Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls ended Friday’s day one of the Fast5 Netball Series at the Christchurch Arena in New Zealand winless after losses to Australia, Uganda and South Africa in their three games.

The first match saw them suffer a 24-goal loss to the mighty Australians, losing the quarters 14-5, 7-4, 9-3 and 9-3 for a total score of 39-15. Romelda Aiken-George scored four goals from six attempts and Gezelle Allison had the same number of goals in four more attempts.

They were then upset 33-22 by Uganda in their second outing.

The Ugandans got out to an early 10-3 lead at the end of the first quarter and stretched it to 17-7 at halftime. The second half was a lot closer as there was just one goal between the two teams with Uganda winning quarter three 9-8 and the fourth ending 7-7. Amanda Pinkney and Aiken-George combined for nine goals including two three pointers.

The third game was the closest as Jamaica suffered a one-point loss to South Africa after having a six-point lead going into the fourth quarter.

The first quarter saw only five points in total being scored as Jamaica prevailed 3-2 while the second quarter was tied 8-8 meaning the Sunshine Girls led 11-10 at the half.

Jamaica’s lead was then stretched to six after a 12-7 third quarter made it 23-17 before a spirited fourth quarter comeback by the South Africans gave them a 28-27 win. Amanda Pinkney scored eight goals from 13 attempts while Mischa Creary was perfect from her six attempts.  

Jamaica will play England and New Zealand on day two at 12:00pm and 3:45pm local time (6:00pm and 9:45pm on Saturday in Jamaica) in their final two round robin games.

Young Windies fast bowler Jayden Seales is expected to join English cricket club Sussex for the start of the 2023 season.

The 21-year-old, who last played for the West Indies in July is expected to represent the English club for the first three months of the 2023 season, which is scheduled to get underway in April.

During the period the player will have the opportunity to take part in both the team’s Championship and T20 games.  The young bowler, who became the youngest player to take five wickets for the West Indies in Tests, last year against Pakistan, was understandably excited for the opportunity.

“As a young fast bowler, I like to find myself facing as many different situations and challenges as possible,” Seales said.

“I can’t wait to test myself in England and hopefully contribute to a winning start for Sussex in both Championship and T20 cricket.”

West Indies legend Sir Vivian Richards has been named as brand ambassador for the upcoming Lankan Premier League (LPL).

The tournament, which will take place from December 6-23 will be its third edition, having bowled off in 2020.  As such it remains one of the newest and smaller leagues in world cricket and hopes the high profile of the former swashbuckling West Indies, one of the most respected in the sport, will help elevate its profile.

“We are pleased to announce one of the finest batters of all time, Vivian Richards as Brand Ambassadors for the 2022 LPL. Having someone like Sir Vivian Richards will boost the league and attract more followers from the whole world, and help in our quest to make this tournament a global cricketing attraction. I am really excited to see great Sri Lankan talents on display in the league,” Anil Mohan, Chairman of IPG Group and founder of LPL.

The LPL will also have West Indies presence on the pitch with big-hitter Evin Lewis and Carlos Brathwaite expected to feature.

The Cricket West Indies Selection Panel on Friday named the West Indies Women’s U19 squad for the upcoming tour of India. The players for the T20 matches were selected after trial matches in Trinidad.

Ashmini Munisar has been named as captain of the 15-member squad with Trishan Holder as vice captain. They will be under the guidance of Head Coach Steve Liburd. Munisar is an allrounder who led the team when West Indies Women's U19 played against USA Women’s U19 in Fort Lauderdale in August. Holder is a top-order batter who was a member of the Barbados team at the Commonwealth Games playing matches against Pakistan, Australia and India.

The upcoming tour will feature matches against India ‘A’ Women U19, India ‘B’ Women U19 and Sri Lanka Women U19 in Visakhapatnam at the Dr Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy International Cricket Stadium. West Indies will then travel to Mumbai where they play against New Zealand Women U19 at the D.Y. Patil Stadium.

Matches start at: 9am local (11:30pm previous day Eastern Caribbean/10:30pm previous day Jamaica) and 1pm local time (3:30am same day Eastern Caribbean/2:30am Jamaica).

Lead Selector, Ann Browne-John said: “As part of the preparation for the tour the squad was involved in some practice matches during a seven-day training camp in Trinidad. The final team selected contained some of the players who participated in the series in the USA and there are some new players who the panel would like to have a look at before a final team is selected for the World Cup.”

She added: “The composition of the team is quite balanced with some strong batters and a good mix of spin and medium pacers. It will be their first experience against top international teams and these tour matches will give a better indication of where the team is at the moment.”

This series in the sub-continent will form a crucial part of the team’s preparations for the inaugural ICC Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup 2023. The global event will feature 41 matches be played from 14 to 29 January in South Africa. The official warm-up matches will be from 9 to 11 January. The 16 participating teams will play in four groups in the preliminary round. West Indies have been drawn in Group C alongside New Zealand, Ireland and Indonesia.

FULL SQUAD 

Ashmini Munisar (captain)

Trishan Holder (vice-captain)

Asabi Callendar

Kenika Cassar

Jahzara Claxton

Naijanni Cumberbatch

Jannillea Glasgow

Realeanna Grimmond

Zaida James

Djenaba Joseph

KDJazz Mitchell

Shalini Samaroo

Shunelle Sawh

Lena Scott

Kate Wilmott

Deon Hemmings-McCatty created history at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 when she won the 400m hurdles to become the first woman from the Caribbean to win an Olympic gold medal.

Hemmings ran an Olympic record 52.82 holding off the challenge of Americans Kim Batten and Tonja Buford and etch her name into the annals of Jamaica track and field history. She would win a silver medal in the event at the Sydney Games in 2000 when she also won another silver medal as a member of Jamaica’s 4x400m relay team and cement her legacy as one of Jamaica’s great athletes.

Those exploits were recalled and celebrated at GC Foster College on Thursday night during the launch of 50 Days Afire, a book written by Michael A. Grant and Hubert Lawrence. The book chronicles 50 track and field performances that have defined Jamaica’s legacy in the sport.

Hemmings-McCatty’s accomplishments appear in the 260-page book that was the third undertaking between Grant and Lawrence over the past decade.

During the ceremony, a video of the reserved athlete’s triumphant run in Atlanta was shown after which she was presented with a citation created by artist Patrick Kitson.

Needless to say, she was overwhelmed by fact that her exploits were being celebrated and that her place in Jamaica’s track and field history has not been forgotten.

“It is a special occasion to know that after retiring for so long people still see the work or still remember the work that I have done and I will cherish this very special moment and I am thankful,” said Hemmings-McCatty, who retired in 2003, almost 20 years ago.

The event was attended by Olympian Vilma Charlton, Vice-Principal of GC Foster College Gibbs Williams, MVP President Bruce James and the granddaughters of GC Foster Andrea Roberts, Debbie Jardine and Heather Chin.

G.C. Foster could take his rightful place as the father of Jamaica’s strong legacy in track and field following the launch of 50 Days Afire at the sports college named in his honour in St Catherine, Jamaica on Thursday night.

50 Days Afire chronicles 50 track and field performances that shaped Jamaica’s legacy in the sport as well as the lost story of Foster, who after being unable to compete at the Olympics in 1908, proceeded to defeat many of the finalists of the 100m in subsequent meets across Europe.

At the launch, a short documentary ‘Finding Foster’ that highlighted the long-buried legacy of GC Foster, was shown to a captive audience.

Following years of research and interviews by authors Michael A. Grant and Hubert Lawrence Foster to life and documented seminal moments in the country's long and storied history in track and field. Grant and Lawrence said the information contained in the book could or perhaps should change the narrative about who really set the pace for what Jamaica has been able to accomplish through the likes of Herb McKenley, Merlene Ottey, Marilyn Neufville, Usain Bolt, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Elaine Thompson-Herah among many others.

“I hope so,” said Lawrence, the noted track writer and historian, “it’s an inspiring story. If you could take off with no Olympic Committee, thinking you could beat the best, is typical Jamaican. My parents did that. I am who I am because my parents made those choices and GC Foster exemplifies that spirit that can’t be broken.

“He came back, didn’t make it but put that into coaching and Jamaica is better for it. I hope so.”

Both men agree that producing the book helped them understand how the events they wrote about helped shape Jamaica’s track and field history but that realization did not come about until they were well into the process.

“Once I got about half-way it occurred to me that these 50 events actually changed Jamaica. If you remove them and they never happened it would be a very different country, not just in terms of sport but also in terms of the culture itself,” Grant opined.

Lawrence though had a different take. “If we can avoid the mistakes of the past by showing the victories of the past then it’s like a torch light showing people where to go,” he said.

“People now know that there was greatness all the way through the history back to 1908 and they trust it if they work hard and they work smart they can win.”

On the evening, a portrait of GC Foster was unveiled at the school's auditorium as his grand-daughters Andrea Roberts, Debbie Jardine and Heather Chin looked on.

 Deon Hemmings, the first Jamaican woman to win an Olympic gold medal, when she ran a record 52.82 to defeat the more fancied Americans Kim Batten and Tonja Buford, at the Atlanta Games in 1996, was also honoured with artwork by Patrick Kitson over a citation recalling her history-making exploits.

, could change the narrative that Arthur Wint, Herb McKenley, George Rhoden and Les Laing, are the fathers of Jamaica’s strong track and field legacy.

that chronicles 50 track and field performances that shaped Jamaica’s legacy in the sport, believe that the unearthing of the accomplishments of

Captain Rovman Powell led the Jamaica Scorpions to a 64-run win over the Barbados Pride to open their account in the CG Insurance Super50 Cup at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Thursday.

The Scorpions, who lost their opening game to the Leeward Islands Hurricanes on Tuesday, posted a competitive 277-6 from their 50 overs after winning the toss and choosing to bat.

Captain Rovman Powell led the way with a destructive 54-ball 80 including four fours and five sixes while Nkrumah Bonner was the other half-centurion with 59 from 81 deliveries. Odean Smith also provided some of his trademark big-hitting towards the end of the innings with 44 not out off 35 balls including three sixes and a four.

Roston Chase took 3-33 from his 10 overs for the Pride.

Despite a fighting 86 from captain Shai Hope, Barbados’ reply eventually fell short with them being bowled out for 213 in 44.1 overs. Hope’s 86 came off 103 balls and included seven fours and a six.

Roston Chase also got his second fifty of the season with 57 from 66 balls as the Scorpions’ bowling was led by Nicholson Gordon’s 3-21 from six overs and one ball.

Jeavor Royal (2-45 from 10 overs), Odean Smith (2-24 from six overs) and Dennis Bulli (2-57 from nine overs) were also among the wickets for the Scorpions.

Jamaica now has four points from two games ahead of a game against the West Indies Academy on Saturday while Barbados also has four points and will take on the Leeward Islands Hurricanes, who lead Group B with eight points from two games, on Sunday.

Romario Shepherd’s excellent all-round display helped the Guyana Harpy Eagles secure a narrow three-run win over the Trinidad & Tobago Red Force in their Group A CG Insurance Super50 Cup fixture at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy on Wednesday.

The Guyanese posted 269-9 off their 50 overs after the Red Force won the toss and chose to field first.

Openers Tagenarine Chanderpaul (25) and Anthony Bramble (42) were able to put on 69 for the first wicket before Guyana lost four wickets for just 17 runs from the 10^th to the 16^th over to find themselves 86-4.

A crucial 83-run partnership between Tevin Imlach (32) and Sherfane Rutherford (49) propelled them to 169-5 before both fell in quick succession to bring Shepherd to the crease.

The all-rounder then produced an excellent display of power-hitting to ensure that the Harpy Eagles put together a competitive total against a powerful Red Force Batting line-up.

Shepherd smashed a whirlwind 74 not out off just 46 balls including five fours and four sixes as Guyana recovered from 201-9 to post 269-9.

Shannon Gabriel and Sunil Narine did the bulk of the damage for the Red Force with 4-42 from nine overs and 3-17 from 10 overs, respectively.

In their reply, Trinidad & Tobago got contributions from all their batsmen but the score was too much in the end.

Darren Bravo was the chief scorer with a well-compiled 71 while Kjorn Ottley (49), Yannic Cariah (30), Sunil Narine (30 not out), Joshua Da Silva (28), Jason Mohammed (24) and captain Nicholas Pooran (23) all made solid contributions as the Red Force ended their 50 overs on 266-6.

The game came down to the last over with the Red Force needing 11 to win with Narine and Akeal Hosein at the crease. Fast-bowler Clinton Pestano then held his nerve to defend the runs and hand Guyana their first win of the season.

Shepherd completed a solid all-round effort with 2-44 from his 10 overs.

Former West Indies captain Darren Sammy believes regional body Cricket West Indies (CWI) and the smaller boards can be stuck between a rock and hard place when it comes to holding on to their top players, as they lack the financial clout to do so.

Since the advent of lucrative global T20 leagues, the team has on many occasions struggled to have its top players available, as they opt to take part in the competitions over scheduled international fixtures.

At the moment, the problem is less of an issue for some of the sport’s bigger for team who hold a much tighter rein on when and where their players play.  India for instance does not allow their player to take part in any other T20 league except the IPL, as Sammy points out, the issue comes down to money.

“India is strong because they can tell their players that you don’t play anywhere else. You have to understand that they have the money to back it up,” Sammy said in an interview with the Press Trust of India (PTI).

“An India A list contracted player could probably make a million dollars a year (match fees plus TV rights money) compared to a Windies A-lister, who would earn USD 150,000,” he added.

Successive West Indies administrations have tackled the issue with various approaches that have yielded little success, the former captain does not see things changing anytime soon.

“Gone are those days when you played for love. Love doesn’t buy you groceries from a supermarket,” he added.

The player believed the region could possibly think of adopting a similar model to the one used by New Zealand.

Alick Athanaze scored his second ton in as many games as the Windward Islands Volcanoes scored a 50-run (D/L) victory over the Combined Colleges and Campuses during the CG Insurance Super50 competition that resumed in Antigua on Wednesday.

Athanaze scored 140 and shared in a second-wicket partnership of 208 with Kavem Hodge(106 not out)  after the Windward Islands Volcanoes had lost the wicket of Johnson Charles for nine with 26 runs on the board.

Athanaze was eventually dismissed in the 42^nd  following a stay of 129 deliveries during which he hit 16 fours and three sixes.

Three wickets fell for 18 runs as the Windwards lost Shadrack Descarte for one and Sunil Ambris for five to slip to 252-4 in the 46^th over.

However, Hodge, whose runs came from 131 balls and included four fours and two sixes, and Andre Fletcher who smashed two sixes in a 19-ball 30, plundered the bowling for 48 from 29 balls as the Windwards raced to 300-4 from their 50 overs.

Amari Goodridge was the best of the Combined Colleges and Campuses bowlers with 2-56 from seven overs. Michail Powell took 1-45.

With the weather intervening, CCC were required to score 160 for victory but it proved a tall ask.

Demario Richards (24), Kirsten Kallicharan (23) both got starts but failed to capitalize as the CCC slipped to 39-2 in the seventh over.

Kallicharan and Johnathan Drakes put on a painstaking 41 in 53 balls falling further behind the required run rate with each passing over.

Denesh Ramdin was unbeaten on 21 at the end as the CCC ran out of balls and out of time.

There was a wicket each for Preston McSween, Hodge, Justin Greaves, who was the pick of the bowlers with 1-21 and Larry Edward who took 1-22.

Deon Hemmings-McCatty,  the first Jamaican woman to win an Olympic gold medal, is to be honoured for her impact on local athletics and inspiration to young athletes, at Thursday’s launch of  50 Days Afire, a book chronicling impactful events in Jamaica’s track and field at GC Foster College in St Catherine.

A documentary 'Finding Foster: The Search for Jamaica’s Lost Sprint Hero' will also be a feature at the launch of the seminal publication by publisher Michael A. Grant and track and field writer, commentator and historian Hubert Lawrence.

I can’t say no,” the history making Olympian said in accepting her invitation to the event, “I will be there.”

The special award was initiated by local gaming brand AnyBet, the title sponsor of the book, film and  event. Grants for research and production were also provided by NCB Capital Markets, Sherwin-Williams, Sports Development Foundation and Tastee Ltd., while other sponsorship was provided by GC Foster College, Supreme Outdoor Advertising, TrackAlerts.com and WISYNCO Ltd.

Fifty Days Afire, is the third collaboration between Grant and Lawrence. It chronicles the 50 most significant performances by Jamaican athletes over 115 years of competition, beginning with GC Foster’s exploits in the United Kingdom in 1908.

In addition to never-before-seen photographs of Foster as an athlete and pictures representing all the featured races, the book addresses issues of class, nationalism and Jamaica’s love of sprinting, while discussing reasons for the growing dominance of the island’s athletes on the world stage. Readers will learn how influential those 50 races have been to the overall development of the sport, even though they do not all feature victories or records.

'Finding Foster' is Grant’s  brainchild. He uncovered important information and photographs of Jamaican pioneering sprinter and coach Gerald Claude “GC” Foster while conducting research for the book.

With a run-time of 30 minutes, the production features analysis by Lawrence and sports broadcaster Kayon Raynor and follows Foster on his quest to compete at the 1908 London Olympics, travelling alone on his own funds.

With the help of British coach Harry Andrews, Foster was able to turn his failed bid at Olympic glory into a spectacular three-month tour of Great Britain in which he competed prodigiously, beating the British champion and other Olympians in several meets.

While there, Foster became a favourite of the British sporting press and often addressed adoring crowds following his races.

In addition to honouring Hemmings, there will also be the unveiling of a portrait of Foster as a young athlete. The authors will also read from as well as sign books on sale at the venue.

Jamaica goalkeeper Andre Blake finished third in Major League Soccer’s MVP voting as the player continues to be recognised among the best after an outstanding season to date.

The Jamaica was hoping to be the first goalkeeper to claim the award since legendary USA goalkeeper Tony Meola who won in 2000.  Blake, however, finished behind behind Nashville SC's Hany Mukhtar and Austin FC's Sebastián Driussi for the for the 2022 Landon Donovan MVP Award.

The 31-year-old has already claimed fair share of silverware.  Blake became the first player in history to win the Goalkeeper of the Year award on three occasions when he claimed the nomination last week and was also received the Wanamaker Athletic Award.  The Philadelphia Union has turned in a career-high in single-season shutouts this year.

On the back of an excellent season, Blake will also have the opportunity to lift the MLS Cup on Sunday, after leading the team to a 3-1 win over New York City FC 3-1 in the Eastern Conference Championship last week.  Philadephia will face Western Conference champions and 2022 Supporters Shield winners Los Angeles Football Club in Saturday’s final.

The Leeward Islands Hurricanes got their second win of the CG Insurance Super50 Cup with a dominant 68-run win over the Jamaica Scorpions at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Tuesday.

After winning the toss and batting first, openers Devon Thomas (38) and Ross Powell (27) gave the Leewards a good start before a procession of wickets in the middle overs left them reeling at 76-5 in the 20^th over.

Thankfully for them, a 120-run sixth-wicket partnership between Rahkeem Cornwall and Terance Ward steadied the ship with Cornwall making a 72-ball 81, hitting seven fours and five sixes. Ward played more of an anchoring role making a 63-ball 32.

West Indies leg-spinner Hayden Walsh Jr (35) and Kofi James (25 not out) provided some impetus late in the innings to help the Hurricanes post 270-9 from their 50 overs.

West Indies all-rounder Odean Smith took 4-46 from eight overs for the Scorpions.

Scorpions openers Brandon King and Jermaine Blackwood then got the reply off to a good start, putting on 54 before King was removed for 32 in the 10^th over.

That partnership proved to be the biggest one of the whole innings as Blackwood was removed for 31 in the 18^th over after putting on 31 for the second wicket with Nkrumah Bonner. Bonner eventually top-scored with 44 while captain Rovman Powell added 24 as the Scorpions lost wickets at regular intervals to finish 202-9 off their 50 overs.

Off-spinner Kofi James starred with the ball with 4-32 from 10 overs.