Jamaica 100m sprinter Oblique Seville ran the second-fastest time recorded over the distance this season after clocking 9.86 to take the event at the JAAA/SDF Jubilee Series.

Seville got away well before pulling away from the field to record a massive new personal best, shattering his previous mark of 10.00.  Conroy Jones took the second spot behind Seville in 10.14 seconds, with Emmanuel Archibald taking third in 10.20.

In the women’s equivalent, Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah dominated the field to take first place in 10.94.  Thompson-Herah pulled away down the stretch to finish well clear of second-place Remona Burchell who was next in 11.31 and Jodean Williams who was third in 11.40.

Reigning Olympic 110m hurdles champion Hansle Parchment ran a world-leading 13.09 to win at the Birmingham Diamond League, at the Alexander Stadium, in London on Saturday.

Parchment finished ahead of countryman and 2016 Olympic champion Omar McLeod who ran a season’s best 13.17 for second, while Spain’s Asier Martinez was third in 13.22.

Reigning Olympic bronze medallist in the Women’s 100m Shericka Jackson narrowly finished second in the Women’s blue-ribband event, running 11.12 to finish behind British 2019 200m World champion Dina Asher-Smith (11.11). Asher-Smith’s countrywoman Daryll Neita was third in 11.14.

Olympic 800m finalist Natoya Goule was third in the Women’s 800m in 2:00.13 behind Olympic silver medallist Keely Hodgkinson of Great Britain (1:58.63) and Renelle Lamote of France (1:59.53).

Leeward Islands Hurricanes spinner Rahkeem Cornwall produced a solid spell of his own to end the T&T Red Force resistance and secure a 187-run win in the West Indies Championship at the Diego Martin Complex.

The Red Force began the day behind the 8 ball, facing a deficit of 316 runs and with six wickets already lost.  Yannic Cariah, who resume the day on 37, however, did his best to keep T&T in the contest eventually going on to score a gritty 100 from 180 balls.

His overnight partner Bryan Charles only managed to add 16 to his total before being Cornwall’s first victim, caught by Amir Jangoo.

Anderson Phillip’s stay at the crease lasted just five deliveries as he was dismissed for 4, undone lbw by Hayden Walsh Jr.  Jayden Seales partnered with Cariah to put on 86 for the 9^th wicket but Cornwall ended the partnership when he accounted for the valuable wicket of Cariah who was caught by Kieron Powell.  The innings was brought to an end when Seales was dismissed on 33 by Sheeno Berridge.  Overall Cornwall ended with second-innings figures of 4 for 50.

Spinner Verasammy Permaul grabbed a four-wicket haul as the Guyana Harpy Eagles enforced a follow-on after the Barbados Pride fell 244 runs short of their first innings total in the West Indies Championship match at Queen’s Park Oval.

At the close of play, Barbados Tridents were 44 without loss with openers Kraigg Brathwaite (17) and Sheyne Moseley (25) at the crease.  Earlier, in the Pride’s first innings it was Permaul who got the breakthrough after removing Brathwaite for 17, before adding the dangerous Shai Hope and Roston Chase to his tally.

Hope had, however, staged a furious fightback after coming to the crease with his team in trouble at 49 for 3.  Hope went on to make 119 from 2oo deliveries, before being caught by Leon Johnson, which ended the Pride’s resistance at 266 all-out.  Prior to that Shane Dowrich added an enterprising 44 from 60 and shared in 64 runs partnership with Hope but became Permaul’s third wicket after also being caught by Johnson.

In Guyana’s first innings Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Gudakesh Motie each made a century as the team declared at 490 for 7.

Another brutal spell from Leewards Hurricanes pace bowler Jeremiah Louis pushed the T&T Red Force to the verge of defeat in the West Indies Championship at the Diego Martin Sports Complex.

At the close of play, the Red Force were left on 143 for 6, still, some 316 runs short of the victory target.  Similar to his performance in the first innings, it was Louis who devastated the top order when the T&T unit took to the crease for a second time. 

T&T opener Jeremy Solozano only managed to score 6 before he was dismissed by Kieron Powell off the bowling of Sheeno Berridge.  Then Louis went to work, removing Tion Webster, Darren Bravo, and Jason Mohammed to leave Red Force struggling at 53 for 4.

Yannic Cariah and Joshua Da Silva briefly came together to stage a rescue act, putting on 47 for the fifth wicket but Da Silva’s innings came to an end when he was trapped lbw by Rahkeem Cornwall.

Cariah remains at the crease on 37 and has been joined by Brian Charles, who is not out on 6, following the dismissal of Akeal Hosein who was bowled by Cornwall on 10.

Earlier, enterprising half-centuries from Kieron Powell (83) and Devon Thomas (84) had pushed the Hurricanes' second innings to 241 for 7 declared after resuming the day on 23.  Cariah was the pick of the Red Force bowler, having taken 3 for 33, while Hosein picked up 2 for 64.

The best women’s cricketers in the West Indies will be back in action as Cricket West Indies (CWI) hosts the CG Insurance Super50 Cup and the T20 Blaze regional tournaments in Guyana.

The CG Insurance Super50 Cup matches will be played at three venues – Everest Cricket Club, Enmore Cricket Ground and the Guyana National Stadium from June 7 to 17.

The T20 Blaze event will feature five full days of entertainment for the fans from June 19 to 25. There will be three matches per day – starting at 10 am 2:30 pm and 7 pm under lights at the Guyana National Stadium.

For this year’s CG Insurance Super50 and the T20 Blaze, several world-class players will be representing their home territories in what promises to be a keenly contested three weeks of action. Barbados are defending champions in both formats.

This will mark a significant return as the women’s tournaments were not played in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During that period CWI continued its investment in the development of women’s players and organized several high-performance camps at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua and also hosted international series, including an inaugural Women’s “A” Team series, while the West Indies Women’s team also toured England, Pakistan and South Africa.

“We are delighted to see the return of the women’s regional tournament on our annual calendar as it is a crucial component of our cricket in the region. We are also pleased to have our international players in action on home soil playing with our regional players,” said Jimmy Adams, CWI’s Director of Cricket.

“Our women’s game is showing improvement, as was demonstrated with some good performances during the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in New Zealand earlier this year. Ideally, we want to see a further demonstration of that progress as we look to upcoming bilateral series and international events. Very importantly, the regional tournament will serve to identify players who could potentially graduate to our international squads in the near future.”

Five-wicket hauls from off-spinner Jamie Merchant and medium pacer Derval Green propelled the Jamaica Scorpions to their first win of the 2022 West Indies Championship, defeating the Windward Islands Volcanoes by an innings and 14 runs on Friday at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba.

The Volcanoes resumed on 101-3 with captain Kavem Hodge (30) and Ackeem Auguste (0) at the crease needing to score 209 to overhaul their first innings deficit of 209 runs.

The pair added a further 26 before Auguste became Merchant’s first scalp of the day for 11.

First innings half-centurion Keron Cottoy joined his captain and the pair put on 36 before Merchant dismissed Cottoy for 21 to leave the Volcanoes struggling at 163-5.

The popular cricket phrase “one brings two” was in full effect as just two balls later, Merchant removed wicketkeeper/batsman Denis Smith for a duck to leave the Volcanoes 163-6.

In the midst of the carnage, Hodge brought up a well-played half century before being the seventh wicket to fall, dismissed by Green for 63 as the Volcanoes slumped to 173-7.

Sherman Lewis (6), Preston McSween (4) and Josh Thomas (0) were the final three wickets to fall as Merchant and Green mopped up the tail to secure the massive win for the Scorpions.

Merchant, who scored 58 when the Scorpions batted, followed up with 5-72 from 28 overs to cap a fine all-round performance while Green ended with 5-46 from 18.2 overs.

Final scores: Windward Islands Volcanoes 137 and 195, Jamaica Scorpions 346.

Jamaica’s Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sports is backing Netball Jamaica’s hosting of the Americas Netball World Cup Qualifier for the 2023 Netball World Cup to the tune of US$77,000 (JMD$12 million).

Minister Olivia Grange, the official patron of the event, made the announcement at the launch of the qualifier at the NCB Care and Wellness Centre on Phoenix Avenue in Kingston on Thursday.

“The Ministry and its agencies are providing ($JMD1.8M) to Netball Jamaica for team preparation, $2.5m for transportation and will be covering the cost of rental of the National Indoor Sports Centre where the qualifier will take place from October 16 to 21, 2022,” Minister Grange said.

Ten teams will be playing in the Qualifier for the two remaining places in the World Cup. Jamaica has already qualified by virtue of its number four world ranking, a fact of which the minister takes great pride.

“I am proud, all of Jamaica is proud of this first for Netball Jamaica; playing host for the staging of a Netball World Cup Qualifier,” Minister Grange noted.

“History will also be made when the next Netball World Cup, the 16th edition, takes place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, South Africa since it will be the first time that the tournament will be held on the African continent. South Africa has gained a reputation for the staging of world-class events so we can expect something extra special when they host the Netball World Cup.

“The upcoming Qualifier will certainly serve to project Netball Jamaica afresh to the nation.

“I am deeply moved that Netball Jamaica would see fit to honour me by asking me to be Patron for the Americas Netball World Cup Qualifier.

 “So who is a Patron and what is the duty of a Patron? A Patron is a distinguished person who gives financial or other support to a person, organisation, or cause. 

The most effective Patron will have a passion for what the person or organization does. Need I say more?”

The minister also suggested that Netball Jamaica needs to see their value if they are to convince corporate Jamaica to provide the needed support.

“Netball Jamaica will tell you that I have challenged them to reimagine how they see themselves. Their value is great and we need corporate Jamaica to come on board in a greater way to support them. I would love to see partners coming on board to provide a bus, sports gear and all the other services they need because I am sure that our Sunshine girls will give sponsors value for their money!”, she said.

“Sport and the opportunity to participate in sport at all levels is a right that we take seriously. Netball is a favourite pastime in Jamaica and one that is practised from the primary school levels in Jamaica. We know that through the work of the Institute of Sports (INSPORTS) we have netball competitions at the primary level. There is also competition at the high school and tertiary levels.

“We want to see the sport grow in Jamaica and continue to give our girls and yes, boys too, the avenue and outlet to express themselves and dare to dream to play at higher levels.

  “We anticipate that on the final day of the Netball World Cup on August 6, 2023, when Jamaica celebrates its 61st Anniversary of Independence, our Sunshine Girls will be one of the two teams competing for the title and that they will be the new champions of world netball.

 “Netball and our Sunshine Girls have always made us proud.” 

 Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Gudakesh Motie each crafted centuries as Guyana Harpy Eagles completed a dominant showing at the crease, against Barbados Pride, declaring at 490 for 7 on day 2 of the West Indies Championship.

At the close of play, Barbados had already lost two wickets in pursuit of the massive target with captain Kraigg Brathwaite (17) and Sharmarh Brooks (2) already back in the Pavilion.

Earlier, resuming the day at 219 for 4 Chanderpaul, who toiled to 64 on the previous day, pushed on to triple figures and remained unbeaten on 140 off a marathon 434 balls.  Throughout the innings, the batsman was part of several fruitful partnerships.  Tevin Imlac added 53 to feature in a 94-run partnership with Chanderpaul but Motie was even more devastating, adding a dispiriting 110 off 118 deliveries at the bottom of the innings.  Motie was eventually caught by Sharmarh Brooks off the bowling of Keon Harding.  Akeem Jordan was the pick of the Pride bowlers with 3 for 108, while Raymond Reifer took 2 for 37.

Brooks and Shai Hope will be the batsmen to resume the chase for Barbados at the start of the third day.

Pace bowlers Jeremiah Louis and Colin Archibald claimed a pair of four-fors to back up a sterling opening day effort from Kieron Powell as Leeward Island Hurricanes solidified their advantage over T&T Red Force on day two of the West Indies Championship.

At the close of play, the Hurricanes were 23 without loss, having earlier blown away the Red Force for 140, well short of their first innings total of 357.  Resuming the day at 308 – 7, overnight batsman Jeremiah Lewis eventually went to a useful 42, but eventually ran out of partners at the crease.

In pursuit of the total, Red Force got off to a disastrous start.  Top-order batsmen Tion Webster (0), Jeremy Solazano (0), and Jason Mohammed (0) all perished with scoring, while Darren Bravo added just 7 before being dismissed by Colin Archibald to leave the team in tatters at 10 for 4.

Joshua Da Silva briefly attempted to resuscitate the innings and top-scored with an industrious 65 from 115 balls and partnered with Bryan Charles (25) to push the score to 128 for 7 before Charles was caught by Rahkeem Cornwall off the bowling of Sheeno Berridge.

Da Silva’s brave resistance ended four overs later when he was caught by Carty off Archibald.  Louis who accounted for four of the five top-order batsmen, ended with figures of 4 for 32, while Archibald finished with figures of 4 for 27. 

Batting again for the Leewards Montcin Hodge (5) and Powell (15) were the not-out batsman at the end of day 2.

A magnificent unbeaten century from West Indies white-ball opener Brandon King put his Jamaica Scorpions in a commanding position after day two of their third-round West Indies Championship fixture against the Windward Islands Volcanoes at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad and Tobago on Thursday.

The Scorpions started the day 118-4 with Paul Palmer Jr joining night watchman Marquino Mindley at the crease.

The pair put on just 13 before Mindley was dismissed by Preston McSween to leave the Scorpions 131-5, just six runs behind the Windwards first innings total of 137.

However, Brandon King joined Palmer Jr in the middle and the two put on an additional 30 runs before Palmer edged to second slip off the bowling of Josh Thomas for 15.

Derval Green came and went for a three-ball duck to leave the Scorpions 161-7 before wicketkeeper/batsman Aldane Thomas joined King in the middle.

The pair added some stability with a partnership of 58 before Thomas went caught at slip off the bowling of Sherman Lewis for 20 to leave the score 219-8 just after the lunch break.

Jamie Merchant and King then mounted a stand of 109 for the ninth wicket, taking the score to 328 when Merchant was dismissed for 58, his maiden first-class half-century.

King also scored his third first-class hundred during the stand and was 119 not out off 154 balls in the end.

The Scorpions eventually got to 346 all out, a commanding first innings lead of 209 runs.

Preston McSween was the pick of the Volcanoes bowlers with 4-96 off 25 overs while Josh Thomas supported well with 3-56 off 21 overs.

Kimani Melius and Devon Smith then began the task of overhauling the Scorpions' total with an opening partnership of 31 before Melius fell to Derval Green for 17.

Captain Kavem Hodge then joined Smith and the pair put on 36 before Smith was next to go, becoming Green’s second victim for a top score of 31.

Alick Athanaze was next to the crease and he and his captain looked comfortable, putting on 34 until the final over of the day which saw Jamie Merchant dismiss Athanaze for 17 to leave the Volcanoes 101-3 off 33.1 overs at stumps, still trailing by 108 runs.

Kavem Hodge is currently 30 not out while Derval Green has taken 2-35 off 10 overs for the Scorpions.

Demisha Roswell shocked everyone, herself included when she won the 100m hurdles at the Big 12 Outdoor Conference Championships at Fuller Field in Lubbock, Texas on Sunday. The Texas Tech senior edged her more heralded compatriot Ackera Nugent, the 2021 World U20 champion and a talented field, clocking 12.44, the second fastest time in the world this season and the fastest in the NCAA.

Only the 12.39 from Tokyo Olympic champion, Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, has been faster this year. Nugent’s time for second place, 12.45, is the third fastest time in the world in 2022.

The victory was a bit of a surprise for the 24-year-old Vere Technical and New Mexico Junior College alum, who went into the final having run 12.78 in her preliminary round heat. “No, I didn’t expect the time. I was more excited about the win, to be honest. I’m still in shock!”, she said.

From the gun, Roswell found herself matching strides with Nugent but was never intimidated and had no intention to yield as they raced towards the finish line.

“That’s the crazy part of the race because I told myself I want to win I have to win. I was like “Oh no,  you’re not getting away today,” she said laughing while admitting that she felt something special would happen.

“From the moment I wasn’t nervous I knew I was going to do something great. Ackera is an amazing competitor and the both of us know we got to show out and fight and that’s what I did because I wanted to win.”

Roswell credits her faith in her coaches and continuous hard work in improving her technique for getting her to this point where she is the fastest Jamaican sprint hurdler in the world this year, a significant achievement given her country’s stock in hurdling talent that includes Olympic medallist Megan Tapper, 2015 World Champion and national record holder Danielle Williams, World U20 record holder Brittany Anderson and, of course, Baylor's Nugent.

“The main factors are time, patience and faith,” she said. “Every day I have to keep improving because my hurdling is not perfect but thanks to my coaches for always trying with me to improve my hurdling.

“I don’t have the best hurdles technique because I wasn’t cut out for hurdling. I was just a 200m and a 100m runner when suddenly my coach from back home, John Mair, told me, ‘ Roswell, I think you should do hurdles. I said to him ‘Huh, me? I can’t do hurdles coach. He then said, ‘Listen, to me you’re going to do it so I went for it.”

She said when she moved to the United States to attend New Mexico Junior College, her coaches Keith Blackwill and Tabarie Henry helped her improve her technique even though it still wasn’t perfect. Still, it was good enough to win her the NJCAA Indoor 60mh title and 100mh Outdoor title in 2019 and the 60mh title in 2020.

At Texas Tech, the work to perfect her technique continues.

“Coach (Zach) Glavash got me here and Coach (Calvin) Robinson started work on me. My technique has gotten better from last year until now. I thank God for these coaches every day for working with me even though there is still room for improvement,” she said.

With the sweet taste of victory still lingering, Roswell has an eye on even bigger scalps this summer. She reveals that she plans to earn a spot on Jamaica’s team to the World Championships in Oregon this summer.

 “Most definitely that’s the aim, trying my best to make this national team,” she said.

“(I am) just looking to stay healthy and be ready because hurdling is unpredictable, anything can happen but I won’t be travelling across the ocean and not make the team. So on that day, the time will tell. I put everything in God's hands.”