Brian Lara Cricket Academy

Over 50 staff members in the six host nations in the West Indies will benefit from the knowledge and expertise of International Cricket Council (ICC) and Cricket West Indies (CWI) officials as part of the workshops and developmental courses which started on March 6 and will end on March 27.

Roland Holder, CWI Manager of Cricket Operations and Head of Cricket for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, outlined the reasons behind the series of workshops.

He said the upcoming series is crafted by CWI and designed to upskill existing curators across the region by exposing them to international best practices for pitch preparation and applicable maintenance, while simultaneously expanding the cadre of curators by identifying new talent with the appropriate combination of theoretical knowledge and practical exposure, to lend further expertise to match venues as we seek to deliver a world-class event in June.

“We are enthusiastic about these workshops and educational seminars across the region. It is great to know that over 50 members of our ground staff will benefit from this series of seminars which has been strategically set-up in the six region host territories for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup,” Holder said.

He continued: “This is geared towards ensuring that the persons with responsibility for the pitch, outfield, and other facilities on the ground will benefit from the knowledge available, in line with international best practices and in keeping with the highest standards.

“We are aware this is for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, but also post-World Cup, as good pitches lead to good cricket with an even contest between bat and ball. This is an essential area of preparation for what will be the biggest event ever hosted in the West Indies.”

The workshops will include both indoor educational sessions and outdoor practical events. They started at Antigua and Barbuda on March 7-8, and will next move to St Lucia from March 11-12, then on to St Vincent and the Grenadines on March 14-15. From there the series moves to Barbados from March 18-19, and Guyana for the period March 21-22, before concluding in Trinidad and Tobago on March 25-26.

These six countries will host matches in the ninth edition of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup which will be played from June 1 to 29. West Indies, which hosted the event in 2010, will hold matches at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Kensington Oval, Guyana National Stadium, Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, Arnos Vale, and Brian Lara Cricket Academy.

The event will be the largest in the tournament’s history with 20 international teams playing 55 matches across nine locations. It is the first time USA will host matches at a T20 World Cup, with 16 first-round matches split between Nassau County International Cricket Stadium (New York), Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium (Dallas), and Broward County Stadium (Lauderhill).

After starting the day 234-6, the Red Force were bowled out for 273 after 114.3 overs to lead the Scorpions by 132 runs.

Yannic Cariah led the way for the Red Force with 72 while Isaiah Rajah finished with 65.

Marquino Mindley completed his fourth five-wicket haul in first-class cricket with 5-70 off 28.3 overs while Nicholson Gordon provided good support with 4-65 off 28 overs.

In their second innings, the Scorpions fought gallantly to reach 212 all out, setting the hosts a target of 81 for victory, thanks to 45 from captain John Campbell and crucial knocks of 41 not out from Derval Green, 30 from Jamie Merchant, and 28 from Alwyn Williams.

Anderson Phillip was the pick of the Red Force bowlers in the second innings with 5-82 off 15 overs while captain Imran Khan supported him well with 3-46 off 16.5 overs.

At the close of play, the Red Force were 22-0 needing a further 59 runs on Saturday for outright victory with Keagan Simmons on 11 and Isaiah Rajah on eight.

Phil Salt starred with an unbeaten 109 to help England chase down a mammoth target of 223 to win the third T20I on Saturday in Grenada. As such, the West Indies will enter the fourth game with a 2-1 lead and a chance to clinch the series.

England hit 19 sixes on their way to victory and Powell says his team will be solely focused on bringing that number down for the remainder of the series.

“It comes down to execution. Once we can execute as a bowling group, the six-hitting count will go down so that is what we’re stressing on for the rest of the series,” he said.

 “Skills are very important in T20. Those Yorkers, wide Yorkers and defensive Yorkers are very important, especially when you get good batters on good wickets. If your skillset is not really up to par, you will always find yourself under pressure,” he added.

With that being said, Powell said he is not concerned with his team’s inability to defend totals.

“It’s not of major concern at the moment. All we’re concerned with is to just keep improving in all three areas. As a team, that is what we strive for and once we do that, we’ll be okay,” he said.

A question many people asked after the third game is why Powell opted to go with Andre Russell, who was expensive in his previous three overs, for the last over as opposed to himself, Kyle Mayers or Sherfane Rutherford for the last over with England needing 21 to win.

“When you look on the scheme of things, Russell was going at 10 runs per over and they needed in excess of 20 runs in the last over so I think it was only fair that I give Russell, one of my main bowlers, the final over. Unfortunate things do happen and if the situation did arise in another game, I’d be confident enough for Russell to bowl the final one,” Powell said.

With all that said, Powell says the team is in a good place ahead of Tuesday’s game.

“The conversations have been positive. We’re still in a good place and leading the series. It was just unfortunate that we didn’t come out on top,” he said.

“We went for the series win in our last game and unfortunately came up short. Tomorrow provides another opportunity for us to do that. The guys are upbeat,” he added.

The 30-year-old has yet to lose a series as skipper of the West Indies T20I side and spoke about the key to getting the best out of his players.

“I think it’s just putting players in roles that they are comfortable. We have a very good team with a lot of experience so it’s very important to put players in roles that they are comfortable with. Once you do that then you get the best out of players,” he said.

The Red Force entered the fourth day 22-0, needing only 59 more runs to win with Keagan Simmons on 11 and Isaiah Rajah on eight.

Marquino Mindley got the ball rolling for the Scorpions on the final day with two wickets in quick succession to leave the Red Force 40-2.

The hosts then inexplicably lost four wickets for three runs to find themselves in a dogfight at 60-6.

Captain Imran Khan arrived at the crease and brought stability to the innings before they lost another wicket to find themselves 69-7.

Khan then combined with Anderson Phillip to bring the score to 81-7 and secure a three-wicket victory.

Simmons was the Red Force top scorer in the second innings with 38, while the Jamaican fightback was led by spin with Jamie Merchant taking 3-18 from 10.4 overs and Patrick Harty taking 2-21 from nine overs.

Final Scores: Jamaica Scorpions 141 and 212, Trinidad and Tobago Red Force 273 and 81-7.

After winning the toss and choosing to bowl first, the Royals bowlers made use of some good conditions with the early wickets of TKR captain Deandra Dottin for six and ace Indian batter Jemimah Rodrigues for two.

With the loss of their two premier batters, the Knight Riders never recovered, eventually crawling to 93-8 from their 20 overs.

Shikha Pandey (28) and Jannilea Glasgow (24) were the main contributors with the bat as Aaliyah Alleyne bowled beautifully on her way to 4-21 from her four overs.

Captain Hayley Matthews took 2-13 from her four overs in support.

The Royals then made tough work of what should’ve been an easy chase, eventually reaching 94-6 with five overs to spare.

Chamari Athapaththu led the way with a patient 39* off 47 balls including seven fours.

The Royals were, at one point, cruising at 66-1 in the 11^th over before losing five wickets for just 19 runs before Athapaththu and Afy Fletcher brought them over the line.

16-year-old Samara Ramnath bowled well for the Knight Riders with 2-18 from her four overs.

The Guyanese posted 269-9 off their 50 overs after the Red Force won the toss and chose to field first.

Openers Tagenarine Chanderpaul (25) and Anthony Bramble (42) were able to put on 69 for the first wicket before Guyana lost four wickets for just 17 runs from the 10^th to the 16^th over to find themselves 86-4.

A crucial 83-run partnership between Tevin Imlach (32) and Sherfane Rutherford (49) propelled them to 169-5 before both fell in quick succession to bring Shepherd to the crease.

The all-rounder then produced an excellent display of power-hitting to ensure that the Harpy Eagles put together a competitive total against a powerful Red Force Batting line-up.

Shepherd smashed a whirlwind 74 not out off just 46 balls including five fours and four sixes as Guyana recovered from 201-9 to post 269-9.

Shannon Gabriel and Sunil Narine did the bulk of the damage for the Red Force with 4-42 from nine overs and 3-17 from 10 overs, respectively.

In their reply, Trinidad & Tobago got contributions from all their batsmen but the score was too much in the end.

Darren Bravo was the chief scorer with a well-compiled 71 while Kjorn Ottley (49), Yannic Cariah (30), Sunil Narine (30 not out), Joshua Da Silva (28), Jason Mohammed (24) and captain Nicholas Pooran (23) all made solid contributions as the Red Force ended their 50 overs on 266-6.

The game came down to the last over with the Red Force needing 11 to win with Narine and Akeal Hosein at the crease. Fast-bowler Clinton Pestano then held his nerve to defend the runs and hand Guyana their first win of the season.

Shepherd completed a solid all-round effort with 2-44 from his 10 overs.

The 26-year-old former West Indies Under-19 star hit 131, his maiden first-class hundred, to propel the West Indians to a formidable 397 all out in their first innings.

The Championship XI started day two 245-6 off 82 overs with Springer and Joshua Bishop at the crease on 45 and 6, respectively.

The pair batted excellently, putting on a partnership of 107 for the seventh wicket before Bishop fell for a 78-ball 50 off the bowling of Dane Piedt.

Kemar Roach (6) and Bryan Charles (0) fell not son after before Springer became the last man to go, also off the bowling of Piedt in the 118^th over.

Springer’s innings lasted 212 balls and included 16 fours and three sixes.

Piedt finished with 3-41 off 16.3 overs while pacer Kagiso Rabada took 3-47 from his nine overs.

At stumps, South Africa reached 172-2 off 52 overs, trailing the Championship XI by 225 runs.

Opener Aiden Markram made 82 before retiring hurt while captain Temba Bavuma and David Bedingham were the not out batsmen at the crease at the end of the day’s play on 36* and 35*, respectively.

Anderson Phillip and Nial Smith have split the two wickets.

Full Scores:

West Indies Championship XI 397 all out off 117.3 overs (Shamar Springer 131, Jeremy Solozano 111, Joshua Bishop 50, Dane Piedt 3-41, Kagiso Rabada 3-47, Keshav Maharaj 2-82)

South Africa 172-2 off 52 overs (Aiden Markram 82 retired hurt, Temba Bavuma 36*, David Bedingham 35*)

Darren Bravo won the toss and sent Harpy Eagles in to bat, a decision which proved fruitful, as Red Force restricted the opponents to a paltry 105 inside 35 overs, and the captain later added an unbeaten 53 to easily surpass the target at 107-4 well inside 30 overs.

Bravo’s patient 70-ball 53, included eight boundaries.

Scores: Guyana Harpy Eagles 105 all out (34.3 overs); Trinidad and Tobago Red Force 107-4 (27.4 overs)

Despite the many talents in Harpy Eagles’s batting line up, they have really failed to spark throughout the campaign, and this crucial semi-final encounter again served up a dismal display.

With the exception of Sherfane Rutherford (30) and Tagenarine Chanderpaul (22), no other batsman got into double figures, as Terrance Hinds ran through the top order, and they never recovered.

The 31-year-old right-arm medium pacer snared 4-15 in a mere four overs, while spinner Yannic Cariah had 2-14 in 2.3 overs.

With very little runs on the board, Red Force’s chase started steadily, but Harpy Eagles sensed a glimmer of hope when Veerasammy Permaul had Tion Webster (10) trapped in front with the score at 25-1.

Kjorn Ottley and Bravo added 58 for the second wicket to balance things out, before the former went leg-before-wicket to Gudakesh Motie. Ottley’s innings of 35 of 59 balls, included five boundaries.

Though Nicholas Pooran (three) and Jason Mohammed (zero) fell in quick succession to Motie leaving the score at 89-4, Bravo remained steady, and with Cariah, unbeaten on five, holding the other end, saw Red Force to a second-consecutive final.

Motie ended with 3-20 in seven overs.

The second semi-final between Leeward Island Hurricanes and Barbados Pride will be contested at the same venue on Thursday.

Taylor led the Amazon Warriors to the final of the WCPL in 2023 where her team finished as runners up. 

She will be joined by fellow retained players Shabnim Ismail, Karishma Ramharack, Shemaine Campbelle, Natasha McClean and Shakera Selman. 

The newly signed players for the Amazon Warriors are Australian batter Erin Burns who won the WCPL with the Barbados Royals in 2023 and South African all-rounder Chloe Tryon who was with the Royals at the 2022 WCPL. 

There are seven more spots in the squad left to fill and six of these players will be selected at the WCPL draft which will take place in July. The final spot will be the last overseas player which will be confirmed before the start of the tournament. 

The 2024 Massy WCPL will take place in Trinidad from 21 to 29 August will all seven matches at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy. 

The Guyana Amazon Warriors squad before the draft is as follows: Stafanie Taylor, Shabnim Ismail, Karishma Ramharack, Shemaine Campbelle, Natasha McClean, Shakera Selman, Chloe Tryon, Erin Burns

The Leewards posted a subpar 135 all out from 41.5 overs after winning the toss and choosing to bat. Important to note, the match was eventually reduced to 43 overs per side after a pair of rain delays during the Hurricanes innings.

The Leewards, who have depended heavily on the opening partnership of Kieran Powell and Justin Greaves, lost them both in quick time due to a poor shot and bad luck.

Powell was bowled all ends up by Shannon Gabriel for just eight in the fourth over before, just two overs later, Greaves, who entered this final on the back of four 50-plus scores in a row, was forced to retire hurt on 11 after suffering a hamstring injury while running a single.

This brought Keacy Carty and Jahmar Hamilton together in the middle and the pair brought the score to 40 in the 13^th over before Carty played an ill-advised slash at a ball outside the off stump which produced an edge that wicket-keeper Joshua Da Silva gladly snatched up off the bowling of Terrance Hinds for 12.

Things could have gotten even worse for the Leewards as Hamilton was dropped on two occasions in quick succession, first by Nicholas Pooran off the bowling of Sunil Narine in the 14^th over then in the very next over by Akeal Hosein off the bowling of Terrance Hinds.

The Red Force didn’t have to wait too long for their next wicket, however, as in that same 14^th over, Narine had Terrence Warde trapped in front for a duck.

It was soon 43-4 as Narine dismissed Rakheem Cornwall in a similar fashion. Hamilton and Kofi James then put together a 27-run fifth wicket partnership before James became Khary Pierre’s first victim for seven.

Hayden Walsh Jr was next to go for 20 to leave the Hurricanes 116-6 in the 36^th over. Captain Alzarri Joseph then came and went for 2 one over later to leave the score at 121-7.

Greaves then attempted to continue his innings and added just one run to his total before being the eighth wicket to fall, going caught off the bowling of Akeal Hosein for 12.

Hamilton was the ninth wicket to fall for a well-made top score of 62 from 102 balls, his fourth fifty of the tournament. His knock included just three fours and a six.

Daniel Doram was last to go for 5.

Narine, playing his last ever List A game, took 3-17 from nine overs while Terrance Hinds continued his excellent form this season with 3-16 from seven overs.

Narine ended the season as the tournament’s joint-leading wicket taker with 20. He also took home the Gus Logie Award as the tournament's best fielder with nine catches.

The Red Force then started their chase with a revised target of 138 from 43 overs.

Kjorn Ottley and Joshua Da Silva put on 45 for the first wicket before Da Silva fell in the ninth over for a run-a-ball 28.

Ottley was then joined by skipper Darren Bravo and the pair put on a further 39 before Ottley was dismissed for 23 in the 17^th over.

Bravo, who finished the tournament as the highest run-scorer with 416 runs at an average of 83, was next to go for a top score of 40.

Nicholas Pooran and Jason Mohammed then guided the Red Force to 141-3 after 23.4 overs.

Pooran finished 39* off just 20 balls and brought up the victory with three consecutive sixes off the bowling of Alzarri Joseph.

Hayden Walsh Jr picked up 2-19 from four overs for the Hurricanes. He ended the season with 20 wickets, tied with Sunil Narine as the highest wicket taker for the tournament. He was also name as the tournament's best all rounder.

Shai Hope took home the award for best wicket-keeper.

Final Scores: Leeward Islands Hurricanes 135 off 41.5 overs (Jahmar Hamilton 62, Terrance Hinds 3-16, Sunil Narine 3-17) Trinidad & Tobago Red Force 141-3 off 23.4 overs (Darren Bravo 40, Nicholas Pooran 39*, Joshua Da Silva 28, Hayden Walsh Jr 2-19)

 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.

In the match that was shortened to 13 overs per side, the West Indians restricted to South Africa to 108-4 from their 13 overs thanks to an excellent 2-14 from two overs for man-of-the-match Romario Shepherd.

Tristan Stubbs was the main scorer for South Africa with 40 from 15 balls including five fours and three sixes while Ryan Rickelton made 27 off 24 balls at the top of the innings.

Chasing a revised target of 116 in their 13 overs, the hosts made light work of it, using only 9.2 overs to secure the win and the series sweep.

Man-of-the-series Shai Hope led the way with 42* off 24 balls while Nicholas Pooran continued the excellent form he’s shown in the last few months all over the world with 35 off just 13 balls including two fours and four sixes.

Shimron Hetmyer also looked good for his 31* off 17 balls.

The hosts, after winning the toss and electing to field first, took advantage of some bowler friendly conditions early due to an hour-long rain delay to have the South Africans reeling at 42-5 after eight overs.

A 71-run sixth wicket partnership between Tristan Stubbs and Patrick Krueger made things more respectable for South Africa.

They eventually made 174-7 from their 20 overs, an excellent recovery from where they were at the halfway stage.

Stubbs starred with a 42-ball 76 including eight fours and three sixes while Kruger made 44 off 32 balls.

Matthew Forde was the pick of the West Indies bowlers with 3-27 from his four overs.

The hosts then needed only 17.5 overs to reach 176-3. Openers Alick Athanaze and Shai Hope put on 84 for the first wicket and set an excellent foundation for the rest of the chase.

Nicholas Pooran, in his turn in the middle, took advantage of that foundation with a brutal 65* off just 26 balls including two fours and seven mighty sixes.

Shai Hope made 51 in support while Athanaze made 40.

Ottneil Baartman took 2-30 from his four overs for South Africa.

The second game of the series is set for Sunday at the same venue.

The hosts posted a subpar 149-6 from their 20 overs after winning the toss and batting first.

Captain Rovman Powell hit a 32-ball 48 to lead the West Indies while Nicholas Pooran, fresh off a brilliant 137* to lead MI New York to the Major League cricket title on Sunday, continued his good form with 41 off 34 balls.

Powell hit three fours and as many sixes while Pooran hit two fours and two maximums.

Brandon King had earlier hit 28 as Yuzvendra Chahal and Arshdeep Singh each took two wickets.

India’s chase didn’t start well losing openers Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan in the first powerplay with just 28 runs on the board.

A 39-run third wicket partnership between Suryakumar Yadav and debutant Tilak Varma provided some stability for the Indians before they fell in quick succession leaving India 77-4 after 11 overs.

Varma made a top score of 39 while Yadav made 21.

Hardik Pandya (19), Sanju Samson (12) and Axar Patel (13) were next to go.

India eventually found themselves 140-8 needing 10 to win off the last over with Kuldeep Yadav and Arshdeep Singh at the crease facing Romario Shepherd.

The first ball of the last over saw Shepherd bowl a brilliant Yorker to dismiss Yadav. India lost a second wicket in the over when Singh was run out by Shimron Hetmyer for 11 leaving India needing six runs of the last ball with one wicket in hand.

In the end, Shepherd’s last ball was hit for just a single by Mukesh Kumar meaning India ended up 145-9, securing the win and a 1-0 series lead for the hosts.

Jason Holder was excellent with the ball with 2-19 from his four overs while Shepherd and Obed McCoy also took a pair of wickets, each.

The second T20I will take place on Sunday at the Providence Stadium in Guyana.

West Indian captain Nicholas Pooran won the toss and elected to field first.

India’s opening pair of returning captain Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav got the ball rolling, putting on a partnership of 44 before Yadav was dismissed by Jason Holder for a quick 16-ball 24.

Captain Sharma provided a steady head for the Indians throughout the majority of the innings as he lost partners Shreyas Iyer (0), Rishabh Pant (14) and Hardik Pandya (1) before eventually being dismissed in the 15^th over for a top score of 64 to leave the tourists 127-5.

They eventually got up to 190-6 off their 20 overs thanks to cameos from Ravindra Jadeja (16) and Ravichandran Ashwin (13) as well as a brilliant closing effort of 41 from just 19 balls including four fours and two sixes from Dinesh Karthik.

Left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein was brilliant for the hosts with an economical 1-14 from his four overs while opening pacer Obed McCoy took 1-30 from his four.

The West Indian reply got off to a fast start thanks to openers Kyle Mayers and Shamarh Brooks as the pair sped to 22-0 in the second over before Mayers fell for 15 to pacer Arshdeep Singh.

The Windies then tried to gamble, sending Jason Holder up the order to bat at three but this move fell flat as he was next to go, bowled by Ravindra Jadeja for a duck.

The innings then ground to a virtual halt as Brooks (20), Nicholas Pooran (18), Rovman Powell (14), Shimron Hetmyer (14), Akeal Hosein (11) and Odean Smith (0) all perished to, eventually, leave the Windies needing 90 off 21 balls for victory.

Keemo Paul and Alzarri Joseph then finished not out on 19 and 5, respectively, to end the innings on 122-8, 68 runs short.

It was a balanced bowling effort by the Indians with Ravichandran Ashwin (2-22 off four overs), Arshdeep Singh (2-24 off four overs) and Ravi Bishnoi (2-26 off four overs) all contributing well.