A superb unbeaten 134 by Kjorn Ottley led Trinidad and Tobago Red Force to a commanding six-wicket win over Windward Islands Volcanoes during their CG United Insurance Super50 Competition encounter at Queen’s Park Oval on Thursday.

Replying to Windward Islands’ score of 254-9, Trinidad and Tobago achieved victory at 255-4 with 12 balls to spare.

Batting first, Windward Islands owed their total to a brilliant knock of 89 from Johnson Charles, who smashed eight fours and five sixes in his 69-ball stay before he was dismissed by Yannick Cariah, who also claimed the wicket of Johnson’s opening partner Alick Athanaze for 39.

Kavem Hodge contributed 45 while Captain Andre Fletcher, batting much lower in the order, made 36 to help take the Windwards to a competitive total.

Cariah also took the wickets of Sunil Ambris for 10 and Tevyn Walcott for six to end with figures of 4-57. Sunil Narine provided support with 2-29.

The chase was relatively uneventful was Ottley dominated the bowling scoring his runs from 142 balls during which he hit 11 fours and three sixes. Fellow opener Tion Webster scored 40 and there were contributions of Terrence Hinds, who was not out on 26 at the end, and Darren Bravo, 25 and Jason Mohammed, 20.

Kenneth Dember was the best of the bowlers with 2-23.

Andre Fletcher starred with an unbeaten 93 to lead the St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots to a four-wicket win over the St. Lucia Kings at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy on Saturday.

This win was the first for the Patriots this season in nine games, their worst run since the 2020 season where they finished last after winning just one match.

The Kings were restricted to 149-7 off their 20 overs after the Patriots won the toss and decided to field first.

Shadrack Descarte led the way with a 31-ball 43 while Johnson Charles hit 42 for the Kings as Ashmead Nedd bowled beautifully up front for the Patriots with 2-14 from his four overs. Benny Howell also bowled well with 2-31 from his four overs.

Fletcher then starred with an unbeaten 93 from 64 balls including six fours and five sixes to lead the successful chase for the Patriots.

Sherfane Rutherford was the next highest scorer with 17.

Things got a bit tricky for the Patriots in the 17^th over when Fletcher picked up a hamstring injury which left him unable to run unimpaired for the remainder of the chase.

With that being said, the chase seemed comfortable up until the penultimate over from Alzarri Joseph.

The Patriots needed just 10 from the final two overs at that point before a brilliant over from Joseph meant St. Kitts & Nevis would end up needing nine from the last over with an injured Fletched and Corbin Bosch at the crease.

Roston Chase was tasked with bowling the last over. The first two balls were hit for singles before Bosch was dismissed caught at deep mid-wicket off the third ball leaving the Patriots needing seven.

Dominic Drakes joined Fletcher at the crease and was only able to get a single off the fourth ball.

Fletcher then ended proceedings with a six off the fifth ball to seal the win.

Kharry Pierre, Roston Chase and Sikanda Raza all took two wickets, each, for the Kings.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Trinbago Knight Riders earned their first victory of the 2023 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) with a six-wicket win over St Kitts & Nevis Patriots at Warner Park, St. Kitts on Sunday night.

Trinbago Knight Riders won the toss and chose to field first and a bowling masterclass from Dwayne Bravo and Sunil Narine caused early inroads. However, a brilliant 66-run partnership between stand-in captain Sherfane Rutherford and Corbin Bosch managed to take the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots to 178-5.

The Knight Riders lost early wickets in their chase, but Nicholas Pooran produced a sensational innings of 61 to help guide his side to their first win of this campaign.

Patriots openers Andre Fletcher and Evin Lewis got their side off to a quick start in front of a cheering home crowd, scoring 43 runs in the first four overs before Dwayne Bravo, playing in his 100th CPL game, took both of their wickets in the space of three balls.

Sunil Narine would then take the wickets of Joshua da Silva and Jyd Goolie to leave the Patriots struggling. Rutherford scored a half century, and supported by Corbin Bosch, he took the Patriots to a substantial score of 178-5.

Also, for the first time in Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League history a red card was brandished as the Trinbago Knight Riders incurred three over-rate penalties, meaning, as per regulations introduced this season, they had to play the final over with just 10 players on the field.

Sunil Narine was the player who was withdrawn from the field of play.

Trinbago Knight Riders lost the early wickets of Chadwick Walton and Martin Guptill in their chase, however Nicholas Pooran would play some sublime shots to help  take his side to 50-2 at the end of the Powerplay.

Pooran continued to score boundaries after the Powerplay but was eventually caught out for 61 from 32 balls off a Corbin Bosch delivery. The 14th over would prove to be pivotal as Knight Riders captain Kieron Pollard would slam four sixes to put his side firmly in control, and he would eventually win the game with a final six off a Dominics Drake delivery in the 17th over.

The action now shifts to Barbados as the next round of league games start at Kensington Oval on Wednesday evening.

Scores: Trinbago Knight Riders 180-4 (Pooran 61, Pollard 37; Bosch 3-22, Muzarabani 1-30) beat St Kitts & Nevis Patriots 178-5 (Rutherford 62, Fletcher 32; Narine 3-24, Bravo 2-43) by six wickets.

The Barbados Royals defeated the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots in their 2023 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) match at Warner Park, St Kitts.

The Royals won the toss and opted to field first and despite seemingly having the Patriots innings under their control, the home side rallied with late order batting to set a mammoth total of 197-7. In reply, the Royals saw Rahkeem Cornwall and Kyle Mayers lay the foundation in the PowerPlay before Captain Rovman Powell saw his side home with the fastest 50 in the Republic Bank CPL this season.

His destructive innings saw the Royals complete the second highest run chase in Republic Bank CPL history.

The Patriots got their innings off to a lightning start led by Andre Fletcher’s sparkling stroke play, the Spiceman’s (Andre Fletcher) 360 cricket allowing the Patriots to reach 56 at the end of the PowerPlay but they lost two wickets in the process.

Rahkeem Cornwall induced a mis-timed stroke from Evin Lewis, the opener sweeping only as far as Kyle Mayers for 8 before Joshua Da Silva was run out for five chasing a quick second run.

Outside of the PowerPlay, the Patriots run scoring slowed significantly, Andre Fletcher and Sherfane Rutherford only putting on 39 runs from 34 balls before Nyeem Young dismissed Rutherford caught and bowled for 28.

Fletcher followed shortly afterwards having just got to his 50, Qais Ahmad trapping him lbw. That was only the beginning of Ahmad’s work as he cleaned up Jyd Goolie to leave the Patriots teetering at 111-5.

Powerful late order hitting from Corbin Bosch (38) and Dominic Drakes (20) ensured the Patriots ended with momentum on their side, with a stiff target of 198 for the Royals to chase.

If the Royals were going to chase the total they would need a fast start and they got that and then some with Rahkeem Cornwall smashing 38 from 15 balls to give the reply the impetus it needed.

Having reached 74 at the end of the PowerPlay the Royals were well ahead of the game but Kyle Mayers fell shortly after that to open the door for the Patriots.

The Patriots couldn’t apply further wicket taking pressure but even so with the Royals poised at 150-3 with five overs to go, the match seemed set for a tight finish.

However, captain Rovman Powell saw his side home with a destructive 67 from 29 balls to guide the Royals home with nine balls to spare.

Scores: Barbados Royals 200-4 (Powell 67*, Cornwall 38; Drakes 2-37, Bosch 1-28) beat St Kitts & Nevis Patriots 197-6 (Fletcher 51, Bosch 38*; Ahmad 2-16, Young 2-54) by 6 wickets

The St Kitts & Nevis Patriots have retained d big hitters Evin Lewis and Andre Fletcher for their 2023 campaign in the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

The Patriots will also retain middle-order batsman Sherfane Rutherford, all-rounder Dominic Drakes as well as fast bowler Sheldon Cottrell and wicketkeeper/batsman Joshua da Silva. The Patriots have also brought in Oshane Thomas who was transferred from the Barbados Royals.

The tournament gets underway on 16 August with the final taking place on 24 September. There will be matches in Barbados, Guyana, St Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia and Trinidad & Tobago.

The overseas players and draft picks will be announced during the Republic Bank CPL draft show which will be broadcast at the end of June.

Half-centuries from Andre Fletcher and Nicholas Pooran spurred MI Emirates to a convincing eight-wicket win over the Dubai Capitals at Sharjah and a place in Qualifier 2 to face Gulf Giants on Friday.

Captain Kieron Pollard and opener Andre Fletcher both scored half-centuries as the MI Emirates crushed Desert Vipers to go third in the standings of the ILT20 in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.

MI Emirates scored 241-3 from their 20 overs before skittling the Desert Vipers out for just 84.

Fletcher scored his 50 from 39 balls in a 141-run opening partnership with Player of the Match Mohammad Waseem, who hit 11 fours and two sixes in his top score of 86.

Fletcher’s dismissal in the 13^th over saw ME Emirates slip from 141-0 to 152 for 3 as Waseem was next to go in the 15^th over with big hitter Najibullah Zadran going two balls later for a duck.

Enter Captain Pollard who smashed his 50 from just 19 balls while he and Dan Mousley mounted an unbeaten stand of 89 in 32 balls to propel MI Emirates to their daunting total.

Pollard’s unbeaten 50 contained four fours and four sixes while Mously contributed a valuable 31 from just 17 balls with three fours and two sixes.

Tom Curran, who had the wickets of Waseem and Zadran was expensive yielding 63 runs from his four overs.

The pressure of the score proved too much for the Vipers. They crumbled in the face of the bowling of Fazalhaq Farooqi who took 3-18, Zahoor Khan 1-9 and Imran Tahir, who wrapped up the match with 2-18 in 3.1 overs.

 With their fourth win in seven games, MI Emirates are third in the six-team standings with nine points, one behind Gulf Giants and  Desert Vipers, who still lead despite the loss.

Rovman Powell hit a magnificent 97 from 41 balls to lead the Dubai Capitals to a thrilling 16-run victory over the MI Emirates in a high-scoring match in the ILT20 League in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.

Powell, the Player of the Match, hit four fours and 10 sixes while powering Dubai Capitals for 222-3 from their 20 overs. Powell featured in a second-wicket partnership of 121 from just 57 balls with former England captain Joe Root, who scored 82 from 54 balls.

Root and Robin Uthappa had laid the foundation with an opening stand of 78 from 53 balls before the latter was dismissed for 26.

Powell was eventually dismissed by Kieron Pollard from the last ball of the innings, but the damage was already done.

Chasing the highest score in the tournament so far, MI Emirates lost three wickets for 26 runs early including that of Nicholas Pooran for a duck in the sixth over.

His dismissal brought together Pollard and Andre Fletcher and together that made things interesting for Dubai that came into the game on the back of three consecutive losses.

Together, Pollard and Fletcher went on the offensive smashing balls to all parts as they stitched together a stand of 118 with the Trinidadian scoring the bulk of those runs, 86 from 38 balls with eight fours and six sixes before he was dismissed by Powell in the 16^th over with his side still needing 79 from the last 24 balls.

Najibullah Zadran got them closer with a quickfire 30 from just nine balls but once he fell, yorked by Fred Klaasen in the 19^th over, the remaining runs proved elusive despite the best efforts of Fletcher, who remained unbeaten on 35 at the end with MI Emriates on 206-5.

Andre Fletcher and Carlos Brathwaite were both selected in the team of the tournament for the recently concluded Lanka Premier League.

They both represented the Kandy Falcons who lost to the eventual champions, Jaffna Kings, in Qualifier 2.

Fletcher scored 266 runs, fourth most in the tournament, in nine games at an average of 38 and a strike rate of 131.68. The Grenadian also scored the only hundred of the tournament, 102 not out against the Colombo Stars in their first game.

Brathwaite took an excellent 18 wickets from eight matches to finish as the season’s leading wicket-taker. For the most part the 34-year-old Brathwaite kept things simple, relying on solid lines and lengths, daring batsmen to take him on, and banking on them erring. His wickets came at an average of 9.88 while having an economy of just 6.84.

Oshane Thomas and Andre Fletcher provided handy contributions to help the Kandy Falcons secure a nine wicket win over the Colombo Stars in the Lankan Premier League on Saturday.

Thomas was economical with the ball, finishing his four overs with figures of 3-20 to help restrict the Stars to 106 all out after they won the toss and chose to bat.

Sri Lankan pacer Chamika Karunaratne was the spearhead of the attack for the Falcons with a brilliant 4-11 off 3.1 overs while Captain Angelo Matthews (41) and Dinesh Chandimal (20) were the only batsmen to provide any resistance for the Stars.

The chase was a simple one thanks to a 101-run second wicket partnership between Kamindu Mendis (51 not out) and Fletcher (44 not out). The pair got together after the wicket of Minod Bhanuka for just six in the second over and guided the Falcons to 108-1 after 16 overs for their sixth win in seven matches.

A whirlwind knock of 47 from Fabian Allen and Carlos Brathwaite’s four-wicket haul steered Kandy Falcons to a 10-run win over Jaffna Kings in their Lanka Premier League match-up in Pallekele on Wednesday.

Allen smashed three fours and four sixes to rally Kandy Falcons to 160-8 after they had slumped to 79-6 in the 14^th over despite 35 from Andre Fletcher and 24 from Ashan Bandara, who was dismissed in the 17^th over with the score at 119.

Allen raced to his 47 in just 23 balls before he was dismissed mid-way the final over when the score was 151. Chamika Karunaratne, who was not out on 18 at the end, pushed the score to 160-8.

Dunith Wellalage was the best of the Jaffna Kings bowlers taking 2-7 while James Fuller took 2-28.

Jaffna Kings made a good go of the chase for 161 thanks in large part to the efforts of Avishka Fernando who made 33 from 20 balls before he was bowled by Allen and Sadeera Samarawickrama, whose steady 48 from 41 balls held the innings together.

He was eventually dismissed by Hasaranga de Silva (2-21), who also took the key wicket of Shoaib Malik for eight, which exposed Jaffna Kings’ lower middle order to Brathwaite, who scythed through the line up with the wickets of Thisara Perera (2), Dunith Wellalage (1) and Fuller for 16, to take swing the match heavily in favour of his side.

The giant Barbadian had earlier taken the wicket of Dhananjaya de Silva (0) to finish with figures of 4-18 as Jaffna Kings’ innings closed on 150-9.

Andre Fletcher scored his third T20 hundred to help his Kandy Falcons get off to a winning start in the 2022 Lankan Premier League with a dominant 109-run triumph over the Colombo Stars in Hambantota on Tuesday.

Fletcher hit 11 fours and three sixes on his way to a brilliant 102 not out off just 67 balls to help the Falcons post 199-1 from their 20 overs after the Stars won the toss and chose to field first.

Sri Lankan Pathum Nissanka was also dominant with a 41-ball 71 including eight fours and two sixes while Carlos Brathwaite ended 20 not out.

The Falcons were then equally dominant with the ball, restricting the Stars to just 90 all out in 14.3 overs.

Wanindu Hasaranga was the star of the show with 4-14 from three overs while Fabian Allen needed just three balls to finish with figures of 2-1.

Nicholas Pooran just missed out on a century but helped Trinidad and Tobago Red Force defeat Windward Islands Volcanoes by seven wickets with six balls to spare at Tarouba on Saturday. The win means the Red Force have advanced to the semi-finals of the CG Insurance Super 50 competition.

In match reduced by rain to 40 overs, Pooran scored an unbeaten 99 and Darren Bravo 67 not out sharing in an unbeaten fourth-wicket partnership of 155 as TT Red Force cruised to 249-3 (D/L). The West Indies white-ball captain scored his runs from just 71 balls and hit 11 fours and two sixes along the way. Bravo hit nine fours in his 63-ball knock.

Opener Kjorn Ottley made 43 for the Trinidad franchise while partnering in a 49-run second-wicket stand with Jason Mohammed, who made 25. Ottley was eventually dismissed after putting on 13 for the third partnership of 13 with Bravo, who would find a match-winning partner in Pooran.

Justin Greaves was the best of the Windward bowlers with 2-55. Preston McSween took 1-57.

Earlier, the Windwards recovered from a precarious 36-4 in the seventh over after Akeal Hosein 2-37 and Shannon Gabriel 1-36 did the early damage.

The owed their recovery to an unbeaten knocks of 90 from Sunil Ambris and 68 from Andre Fletcher, who shared in an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 165 that took the team to 201-4 from their 40 overs.

Unfortunately, thanks to Pooran and company it proved not to be enough.

Andre Fletcher, Sunil Ambris, and Shermon Lewis, who have all played senior white-ball cricket for West Indies, are in a 26-member Windward Islands Volcanoes squad to prepare for the regional CG Insurance Super50 tournament starting later this month.

Barbadians Justin Greaves and Tevin Walcott along with West Indies 2022 U19 World Cup players Ackeem Auguste, McKenny Clarke, and Teddy Bishop are also picked in the squad that will contest a Best of the Best series of 50-over matches starting this weekend.

At the end of the Best of the Best series, the Steve Mahon-led selection panel will announce a captain, vice-captain, and the Volcanoes’ squad to play in the CWI CG Insurance Super50 in Antigua & Barbuda and Trinidad & Tobago from October 27 to November 20.

Bishop, 19, is one of five players from recently crowned Windward Islands Super50 champions Grenada, called up, joining his Spice Isle captain Darel Cyrus, Ryan John, Nicklaus Redhead, and Denis Smith.

Johann Jeremiah, leading scorer at the Windwards Super50 this past week while helping Grenada capture the title, is a provisional pick because of an injury. Fellow Grenadian Seandel Regis is named as cover for Jeremiah.

WINDWARDS VOLCANOES SQUAD: Sunil Ambris, Alick Athanaze, Ackeem Auguste, Teddy Bishop, Roland Cato, Mckenny Clarke, Keron Cottoy, Darel Cyrus, Kenneth Dember, Shadrach Descartes, Larry Edward, Andre Fletcher, Justin Greaves, Kavem Hodge, Asif Hooper, Ryan John, Shermon Lewis, Desron Maloney, Darius Martin, Preston McSween, Stephen Naitram, Gidron Pope, Nicklaus Redhead, Jerlani Robinson, Denis Smith, Tevin Walcott.