Sherfane Rutherford has announced his departure from the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots for the remainder of the 2024 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) due to personal reasons. The Patriots, who have struggled throughout the season, will name a replacement for Rutherford in the coming days as they look to bolster their squad.

 Rutherford's exit leaves a significant gap in the Patriots’ lineup, as the all-rounder was a key player for the team. His departure adds to the Patriots’ challenges as they aim to improve their standing in the tournament. With his hard-hitting ability and useful contributions with the ball, the Patriots will be eager to find a capable replacement soon.

Antigua & Barbuda Falcons pulled off a stunning two wicket victory over St Kitts & Nevis Patriots with just two balls to spare in a tense match at the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

After winning the toss and inserting the opposition, the Falcons restricted the Patriots to 153-8 off their 20 overs. Mohammad Amir picked up three wickets for the Falcons and Mikyle Louis starring with the bat for the Patriots.

Louis’ lusty order lower order hitting ensured 33 runs were scored off the last few overs as he cruised to 63 runs off just 36 balls, including seven sixes. A target of 153 was a success of sorts for the home side after they were earlier reeling at 60-4 in the ninth over.

In response, the Falcons seemed to be hauling in the target without too many alarms, Brandon King and Justin Greaves striking their way to 55 before King fell in the fifth over – trapped in front of the stumps by the pace of Anrich Nortje. From then on the plain sailing was over as the Falcons lost regular wickets and the match remained too close to call.

Wanindu Hasaranga was the main architect of the damage with the ball for the visitors, the Sri Lankan all-rounder’s leg-breaks and assorted varieties posing a constant threat. Justin Greaves, Sam Billings, the dangerous Jewel Andrew and Shamar Springer were all pocketed by Hasaranga in a devastating period of top-quality spin bowling.

At 110-7 when Billings departed the scene, it looked as if the Falcons’ wings had been clipped and that the duel was going the way of the Patriots. Roshon Primus and Imad Wasim combined effectively to hit the gaps in the field and take every single run on offer in order to eke their way closer to the target. With three overs to go the Falcons required 22 runs to win with three wickets in hand.

Dominic Drakes was summoned into the attack and bowled a frugal over that was hit for just six runs to leave the equation as 15 runs needed from 12 balls. Primus was then caught off backward point off Nortje as the pendulum swung towards Patriots in the penultimate over.

With 11 runs needed from the final over, Fabian Allen stole the game at the last for the Falcons, smiting consecutive Drakes short balls for six and four into the leg side and scampering the single needed for victory with two balls remaining.

Imad Wasim was named Player of the Match for his 17 not out and 2-24 with the ball as the victory took the Falcons to third in the table and left the Patriots bottom of the table after suffering their fifth defeat on the bounce.

Guyana Amazon Warriors, defending champions of the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL), put in a swaggering performance to claim three wins in three games to sit at the head of the standings after ten games of this year’s tournament.

Their opponents, Saint Lucia Kings, suffered their first loss of the 2024 tournament on what for them was a chastening night at the Darren Sammy Cricket Ground in Gros Islet. A thumping six wicket win with 10 overs to spare was a real statement of intent from the Warriors.

Imran Tahir won the toss and elected to insert the Kings. The defending champions put in another impressive performance with the ball, Tahir claiming 3-29 and Player of the Match Gudakesh Motie taking 3-13 as the Kings failed to recover from a PowerPlay that saw them reduced to 43-4.

Some lower order striking from Matthew Forde managed to haul the Kings to three figures exactly but the Warriors made extremely short work of the target.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz lit up the Saint Lucia sky with sixes as he struck 47 runs off just 19 balls that included not a single four but saw seven sixes clear the ropes.

Gurbaz eventually fell with just nine more runs needed for victory, pinned lbw by Noor Ahmad attempting a reverse-sweep that would have brought him a rapid fifty. Noor also bowled Tim Robinson but not before the Warrior’s debutant opener had got the chase off to a breezy start with 33 off 20 deliveries - including a deliciously driven lofted six down the ground.

A fired up Alzarri Joseph had Azam Khan caught at short third and was thrilled with the wicket. Joseph then greeted Shimron Hetmyer with a stare and another short delivery but Hetmyer launched the next ball high and long over mid-on for six and then scampered the winning runs off the next over to have the decisive final say.

It was a day to forget for the Kings but one to savour for the Warriors, Barbados Royals are the only other side that remain unbeaten in this year’s competition.

Westmoreland has claimed the title of champion in the 33rd Kingston Wharves U15 Cricket Competition after overpowering Kensington in the final at the Ultimate Cricket Ground in Discovery Bay, St. Ann. This victory marks Westmoreland's first time as sole champion, having previously shared the title twice. They went undefeated throughout the tournament, winning all matches in the preliminary round, quarterfinals and semifinals.

In a thrilling final match, Westmoreland’s 115 all out in 28.4 overs looked vulnerable, as Kensington posed a real threat during their chase and a lengthy rain delay added further uncertainty. However, Westmoreland’s bowling unit held firm, restricting Kensington to 77 all out in 34.4 overs, securing a 38-run victory.

The star of the final was Westmoreland's Humario Reid, who carried the team with an impressive 80 runs from 81 deliveries. He was the only Westmoreland batsman to reach double figures, with Kensington’s Zachary Buchanan wreaking havoc on the batting lineup by taking seven wickets for just 33 runs. Andrew Lloyd also chipped in with two wickets for 32.

Kensington's chase began positively, but they quickly lost their first wicket at 15 and never fully recovered. A steady flow of wickets left them reeling at seven for 27. After a rain delay, they briefly steadied their innings, but once their eighth wicket fell on 73, Westmoreland sensed victory. Kensington's captain Andrew Lloyd fought valiantly with a top score of 45, while Abraham Waugh contributed 14 runs, the only other batsman to reach double digits. Westmoreland’s bowling attack was led by Jemar Morgan (3 for 12), captain Ryan Littleton (3 for 23), and Davere Buchanan (2 for 17).

Coach Grantley Reid was elated with his team’s triumph, reflecting on the journey it took to finally win the competition outright. “I am happy because we have been here before but we had to share. For the work that was put in, because the journey did not begin with this competition. Most of the boys have been to quarterfinals but we never made it through, but I knew we had the depth to win this competition and they delivered,” Reid said. He also praised Kensington's resilience, saying, “They played well to come back from where they were... They had heart. They have a young team.”

Following the final, an awards ceremony recognized individual and team achievements. Humario Reid was named the MVP of the final, while Westmoreland captain Ryan Littleton was named his team’s MVP with 13 wickets and 236 runs during the competition. Kensington’s MVP, Abraham Waugh, bagged 21 wickets and scored 156 runs throughout the tournament.

This year's Kingston Wharves U15 competition recorded several highlights, including four centuries, 15 five-wicket hauls by 12 different bowlers, and four batsmen scoring over 200 runs each.

Simone Murdock, corporate services and client experience manager at Kingston Wharves, expressed her satisfaction with the competition’s return to pre-Covid standards. “We are glad to see a successful year come to an end. As said in the ceremony, we are finally returning to scores similar to the years before Covid so we are glad to see that we are on the right track and to celebrate with Westmoreland,” she said.

Jamaica Cricket Association president Dr. Donovan Bennett, who watched most of the final, promised an even better competition in the future as the association increases its investment in junior cricket. “We are working hard to ensure that where we were pre-Covid, that we get back there as soon as we possibly can,” Bennett remarked.

Westmoreland’s win has solidified their dominance in the 2023 Kingston Wharves U15 Cricket competition, a tournament that continues to provide a platform for the next generation of cricketers.

Defending champions Clarendon College opened their ISSA DaCosta Cup campaign with a tense 2-1 win over Denbigh High at the Catherine Hall Stadium in Montego Bay, Jamaica on Saturday.

Clarendon College took an early lead in the fourth minute when Justin Hayles latched on to a through ball to finish across Denbigh goalkeeper Kevin Pryce into the bottom corner.

They went two ahead when Terron Williams scored directly from a corner kick in the 22^nd minute.

Denbigh were the more attacking team to start the second 45 minutes and were handed a lifeline when Tayo Cross converted a late spot kick won by substitute Rahjaun Cassanova.

In the end, however, Clarendon College held their nerve to ensure that they got the three points to kick off the defense of their title.

Clarendon College will next take on Lennon High on September 14 while Denbigh will face Claude McKay a day earlier.

Mona High School started the defense of their first ever ISSA Manning Cup title with a dominant 7-0 thrashing of opponents Waterford High at Catherine Hall Stadium in Montego Bay, St. James on Saturday.

Man of the match Carlton Brown scored a pair of goals in the 17^th and 37^th minutes, the first being a brilliant right-footed strike from long range that evaded Waterford goalkeeper Jaheim Daley.

In between those two strikes, Savi-K Morton made it 2-0 in the 31^st minute through a well-placed left-footed shot from just inside the 18-yard box.

Captain Robino Gordon made it 4-0 ten minutes later with a close-range finish, a score that would hold until the end of the first half.

Just a minute into the second 45 minutes, Alex Suazo made it 5-0 with the second long-range strike of the day.

The scoring was completed by Kshaine Gordon (67’) and Denzel McKenzie (70’).

“It’s really important to get off to a good start and we have more to come,” Brown said in a post-match interview.

Mona assistant coach Kyle Butler believes his team could have done even better but was happy with the win nonetheless.

“Definitely a statement win. The foundation is there but we’re still in second gear. We still have a lot that we can improve on. We could have won 10-0 easily but as I said the foundation is there and we want to build on that,” he said.

Waterford High coach Kevin Reid expressed disappointment at his team’s performance.

“It’s a disappointing start for us. Experience got the better of us today. Nevertheless, I believe they learned something to day and I believe the best team won. We just have to get back in training and put in some more work and, hopefully, we will have a better second game,” he said.

Mona will next take on Jonathan Grant on September 12 while Waterford will tackle Charlie Smith on the same day.

Trinidad and Tobago started life without Angus Eve on a losing note as they were thumped 4-0 by Honduras in their opening Concacaf Nations League Group B League A contest in Tegucigalpa on Friday.

The result dealt and early blow to the Soca Warriors and interim head coach Derek King, as they are the group’s early cellar dwellers.

Honduras, with the win, assume pole position on three points, same as Nicaragua, who edged French Guiana 1-0, while Jamaica and Cuba both have a point from their goalless stalemate. Only the top two teams from the group will progress to the quarterfinals, while the bottom-placed team will be relegated to League B.

The tournament also determines which national teams qualify for the next edition of the Concacaf Gold Cup.

Honduras vs. Trinidad and Tobago

After struggling to break down Trinidad and Tobago’s defence early, Honduras eventually found the go-ahead goal when Alexander Lopez drove in a right-footer from outside the box.

Kevin Arriaga also showed his class with a well-struck right-footer in the 45+2 minute to put Honduras 2-0 up at the break.

Try as they did, Trinidad and Tobago had no response to Honduras in a hostile environment and soon found themselves further behind in the 54th minute. This, as Edwin Rodriguez was allowed too much space deep inside the 18-yard box to fire home from Luis Palma’s pass.

The win was then capped by David Ruiz, who slotted home in the 86th minute.

French Guiana vs. Nicaragua 

The Central Americans extended their unbeaten run in the Concacaf Nations League to 13 matches by taking three points off host French Guiana at Stade Municipal Dr. Edmard Lama.

Both teams gave as good as they got in the attacking third, but it was Nicaragua that got the all-important strike through Widman Talavera in the 90+5 minute to secure the three points.

Group B action will resume on Tuesday, starting with Cuba facing Nicaragua, while Trinidad and Tobago will host French Guiana, and Jamaica will visit Honduras to close out the day.

Corporal Shayon Francis, one of Jamaica’s accomplished female pistol shooters and brand ambassador for Spectrum Systems Limited, once again showcased her exceptional skills at the recently-concluded Smoking Barrels Xtreme Regional Shooting Competition in Barbados.

Francis, whose passion for sport shooting unleashes her competitive edge, secured the prestigious High Lady Award as the highest-placed female shooter overall.

The St Thomas native, who honed her skills competing against some of the top shooters locally and internationally, again demonstrated that prowess as she outshone several of her top-tier male counterparts from across the Caribbean and beyond.

The outstanding performance by Francis underscores her dedication to the sport, and the unwavering support of Spectrum Systems Limited has been integral to her achieving these significant milestones.

“We are incredibly proud of Shayon’s achievements on the international stage,” said Andrew Stanigar, Managing Director of Spectrum Systems Limited.

Stanigar pointed out that Spectrum Systems Limited remains committed to supporting Francis’ journey and promoting excellence in sports as she continues to chart a dazzling course in her shooting career.

“Her success is a testament to her hard work and the values we uphold at Spectrum Systems. We are honoured to have her represent our brand,” he added.

For Francis, the performance was a result of her unflinching desire to succeed each time she gets on course. As such, she believes there is still room for improvements.

“My performance was solid, and although there is always room for growth, I’m thrilled to have represented Jamaica with pride. I’d like to extend a huge thank you to my amazing sponsor, Spectrum Systems Limited, for their continued support on my journey to the World Shoot in South Africa 2025. I am grateful for their belief in me,” Francis declared.

Marksmanship is a skill that can be developed and must be maintained. But speed and fitness are also critical components in practical pistol shooting, something that Francis is well aware of.

It is with that in mind why she has no intentions of sitting on her laurels, as she targets more positive performances in the build up for that World Shoot.

“My overall goal is to be on the podium each time I go out to compete and so the aim is to build on this performance, but it will take constant training to make that happen. So, again, I intend to put in some more training time to reap more success,” Francis noted.

St Lucia, St Maarten, Grenada, and Haiti all opened their 2024/25 Concacaf Nations League accounts with victories in League B on Friday.

Grenada blanked St Martin 2-0, and St Lucia edged Curacao 2-1 in the Group B double-header at Kirani James Athletics Stadium.

Over in Group C, Haiti were 4-1 winners over Puerto Rico, and St Maarten blanked Aruba 2-0 at Estadio Centroamericano in Puerto Rico.

St Lucia vs. Curaçao 

In what was the first-ever Nations League encounter between the two nations, St Lucia were the better team on the day.

Arkell Jude-Boyd broke the deadlock for St Lucia in the 24th when he fended off a defender on his way to poking an effort through the legs of Eloy Room in goal for Curacao to make it 1-0 at the break.

Jude-Boyd went close to extending the lead in the second half, but Room came up big for Curacao on that occasion.

However, St Lucia inevitably doubled the lead in the 55th through Caniggia Elva, who finished off a loose ball.

Curacao pulled one back in the 63rd when Joshua Brenet fired home from Leandro Bacuna’s pass.

St Maarten vs. Aruba

St Maarten and Aruba failed to separate themselves for most of the contest, as their respective goalkeepers Tyrell Richardson and Matthew Lentink were in good knick between the sticks.

It wasn’t until the 81st that Gerwin Lake broke the deadlock for St Maarten when he rifled an effort past Lentink, who had no chance at a save on that occasion.

Ronan Olivacce added a second for St Maarten in the 90+3, with an easy tap-in from Chovanie Amatkarijo’s pass.

St Martin vs. Grenada 

Grenada were always favoured to secure the three points and that they did.

It took them only five minutes to open the scoring as Lucas Akins capitalised on a defensive error.

The menacing Regan Charles-Cook made the points safe when he tucked home from close range in the 38th minute.

St Martin tried to stay in the contest but found Grenada’s defence and goalkeeper Chad Phillip in defiant mode.

Puerto Rico vs. Haiti

After being relegated from League A, Haiti is intent of getting back to the top and they demonstrated that with a comfortable beating of Puerto Rico.

Interestingly, it was Puerto Rico that struck first in the 29th when Gerald Diaz fired home from a rebound.

Haiti responded with a second half flurry, which was started by Danley Jean Jacques in the 51st.

Frantzdy Pierrot added a second in the 60th, taking his Nations League tally to eight goals, before Don Louicius finished off a tidy team build up in the 76th to put Haiti 3-1 up.

Duckens Nazon then capped the win with an 83rd-minute strike to put Haiti on course for promotion.

Nyeem Young kept his composure at the death as Barbados Royals broke the hearts of St Kitts & Nevis Patriots with a thrilling two-wicket victory in the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

The Royals appeared set for a crushing win when they reduced the Patriots to 0/3 before weathering a rapid 82-run partnership between Wanindu Hasaranga and Mikyle Louis.

After restricting the Patriots to 153/8 at Warner Park, the Royals lost Rahkeem Cornwall and Quinton de Kock early and the match was at a knife’s edge throughout a nerve-jangling chase.

Needing eight runs off the last over bowled by Ryan John, the Royals’ nerves heightened when Jason Holder fell off the first ball after a superb catch at deep backward square by Josh Clarkson.

But Young luckily inside edged to the boundary off the third ball before smashing a brilliant six over mid-off on the penultimate delivery as the Royals won consecutive games to start the season

It was their fifth straight victory against the Patriots, who are at the foot of the table with just one win.

The Patriots made a poor start after being sent in to bat when their top three batters were dismissed for ducks—the first time that has occurred in CPL history.

Spinner Maheesh Theekshana started the carnage on the second ball of the innings when he pinned Evin Lewis lbw. Two balls later, Theekshana produced a cracking delivery that spun sharply and through the defences of Kyle Mayers, who trudged off in disbelief.

The Patriots lost their third wicket when Andre Fletcher was lbw to Dunith Wellalage before the match suddenly flipped through a counterattack from Hasaranga and Louis as the Royals suddenly struggled for control amid an onslaught.

Naveen-ul-Haq was on the receiving end and leaked 16 runs to cap a madcap PowerPlay.

But Louis holed out in the ninth over leading to another collapse where the Patriots also lost Sherfane Rutherford and Hasaranga in the space of six balls.

It could have been worse for the Patriots when Clarkson was given out lbw to Theekshana before he successfully reviewed. Clarkson struggled to get going, but batted through to the end and received support from John who smacked 29 off 14 balls.

Just like the Patriots, the Royals lost a wicket on the second ball after Mayers knocked over Cornwall for a duck. Speedster Anrich Nortje had compatriot de Kock wincing in pain after a blow to the body before the batter hit back with a six over fine leg.

De Kock was cleaned bowled in the fifth over by Mayers, who had patiently persisted around the wicket.

Wellalage battled calmly through the middle overs before Young’s late heroics sealed a thrilling triumph for the Royals.

It was a bittersweet start to life for Jamaica's new head coach Steve McClaren, as his Reggae Boyz were held to a goalless stalemate by 10-man Cuba in their opening Concacaf Nations League Group B League A encounter at the National Stadium on Friday.

There was an air of optimism surrounding the team, with fans eager to see how the former England manager would transform the Boyz, who were coming off a period of transition.

While the Boyz delivered for the most part in terms of their dominance in all aspects of the game, they failed to please where it mattered most—in the final third—as they squandered numerous chances and, as such, had to settle for a share of the spoils.

In fact, of the 21 shots taken, only seven were on target, and that, plus the fact that they had a numerical advantage after Yunior Perez was sent for an early shower in the 44th minute, underscores the Boyz's woeful presentation in the final third.

The point puts the Boyz and Cuba second behind leaders Honduras, who were 4-0 winners over Trinidad and Tobago in their contest. Only the top two finishers will progress to the quarterfinals.

From the first whistle, Jamaica looked sharper and quicker. McClaren’s tactical adjustments were evident as the Boyz played with a higher intensity, pressing the Cubans into their own half. 

Kasey Palmer and Michail Antonio got off a couple warning shots in the early exchanges, and the good-sized turnout of spectators became even more expectant of at least a 3-0 victory. However, their desires were not met as they watched and roared as the Boyz strung together wave after wave of attacks, but the finishing touch eluded them.

In the 19th minute, Antonio's header from a long cross came back off the upright, while Jamal Lowe's effort on the rebound sailed wide.

The Boyz had another opportunity to break the deadlock at the half-hour mark, but Lowe was hesitant in getting the shot off from deep inside the 18-yard box, and the chance went begging. 

Cuba tried to play their game and also found pockets of openings, the best of which came in the 41st minute when poor defending by Dexter Lembikisa allowed a run through on defence forcing Andre Blake to leave his line to avert the danger. Though Blake seemingly took out the attacker in his attempt to clear the ball, Cuba's appeal for a penalty was waved off.

Minutes later Lowe's slick pass sent Antonio on the break, but the West Ham United man was taken out inside the arc by Yunior Perez, who saw a straight red card from Salvadoran referee Filiberto Martinez.

The resulting freekick, a well-taken one by Demarai Gray, was equally well saved by Cuba's custodian, Raiko Arozarena, who ensured the game remained goalless at the break.

The Jamaicans again came out lively on the resumption, but for all their possession, the Boyz couldn’t put one in the back of the net and were frustrated by the resolute Cuban defence led by goalkeeper Arozarena. 

In the 54th, Gray made space to get off a stinging right-footer from inside the six-yard box, but the effort was kept out by Arozarena.

Minutes later, the Cuban custodian was again called upon to deny Palmer's right-footed effort. 

McClaren introduced a few fresh legs in Shamar Nicholson, Kaheim Dixon, and others with hopes that one of those might have better fortunes in front of goal. Not so.

In fact, one of the best chances in the backend of the encounter fell in the 77th to Nicholson, who at goalmouth somehow hit a right-footer over the crossbar as the fans groaned in disbelief.

For the Reggae Boyz, it was a missed opportunity to start the campaign with a win. However, the potential under McClaren’s leadership was clear, and so optimism abounds that their next fixture away to Honduras on Tuesday will turn out to be a better result.