West Indies batsman Nicholas Pooran insists the team can have no excuses for losing the third T20 match against South Africa as they were in a strong position to claim a win.
South Africa won the third encounter between the teams by a single run to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match T20I series. At 96 for 3, at the halfway mark, chasing 168, the West Indies seemed well on the way to the target but were often stifled by Tabraiz Shamsi who turned in the most economical effort of his career (2 for 13 in four overs).
Even so, needing 44 runs off the last four overs, Andre Russell seemed set to deliver a win for the team when he smashed back-to-back sixes off Anrich Nortje but was dismissed later in the over after also being dropped.
Pooran, who made a pedestrian 26 for 28, and is really yet to fire for the series, smashed Lungi Ngidi over midwicket for six off the second ball of the 18th over but could not maintain that momentum and was dismissed by Nortje in a penultimate over that only cost 4 runs.
“I felt like South Africa bowled well, they bowled well in the middle and they bowled well in the last two overs of the game and I think that’s where they won the game,” Pooran said following the match.
“As a team, we are still building, we are still trying to bind as a team. I didn’t think it was too bad, in T20 games partnerships form, you lose wickets, but I felt like today was our game to win in all honesty,” he added.
“We had that partnership, I was there until the second to last over with Fabian and we should have found a way to win that game. No excuses.”
Jamaica international and Bayer Leverkusen wide man Leon Bailey has recovered from a toe injury and is fit to take part in the upcoming CONCACAF Gold Cup, which gets underway next week.
The 22-year-old winger had a strong season for the German outfit, overall, providing 15 goals and 10 assists during the team’s campaign. Overall Leverkusen finished 6th and in the European League places.
Bailey, however, suffered an injury, a broken toe, during the team’s penultimate game of the season against Werder Bremen a few weeks before the end of the season. Initially, there was concern that the player could have missed the tournament, but he recently concerned that he was fully recovered and eager to get back on the field for the country. He has since resumed training.
Bailey was named as part of a large preliminary squad, which has also included West Ham’s Michail Antonio and several other overseas-based players. The winger, who has represented the country eight times is also expected to play a crucial role in the country’s attempts to qualify for the FIFA World Cup. The CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers will resume in September.
South Africa moved 2-1 ahead in the five-match Twenty20 series against West Indies on Tuesday, Kagiso Rabada holding his nerve to clinch a one-run win in Grenada.
Quinton de Kock marked his 50th international appearance in the format by smashing 72 from 51 deliveries, helping the Proteas to post 167-8 - their highest total so far.
Aiden Markram and Rassie van der Dussen contributed 23 and 32 respectively, yet South Africa lost a clatter of wickets in the closing stages.
Obed McCoy claimed two in the penultimate over as he finished with career-best figures of 4-22. There was also a run out to follow in the next, the last of five wickets to go down for the addition of just 20 runs across the final 18 deliveries.
Evin Lewis (27) and new opening partner Lendl Simmons (22) added 51 for the first wicket in West Indies' reply, yet for the second outing in a row they faltered in the face of high-class spin.
Having claimed 1-16 last time out, Tabraiz Shamsi seemingly turned the match in his team's favour by taking 2-13, Lewis and Shimron Hetmyer (17) the batsmen to depart to the left-arm slow bowler.
Andre Russell blasted 25 in a hurry but his departure at the end of an expensive Anrich Nortje over shifted a see-saw contest back in favour of South Africa. Left needing 15 off the last, West Indies came up just short despite a final-ball six from Fabian Allen.
Proteas set the pace thanks to De Kock
De Kock celebrated reaching a personal milestone with a brutal display of hitting, his 51-ball knock at the top of the order including five fours and two sixes. The wicketkeeper-batsman is in impressive form, having now scored 266 runs in his past five T20 innings away from home.
Call of duty needs a reboot
The West Indies have batted second in each of their past 10 T20I meetings with South Africa, winning the toss in all but one of those games. However, the strategic decision may need a rethink before the sides face each other again, as they have gone on to win on just four of those occasions.
Perennial rivals Waterhouse and Harbour View battled to a hard-fought 1-1 draw in the fifth and final match of the first round of the Jamaica Premier League.
The match played at the Captain Horace Burrell Centre of Excellence, on the grounds of the University of the West Indies, saw Andre Fletcher converting a penalty for Waterhouse in the 15th minute but Oquassa Chong replied with a beautiful freekick in the 24th minute.
Just before Waterhouse got their penalty, Harbour View were left despondent as seconds before, they too had a loud shout for a penalty after Chong crashed to the turf in the area. Moments after and veteran Lovel Palmer was deemed to have committed a foul on Waterhouse’s Kenroy Howell. Referee Christopher Mason pointed to the spot after a brief look at the play. Andre Fletcher stepped up and fired past Tafari Chambers in goal and gave Waterhouse a 1-0 lead in the 15th minute.
The talented Chong, now becoming a freekick specialist from his exploits with Jamaica College in the Manning Cup, stepped up and curled a beauty past Tafari Chamber’s brother, Akeem, to pull Harbour View level in minute 24. It was an even game with a fair result and both teams really tried to play positive football in what turned out to be an entertaining encounter.
Waterhouse’s assistant coach, Daniel Bent, was pleased with the point although he believed they could have secured all three.
“Well, we got a point and we didn’t lose the game. But we wanted all three points but that didn’t come our way,” he pointed out.
“I think we had a good first half and even a better second half. We could have scored many goals if our decisions in the final third were better,” he noted.
Meanwhile, Harbour View’s head coach Ludlow Bernard said he was not totally disappointed with the result.
“It was a game of two halves. We attempted in the second half to really play on the counter but I don’t think our distribution was great and it kind of affected our abilities to create goal-scoring opportunities,” said Bernard.
Vere United and Molynes United played to a gloomy 0-0 stalemate in their Jamaica Premier League (JPL) game at the Captain Horace Burrell Centre of Excellence, the University of the West Indies on Monday.
West Indies have named an unchanged 13-member squad for the third CG Insurance T20 International (T20I) against South Africa set for tomorrow at the Grenada National Stadium on Tuesday.
The five-match CG Insurance T20I Series is currently 1-1 after the first two exciting matches of the Series. Two-time World Champions, West Indies won the series opener by eight wickets on Saturday, while South Africa fought back to win the second match by 16 runs on Sunday.
Roger Harper, CWI Chief Selector, said there was no need for change.
"The Selection Panel is happy to retain the same squad for the third CG Insurance T20I. With this series in the balance, we would like to give this squad another opportunity to display how well they can play together,” he said.
“We are aware that there are still a number of T20Is ahead so there will be opportunities for other players going forward.”
This series forms part of the West Indies’ international home season with a total of 15 T20Is as they continue preparations to defend their title at the ICC T20 World Cup to be played later this year.
The full squad: Kieron Pollard (Captain), Nicholas Pooran (Vice-Captain), Fabian Allen, Dwayne Bravo, Fidel Edwards, Andre Fletcher, Chris Gayle, Jason Holder, Evin Lewis, Obed McCoy, Andre Russell, Lendl Simmons, and Kevin Sinclair.
Living like a sprinter and improving on her speed and strength have resulted in Stephenie-Ann McPherson running her 400m lifetime best at the Jamaica National Championships on Sunday.
Thiago Andrade produced a moment of individual brilliance to cap a comeback in stoppage time as New York City dramatically defeated DC United 2-1 in MLS.
DC United appeared on track for victory following Nigel Robertha's ninth-minute opener away to New York City on Sunday.
That was until New York City – who have never lost a home match to DC United (W5 D2) – rallied, with Keaton Parks equalising in the 84th minute after flicking home a header from Maxi Moralez's corner.
Thiago then took centre stage in the 95th minute – the Brazilian embarking on a spectacular solo run from his own half, breezing by his opponents and finishing decisively.
New York City have scored in 21 consecutive MLS games (including playoffs). It is the longest active run in the league and longest in club history.
With the win, New York City are fourth in the Eastern Conference – six points adrift of leaders New England Revolution, who lost 2-1 to Dallas.
The Revolution were unable to restore their five-point lead atop the table following Ricardo Pepi's brace for Dallas.
Homegrown star Pepi was the hero for Dallas, who snapped their six-game winless streak by topping the Eastern Conference leaders.
In other results, Atlanta United and New York Red Bulls played out a goalless draw, while Austin and reigning MLS champions Columbus Crew also drew 0-0.
South Africa levelled the five-match Twenty20 series against West Indies at 1-1 as spin played a key role in clinching a 16-run win in Grenada on Sunday.
The Proteas appeared to have failed to capitalise on a strong start with the bat when posting 166-7, only slightly above the total they had been unable to defend in the opening game 24 hours earlier.
West Indies had cruised to an eight-wicket victory on Saturday, but this time around they were bamboozled by South Africa's slow bowlers, George Linde (2-19) and Tabraiz Shamsi (1-16) taking 3-35 from their eight overs combined.
Fabian Allen's late onslaught – the all-rounder smashed 34 off just 12 deliveries – kept his team in with a slender chance, but even three sixes off Lungi Ngidi (1-49) in the 20th over were not enough. The innings finished at 150-9, in the process ending West Indies' two-match winning run in the format.
South Africa had appeared on course to set a more challenging target when openers Reeza Hendricks and Quinton de Kock (26) put on 73, the stand coming to an end when the latter fell to Kevin Sinclair (2-23).
Captain Temba Bavuma (46) continued the good work of the first-wicket pairing as the tourists reached the midway stage on 95-1, yet they lost their way in the second half of the innings.
The miserly Sinclair accounted for Hendricks, who made 42, and the promise of a late push was curtailed by regular wickets, the Proteas slipping from 122-3 as Obed McCoy (3-25) excelled with the ball at the death.
The real McCoy? Absolutely!
Left-arm seamer McCoy returned his best T20 figures in international cricket, aided by going for just three runs in the 20th over. His back-of-the-hand slower ball accounted for both Heinrich Klaasen and Linde as South Africa slumped down the stretch, albeit the stuttering finish did not cost them in the end.
Allen just Fab, but still not enough
Andre Fletcher did make 35, but the opener used up 36 deliveries in the process of top scoring for West Indies. In contrast, Allen rushed along at a stunning strike-rate of 283.33 runs per 100 balls. His late cameo included five sixes but Ngidi got him in the end, trapped lbw by a yorker from the penultimate ball.
Defending Jamaica Premier League champions Portmore United kick-started their campaign with a comprehensive 2-0 win over Dunbeholden FC at the Captain Horace Burrell Centre of Excellence at the University of the West Indies.
A deflected free-kick by Ricardo Morris in the 37th and a wonder strike by Emelio Rousseau in the 78th minute gave Portmore United a comfortable win in their St Catherine derby, over the upcoming Dunbeholden.
With a number of transfers between both clubs, with players going either way, this match-up was always expected to be an intriguing one and it did not disappoint.
Dunbeholden, clad in blue tops and white shorts, came out flying as Kimoni Bailey latched onto a raking diagonal pass but his rasping shot flew just high.
Portmore responded immediately. Left-back Omar Reid unleashed a menacing shot that goalkeeper Damian Hyatt managed to punch away. As the play swung from end-to-end, Dunbeholden’s new signing Mark Miller, formerly of Waterhouse FC, saw his free-kick turned around the post by Portmore’s custodian Kemar Foster for a corner.
It came to national player Ricardo Morris to find the breakthrough in the 37th minute after he was fouled just outside the box. He picked himself up, brushed himself off and fired a left-footed free-kick that took a wicked deflection off the back of defender Shaquille Dyer and wrong-footing Damion Hyatt in goal.
Dunbeholden never wilted and got a look in as former Portmore United player Rondee Smith teed up the energetic Bailey who shot wide. Smith also got a chance but his weak shot was easily saved.
With Dunbeholden searching for that equalizing goal, Portmore struck again in the 78th minute courtesy of a wonder strike by left-back Emelio Rousseau.
A free-kick was rolled into his path and from 35 metres, the former St George’s College player unleashed a powerful shot that comprehensively beat Hyatt.
To their credit, Dunbeholden continued to fight. They fought hard to the end with substitute Johann Weatherley getting two half chances to reduce the deficit.
With the win, Portmore United are now joint top of the league, which pleased Head Coach Ricardo Gardner.
“We wanted to function on what we did in training and we saw some of that today. It’s nice to get three points in tough conditions and they went out there and put their best foot forward,” said Gardner.
Dunbeholden’s assistant coach Ricardo Smith said his team may have blundered tactically.
“Tactically, we got it wrong and we are not blaming the players but tactically that’s the main part of it. So we just have to go back to the drawing board and come again,” he said.
Winning her second national title was like a miracle for Megan Tapper who was the surprise winner on Sunday morning, the final day of the 2021 Jamaica National Championships to select a team for the Olympic Games in Tokyo this summer.
Running in lane eight, Tapper upset pre-race favourites Britany Anderson and Danielle Williams to take top spot in a season-best 12.68. Yanique Thompson, the Commonwealth Games bronze medalist ran 12.73, a season-best for second place while Anderson was third in 12.75.
“It was like experiencing a miracle right in front of my face,” she said after realizing she had crossed the line first. “I expected it but it is a different feeling when it actually happens.”
Tapper was not in the best of form coming in having run times ranging from 12.87-13.72 in eight races heading into the championships. However, in the semi-finals, she ran a season-best 12.86 for second place in her semifinal that was won by Anderson in 12.65.
She revealed afterwards that patience was the key to her success and understanding what works for her.
“I just had to understand that it takes a while to get into the groove, getting into running to get my mindset right,” she explained afterwards.
“I was patient, my coach and my husband were patient with me and they kept me motivated and at the end of the day I asked God to show up for me and he did and I am grateful.”
She believes running in the outside lane actually helped her avoid the intense battle for places that was unfolding in the lanes inside her.
“I was on the end. I was in lane eight and I guess that worked in my favour,” she said.
“Before I went out, my coach and husband told me to stay focused and to just execute. Once I executed a proper race I would have been close to the top or at the top and that’s what I did.”
Now that she has secured a place on the team to Tokyo Tapper says she knows she has work to do to be ready for competition in Japan.
“I need to remain focused and realize that the job isn’t finished and it is going to take a little than what I had today,” she said.
The long-awaited much-anticipated Jamaica Premier League kicked off Saturday with Mount Pleasant Football Academy and Tivoli Gardens battling to a 0-0 draw in the opening match at the Horace Burrell Centre of Excellence.
Just over 14 months since the JPL was cancelled because of the outbreak of the Covi-19 across the globe, football action returned to Jamaica but there were no goals to celebrate the occasion.
Each team had to be satisfied with a point but the Paul “Tegat” Davis-coached Mount Pleasant got the better chances and would have been the more disappointing of the two, having 10 shots on target compared to just two by their opponent.
Playing on the artificial turf on grounds of the University of the West Indies (UWI), the St Ann-based Mount Pleasant, sporting blue tops and white shorts, were quick out of the blocks and applied early pressure on the orange and black-clad Tivoli Gardens outfit from West Kingston.
Playing at left-back, Sue-Lae McCalla created the first chance for Mount Pleasant but his powerful header was tipped over by goalkeeper Kewong Watkins in the sixth minute. Two minutes later, McCalla stung the hands of Watkins with a dipping swerving shot from 25m but Cardel Benbow failed to tuck away the rebound.
Tivoli Gardens got their first shot on target courtesy of the 41-year-old veteran Jermaine “Teddy” Johnson, who saw his free-kick blocked by goalkeeper David Swaby.
Minutes later, Mount Pleasant’s Kemar Beckford cut inside his marker but fired high from just outside the box.
There wasn’t much goal-mouth action in the second half but substitute Francois Swaby latched onto a through ball in the 76th minute only to be blocked by goalkeeper Watkins who stood tall and blocked well with his feet.
Daniel Green also fired straight at Watkins from an angle but Tivoli Gardens held on for a point.
The Man-of-the-match was Trevaune McKain of Tivoli Gardens, who was lively throughout and showed good skill on the ball.
Phillip Williams, head coach of Tivoli Gardens in his second season, was satisfied with a share of the points.
“The youngsters really stepped up and played a decent game for us today (Saturday). Mount Pleasant is a good running team and the boys passed with flying colours,” said Williams.
Mount Pleasant’s head coach Davis was visibly disappointed with the result.
“This is football and when you get some simple chances like that, maybe six, seven chances against this Tivoli Gardens team…the guys were flat, flat, flat,” Davis pointed out. “This is football and we would have loved the three points but it’s the start of the tournament so one point is good.”
A stunning goal and a beautiful assist by 19-year-old Dwayne “Busy” Atkinson gave a youthful Cavalier FC a deserved 2-0 win over an ageing Humble Lion team in the feature encounter at the UWI-JFF Captain Horace Burrell Centre of Excellence on Saturday.
The lively Atkinson, who came on as a 46th-minute substitute, fired a dipping shot from 25 metres that whistled past a bewildered Dennis Taylor in goal for Humble Lion in the 77th minute.
It was a beautiful goal deserving to be the first of this new season from a player, who Head Coach Rudolph Speid said was arguably the best player in the country when he was just 15-years-old.
Then in time added on in the 90+2, Atkinson latched onto a ball at the halfway line and in one motion with the outside of his right foot, curled a beautiful through ball into the path of fellow substitute Courtney Allen, who rounded the goalkeeper and slotted home.
It was three very good points for a spritely and youthful Cavalier team with an average age of 20 years and they have thrown down the gauntlet that they will be contenders.
The Clarendon-based Humble Lion unbelievably averaging 32 years, was left stunned by the young guns with some early soul searching needed as to the make-up of their ageing squad.
Man-of-the-Match Atkinson, formerly of Kingston College, said he will be hoping to keep the legacy going set by the former young guns of Cavalier who are now playing overseas.
Meanwhile winning coach Everdean Scarlett, was not surprised by Cavalier’s energy.
“My team gave a good performance of themselves and in the end, it was youthful exuberance that prevailed,” noted Scarlett.
Losing coach Andrew Price said his ageing men could not respond to the more energetic younger Cavalier boys. “We had about 14 training sessions and definitely this Cavalier team has been training long before us and they are a much fitter and younger bunch,” Price pointed out.
“Fatigue set in and we had to make some substitutions but it’s a learning curve. The mind is saying they can do thing but their body won’t allow them,” said Price
“In the second half Cavalier really turn on the burners on us. But it’s the first game so I won’t mark them too hard,” he added.
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce described herself as a warrior Sunday after she completed the sprint double on the final day of the 2021 Jamaica National Championships at the National Stadium in Kingston. The 34-year-old Fraser-Pryce ran a lifetime best of 21.79 to add the 200m to the 100m she won in 10.71 on Friday night.
She held a fast-finishing Shericka Jackson, who also produced a lifetime best of 21.82 for the runner-up spot. Elaine Thompson-Herah, the 2016 Olympic champion, finished third in a season-best 22.02.
It was a seminal moment for Fraser-Pryce, who won a silver medal over 200m at the 2012 London Games and gold a year later at the 2013 World Championships in Moscow.
“I am excited because, look at me, for everything I have achieved over the years, I’ve never taken it for granted. I always knew what I was capable of and I am glad I never gave up and I stuck to what I believed in and kept close to the persons who believed in me and continued to work hard for that dream and I am glad to finally break the 22-second barrier,” she said.
The improvements this season that allowed her to run lifetime bests of 10.63 and 21.79, she said, was the result of the hard work Coach Reynaldo Walcott put her through during the off-season as well as her own resolve to continue to strive for excellence despite whatever challenges life throws at her.
“The key part of the preparation was just the endurance part in making sure I was strong to manage all the rounds, I think that was very important,” she said.
“I am grateful that I was able to put together the work and I give God thanks because I have had struggles, especially with my toe, but I am a warrior so whatever it is, I am always going to show up and do my best and as long as I do that then I am always satisfied.”
She also praised Coach Walcott, the head coach at Elite Performance, with whom she has enjoyed a harmonious relationship ever since her early days at the MVP track club.
“Mr Walcott has always been a friend. He was part of the MVP track club, we started UTech (University of Technology) at the same time so I have always had that belief in him,” she said, also taking time to praise her former coach Stephen Francis.
“I think what’s also important is that we have always had a foundation as well from Stephen Francis and MVP Track Club so I can’t take that for granted and what he had done to my career so far. So, it’s just a continuation of the hard work and the coaches. I am just glad that I have had two solid coaches.”
Fraser-Pryce said she plans to immediately get back to work to continue to prepare for the Games this summer.
“The Olympics are not that far away so it’s about being very meticulous in the work and being mindful, stay injury free and doing the best I can to stay healthy.”
Rasheed Dwyer won the men's title in season-best 20.17 ahead of Yohan Blake 20.18. Tyquendo Tracey, the 100m champion, was third in 20.34.
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