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Alick Athanaze

Solozano, Athanaze lead Windwards to four-wicket victory over Jamaica, who have lost five in a row

Batting first, the impotent Scorpions were bundled out for 158 in 42.2 overs. Chasing 159 for victory the Volcanoes made heavy weather of the chase but managed to achieve their target in 36.2 overs.

The woeful batting of the Jamaica Scorpions was again on full display against the Windwards as despite a welcome return to form of Nkrumah Bonner, the remainder of the batters barely put of a fight. Bonner stitched together a patient knock of 72 from 110 balls but alas no one else would follow his lead. Captain Rovman Powell disappointed once again making only 13 and was one of only three other batters in double figures - Shalome Parnell, who also made and Brad Barnes 10 – as Jamaica folded meekly against the Windwards’ attack.

This time it was the pace bowling of Shermon Lewis and Darel Cyrus that did the damage, the former taking 3-18 with the latter chipping in with 3-40. Andre Fletcher’s gentle medium also accounted for two wickets at a cost of only seven runs.

The Windwards’ chase was not as easy as they would have wished but they did enough to achieve the desired outcome. Jeremy Solozano held the middle order together to top-score with 40 with opener Alick Athanaze producing another decent knock of 36 but failed to carry on.

Shamar Springer scored an unbeaten 24 to get the Windwards over the line against a Jamaican bowling attack that has lacked a cutting edge all season. Jeavor Royal, Shalome Parnell, Brad Barnes and Shalome Parnell each took a wicket for the winless Scorpions.

Volcanoes complete 158-run win over Academy on day three; Harpy Eagles, Pride and Red Force in charge of respective matches

The Volcanoes started the day 165-7 off 60 overs and batted beautifully to reach 275 off 93 overs.

The recovery was thanks to handy knocks from Sunil Ambris (41), Shamar Springer (47) and Ryan John (20).

Joshua Bishop finished with 4-78 from 38 overs while Ashmead Nedd took 3-65 from 32 overs.

Needing 280 to win, the Academy were swiftly bundled out for just 121 off 34.4 overs.

Teddy Bishop was the only Academy batsman to produce a meaningful score with 47 as Springer took4-30 from 9.4 overs to complete a fine all-round performance.

Full Scores: Windward Islands Volcanoes 162 off 48.3 overs (Shamar Springer 31, Stephan Pascal 26, Joshua Bishop 4-24, Johann Layne 3-30, Kadeem Alleyne 2-20) & 275 off 93 overs (Alick Athanaze 89, Shamar Springer 47, Kavem Hodge 41, Sunil Ambris 41, Joshua Bishop 4-78, Ashmead Nedd 3-65)

West Indies Academy 158 all out off 39.4 overs (Carlon Bowen Tuckett 36*, Kadeem Alleyne 35, Gilon Tyson 5-50, Ryan John 2-40, Shamar Springer 2-65) & 121 all out off 34.4 overs (Teddy Bishop 47, Shamar Springer 4-30, Darel Cyrus 2-23, Ryan John 2-29, Gilon Tyson 2-36)

At Sabina Park, the Jamaica Scorpions will need a further 296 runs to win with eight wickets in hand on Saturday.

The Scorpions started the day 153-9 off 61 overs and the Harpy Eagles needed just one delivery to bring the innings to a close giving them a 271-run first innings lead.

Guyana then batted again, reaching 147-4 off 35.3 overs before declaring and leaving the hosts needing 418 for victory.

Captain Tevin Imlach followed up his unbeaten 101 in the first innings with 44 in the second innings while Kevin Sinclair made 36 against 2-39 off 11.3 overs from Derval Green.

The Scorpions then ended day three 121-2 off 43 overs with Kirk McKenzie (39*) and Captain Brandon King (13*) at the crease. Debutant Javaughn Buchanan earlier made 39.

Full Scores: Guyana Harpy Eagles 424 all out off 116.3 overs (Kemol Savory 155, Tevin Imlach 101*, Gudakesh Motie 56, Ojay Shields 4-103, Peat Salmon 3-117) & 147-4 off 35.3 overs (Tevin Imlach 44, Kevin Sinclair 36, Derval Green 2-39)

Jamaica Scorpions 153 all out off 61.1 overs (Brandon King 32, Ramaal Lewis 24, Veerasammy Permaul 5-55, Isai Thorne 2-19) & 123-2 off 43 overs (Javaughn Buchanan 39, Kirk McKenzie 39*)

At the Sir Frank Worrell Memorial Ground in St. Augustine, the Combined Campuses and Colleges will need a further 382 runs to win with nine wickets in hand on Saturday’s fourth and final day.

CCC started day three 109-5 off 36 overs and ended up making 238 all out off 77 overs thanks 56* from Yannick Ottley.

The Trinidadian bowling effort was led by Anderson Phillip who took 5-71 from 22 overs.

The Red Force then batted a second time and made 95-2 off 17 overs before declaring with a lead of 448.

First innings centurions Jason Mohammed and Amir Jangoo led the way for the Red Force once again with 41* and 34*, respectively.

At stumps on day three, the CCC reached 67-1 off 21 overs with Damel Evelyn (43*) and Zishan Motara (0*) at the crease.

Full Scores: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force 591-7 declared off 123 overs (Amir Jangoo 218, Jason Mohammed 157, Joshua Da Silva 79, Amari Goodridge 5-92) & 95-2 off 17 overs (Jason Mohammed 41*, Amir Jangoo 34*)

Combined Campuses & Colleges 238 all out off 77 overs (Yannick Ottley 56*, Kamil Pooran 40, Anderson Phillip 5-71, Bryan Charles 2-30, Terrance Hinds 2-43) & 67-1 off 21 overs (Damel Evelyn 43*)

At Queen’s Park Oval, the Leeward Islands Hurricanes trail the Barbados Pride by 156 runs following on with nine wickets remaining heading into day four on Saturday.

The Leewards entered day three 97-1 off 37 overs with Keacy Carty (67*) and Mikyle Louis (25*) at the crease.

The pair added a further 83 before Louis became the day’s first wicket for 52 in the 64th over. His innings came off a mammoth 189 balls and included only four fours.

Carty continued on to post a formidable 127 off 233 balls including 12 fours.

Jewel Andrew also hit 53 as the hurricanes ended up being bowled out for 288 off 93.2 overs.

Roston Chase took 3-47 from 14 overs for the Pride while Shaquille Cumberbatch took 3-48 from 15 overs.

Following on, the Leewards ended day three 98-1 off 32.1 overs with Louis on 45*. Kieran Powell was the lone wicket to fall for a 76-ball 52.

Full Scores: Barbados Pride 542-9 declared off 143 overs (Kraigg Brathwaite 189, Roston Chase 127, Zachary McCaskie 101, Rakheem Cornwall 5-132)

Leeward Islands Hurricanes 288 all out off 93.2 overs (Keacy Carty 127, Jewel Andrew 53, Mikyle Louis 52, Roston Chase 3-47, Shaquille Cumberbatch 3-48) & 98-1 off 32.1 overs (Kieran Powell 52, Mikyle Louis 45*)

Volcanoes continue winning ways as Harpy Eagles, Pride and Hurricanes also victorious

Set 125 for victory at Chedwin Park, Volcanoes cruised to their target with West Indies batsman Alick Athanaze finishing unbeaten on a 58 off 42 balls. He struck six fours and three sixes in an unbroken 83-run third wicket stand with Trinidadian left-hander Jeremy Solozano, who struck an unbeaten 61-ball 42, which included six fours.

Solozano also shared in a 37-run opening stand with Kimani Melius (20) before off-spinner Romario Greaves struck twice to end with two for 64.

Earlier, left-arm spinning all-rounder Kavem Hodge grabbed two of the last four wickets to end with two for 48 as the Marooners, who resumed on 271 for six, were bowled out for 315.

Romario Greaves, unbeaten on 62 at the start, added just one, while Sion Hackett never added to his overnight 24.

Scores: Combined Campuses & Colleges Marooners 204 (Demario Richards 46, Damel Evelyn 43, Jonathan Carter 31, Shamarh Brooks 29; Darel Cyrus 25-2-72-6, Gilon Tyson 3-32) and 315 (Jonathan Carter 94, Romario Greaves 63, Damel Evelyn 56, Zishan Motara 33, Sion Hackett 24; Shamar Springer 2-33, Kavem Hodge 2-48).

Windward Islands Volcanoes 395 (Kavem Hodge 158 not out, Sunil Ambris 120, Alick Athanaze 26; Romario Greaves 5-142, Jediah Blades 2-35, Edmond Govasta 2-54) and 128 for two (Alick Athanaze 58 not out, Jeremy Solozano 42 not out)

At Sabina Park, Barbados Pride marched to their second win of the competition with a six-wicket victory over hosts Jamaica Scorpions.

Chasing 173, Pride reached their target courtesy of 43 from Roshon Primus, 29 from Kevin Wickham and 25 from Shayne Moseley, off-spinner Peat Salmon claiming three for 69.

Salmon struck twice early to leave Pride in a spot of bother on 52 for three, but Moseley posted 45 for the fourth wicket with Wickham before adding a further 44 for the fifth wicket with Primus, who slammed seven fours in a robust 34-ball knock, as Pride recovered well.

Scorpions were earlier dismissed for 292 after resuming on 220 for eight. Pacer Shaquille Cumberbatch finished with five for 46, as Scorpions Derval Green resisted with an unbeaten 78-ball 48, which include seven fours and a six. Green was the aggressor in a 40-run ninth-wicket stand with Gordon Bryan (26) and 37 for the last wicket with Ojay Shields (4).

Scores: Jamaica Scorpions 269 (Romaine Morrison 97 not out, Carlos Brown 40, Kirk McKenzie 40, Peat Salmon 24; Jomel Warrican 27.4-6-62-5, Jair McAllister 3-69) and 292 (Abhijai Mansingh 54, Derval Green 48 not out, Leroy Lugg 43, Kirk McKenzie 39, Carlos Brown 35; Shaquille Cumberbatch 5-46, Kevin Wickham 2-26)

Barbados Pride 389 (Kraigg Brathwaite 142, Kevin Wickham 63, Shane Dowrich 44, Jonathan Drakes 31, Roshon Primus 22; Derval Green 4-78, Peat Salmon 3-94) and 176 for six (Roshon Primus 43, Kevin Wickham 29, Shayne Moseley 25; Peat Salmon 3-69)

Reigning champions Guyana Harpy Eagles completed an emphatic, record win at Coolidge Cricket Ground.

Harpy Eagles wasted little time in picking up the last four CWI Academy wickets cheaply, to storm to a 221-run win – the fifth largest margin of victory by runs for Harpy Eagles in the modern era of the championship.

For Harpy Eagles, it was also their first win of the campaign following a draw in their first game against Trinidad and Tobago Red Force and a heavy 273-run defeat to Leeward Islands Hurricanes in their second game.

Resuming the morning on 161 for seven in pursuit of 429 for victory, CWI Academy were dismissed for 207 all out, with veteran left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul (2-48) claiming two of the three wickets to fall.

Carlon Bowen-Tuckett, unbeaten on 34 overnight, top-scored with 43 while Ashmead Nedd, on two at the start, struck a breezy 30 off 28 balls. Together, they stretched their eighth wicket stand to 32 before the final three wickets went down for 16 runs.

Scores: Guyana Harpy Eagles 175 (Ronaldo Alimohamed 30, Matthew Nandu 28, Tevin Imlach 24, Kevin Sinclair 24; Joshua James 4-43, Johann Layne 2-27, Joshua Bishop 2-31) and 415 for seven decl. (Kevin Sinclair 165 not out, Kemol Savory 58, Kevlon Anderson 49, Ronaldo Alimohamed 31, Veerasammy Permaul 29 not out, Tevin Imlach 29, Tagenarine Chanderpaul 22; Ashmead Nedd 5-97).

Cricket West Indies Academy 162 (Rashawn Worrell 58, Joshua Bishop 51; Kevin Sinclair 4-45, Veerasammy Permaul 3-15, Gudakesh Motie 3-31) and 207 (Jordan Johnson 54, Carlon Bowen-Tuckett 34, Joshua James 26; Isai Thorne 4-49, Kevin Sinclair 2-30)

At Warner Park in Basseterre, St Kitts, Hurricanes too helped themselves to their second win of the campaign when they beat Red Force by four wickets.

Set 162 for victory after bowling Red Force out in their second innings for 342, Hurricanes got a top score of 53 from West Indies white-ball stroke-maker Keacy Carty while 17-year-old Jewel Andrew missed out on his second fifty of the game with 48.

With the hosts in trouble at 26 for two, Carty put on 45 for the third wicket with Jahmar Hamilton who made 29 from 38 balls, and a further 70 with Andrew for the fourth wicket, to put Hurricanes in touching distance of victory.

While Carty faced 136 deliveries and struck half-dozen fours, the Under-19 World Cup star Andrew belted three fours and two sixes in an entertaining 53-ball knock.

Left-arm spinner Khary Pierre claimed four for 69.

Resuming earlier from 285 for six, Red Force were undermined by left-arm spinner Daniel Doram (3-80) who snatched three of the last four wickets to tumble.

Scores: Trinidad and Tobago Red Force 137 (Jyd Goolie 30; Colin Archibald 3-28, Jeremiah Louis 3-38) and 342 (Jyd Goolie 64, Jason Mohammed 49, Tion Webster 38, Cephas Cooper 36, Terrance Hinds 34, Joshua Da Silva 34, Vikash Mohan 25, Bryan Charles 24; Rahkeem Cornwall 3-68, Daniel Doram 3-80, Jeremiah Louis 2-70)

Leeward Islands Hurricanes 318 (Jewel Andrew 87, Kieran Powell 65, Jeremiah Louis 41, Mikyle Louis 34; Anderson Phillip 4-62, Bryan Charles 3-81) and 165 for six (Keacy Carty 53, Jewel Andrew 48, Jahmar Hamilton 29; Khary Pierre 4-69)

Webster's unbeaten 107 keeps Red Force on top of Volcanoes; Harpy Eagles in charge against Pride

Webster, an all-rounder, smashed 13 fours and two sixes to end not out on 107 off 139 balls, as his almost four-hour knock revived the Red Force innings, which eventually ended at 294. Veteran Jason Mohammed, with a 90-ball 56 and opener Vikash Mohan, with a 96-ball 52, also contributed to the host posting a 103-run lead in reply to the Volcanoes’ first innings total of 191.

Off-spinner Kenneth Dember was the pick of the Volcanoes bowlers with five for 63 from 22 overs.

The Volcanoes in their second innings were 68-2, 35 runs behind with eight wickets intact. Jeremy Solozano, on 30, and Alick Athanaze, on 10, will resume batting on Friday’s penultimate day of the four-day contest.

Scores: Windward Islands Volcanoes 191 & 68-2 (25 overs); Trinidad and Tobago Red Force 294 all out (87 overs) lead by 35 runs

Resuming at 89-1 with Mohan, on 34, and Jyd Goolie, on one, the Red Force lost the latter in the third over of the day, as he added a solitary run to his overnight score.

Mohan added 18 to his overnight score before he went caught off Shamar Springer for a well-played 52 that included six boundaries. Springer, who had Kjorn Ottley (47) on day one, also accounted for captain and West Indies Test wicketkeeper/batsman Joshua Da Silva (four), to leave the Red Force in a spot of bother at 136-4.

However, Webster came to the crease and shared in a 70-run fifth-wicket stand with Jason Mohammed, who had nine boundaries in his 56, before he fell to Dember.

Though Webster fought on, he quickly ran out of partners, as Dember ran through the lower order batsmen, who all failed to get past 10, and the Red Force innings crumbled shortly after the tea interval.

Springer ended with three for 76 from 23 overs.

Meanwhile, Volcanoes in their second time at bat, again lost opener Johann Jeremiah (19) and West Indies Test batsman Kavem Hodge (zero) cheaply, to leave Solozano and Athanaze, who had a half-century in the first innings, on repair duties.

Left-arm spinner Khary Pierre and West Indies pacer Jayden Seales have so far taken the wickets.

Elsewhere, Combined Campuses & Colleges Marooners lead Leeward Islands Hurricanes by 90 runs with seven second innings wickets intact, at Frank Worrell Field in Trinidad and Tobago. 

Scores: Combined Campuses & Colleges Marooners 273 all out (Amari Goodridge 75, Sadique Henry 73, Romario Greaves 58, Yannick Ottley 24; Daniel Doram 4-37, Jeremiah Louis 3-54, Rahkeem Cornwall 3-86) & 76 for three (Sadique Henry 32 not out; Jeremiah Louis 2-18).

Leeward Islands Hurricanes 259 all out (Kieran Powell 114, Jeremiah Louis 31, Justin Greaves 29, Rahkeem Cornwall 22, Jahmar Hamilton 21; Romario Greaves 19.2-1-63-5, Zishan Motara 2-14, Jediah Blades 2-50).

At Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua, Barbados Pride trail Guyana Harpy Eagles by 377 with seven first innings wickets in hand.

Scores: Guyana Harpy Eagles 436 all out (Veerasammy Permaul 90, Kevlon Anderson 87, Kevin Sinclair 72, Tevin Imlach 55, Tagenarine Chanderpaul 40, Gudakesh Motie 37, Matthew Nandu 28; Kemar Roach 2-52, Jason Holder 2-52, Jomel Warrican 2-98)

Barbados Pride 59 for three (Jonathan Drakes 20 not out; Isai Thorne 2-19).

West Indies announce T20I squad to face South Africa: King, Russell, Holder out, Athanaze, Hetmyer in

 Rovman Powell will lead the side as captain, with Roston Chase serving as vice-captain. The squad also features a mix of experienced campaigners and emerging talents, including the likes of Nicholas Pooran, Shimron Hetmyer, and Alick Athanaze. Notably absent from the squad are Andre Russell and Jason Holder, who have both requested periods of rest and recovery following a grueling season that included five consecutive Test matches against England and South Africa. Brandon King also remains sidelined as he continues his rehabilitation from an injury sustained during the World Cup.

 Director of Cricket, Miles Bascombe, emphasized the importance of rest and recovery for the absent players, stating, “During this period, they all will work closely with the CWI science and medicine team.”

 Head Coach Daren Sammy views the upcoming series as an opportunity for the West Indies to reset and refocus. “Facing a strong South Africa side is an excellent opportunity for our team to reset and refocus with our game plan. We have played them recently and had mixed results, so this should be an exciting and important series. I’m confident in the squad we’ve selected, and with eyes already on the next T20 World Cup in 2026, I know the guys will be keen to show their hunger for success,” Sammy remarked.

 The West Indies, currently ranked 4th in the ICC Men’s T20I Team Rankings, will be looking to capitalize on their recent form, having won four of their last five series. South Africa, ranked 5th, presents a formidable challenge, especially after ending the West Indies' World Cup campaign in the Super 8 stage. However, with a squad full of dynamic players, including the explosive Fabian Allen and the reliable Shai Hope, the West Indies are poised to put up a strong fight.

 The T20I series against South Africa also marks a historic occasion as it will feature doubleheaders with the Massy Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) for the first time. Fans will have the unique opportunity to witness both the top male and female cricketers in action with a single ticket.

 The full squad for the T20I series is as follows:  Rovman Powell (Captain), Roston Chase (Vice-Captain), Alick Athanaze, Fabian Allen, Johnson Charles, Matthew Forde, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Obed McCoy, Gudakesh Motie, Nicholas Pooran, Sherfane Rutherford and Romario Shepherd.

The team management unit for the series includes Head Coach Daren Sammy, along with Assistant Coaches Rayon Griffith, Floyd Reifer, and Ramesh Subasinghe. The support staff also comprises Physiotherapist Denis Byam, Strength & Conditioning Coach Ronald Rogers, and others.

 Tickets for the T20I Series are available for purchase online, and fans in the Caribbean can catch all the action live on RUSH SPORTS or via the Flow Sports bluu. App and the SportsMax App. Fans worldwide can follow live ball-by-ball commentary on the Windies Cricket YouTube page and get live scores on the Windies Cricket Match Centre.

 As the West Indies gear up to face South Africa, cricket fans across the region will be eagerly watching to see how the team responds after their recent Test series disappointment. The upcoming T20I series promises to be an exciting chapter in the ongoing rivalry between the two cricketing nations.

West Indies captain Powell hits out at 'unacceptable' rustiness

The Windies won by seven wickets in Friday's T20I to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

They have now won five of their last six T20Is against the Proteas, having bounced back from a three-wicket defeat at the T20 World Cup in June.

However, Powell was far from happy with what he saw, with South Africa posting a competitive 174-7 - Tristan Stubbs top-scoring with 76 and Patrick Kruger adding 44.

Powell said: "I think it's always good to go 1-0 up. We bowled well in the powerplay and though we let them off a bit, we were good with the bat.

"The guys look a bit rusty, which is unacceptable at this level.

"To be honest, a lot of talk is around the next T20 World Cup but we have to play one game at a time and see different players. We have to stay in the moment and the 2026 T20 World Cup is too far for us."

Shai Hope's 51 and Alick Athanaze's 40 got the Windies' chase off to a strong start, paving the way for Nicholas Pooran to take centre stage with an unbeaten 65, which included reeling off four straight sixes in one over.

"I just felt like Shai and Alick put South Africa under pressure in the powerplay," said Pooran, who was named Player of the Match.

"At the ten-over mark, we knew it was a better wicket and my job was simple and I just had to take on my match-ups.

"With rain around, the first ten overs were tricky when South Africa batted. Stubbs and Kruger played well, but we knew the wicket would get better."

Along with Stubbs' performance with the bat, one other bright spark for South Africa in their defeat was teenager Kwena Maphaka, who claimed his maiden international wicket.

"Maphaka has a lot of X-factor and is really young," said Proteas captain Aiden Markram. "He has hunger when you speak to him off the field and he wants to win games for South Africa."

West Indies claim first home ODI series win over England since 1998 with four-wicket win via DLS method in third ODI

In a match eventually reduced to 40 overs per side after rain interruptions before and during the match, England recovered from a horrific first ten overs to post 206-9 from their 40 overs after being put in to bat by West Indian skipper Shai Hope.

Debutant Matthew Forde got proceedings off to the best possible start for the West Indies with the wicket of Phil Salt for just four at the end of the first over.

Not long after, Forde was at it again, picking up the wickets of Zak Crawley (0) and Will Jacks (17) to leave England struggling at 45-3 at the start of the ninth over.

45-3 became 48-4 in the 10th over when Alzarri Joseph brilliantly ran out Harry Brook off his own bowling for one.

England captain Jos Buttler, fresh off a half-century in the last game, lasted only one ball on Saturday.

Joseph greeted Buttler with a well-directed short ball that he was unable to control, helping the ball out to Gudakesh Motie on the deep square leg boundary for a simple catch to leave England 49-5 after 10 overs of the rain-shortened 43 overs per side contest.

An 88-run sixth wicket partnership between Ben Duckett and Liam Livingstone provided some stability to the English effort before Duckett fell for a well-played 73-ball 71 in the 26th over. His knock included six fours and one six.

Livingstone was next to go two overs later, caught by Sherfane Rutherford at mid-on off the bowling of Romario Shepherd for 45 to leave England 142-7.

With England 161-7 off 33 overs, the rains came once again. Soon after the restart, England lost their eighth wicket when Rehan Ahmed fell caught behind off the bowling of Alzarri Joseph for 15 to leave the score 166-8 in the 34th over.

Joseph picked up his third wicket when he had Sam Curran caught on the point boundary by Gudakesh Motie for 12 to leave England 171-9 in the 36th over.

In the end, a 35-run 10th wicket partnership between Gus Atkinson (20*) and Matthew Potts (15*) helped England reach 206-9.

Forde ended with 3-29 from his eight overs while Joseph was expensive, going for 61 from his eight overs with three wickets to his name.

A third rain delay during the innings break meant the West Indies had a revised target of 188 from 34 overs.

The chase got off to the worst possible start when Brandon King was caught at cover off the bowling of Gus Atkinson for just one in the second over.

Alick Athanaze and Keacy Carty then put together a solid 76-run second wicket partnership that ended when Atkinson trapped Athanaze in front for a 51-ball 45 in the 14th over.

Captain Shai Hope was next to go, caught brilliantly by Matthew Potts off the bowling of Rehan Ahmed for 15 to leave the West Indies 99-3 in the 17th over.

Then, with the West Indies cruising needing 72 from 78 balls, Shimron Hetmyer mistimed a ball straight into the hands of Phil Salt at point for 11 off the bowling of Will Jacks.

The West Indies quickly lost another one when Sherfane Rutherford held out to Zak Crawley at long on off Jacks’ bowling for three to leave the score at 122-5 after 23.2 overs leaving the hosts needing 66 runs from 64 balls.

Carty, two balls after bringing up an excellent half century, became Jacks’ third victim in quick succession caught and bowled to leave the West Indies 135-6 needing 53 runs from 50 balls.

The 31st proved to be the ultimate game changer for the West Indies. The over bowled by Gus Atkinson went for 24 to leave them needing just nine more to win from the final three overs.

In the end, Romario Shepherd (41*) and Matthew Forde (13*) steered the West Indies to 191-6 off 31.4 overs to seal the 2-1 series win.

Will Jacks tried his best for England with 3-22 from his seven overs while Gus Atkinson ended with 2058 from his six overs.

Full Scores:

England 206-9 off 40 overs (Ben Duckett 71, Liam Livingston 45, Matthew Forde 3-29, Alzarri Joseph 3-61, Romario Shepherd 2-50)

West Indies 191-6 off 31.4 overs (Keacy Carty 50, Alick Athanaze 45, Romario Shepherd 41*, Will Jacks 3-22, Gus Atkinson 2-58)

Windward Island Volcanoes staring defeat in the face after batting collapse against T&T Red Force

Alick Athanaze was the only scorer of note with 33 as Anderson Phillip (4-32), Jayden Seales (3-31) did the damage for Trinidad and Tobago.

Phillip has so far taken 2-15 as the Windwards struggled once again in their second turn at bat.

Earlier, Trinidad and Tobago resumed at 217-5 with Joshua Da Silva on 51 and Terrence Hinds on five. The pair would eventually post 72 for the sixth wicket when Da Silva was dismissed for 73. Hinds would go on to make 57 as Trinidad were eventually dismissed for 326.

Sherman Lewis was the best of the Windwards bowlers with 5-43.

However, when they went to bat the Volcanoes imploded as other than Athanaze, Devon Smith (16) was the only other top-order batter in double figures. Among the lower order Ryan John (16), Larry Edward (13) and Kenneth Dember (10) were the only other batters in double figures.

Woeful Windies suffer eight-wicket thrashing as Australia completes series sweep

Opener Alick Athanaze with a 60-ball 32, was the only batsman to offer any real resistance as West Indies were embarrassingly bowled out for 86 in 24.1 overs, their fifth lowest ODI score. Only Keacy Carty (12) and Roston Chase (10) were the other double figure scores in the dismal innings.

Still, Australia, playing their 1,000th ODI, the second nation to do so after India, were almost flawless following comprehensive victories in Melbourne and Sydney.

Xavier Bartlett, like he did in the first contest, again starred with the ball, as he ended with four wickets for 21 runs, after which openers Josh Inglish and Jake Fraser-McGurk raced toward the low target by smashing 67 runs within five overs, and laid the foundation for the hosts to complete their eight-wicket victory with 43.1 overs to spare in what was the shortest men's ODI ever played in Australia.

The match lasted just 31 overs and was completed in three hours, including the innings break.

Australia 87 for 2 (Fraser-McGurk 41, Inglis 35*) beat West Indies 86 (Bartlett 4-21) by eight wickets

Inglis raced to 22 off seven deliveries, as he played gorgeous orthodox shots, but was quickly overtaken by Fraser-McGurk, who muscled three sixes in four balls off seamer Matthew Forde.

Fraser-McGurk was on track for a rapid half-century, but holed out to mid-on to end his 18-ball 41 and dashed Australia's hopes for a 10-wicket win.

Aaron Hardie made just two before Australia passed the target after 6.5 overs.

Earlier, Steven Smith's decision to bowl first was aided by a shoddy West Indies effort with a number of batters dismissed in tame fashion.

Following his stunning four-wicket debut at the MCG, Bartlett was immediately on the money with the new ball, as he had opener Kjorn Ottley trapped in front in his second over.

Athanaze and Carty held firm as West Indies' fortunes momentarily seemed to turn, and they eyed a decent total on the traditionally batting-friendly Manuka Oval surface.

West Indies avoided the early collapses that marred their opening two games, but the introduction of Lance Morris in the 11th over soon left them in familiar woe.

Morris had his first international wicket when Carty was brilliantly caught by a flying Marnus Labuschagne at backward point. Captain Shai Hope unsuccessfully reviewed a leg-before-wicket decision off Sean Abbott in the next over, before Morris clean bowled debutant Teddy Bishop with a searing full delivery that rattled the stumps.

Athanaze held the innings together until he threw away his wicket with a rash sweep stroke against leg-spinner Adam Zampa that was caught at deep backward square.

Smith went on the attack and brought back Bartlett, who on his first delivery nicked off Romario Shepherd.

West Indies' woeful performance was summed up with a comical run out of Forde, who bickered with batting partner Roston Chase on his way off, as their 27-year ODI drought against Australia in Australia continues.

Young Athanaze shines, as Royals bounce back to down Tallawahs

The Royals won the toss and again opted to field first, but unlike it was again the Knight Riders on Wednesday, it proved an inspired decision on this occasion, as tidy bowling from Jason Holder, in particular, restricted the Tallawahs to 160-7.

Holder grabbed two wickets for 19 runs in four overs and Afghan spinner Qais Ahmad had two for 42 from his four, against Shamarh Brooks’ 41-ball 78 and Imad Wasim’s 33 from 24 balls.

Young left-handed batsman Alick Athanaze and Laurie Evans, then anchored the Royals reply with an 89-run third wicket stand that propelled them to 161-4 with an over to spare.

The 24-year-old Athanaze hammered three sixes and seven fours in his 48-ball 76, while Evans had four boundaries in his 30 off 26 balls.

Scores: Jamaica Tallawahs 160-7 (20 overs); Barbados Royals 161-4 (19 overs)  

Sent to bat, the Tallawahs struggled to find their boundary-hitting rhythm, especially after Holder accounted for captain Brandon King (one) and Englishman Alex Hales (12), in between overs.

Kyle Mayers earlier had Kirk McKenzie (seven) caught by Evans and the Jamaican franchise was reeling at 23-3 at that point.

Brooks and Raymon Reifer tried to repair the damage and started out well, putting together 54 for the fourth wicket. However, Reifer (16) fell with the score at 77, as he played all over a delightful deliver from Ahmad and was bowled.

Still, Brooks, who slammed four sixes and seven fours in his knock, found another useful partner in Wasim, as they added another 54 runs for the fifth wicket to add some semblance of respectability to the Tallawahs innings.

After Brooks holed out to Rovman Powell off Ahmad, the hard-hitting Fabian Allen (two) was undone by a beauty from Dutchman Roelof van der Merwe, bowling his slow left-arm spin, and Wasim, who had two maximums and two fours in his knock, was run out off the final ball of the innings. 

The Royals were always favoured to overhaul the target on what was a decent batting strip, coupled with the dew factor coming into play, provided they didn’t crumble like they did against Knight Riders.

When Wasim and Chris Green combined to remove the opening pair of Rahkeem Cornwall (17) and Mayers (four) –both of whom are yet to really fire this season –a sense of déjà vu may have hit the Royal fans that they were in for another disappointing night.

But Athanaze and Englishman Evans ensured it was not so. The young Dominican played the aggressor, as he took Tallawahs top trio of Wasim, Mohammad Amir and Salman Irshad to task with some lofty blows showing decent foot work and innovation in a mature innings.

Though Green had Evans caught by Amir midway the 16th over and Irshad bounced back to have Athanaze caught by Hales on the fine leg boundary, the damage was already done and whatever hopes Tallawahs had of a batting collapse, were erased by Rovman Powell and Jason Holder, who ended unbeaten on 10 and nine, respectively.

Despite the win, the Royals remain fifth in the standing on five points, same as fourth-placed Tallawahs, who have a slightly better net run-rate. St Lucia Kings (six points) head the pack, ahead of Guyana Amazon Warriors and Trinbago Knight Riders, who are also on five points each.

St Kitts and Nevis Patriots are at the foot of the standing on two points.

Action will resume on Saturday with a triple header –Amazon Warriors against Patriots at 8:00am Jamaica time, Barbados Royals women against Trinbago Knight Riders women at 2:00pm and Royals against St Lucia Kings at 6:00pm.