Jamaica U-20 Reggae Boyz coach Marcel Gayle expects a rapid bounce back from the team on the back of a 5-0 hammering at the hands of hosts Honduras in the Concacaf Men’s Under-20 Championship on Monday.
The highly one-side affair left the Jamaicans third in group H, with one game remaining against Antigua and Barbuda. With three teams advancing from the four-team group, however, the team remains in contention to secure a place in the next round if they can secure a point against Antigua.
“We know what is expected of us, so we just want to go out there and express ourselves again. We realise it’s a must-win situation and we are looking to go out there all guns blazing to represent the nation,” Gayle said of the upcoming fixture on Wednesday.
“Everyone is disappointed, the boys are disappointed but they are young so they will get over it…we’ll come again. We’ll take heart from the game. We’re still in it, so I just have to encourage the guys to come again, so, you can look forward to greater things.”
With the win Honduras moved to the top of the group with 6 points, followed by Costa Rica on 4 and Jamaica on 1. Antigua and Barbuda are yet to secure a win.
There is a new format coming to the Caribbean in 2022 with Cricket West Indies and the Caribbean Premier League bringing you THE 6IXTY – Cricket’s Power Game.
The first edition of THE 6IXTY will take place from August 24-28 in St Kitts & Nevis at one of world cricket’s fastest scoring grounds – Warner Park. Future expansion plans of the 6IXTY include the potential of multiple events at different locations around the Caribbean and beyond.
THE 6IXTY is a joint venture between Cricket West Indies and the Caribbean Premier League with the two organizations working closely together to create another world-class event.
“This is a hugely exciting moment for both CPL and Cricket West Indies as we create a tournament that will see cricket fans brought closer to the game,” said CPL CEO Pete Russell.
“There will be world-class men’s and women’s cricketers taking part in a fantastic event for the Caribbean and this combined with cutting-edge innovations, signals a great moment for all fans of West Indian cricket.”
CWI President Ricky Skerritt said he is excited by the introduction of the new format.
"THE 6IXTY has come about because of a close collaboration between CPL and CWI which is the way forward," he said.
"I am really excited about the innovation, excitement and entertainment that it is going to bring to the fans.”
The first edition of THE 6IXTY will see men’s and women’s teams compete in a new 60-ball tournament featuring many of the best cricketers from around the world with SKYEXCH the title sponsor for 2022.
This revolutionary format will see brand new innovations that will change T10 cricket and make the game even faster-paced and action-packed.
Under the rules, each batting team has six wickets – at the fall of the sixth wicket they are all out; each batting team has two PowerPlay overs. They can unlock a third PowerPlay by hitting two sixes in the first 12 balls. This extra PowerPlay over can be taken at any time between overs three to nine.
There will be 30 balls bowled from one end before the action switches to the other end for the final 30 balls, the 30 balls will be delivered as five separate overs, with no bowler being able to bowl more than two overs for the innings.
If teams do not bowl their overs within the allotted time, a member of their team is removed from the field for the final six balls. Fans will vote for the timing of a “Mystery Free Hit” where a batter can’t be dismissed by the bowler.
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Cricket West Indies (CWI) Men’s Selection Panel has named an unchanged squad for the second Padma Bridge – Dream Fulfilled - Friendship Test match against Bangladesh.
Andy Murray has hinted he could compete alongside Emma Raducanu in the mixed doubles at Wimbledon, depending on how they fare in the singles.
Two-time Wimbledon champion Murray returns to SW19 later this month for only the third time since his last victory in 2016.
A quarter-final exit in 2017 was followed by two absent years and the 2020 event was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic prior to last year's third-round exit.
Meanwhile, Raducanu has struggled to find consistency and fitness in grand slams since her astonishing US Open success last year, being knocked out in the second round of both the Australian Open and French Open.
Both Britons will be hoping for better showings on home soil in 2022 but, if they suffer early elimination from the singles, Murray has revealed they could form a partnership for the mixed doubles.
"I'd love to play with her. I love watching her play. I think she's brilliant. She's going to be amazing for the sport. Not just in the UK, but especially in the UK," he told GQ.
"Actually, we had spoken last year about potentially playing mixed doubles at Wimbledon, and then both of us ended up doing well in the singles so we ended up not doing it.
"But yeah, I would love to play with her."
However, while he spoke to his compatriot about a possible partnership last year, he has not touched base with the world number 11 ahead of this year's tournament.
"I've not spoken to her about it, but it would depend on the singles," he added.
"Obviously, we both will be prioritising that and hopefully having a good run there. And if that's the case, then that will be our priority.
"But yeah, if we both didn't do well, then maybe. At some stage in the future I would certainly love to. I think it'd be great fun."
Murray is unseeded for the men's singles, while Raducanu is seeded 10th for the women's event.
West Indies coach Phil Simmonds expects improved bowling performances from spinner Gudakesh Motie in the future after a fruitless debut with the ball against Bangladesh last week.
Overall, the spinner ended the opening Test with no wicket from 16 overs and conceded 43 runs. The debut stood a far way from his performances in the West Indies Championship this season where he claimed 17 wickets in five matches, earning the attention of the West Indies selectors.
The 27-year-old did, however, make some sort of contribution with the bat after making 23 unbeaten from 21 deliveries, in the first innings.
“He scored a 100 in the Championship, so he can hold the bat and he can score like we saw but his bowling is going to improve,” Simmons said, following the first Test.
“I think when you play in your first Test match there’s always nerves, there’s a lot of things, but his bowling is going to improve,” he added.
While, for the most part, it was the pace bowlers who dominated affairs, Bangladesh spinner Mehidy Hasan claimed 4 for 59 in the first innings to put some pressure on the West Indies batting line-up. West Indies and Bangladesh will face off in the second and final Test on Friday.
Expect the unexpected!
That’s the word from 2021 World U20 champion Ackera Nugent, who was responding to a question about who she thinks will emerge victorious in the 100m hurdles at Jamaica’s National Senior Championships that get underway at the National Stadium in Kingston on Thursday, June 23.
Nugent, who turned 20 in April, will miss the championships because of injury but is already on the mend as she targets a triumphant return to the track for her junior year at Baylor University. As the second fastest Jamaican woman in the world this year, Nugent will be missed but the field that will assemble is stacked.
Among the women contending for the top three spots will be Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Megan Tapper, 2015 World Championships gold medalist Danielle Williams, who is also the 2019 bronze medallist, 2022 Big 12 Conference Champion Demisha Roswell, Britany Anderson, Crystal Morrison, and Trishauna Hemmings among others.
However, Nugent perhaps one of the most talented hurdlers in her country’s history, was not willing to put her neck on the block given how keenly contested Sunday’s final is expected to be.
“Well, the hurdles is an event that you can’t really have expectations on it because anything can happen in those 12-13-seconds of the race,” she reasoned.
“So it’s a thing where you have to expect the unexpected.”
She does expect to be back better and stronger than ever for the coming 2022/2023 NCAA season.
Mere days after running a personal best 12.45 to finish second to Roswell at the Big 12 Championships, Nugent, citing injury, shut down her season in early June. It was a decision that meant that she would miss the NCAA Division I Outdoor Championships in Oregon as well as Jamaica’s National Championships where she was expected to be among the athletes making the team to the World Championships at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, where the NCAA Championships were also held.
She revealed the circumstances that led to her decision.
“I had been having ankle problems this season more than normal but I was able to compete but at regionals, running the 4x100m I tore my plantar fascia (the thick tendon that connects the heel and the toes) and it was really bad,” she recalled.
Despite the injury, she said, she soldiered on, which made things worse.
“Knowing me as somebody that’s like ‘I have a next race to go do, let’s knock it out the way. I took some pain killers and I wrapped my leg up and went out there to compete and when I realized in the race it was getting really bad I slowed up and was still able to make nationals and then I looked and saw how swollen my foot was and I was like ‘I don’t think I have enough time to recover and make it for nationals’ so I decided to close my season down.”
As it stands, she is now able to walk and can run a little but thinks it best to give herself time to heal ahead of next season. “I don’t think it’s a smart decision to run so now I will be focusing on recovering, rehabbing and getting stronger. I have enough time to get better, to get stronger so I will be ready for next year,” she said.
Jamaica’s Under-20 Reggae Boyz suffered a humiliating 5-0 defeat to hosts Honduras in their second game at the Concacaf Under-20 Championships at the Estadio Francisco Morazan in San Pedro Sula on Monday.
The hosts took an early lead through a Marco Aceituno header in the third minute.
The lead was doubled when Aceituno got his second of the game after Jamaican goalkeeper Coniah Boyce-Clarke failed to block his left-footed strike from inside the box.
The young Reggae Boyz’ task was made more difficult when they were reduced to 10 men after Lamont Rochester was sent off in first half stoppage time.
The start of the second half brought no extra luck for the Jamaicans as Isaac Castillo slotted home to make it 3-0 for Honduras in the 48th minute.
The hosts got a fourth in the 58th minute through substitute Jefry Macias.
The scoring was completed in the 84th minute when Macias got his second goal to make it 5-0.
Honduras now leads Group D with six points from two games while Jamaica sits third with one.
Costa Rica got a 3-0 win over Antigua and Barbuda in Monday’s other Group D game to move to four points while their opponents have two losses.
Wednesday will see Jamaica play the Antiguans while Honduras will do battle with Costa Rica.
The Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG), home of West Indies Cricket, is entering the final phase for major development planning which will transform the ICC accredited facility into a truly state of the art cricket and cultural heritage centre, Cricket West Indies announced on Friday.
Infrastructural work and rehabilitation are expected to commence later this year that will see CCG become a world class centre of cricket with linkages to several other smaller cricket academies across the region.
CCG will be able to adequately host training camps and player remedial work as well as stage international matches at all levels. This will include an Emerging Players Academy and the construction of an ultra-modern indoor/outdoor facility with several inputs for players’ preparation, including medical, training, fitness, and gym facilities.
“A strategic approach to master planning of the facility is well underway, and we are stepping into a new frontier as we seek to make CCG the 'flagship’ where players from the grassroots to the international level can develop and hone their technical and mental skills. We envision the CCG of the future as a truly world-class facility with all the amenities,” said Nelecia Yeates, General Manager of CCG.
“Fans attending matches at the ‘new CCG’ will also have an exceptional spectator experience. We will leave no stone unturned as we hold firm to the commitment and belief that all islands of the Caribbean can be the birthplace of greatness in our sport, both on the off the field,” Yeates added.
As part of the redevelopment project for the 20-acre facility, CCG has announced the appointment of a design collective consisting of CJC + Associates Inc., KSS Design Group Ltd and Melon Design Architecture to design and develop a transformational high-performance, world-class concept master plan.
“We were hugely impressed by the quality of all the responses for our Request for Proposals. But the level of information showcased in the design collective proposal was both impressive and inspiring. The winners have shown exceptional talent and promise, and aligned well with CWI’s vision to create a uniquely West Indian and world class cricket and heritage centre,” said Ricky Skerritt, President of CWI and Chairman of CCG.
“It is a huge achievement and opportunity, yet a humbling experience to be selected the winners, even more so with the high standard of entries as was expressed by the client,” said Colin John Jenkins on behalf of the design collective (CJC+ Associates Inc., KSS Design Group Ltd and Melon Design Architecture).
Within the next few months, Jenkins and the design collective team are expected to submit draft master plans to CCG and CWI for final design and costing approval.
West Indies Head Coach Phil Simmons has praised Captain Kraigg Brathwaite’s determination after the team’s seven-wicket victory over Bangladesh in the first Test at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium on Sunday.
In the first innings, Brathwaite made 94 off 268 balls, batting for 400 minutes in the process.
“There’s not much to tell as a batsman because I think everybody’s seen his determination and unique style,” Simmons said in an interview after the match.
“He doesn’t have a problem being there for five days and doing his job which is unique because a lot of batsmen nowadays want to play shots and be done with it but, from his point of view, he wants to be there all the time for his team and that rolls into the captaincy,” he added.
Since being named permanent Captain in March 2021, Brathwaite has led the team to a series win against England and drawn series against Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
“He seems to be growing into the role as we go along,” Simmons said.
“He’s not loud but the players know what he wants in his unique way. He makes them understand what he wants from them,” he added.
Brathwaite’s next assignment will be to lead the team to victory in the second test against Bangladesh which begins on Friday at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in St. Lucia.
The top team in the Eastern Conference had to settle for a draw on Sunday as New York City hosted the Western Conference's Colorado Rapids for a 1-1 draw at Yankee Stadium.
There was no doubt about who the dominant side was on the day, as City finished with 66 per cent possession and 16 shots to the Rapids' six, while completing nearly double the amount of passes (529-271).
Despite their struggles, it would be Colorado who broke the deadlock as Michael Barrios struck a low drive into the bottom-left corner from the edge of the area in the 68th minute.
The lead would be short-lived, with Talles Magno expertly controlling a cross on his chest before volleying in the equaliser less than five minutes later in the 72nd minute.
New York would produce multiple quality opportunities down the stretch, but the Colorado defense would hold firm and take a valuable point away from home, slightly improving their standing up to ninth in the Western Conference.
City remain one point clear of New York Red Bulls atop the East, while further down the table Atlanta United were convincing 2-0 winners against Inter Miami.
Atlanta were in control all game, taking the lead through a Luiz Araujo strike in the fourth minute and finishing with 60 per cent possession.
It was Josef Martinez who assisted Araujo's goal, and Araujo returned the favour, assisting Martinez in the 61st minute to double United's advantage and allow the home side to cruise to the win.
New England came from a goal down to defeat Minnesota United 2-1 at home after the visitors went ahead in the 37th minute through an Emanuel Reynoso penalty.
Minnesota were deserving leaders early, with 10 shots to one in the first half, and all five of the game's shots on target.
That all flipped on its head in the second half, as New England were able to produce 10 shots compared to United's three, with 20-year-old Dylan Borrero equalising in the 53rd minute, before Gustavo Bou scored a terrific free-kick winner in the 69th.
Rounding out Sunday's action was a surprise result as the team with the worst goal differential in the league – Sporting KC (minus 14) – defeated Nashville SC 2-1 on the road.
In a scrappy, defensive battle, neither side finished with more than 0.80 expected goals, but it would be the visitors who were more clinical with their two goals both coming from well outside the penalty area.
Felipe Hernandez scored the game's first goal with an indirect free kick from close to 40 yards out as the bounce beat the Nashville goalie, before Graham Zusi curled in a beauty into the far post with his left boot. Sporting KC finished with 0.35 expected goals.
Windies fast bowler Kemar Roach has admitted to feeling a tremendous sense of pride after joining legendary pace bowler Michael Holding on 249 Test wickets on the all-time West Indies Test wickets list.
On Saturday, the 33-year-old put in another stirring performance against one of his favourite opponents, Bangladesh. The bowler’s 10th five-wicket haul, on this occasion figures of 5 for 54, not only left the West Indies on the verge of winning the first Test but represented a huge personal milestone.
His latest tally sees the bowler now tied for 6th all-time on the list of the regional team’s top wicket-takers, shoulder to shoulder with the revered Holding, and 10 behind Joel Garner for 5th. The significance of the moment was not lost on the player, who made his Test debut against the same opponents in 2009.
“I’m proud. I’m proud to know how I started, obviously, I came into the team under very difficult conditions, and to build a career and get among the greats is a good feeling,” Roach said.
“I’m one for stats, I love my stats. I'm always checking once I'm not playing, so it’s always good to be among the greats,” he added.
With more left in the tank, the bowler has targeted the 300 wickets milestone, which would put him 9 behind spinner Lance Gibbs and fifth on the all-time list.
“I’d love 300 Test wickets. I’m at 249, I have about two to three more years left in me, so that’s the target.”
New York RB momentarily secured a three-way tie atop the Eastern Conference in the MLS, defeating Toronto FC 2-0 on Saturday.
Goals from Lewis Morgan and Luquinhas secured the three points for NYRB, with Morgan scoring his seventh for the season, heading in from a corner in only the second minute.
Luquinhas assured the three points in the 56th, spectacularly chipping over Quentin Westberg from outside the penalty area after Tom Barlow was initially denied when put through one-on-one.
With only one win in their previous six games, the three points were critical for Gerhard Struber's side.
The Philadelphia Union could only secure a 1-1 draw at home to Cincinnati, meaning they join New York City on 26 points at the top of the Eastern Conference, but City are still to play on Sunday against the Colorado Rapids.
An Ercan Kara brace helped Orlando City move into fourth position in the East, backing up from Wednesday's draw in New England to beat Houston Dynamo 2-1.
They leapfrogged CF Montreal, who lost 1-0 to a ten-man Austin FC, following Maxi Urruti's goal in the 67th minute.
Elsewhere in the East, Chicago Fire defeated DC United 1-0 in the battle between the conference's bottom-placed teams, while Columbus Crew and Charlotte played out a 1-1 draw.
There were also stalemates at the top of the Western Conference, with Los Angeles FC and the Seattle Sounders managing a 1-1 draw, as well as Los Angeles Galaxy and Portland Timbers.
It allowed Real Salt Lake to move two points from LAFC, following their 2-0 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes in Saturday's final game.
Salt Lake captain Marcelo Silva opened the scoring in the 22nd minute after Jefferson Savarino's flick-on from a corner, and Savarino doubled the margin in the 81st with a fine solo effort.
The Vancouver Whitecaps stayed within touching of the West's playoff spots, meanwhile, defeating FC Dallas 2-0.
A late penalty from Jahmari Clarke saw Jamaica’s U-20 Reggae Boyz secure a 1-1 come-from-behind draw and share of the points against Costa Rica in Group D of the CONCACAF Under-20 Championships, in Honduras, on Saturday.
After a scoreless first half, which saw both teams unable to take advantage of limited opportunities to find the back of the net, Dorian Rodríguez gave Costa Rica the advantage with a well-placed header in the 58th minute.
The Jamaicans missed a golden opportunity to get back on level terms when Julián González brought down livewire substitute Chad James in the area. Duncan Mckenzie, however, missed the resulting penalty, with Costa Ria custodian Bayron Mora diving sharply to his left to stop the effort.
Los Ticos seemed destined for all three points but Andrey Salmerón’s 87th-minute shot came crashing back off the crossbar as the Jamaicans held on. In a hefty chunk of time added on, however, Clarke was wrestled to the ground by Brandon Calderón for another penalty. This time the forward did make use of the advantage, sending Mora the wrong way to bring the team back on level terms, only just seconds before the final whistle.
In the day’s other encounter, Cuba scored a 1-0 win over Canada in Group E. Kevin Martín got the winning goal in the 42nd minute.
West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite has expressed disappointment on missing out on triple figures against Bangladesh but was satisfied in playing a crucial innings on day 2 of the second Test.
The opening batsman crafted a resilient 94 from 268 balls, a resilient 400 minutes that went a long way towards anchoring the team’s total of 265 and a first-innings lead.
Just short of a deserved 11th Test century, the batsman was, however, deceived by Khaled Ahmed and sent back to the pavilion just four short of the coveted total.
“Obviously, I was a little disappointed but I’m happy that the team has formed a lead and it will be key for us to start well tomorrow,” Brathwaite told members of the media on Friday.
“The most important thing was to build a foundation for me, and my team and I was happy with the time I spent. So well done to the team for getting a lead,” he added.
The West Indies will enter the third day with a lead of 112 runs, after ending the day on 52 for 2.
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