The 24-year-old bowling all-rounder has accused Cricket West Indies (CWI) of leaving her to fend for herself after getting injured during a training camp in preparation for the International Cricket Council 50-over World Cup three years ago. Multiple operations and several failed rehabilitations later the player remains not only unable to resume her craft but on occasion has issues with mobility.
CWI CEO Johnny Grave has, however, strongly refuted claims that the organization has not been supportive of the player.
“We have provided enormous financial support and medical support for Shaquana since she got injured back in 2017…we have paid huge sums of money for her to try and get her career back and try and get back to full fitness,” Grave told the Mason and Guest Radio program.
According to Grave, the organisation’s Total and Permanent Disablement policy, which did not exist for the women’s team in 2017 was extended to Quintyne, in light of the injury.
Reid, however, also a former chairman of women’s cricket for the BCA when Quintyne was captain of the team, has also disputed the level of support provided by the CWI and does not believe it went far enough.
“When she got injured in Antigua in March 2017 she was not even taken to a doctor, a clinic, or to a hospital. She got injured and was sent back to Barbados two days after. When she came back to Barbados she was given instructions to see a doctor, that doctor was not even in Barbados. So, she contacted me in all the pain and tears, and I took her to see an orthopedic surgeon,” Reid told the Mason and Guest Radio program.
Reid went on to explain that the player was unable to continue seeing that orthopedic surgeon in Barbados, after the CWI provided recommendations and means for the player to have surgery and treatment in Jamaica. After some relief, the conditions, however, returned and Quintyne then got permission to be treated by the surgeon in Barbados. The player again experienced some relief but after the conditions returned in 2018 was recommended for a third surgery, this time in Canada, on the advice of the Barbadian orthopedic surgeon.
“That is where Cricket West Indies assistance ended. When she came back from Canada in March 2018, with the understanding that in three months’ time she would have returned to Canada for observation and further analysis, Cricket West Indies not agree for her to go,” Reid explained.
“So, she was in pain all of the time until she decided to go back with her own money. In November 2018 she had another operation, all at her expense. She was spending all of her money so she is poor now because she spent all of her money trying to get herself back in condition," he added.
“Right now, as we speak as she put it, her knee has locked up and she is in excruciating pain and she cannot walk, she is crying and immobile.”
Weekes, who was the only living member of the legendary three Ws, which had also included Sir Frank Worrell and Sir Clyde Walcott, passed away earlier this week at the age of 95. The on-pitch records written by the iconic cricketer are many and fabled, but tellingly, his impact on the sport did not stop when he retired from it in 1958.
Despite the gulf in years and many generations in-between them, Weekes served as a mentor to 31-year-old Brooks and many others along the way. Freely dishing out needed advice at cricket grounds he once dominated.
“When I scored my first Test 100 in India, against Afghanistan, I spoke to sir Everton. And even in first-class cricket if there is a game played at Kensington, he would always be in the president’s suite watching,” Brooks told members of the media.
“We would also be able to go up there either during the game or after the game to have a word with him about what he had seen or what we could do differently or that kind of stuff,” he added.
According to the player, who pointed out invaluable tips he learned about playing spin, Weekes’ contribution did end when he reached the end of his life on July 1st.
“It’s sad that a great man is gone but he has left a legacy and hopefully the guys in the team now can carry on that legacy.”
The 40-year-old Windies superstar is renowned for being an equal opportunity destroyer of all types of bowling attacks and has racked up some big scores in all three formats of the game. Singh, however, insists that he always had a strategy that was effective in keeping the big left-hander under wraps.
“Warner is very good on the back foot - he will cut you. He can switch-hit, he can sweep pretty nicely, he can hit you over cover. He can step out too. Compared to Gayle, Warner is more difficult for me to bowl to,” Singh told Espncricnfo’s Cricket Monthly.
“Gayle, if someone bowls quick to him, he will keep hitting sixes. If someone bowls slow to him, he’ll have to come out of the crease, which he is not comfortable with. I have never ever felt it difficult to bowl against Gayle,” he added.
“I have bowled a lot at him in powerplays. He did not have the sweep. He did not have the shot over mid-on.”
The Indian spinner can point to some tangible success against Gayle, having dismissed the West Indian 5 times in One Day internationals, which makes him statistically the third most successful bowler to have faced the batsman in the format.
Root will miss the first Test of the series to be at the birth of his second child and the pacer could face only two of the top six in a batting line-up he dominated in the Caribbean last year. Newcomers Dom Sibley, Zak Crawley, and Ollie Pope are set to join the line-up in Southampton along with Joe Denly, who played the second and third Tests of England's Caribbean tour last year.
“It’s different conditions now, we are in England this time around. I see England has also made some changes to their batting line-up so it’s all about assessing each batsman and following-up their weaknesses and exploiting them,” Roach told members of the media via a Zoom press conference on Sunday.
“Of course, I would love to have the same batting line because it’s what we got used to for the last few series but there are a few changes so it’s all about sticking to the game plan,” he added.
“A Test match without Root, the fantastic stats he has, is going to be a bit of an advantage for us. He's one that keeps the England batting together, he's done fantastically for them for the last couple of years,” he added.
"Without him, it is a bit of an advantage for us, but also a little bit of a disadvantage because there are some new guys coming in that we obviously have to work out and see what their weaknesses are and try to exploit them. So it goes 50-50, but once we get stuck in and hit our straps and put the balls in the right area I think we stand a very good chance of going out there and performing well."
The victory means the two teams will do it all again on Tuesday in the first qualifier.
The Amazon Warriors won the toss and opted to field first, and that proved to be an inspired decision. On a fresh surface, their seamers wreaked havoc taking three wickets inside the PowerPlay to leave the Royals in disarray.
Wickets continued to fall at regular intervals and the 125 the Royals mustered was never likely to be enough on a track that offered good value for positive stroke play.
The Royals were able to take two early wickets of their own when they had their turn to bowl restricting the Amazon Warriors to 18-2 but that was as good as it got.
Shakib Al-Hasan produced a scintillating half-century to put the Amazon Warriors on the cusp of victory and the remaining batters saw the chase home to win the game inside 15 overs.
Earlier Guyana Amazon Warriors had utilised the movement on offer to unleash their cadre of seamers on the Royals. Romario Shepherd, Keemo Paul and Odean Smith all weighed in with wickets to leave the Royals 97-9 and it was only late cameos from Ramon Simmonds and Mujeeb Ur Rahman that enabled the Royals to post 125.
Although the Amazon Warriors lost Chandrapaul Hemraj and Shai Hope in the PowerPlay, Shakib played an enterprising innings to take the drama out of the chase. His knock of 53 came off 30 balls and laid the foundation for the Amazon Warriors to win with five over to spare.
The two sides will now do battle again in the first qualifier on Tuesday to determine who will earn the right to go straight to the Hero CPL final.
Scores: Guyana Amazon Warriors 126-5 (Shakib 53, Gurbaz 22; McCoy 2-22, Mayers 1-20) beat Barbados Royals 125 (Holder 42, Khan 20; Shepherd 3-14, Paul 2-9) by 5 wickets.
Cummins – who replaced Tim Paine as skipper after stepping down and ultimately taking a break from cricket following a lewd texting scandal – ushered in a new era with a five-wicket haul for just 38 runs before rain and bad light scuppered play at the Gabba on Wednesday.
England won the toss and opted to bat first on a green wicket in Brisbane but it was a horror day for Joe Root's tourists.
Mitchell Starc (2-35) knocked over Roy Burns' leg stump with the first ball of the series and things quickly turned sour, much to the delight of the local crowd.
Root's nightmare was realised when he was sent back to the pavilion for a duck by Josh Hazlewood (2-42) as England found themselves 11-3 after Dawid Malan (6) also succumbed to the Australian quick.
Australia continued to put England to the sword as Cummins claimed the scalp of star Ben Stokes (5), leaving England 29-4 through just 12.4 overs.
Haseeb Hameed (25) tried his best to steer the sinking ship, but Australia continued where they left off post-lunch – Cummins dismissing the opener with vice-captain Steve Smith on hand to collect the catch.
Ollie Pope (35) and Jos Buttler (39) guided England past 100 before Starc broke the partnership, Buttler edging through to debutant wicketkeeper Alex Carey for the second of his three catches.
Australia wrapped up the innings early in the afternoon as Cameron Green (1-6) celebrated his first Test wicket by removing Pope before Ollie Robinson (0), Mark Wood (8) and Chris Woakes (21) fell victim to Cummins, with the weather preventing the hosts from beginning their run chase.
Cummins joins exclusive club
It was a memorable day for Cummins, who became the second pace bowler to take five wickets in a Test innings as captain of Australia after George Griffin (three occasions in December 1894, February 1895 and January 1895). Cummins has taken 133 wickets in Test cricket since the start of 2018 – the most of any bowler in that time.
Starc silences critics
After avoiding the axe for the two opening Ashes Tests, Starc had the perfect response for his doubters with a first-ball wicket. It was just the second time in Ashes history a batter has been dismissed off the opening delivery of a series, while it was the 13th time Starc has claimed a wicket in the first over of a Test since 2014.
Bairstow is in the form of his life and bludgeoned 90 off only 53 balls on Wednesday, while Moeen made the fastest T20I half-century by an England batter from just 16 deliveries.
The exploits of Bairstow and Moeen (50) enabled England to rack up 234-6 at the County Ground in Bristol, their second-highest total in the shortest format and the biggest they have posted at home.
Tristan Stubbs top scored with a sublime 72 off 28 balls in his first international innings and Reeza Hendricks made 57, but the tourists fell short on 193-8 in a run-fest.
Jos Buttler smashed 22 off only seven balls after losing yet another toss, but Lungi Ngidi (5-39) removed the skipper and fellow opener Jason Roy.
Dawid Malan (43) was looking in ominous touch before he nicked Andile Phehlukwayo behind, setting the stage for Bairstow and Moeen put on an astonishing show of power and timing.
From 112-3 after 12 overs, the left and right-hand combination wreaked havoc, putting on 106 for the fourth wicket in just under six overs, with Bairstow dropped twice as the Proteas suffered under the lights.
Moeen fell straight after bringing up a fastest T20I half-century and Bairstow finally departed in the last over from Ngidi, just missing out on hundred.
The in-form Reece Topley (2-29) dismissed Quinton de Kock and Rilee Rossouw cheaply, but Hendricks and Stubbs made a game of it as they made hay on a great track.
Moeen had Hendricks caught by Sam Curran and Adil Rashid (2-21) struck twice before Stubbs took centre stage as the boundaries continued to flow, but he was one of Richard Gleeson's three late victims and Chris Jordan bowled superbly at the death in a hugely impressive win for England.
Bairstow and Moeen go berserk
The powerful Bairstow struck eight sixes and Moeen cleared the rope six times, with Phehlukwayo (1-63) conceding 33 runs from an astonishing 17th over and Tabraiz Shamsi going for 49 in three wicket-less overs.
Rossouw and Hendricks dropped Bairstow, who was finally removed in an excellent last over from the Ngidi, but the damage had already been done.
Stubbs stakes his claim
The 21-year-old Stubbs had batted in his only two previous internationals against India, but he staked a claim to be a regular fixture in the side with the T20 World Cup on the horizon.
He hit eight sixes to keep the Proteas in with an outside chance of chasing down a huge target, scoring at a rapid rate on both sides of the wicket before falling to Gleeson (3-51).
But despite Narine’s heroics, fine catching and canny bowling from last year’s beaten finalists meant the Bravo brothers had to hold their nerve right to the end to see the Knight Riders home.
Pollard’s decisions to bowl first in a match shortened by rain to 17 overs each, and to entrust Ali Khan with the first over, were each vindicated almost immediately when last year’s Hero CPL top scorer, Brandon King, sliced to point for a duck.
Chandrapaul Hemraj chipped a return catch to Narine, and the Knight Riders spinners were bowling so well that at one point Pollard even brought himself in at short leg. It wasn’t until Ross Taylor brought out his signature slog-sweep at the end of the seventh over that we saw the tournament’s first Hero Maximum.
The Kiwi veteran showed his strength off his legs, picking up West Indies U-19 star Jayden Seales for another six, but an edge past slip off the young fast bowler and one that Pollard couldn’t hold at slip off Fawad Ahmed studded a stand of 50 for the third wicket.
Narine skidded one past Taylor to end the partnership with Hetmyer, but Nicholas Pooran started in purposeful fashion with a reverse sweep for four. The two West Indies internationals were content to see off Narine, and with the Amazon Warriors entering the last 5 overs well-placed at 89 for 3, a huge straight six from Pooran saw them take 16 off DJ Bravo’s second over.
Hetmyer wasn’t fazed by the loss of Pooran, launching Seales for a Hero Maximum into the stands to bring up his fourth career Hero CPL fifty off just 38 balls. Rutherford holed out trying to repeat the dose off Bravo, but Hetmyer and his fellow Guyanese, Keemo Paul, scrambled 7 off a good penultimate over by Ali and then smashed Bravo for 15 off the last to set the Knight Riders a tricky 145.
The Amazon Warriors started magnificently with the ball, with Afghan pace sensation Naveen-ul-Haq, new captain Chris Green and Romario Shepherd combining to keep Knight Riders’ openers Narine and Lendl Simmons to just 9 off the first 3 overs. Simmons swung and missed at four Shepherd slower balls in a row, and while he broke the shackles a little with back-to-back fours off Green it was no surprise when he became Naveen’s first-ever Hero CPL wicket, spooning a slower ball to the infield and departing for a sluggish 17.
The Knight Riders began to find their feet after the Guardian Life Powerplay, with Narine hitting Green over midwicket and Munro hitting the same bowler clean out of the ground. But Shepherd came back and dismissed the prolific Kiwi for 17, with the aid of a superb diving catch by King. It was a fine comeback after Munro had carved a four and scooped a six off his previous two balls.
Paul kept the ball out of Narine’s reach, sometimes literally, with his first over going for just six, but the pinch-hitter extraordinaire broke free, with even Imran Tahir going for back to back boundaries to take the Knight Riders into the Angostura LLB drinks break at 81 for 2 needing 64 off the last 48 balls.
Narine continued his assault, launching consecutive Hero Maximums to bring the required run rate down to just seven an over, but finally holed out off Tahir just after simultaneously being dropped and bringing up his 50 off a remarkable 27 balls. The veteran South African eschewed his trademark celebration in favour of taking the knee and raising a fist in honour of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Narine’s aggression meant Darren Bravo could play himself in, and when Pollard signalled his intentions by launching Tahir back over his head it looked a simple chase for the hometowners. But late drama saw the skipper and Tim Seifert both caught by King, the second a diving Republic Bank Classic to go with the Munro grab, and the younger Bravo brother’s penultimate over Hero Maximum was vital in keeping the equation on the Knight Riders’ side.
He couldn’t quite see his team home, falling to the impressive Naveen who was entrusted to close the innings as he’d opened it, but older brother Dwayne held his nerve, and the hometown boys are on the board early.
The 31-year-old Windies big-hitter joined the march in London on Saturday, where thousands of protesters took part in the largely peaceful anti-racism demonstrations. In Parliament Square, Westminster, protesters knelt for a minute's silence before chanting "no justice, no peace" and "black lives matter".
The protests, which began in the United States following the death of an African American man George Floyd, have steadily spread around the world. A white Minneapolis police office, Derek Chauvin, was filmed kneeling on the back of Floyd’s neck for several minutes during an arrest. Floyd, who was already pinned to the ground, pleaded that he could not breathe before later going unconscious and dying at the hospital.
Earlier in the week, former West Indies captain Darren Sammy and global star Chris Gayle raised their voices in support of the movement. On Saturday, Brathwaite who recently reviewed his World Cup-winning innings with the BBC took things one step further and took to the streets.
“The revolution will be televised.”
#blacklivesmatter
Brathwaite posted on social media platform Instagram, along with photos from attending the event. The big West Indian rocketed to fame after an unforgettable performance against England in the T20 World Cup final, where he smashed four straight sixes to hand the Caribbean team the title.
A recurring calf injury has kept Buttler sidelined since June, with the 34-year-old also set to miss the three-match ODI series against the West Indies, which begins on Thursday.
Liam Livingstone will take over as captain in the absence of Buttler, who should return for the subsequent five-match T20 series in the Caribbean.
And the keeper-batter cannot wait to appear for his country once more.
"It's been frustrating, but now it's feeling good, and I'm looking forward to getting back on the field," he told TNT Sports.
"[I've had] a couple of little setbacks along the way, which is frustrating, but I'm using it to motivate me. I'm just excited to get back on the pitch and back with the bat in hand in the middle.
"I'm OK at watching. I think it fuels that fire to get out in the middle and play. You want to be performing and part of the team, leading the side.
"I try not to have a mindset of being frustrated, but take it as a bit of an extended break out of the game. But hopefully, [I can] see it as some time away to really give me loads of hunger to get back on the field."
Buttler also offered his thoughts on Livingstone, who he believes is the safe pair of hands to take over the captaincy for the ODI series.
"Liam is one of the more experienced numbers in that group, and it gives him a chance to get some leadership experience, build that leadership group," he added.
"He's a player that's exciting as well, we know what he's capable of, and it's a really good opportunity for him to lead the team.
"I think it's really important to let them go out there and do their thing. You don't want to be asking someone to do exactly what you want to do, you're trying to give guys experience. If he needs a sounding board or anything, he can certainly ask my opinion."
As part of this groundbreaking agreement, six male players and three female players were awarded multi-year contracts based on their outstanding performances during the 2023-2024 evaluation period. These contracts highlight CWI's commitment to fostering stability within the team and its dedication to developing top-tier talent in the region.
CWI Director of Cricket, Miles Bascombe, praised the move, stating, "The players have responded in kind, and the acceptance of multi-year contracts is an indication of clarity, confidence, and commitment on both sides. I’d like to congratulate the entire cohort on their contract awards, and I look forward to seeing them build on their performances in the next assessment period.”
Among the men awarded multi-year contracts are star wicketkeeper-batsman Shai Hope, fast bowlers Alzarri Joseph and Jayden Seales, along with rising talents Shamar Joseph, Brandon King, and left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie. These players have been recognized for their consistency and pivotal contributions during the evaluation period.
On the women’s side, all-rounders Hayley Matthews and Stafanie Taylor, along with wicketkeeper Shemaine Campbelle, have earned multi-year contracts. Their leadership and performances have been key in maintaining stability within the women’s squad.
In addition to the multi-year contracts, several players were also awarded one-year international contracts. For the men, these include established names like Kraigg Brathwaite, Joshua Da Silva, and Rovman Powell, as well as newcomers Kavem Hodge and Roston Chase, who earned their first international contracts after impressive performances in 2023 and 2024.
On the women’s side, notable players like Aaliyah Alleyne, Shamilia Connell, and Deandra Dottin continue to be part of the contracted group, along with emerging talents such as Cherry Ann Fraser, Zaida James, and Ashmini Munisar, the latter being awarded an international contract for the first time following her standout performances in regional competitions.
As CWI moves forward with this historic contract structure, the organization hopes that these multi-year contracts will not only provide stability but also inspire further growth and commitment from the players as they build on their achievements and prepare for future international challenges.
The anticlimactic conclusion followed what had been an exciting and competitive tournament, leaving organizers, fans, and players stunned. The forfeiture occurred after a heavily rain-affected day at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad and Tobago, where persistent showers delayed the start of play.
Despite the delays, match officials confirmed that the game could proceed as a 20-over-a-side contest if play commenced by 6:17 PM. Both teams were informed that the toss would be held at 6:00 PM to facilitate the adjusted start time. However, neither captain appeared for the toss, leading to both teams failing to take the field and the final being ruled a double forfeit.
In a statement, CWI announced plans to review the tournament regulations following the unprecedented events. According to the playing conditions, if no play was possible due to rain, both teams would have been declared co-champions. However, as conditions were deemed playable, the failure of both teams to take the field resulted in the forfeiture.
“These unanticipated events highlight the need for a thorough review of the playing conditions to prevent a recurrence of such situations,” CWI said. “Further consultation with stakeholders will determine the necessary adjustments to the regulations.”
The conclusion marred what had been a tournament filled with memorable moments and outstanding performances. Barbados Pride secured their spot in the final with a commanding 153-run victory over defending champions Trinidad & Tobago Red Force, while Jamaica Scorpions cruised past the Leeward Islands Hurricanes with a 107-run win in their semifinal.
The round-robin phase produced several thrilling matches, including Barbados Pride’s nail-biting one-wicket win over Guyana, thanks to debutant Demetrius Richards’ unbeaten 65, and their eight-run victory over the Windward Volcanoes, with captain Kyle Mayers starring in a dramatic final over.
Individual brilliance was on full display throughout the tournament. Justin Greaves of the Leeward Islands Hurricanes made history as the first West Indian to score three consecutive List A centuries, with scores of 111*, 112, and 151*. Meanwhile, standout bowling performances from Rahkeem Cornwall (6/20), Khary Pierre (4/8), and Yannic Cariah underscored the importance of spin in Caribbean conditions. Emerging batting talent also shone, with Carlos Brown’s maiden List A century (121) and Matthew Nandu’s 116 highlighting the depth of future West Indian stars.
The forfeiture also impacted the tournament’s financial outcomes. The champions were set to receive US$100,000, while the runners-up were to earn US$50,000. Both semi-finalists will receive US$25,000 each.
CWI is expected to release additional information after completing its review, as the cricketing community reflects on an unforgettable—but ultimately disappointing—conclusion to the region’s premier 50-over competition.
The 45-year-old former fast bowler took charge of the twin-island republic team in January of last year and has done a commendable job to date. After taking over a faltering Red Force team in the 2019 edition of the West Indies Championship, Dillon, led the team to a fourth-place finish with a record of three wins, one draw and two losses.
In the following Regional Super50 competition the Red Force went as far as the semi-finals but were defeated by the Leeward Island Hurricanes. In this season’s edition of the West Indies Four-Day Championship, the Red Force finished second to champions Barbados Pride. His spell in charge has, however, not been without controversy with Windies wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin of throwing him out of the team and not using proper channels of communication, which hurt the team. Ramdin officially filed a complaint with the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) but was told the matter could not be looked into until the end of the season.
With Dillon’s contract coming to an end at the end of this month, the position has been advertised. The coach, while insisting that he was not aware the post had been tendered, is confident he will be seen as the right man for the job.
“I am quite confident. I think I am probably in a better position than anybody else to retain the job,” Dillon told Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.
“Funny enough I heard about it after one of the (media) guys called me (on Thursday) morning. That’s when I found out about it, which was kind of disappointing because even if it is being advertised I would think I would be one of the first people to be notified,” he added.
Dillon said the president of the TTCB Azim Bassarath told him on Thursday that he was previously informed that the position would be advertised, he does not, however, recall that conversation.
The series, which consists of three Test matches, was scheduled to begin in London on June 4, followed by matches at Edgbaston and Lord's starting on 12 and 25 June respectively. As the world battles to contain the pandemic, playing the series in the heavily hit England looked increasingly unlikely.
Initially, it had been suggested that the West Indies would be willing to step in and host the series, but Cricket West Indies CEO Johnny Grave was quick to paint the suggestion as a highly unlikely scenario.
With all professional halted until May 28, the ECB has had to reckon with the prospect of starting the season later than expected.
The West Indies could have the option of playing the series in two potential windows, either side of their home Test series against South Africa at the end of July. The series could be squeezed in at the start of that month or in September, which would allow England to play their three-Test series against Pakistan as planned in August.
Captain Root has led England into this series alongside stand-in coach Paul Collingwood after the ECB made widespread changes in response to a dismal Ashes tour.
England had issues throughout their line-up in Australia, and the decision to respond by leaving both Stuart Broad and James Anderson at home for this series was not a popular one.
Fellow bowler Mark Wood was lost to an injury for which he is being assessed in the first Test, too, but England remained the most likely winners in Antigua.
Helped by Root's 109 in a second-innings 349-6 declared, England gave themselves two sessions to bowl out West Indies and threatened to do so when Jack Leach took three wickets in a strong spell.
It was not to be, as West Indies finished on 147-4 – some way short of a target of 286 but not at real risk of defeat.
The post-match outlook from Root was a positive one, however.
"I'm really pleased with the way we played, especially given the position we were in after that first hour," said Root, referring to an alarming first day when England slumped to 48-4 prior to Jonny Bairstow's vital 140.
"The guys stayed calm and showed great maturity to get us to a total, especially off the back of a difficult winter and a difficult year where we've not scored anywhere near enough runs."
Lauding his bowlers, too, Root added: "The way the guys stuck at it, especially having one bowler down as well, showed a huge amount of character and it was a huge step forward in many respects.
"No-one stopped believing or gave up all day. We really did give ourselves the best chance of winning this game."
The hosts were dominant in Brisbane as James Pattinson starred with the ball, claiming a five-for as Adelaide failed to bat out their 20 overs.
Left with such a meagre total to chase, the Heat initially toiled as they lost two early wickets, but Matt Renshaw and BBL debutant AB de Villiers' 77-run partnership took the game away from the visitors.
The result moves the Heat above the Strikers and into fourth.
PATTINSON FIVE-FOR STRANGLES STRIKERS
Each of the top five Strikers batsmen fell to Pattinson, who may not have been the most economic of the bowlers, but he was certainly the most dangerous.
Having posted 0-52 on his BBL return against Perth Scorchers at the weekend, the Australian went for 33 on Tuesday but also tallied up his victims.
Jonathan Wells (14) was the only top-order batsman to make it into double figures as the Strikers fluffed their lines badly in the powerplay.
Rashid Khan's 28 down the order was the best contribution, but when Liam O'Connor was the last man out without scoring, it was clear Adelaide had come up well short of a competitive total.
DE VILLIERS AND RENSHAW GET A GRIP
Perhaps there was an element of complacency in the way the Heat set about their very modest chase.
Captain Chris Lynn went for a golden duck and Max Bryant followed him after a brisk 10 from five balls.
It needed Renshaw (52) and De Villiers to get a hold on things, with the latter falling for 40 and leaving Joe Burns (10) to come in and help finish the job with 28 balls to spare.
The 28-year-old batsman went the entire season without scoring a century after eight appearances, despite getting over the half-century mark on three occasions. In fact, the last time Lewis did make it to triple figures was in 2017. On Sunday, in the third and final ODI against Ireland, he ensured that the trend would not continue after scoring 102 in a comfortable win and series sweep over the tourist.
The left-hander had come close to a ton once again but failed to convert to triple figures in the first ODI eventually being stuck on 99 not. Now with 306 runs in three matches under his belt to start the season, which earned him man-of-the-series honours, Lewis is looking forward to a good year.
“I’ve been working hard in the nets with the batting coach. I’ve been trying to open up a little more and hit the ball straight down the ground and it has been working so far,” Lewis said following the match.
“To be honest with you I have been hungry for runs. My last ODI century was in 2017, so this year I’m very determined and I just want to make the best of it,” he added.
“Sometimes when I score 50 I get a little ultra-aggressive. It was a great opportunity to put my head down and bat. We weren’t behind in the game, we were in control most of the time. Going forward I just want to continue batting like that.”
On the back of 94 from Paul Sterling and 48 from Kevin O’Brien, the Irish posted a competitive 208 for 7 before restricting the Windies to 204 for 7. Along the way, the Irish, who lost their first wicket with 154 runs on the board, set the highest total ever in the powerplay.
The win served as a tonic of sorts for the visitors who were defeated 3-0 by the Windies in the recent One Day International series between the teams.
“It’s great to get a win but you want to win the series and make history, so if we can do that in the next two games we’ll go home very happy,” Balbirnie said.
“We came so close in that second ODI and it may have affected us in the third ODI. So, to come out here and show the bottle and win against one of the top teams in T20 cricket was great for the team.”
The Windies and Ireland will face off in the second T20I on Saturday at Warner Park.
With the team missing two of its most explosive batsmen in Shimron Hetmyer and Darren Bravo, runs could be hard to come by against a dangerous England bowling attack. On his last visit to England, Hope certainly did stand up for the Windies team. In the second Test, his two centuries proved crucial in a five-wicket win that saw the regional team level the series before going on to lose 2-1.
Although admitting the team will be missing the duo, Hope insisted the big match-winning performances needed were simply about the players' available accepting the challenge on any given day.
“It just happened to be my day at Headingley but it can be anyone else’s day on any given day. The key is just to make sure that whenever you get an opportunity in the middle you grasp it and do whatever you can to put in those performances for the team," Hope told members of the media.
“It’s a case where the performances will matter. Yes, we are going to miss those guys, they play a big role on the team. But it’s more performances that we miss rather than players, they could be here and it just doesn’t go their way, that’s how cricket goes sometimes. You always just need someone to put their hands up, I always stress that. It’s just key for us that we as batters put those runs on the board.”
The West Indies will defend the Wisden Trophy against England in three Test matches, beginning next month at the Rose Bowl Cricket Ground.
Having previously played under another bowling great, Courtney Walsh, Lara officially took charge of the West Indies team for the 1997-98 England tour of the Caribbean. The move was not without some controversy at the time, as some felt the then 28-year-old had been instrumental in forcing Walsh out of the post. Ambrose seems to have been among them.
“Brian Lara, to me, was too hasty to lead the West Indies team. We knew he was going to be the natural successor to Courtney Walsh because when Courtney Walsh became the captain he [Walsh] had a couple of years left in him and all Brian Lara had to do was just wait on his turn because Courtney was doing a fairly good job,” Ambrose told the Antigua Observer.
Walsh had taken over the post from Richie Richardson for the 1994-95 West Indies tour of India. While in charge, the bowler went on to lead the team for 22 Test matches with a record of 6 wins 7 losses and 9 draws. In ODIs, where he led the team 43 times, the West Indies won 22 lost 20, with one no result.
Lara oversaw the team for 47 Test matches, where they won 10, lost 26 and drew 11. In ODIs he captained for 125 matches, winning 59, losing 59, with 7 no results.
“He was too anxious to be the captain and there was no competition because once Courtney left the scene he would have, but he realized it was not as easy as he probably thought. A lot of people were upset for him with that because he made it public that he wanted to be the captain; he campaigned for it and to me, it was disappointing,” he said.
Despite the team’s struggles, Lara performed well as captain individually, his 3725 runs and 5 centuries putting him 14th for most runs scored as a captain. In Tests, he ranks 8th with 4685 and 14 hundreds, including his record 400.
