Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz kicked off play in the Concacaf Nation’s League League A with a 1-1 draw away to Suriname on Saturday.
After a first that saw more clear chances being created by the hosts, it was the Jamaicans who took the lead through Toulouse FC forward Junior Flemming. Flemming put the Jamaicans into the lead after swiveling onto a low cross played into the area and firing past Suriname goalkeeper Hahn Warner in the 39th minute.
Ironically, it was the Jamaicans who looked more likely to add to their lead in the second half but after missing a few early chances, found themselves pegged back late on. Jamaica goalkeeper Amal Knight was credited with an own goal, after badly misjudging an 84th-minute corner that he punched into his own goal.
The Barbados Pride were crowned champions of the West Indies Championship after topping the six-team table at the end of the fifth and final round of play at the Diego Martin Complex on Saturday.
Coming into the final day’s play of their match against Windward Islands Volcanoes, the Bajans led the Leewards Islands Hurricanes on points. Resuming the day on 109-1 the Pride batted out the final day without much event. Barbados captain Kraigg Brathwaite scored 109 off 219 balls and ended the season as the leading runscorer in the tournament. Brathwaite shared in a 95-run partnership with Roston Chase, who made 59 as the team ended on 285-6.
Elsewhere, Guyana Harpy Eagles opener Tevin Imlach put together a resolute half-century, in a predictable draw, as the heavily rain-affected West Indies Championship fixture against Trinidad and Tobago Red Force came to an end at Port of Spain.
Having lost the last two days due to the inclement weather, the Red Force resumed the day at 203 and only added another 10 before the last wicket pair were dismissed.
In their turn at the crease, the Harpy Eagles chased the score with conviction, and Imlach’s 76 from 172 formed the base of the innings. The team, which ended with a score of 331 all out, also got valuable contributions from Kevin Sinclair, who had 58, and Veerasammy Permaul who scored 47.
For the Red Force, Bryan Charles and Terrance Hinds took three wickets each. Batting again, Trinidad and Tobago were 25 for 1 at the close of play. The day’s other match between the Leeward Island Hurricanes and Jamaica Scorpions was called off in the hour after the lunch break, because of persistent rainfall.
West Indies batsmen Kyle Mayers and Sharmarh Brooks each scored a century to secure a 20-run win over The Netherlands and complete a 3-0 series whitewash in Amstelveen on Saturday.
After winning the toss and choosing to bat first, for the first time all series, the Caribbean team posted 308 for 5 in their 50 overs at the crease. The Windies had lost opener Shai Hope with 58 runs on the board after he was caught by Vivian Kingma off the bowling of Ryan Klein.
Mayers and Brooks, however, came together for a damaging 184-run partnership that powered the regional team to a comfortable 242 before Mayers was dismissed by Ryan Klein. From there the team would suffer a mini-collapse of sorts with captain Nicholas Pooran (7), and Brandon King (10) both going cheaply.
In response, Vikramjit Singh and Max O'Dowd each put on a half-century to open the innings as the team got to 97 with loss before Mayers struck to remove Singh. O'Dowd went on to put 89 on the board, forming the backbone of the innings but The Netherlands continued to lose wickets at regular intervals and ended all-out at 288.
Shermon Lewis was the pick of the Windies bowlers after taking 3 for 36, while Akeal Hosein and Hayden Walsh each took two wickets.
Reigning Olympic champions Elaine Thompson-Herah will be back in action on Sunday at the Rabat Diamond League, in Morocco, where she faces a quality field in the women’s 100m.
Lining up alongside Thompson-Herah will be experienced Ivory Coast sprinter Marie Jose Talou, Trinidad and Tobago star Michelle Lee Ahye, and compatriot Natasha Morrison.
Thompson-Herah heads into the event off the back of a dominant performance at the Prefontaine Classic last weekend where she got the better of United States sprinter Sha’arri Richardson, compatriot Shericka Jackson, and Great Britain athlete Dina Asher-Smith. The Jamaican won the event in 10.79.
Elsewhere, another Jamaican Stephenie Ann Mcpherson will compete in the women’s 400m, while Shanieka Ricketts will compete in the women’s triple jump.
Trinidadian 2018 Commonwealth Games 100m gold medalist Michelle Lee-Ahye ran a new meet record 11.17 for victory the Women’s 100m at the Irena Szewinska Memorial, a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold event, at the Zdzislaw Krzyszkowiak Stadium in Bygosczcz, Poland on Friday.
The 2016 Olympic 100m and 200m finalist, who has a season’s best of 10.94 done at the Orange County Classic in California on May 7, won ahead of Vitoria Rosa of Brazil (11.32) and Gina Bass of Gambia (11.33). She had previously run 11.20 in the heats.
Barbadian two-time World Championship finalist Shane Brathwaite followed up a 13.68 performance to win his heat with a run of 13.65 for fifth in the Men’s 100m hurdles won by the USA’s Jamal Britt in 13.35. Poland’s Damian Czykier ran 13.36 for second while Antonio Alkana of South Africa was third in 13.63.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) on Friday confirmed that Rovman Powell and Romario Shepherd are unable to take part in the ongoing One-Day International Series (ODI) against the Netherlands due to visa delays.
They travelled to London immediately following their participation in the Indian Premier League (IPL), as their visa interviews could not have taken place in India due to the IPL bio-secure protocols. Despite having the interviews the day after their arrival, they are both still in London awaiting the appropriate visas to be able to travel to the Netherlands.
With the final match to be played at the VRA Cricket Ground, Amstelveen on Saturday, Shepherd and Powell will now fly directly to Pakistan to join the ODI squad for the three-match series.
West Indies have an unassailable 2-0 lead following wins by seven wickets on Tuesday and by five wickets on Thursday. The West Indies had 13 players available for the first two matches and will have the same squad now for the final contest.
The West Indies Squad will travel from Amsterdam to Pakistan on Sunday for matches at the Multan Cricket Stadium on June 8, 10 and 12.
West Indies captain Nicholas Pooran has praised the team for doing a lot of the right things on the current tour of The Netherlands after securing an unassailable 2-0 series lead on Thursday.
On the back of another strong performance from Brandon King, who scored an unbeaten 91, led the Windies to a 5 wicket win at Amstelveen. For the second game in a row the regional team chased down a figure just above 200, but the pursuit was not without its difficulties.
Also, for the second game in a row, the top order suffered somewhat of a collapse as the team lost its first three wickets for 48 runs.
“We came to Amsterdam to get victories and to be successful and I feel like we are doing a lot of the right things,” Pooran said following the match.
“Obviously, it’s a game of cricket and you can’t have the perfect game all the time…I saw with the batting that we had a bit of a collapse but then a wonderful partnership at the end and that is what we want as a team.”
The third and final match between the teams takes place on Saturday.
Ackera Nugent will miss the 2022 NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships set for June 8-11 in Eugene, Oregon and Jamaica’s National Championships in Kingston from June 23-26, because of an ongoing ankle injury.
Nugent, the reigning World U20 champion, is the second fastest Jamaican woman in the world this year after running a personal best of 12.45 at the Big 12 Championships at Lubbock, Texas on May 15. Only fellow Jamaican, Demisha Roswell of Texas Tech, who ran 12.44 to beat Nugent at the Big 12 Conference Championships, has run faster this season.
The 20-year-old Nugent, a sophomore at Baylor University revealed on social media Thursday that the severity of the injury makes it impossible for her to carry on this season.
“With my ankle, this year has been a roller coaster but that has never stopped me from going out there and giving it my all,” she posted on Instagram.
“As a fighter, you have to know when to stop fighting and let go and I just wanted to let you know my season is over. I will not be competing in the NCAA Championship not will I be competing in the national senior trials this year.
“However, God has helped me along the way to have accomplished my main goal this year and I am at peace.”
Nugent’s absence will take away from the much-anticipated clashes at the NCAA Championships against the likes of the LSU pair of Alia Armstrong and Tonea Marshall as well as Roswell.
At the Jamaica National Senior Championships, she would have faced Roswell as well as 2015 World Champion Danielle Williams and Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Megan Tapper.
West Indies batsman Brandon King insists he is simply looking to cash in on his recent purple patch after scoring another half-century against New Zealand on Thursday.
After entering the batting line-up at six, with the team struggling at 4 for 60, King made a valuable 91 not out to guide the Windies to a 5 wicket win at Amstelveen.
The half-century was King’s second of the series, having scored 58 in the first match. Overall, in the last nine matches, King has averaged 41.57 and hopes to keep accumulating high scores.
“As cricketers when times are good you have to try and cash in and score as many runs as possible,” King said following the match.
“I feel good out there so I’m trying to capitalize on that good form,” he added.
Over the past several series, King has shifted places in the team’s batting line-up, batting at 5 against The Neverlands, 2 in the previous series against India, and 4 against Ireland. Despite having success down the order in the ongoing series, King believes that versatility is one of his strengths.”
“A part of my strength is adapting and doing what is needed for the team. I can bat anywhere in the top 6. This was a new role given to me but it’s not unfamiliar I am a middle-order batsman first and foremost.”
Brandon King and Akeal Hosein were the standouts as the West Indies defeated the Netherlands by five wickets and with it take an unassailable 2-0 lead in their three-match series at Amstelveen on Thursday.
The hosts were restricted to 214 all out off 42.4 overs after winning the toss and batting first.
Scott Edwards (68), Max O’Dowd (51) and Vikramjit Singh (46) were the main run getters as Hosein ripped through the Dutch batting line-up with 4-39 off his 10 overs. Alzarri Joseph provided good support with 2-30 from eight overs.
In their chase, the West Indies found themselves in trouble at 99-5 after 23.2 overs before a match-winning and unbroken 118-run partnership between Brandon King and Keacy Carty steered the visitors to a comfortable victory.
The tourists ended up 217-5 with King getting a classy 90-ball 91 that included nine fours and three sixes. Carty was unbeaten on 43 not out off 66 balls. He hit two fours and a massive six that brought an end to the match.
Bas De Leede was the best Dutch bowler on the day with 2-46 from eight overs.
The third and final ODI will be played on Saturday.
A staunch unbeaten century from middle-order batsman Paul Palmer Jr anchored the Jamaica Scorpions against the Leeward Island Hurricanes on day one of the West Indies Championship at Tarouba.
At the close of play, the Scorpions were 302 all-out, after being put in to bat by the Leewards who won the toss. Initially, the decision to field first had looked to be a wise one, as Kirk Mckenzie (3), Jermaine Blackwood (3), and John Campbell (2) were all back in the Pavillion with just 10 runs on the board.
Palmer would, however, stand firm at the crease, and ensure that the Scorpions did not collapse, courtesy of a string of partnerships carefully constructed throughout the innings. The batsman first put on, 44 with Alwyn Williams for the fourth wicket to stop the rot, before featuring in an innings changing 102 with Jamie Merchant for the 7th wicket. Later on, he paired with Nicholson Gordon to add 60 for the 9th wicket and push the Scorpions closer to 300 runs. Paul ended unbeaten with 144 from 233 balls, while Merchant added 55 from 60.
For the Hurricanes, Colin Archibald, Rahkeem Cornwall, Sheeno Berridge took two wickets each.
A five-for from pace bowler Keemo Paul pushed the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force to a late evening collapse and handed the momentum to the Guyana Harpy Eagles, on day one of the West Indies Championship, at Port of Spain.
At the close of play, the Red Force were left on 203 for 9, after winning the toss and choosing to bat first. Midway through the innings, things had, however, looked far more promising for the Trinidad and Tobago franchise.
The batting pair of Jason Mohammed and Jeremy Solozano had come together to put a 116-run partnership on the board for the third wicket, largely repairing the damage the team suffered from the early losses of Keagan Simmons (3) and Isaiah Rajah (26).
With the team coasting at 178 for 3, however, things took a turn for the worse when Mohammed went for 68. The batsman was caught at slip after edging to Leon Johnson, off the bowling of Demetri Cameron. Solozano, who was on 72, did not last long after that as he was out caught and bowled by Gudakesh Motie five overs later.
Yannic Cariah (3), Joshua Da Silva (2), Imran Khan (2), Bryan Charles (0), and Uthman Muhammad (0) all failed to reach five runs in subsequent stints at the crease, with the combination of Motie and Paul causing a devastating collapse. In total, the team lost its last five wickets for just seven runs.
Paul ended with figures of 5 for 41, while Motie took 2 for 35. At the close of play, Terrance Hinds (9) and Shannon Gabriel (4) were the not-out batsmen at the crease for the Red Force.
The Barbados Pride bowling duo of Roston Chase and Ramon Simmonds each claimed 3 wickets to restrict the Windward Islands on day 1 of the West Indies Championship, at the Diego Martin Sports Complex, on Wednesday.
After winning the toss and choosing to bat, the Windwards lost opener Devon Smith (11) with just 28 runs on the board and continued to lose wickets in clusters after that. Denis Smith, Kavem Hodge (24), Alrick Athanaze (9) all got starts but did not carry on.
Teddy Bishop put up the most resistance with 44 from 61 balls and Larry Edwards added a useful 37 from 70 at the bottom of the innings. Bishop’s innings came to an end when he was bowled by Miguel Cummins, while Chase accounted for Edwards. Overall, Chase ended with figures of 3 for 44, while Simmonds had 3 for 27.
In response, Raymond Reifer put together an unbeaten 56, while Kraigg Brathwaite added 39 from 83 to close the day at 109 for 1, 94 runs behind the Windwards' first innings total. Shane Mosely was the batsman that was out for 7.
Jamaica Reggae Boy striker Andre Gray is attracting attention from English Championship club Reading FC after recently parting ways with relegated Watford.
The forward has been a part of the Watford squad since 2017 but spent the last season on loan at Queens Park Rangers. During his stint at Queens Park Rangers, Gray scored 10 goals as they narrowly missed out on the play-offs.
Gray has had a productive stint in Championship football since joining Burnley in 2015. The forward notched 20 in 52 at Brentford and 33 in 78 at Burnley before making a reported £17m switch to Hertfordshire in 2017.
According to reports, the player has also drawn interest from Birmingham and Preston North End where another Jamaican Daniel Johnson is a part of the squad.
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