it to the World Championships and take it from there,” she said.

The West Indies will enter the super sixes stage of the ICC World Cup Qualifiers with it all to do after they were stunned in a super over by the Netherlands on Monday.

Teams will take points earned from the group stage into the super sixes if you beat the other qualified teams from your group.

As a result of their losses to Zimbabwe and the Netherlands, the West Indians will enter the super sixes stage with no points while the Netherlands will enter with two and Zimbabwe with four.

The West Indies made a seemingly insurmountable 374-6 from their 50 overs after being put in to bat by the Dutch.

The innings was set up excellently with a 101-run opening stand between Brandon King and Johnson Charles.

Charles was first to go for 54 to bring Shamarh Brooks to the crease to join King. The pair put on a further 59 before Brooks fell for 25.

Captain, Shai Hope, was next to make his way out to the middle and just three runs later, King fell for a well made 81-ball 76 to bring Pooran to the crease.

Hope and Pooran, then, added a further 108 before Hope eventually fell for 47 in the 41^st over.

Pooran, however, batted excellently, smashing the Dutch bowling all over the Takashinga Sports Club, eventually finishing 104 not out off 65 balls including nine fours and six sixes. Keemo Paul also played extremely well alongside Pooran, finishing unbeaten on 46 off 25 balls including four fours and two sixes.

Bas De Leede and Saqib Zulfiqar each took a pair of wickets for the Netherlands.

The Dutch, on the back of a magnificent 111 from Teja Nidamanuru, produced a spirited chase that saw them equal the West Indies score, and make their highest ODI score in the process, finishing 374-9 off their 50 overs.

It was a well-rounded batting effort as they got valuable contributions from Vikramjit Singh (37), Max O’Dowd (36), Wesley Barresi (27) and Bas De Leede (33) at the top of their innings.

It was then a crucial 143-run fifth-wicket partnership between Nidamanuru and Captain, Scott Edwards, that put the Netherlands on the cusp of victory.

Edwards eventually fell for a 47-ball 67 to leave the Netherlands 313-5 in the 45^th over. Saqib Zulfiqar (3) and Nidamanuru (111) then fell in quick succession to leave the Netherlands 327-7 after 46 overs.

Logan Van Beek and Aryan Dutt then batted brilliantly to put on the further 47 needed to prolong the enthralling contest.

Eventually, they found themselves needing 9 from 6 and then one from one before, off the very last ball, Van Beek was dismissed by Alzarri Joseph for 28 off just 14 balls.

The resulting super over gave Van Beek an opportunity to continue the momentum he built during the chase and that is exactly what he did.

He hit a mammoth 30 runs off Jason Holder’s over including three fours and three sixes.

Van Beek was then tasked with bowling the super over to the West Indies pair of Johnson Charles and Shai Hope.

Charles hit the first ball for six before dragging the next ball into the leg side for a single, meaning Hope would need to hit four sixes in a row for victory. The next ball could only produce a single, pretty much ending all hope for the West Indies.

Eventually, the West Indies managed just eight in the super over to give the Netherlands an improbable victory.

Zharnel Hughes sent shockwaves through the track and field world on Saturday when he sped to a personal best, world lead and British record 9.83 to take the win in the Men’s 100m at the USATF NYC Grand Prix at the Icahn Stadium.

The Anguilla-born Hughes, who currently trains under legendary coach Glen Mills at the Racers Track Club in Jamaica, recovered after being left at the start by Jamaica’s Akeem Blake and the USA’s Christian Coleman to obliterate his previous personal best of 9.91 done five years ago in Jamaica. Blake ran 9.93 for second while Coleman was third in 10.02.

Hughes, a former Class 1 100m record holder at the ISSA Boys & Girls Championships where he competed for Kingston College in 2014, broke the previous British record of 9.87, set by Jamaican-born Olympic and World Champion, Linford Christie, back in 1993.

In the Women’s equivalent, Aleia Hobbs was the only athlete to break 11 seconds, running 10.98 for victory.

Jamaica’s Briana Williams got her customary bullet start and was able to maintain her form and composure to run a season’s best equaling 11.04 in second while defending US champion, Melissa Jefferson, ran a season’s best 11.06 for third.

Jamaica’s Zandrion Barnes ran 45.05 to take the win in the Men’s 400m ahead of Matthew Boling (45.58) and Trevor Stewart (45.85).

The women’s equivalent was won by American 400m hurdles world record holder, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, in a personal best 49.51 ahead of teammate Gabby Thomas (50.29) and Jamaica’s Charokee Young (51.02).

2015 World Champion Danielle Williams was third in the 100m hurdles. In a race aided by a 2.8 m/s wind, American former world record holder, Kendra Harrison, ran 12.29 for victory finishing narrowly ahead of Alaysha Johnson (12.30) and Williams (12.33). Olympic bronze medallist, Megan Tapper, was fifth in 12.68.

18-year-old Surinamese phenom, Issam Assinga, ran 20.25 for second in the Men’s 200m behind World Champion, Noah Lyles, who ran 19.83 for the win. The USA’s Elijah Morrow ran 20.30 for third. With that time, Lyles has now tied double sprint world record holder, Usain Bolt, for the most sub-20 times in the 200m with 34.

In the field, Dominican Commonwealth Games silver medalist, Thea Lafond, produced 14.47m to win the Women’s triple jump ahead of the USA’s Kenturah Orji (14.30m) and Canada’s Caroline Erhardt (13.80m).

Traves Smikle threw 65.36m to take the discus crown ahead of Samoa’s Alex Rose (64.63m) and Jamaica’s Kai Chang (63.17m).

2019 World Championship silver medalist, Danniel Thomas-Dodd, threw 19.38m for second in the Women’s shot put behind American world leader Maggie Ewen (19.68m). Chase Ealey threw 19.25m for third.

Jamaica’s Kimberly Williamson cleared 1.83m for second in the Women’s high jump behind the USA’s Vashti Cunningham (1.95m). Jelena Rowe cleared 1.79m for third.