Jayden Seales

Though West Indies suffered a 3-0 whitewash in that ICC World Test Championship series, Seales emerged as a standout performer, as he earned the player of the series award for his 13 wickets snared across all three games.

That performance saw the 22-year-old Trinidadian move seven places up to a career-best 26th position, joining teammate Jason Holder, who held firm in that position.

Veteran seamer Kemar Roach remains the top-ranked West Indies bowler at 17th, with Alzarri following Seales and Holder as the next best-ranked player at 31st. Kyle Mayers (37th), Shannon Gabriel (43rd), Gudakesh Motie (52^nd), Roston Chase (59^th), Shamar Joseph (64^th), Jomel Warrican (66^th), and Rahkeem Cornwall (82^nd) are the other Caribbean bowlers in the top 100.

On the batting chart, Hodge inched up three places to 72nd, following a credible display in the three-match series. The 31-year-old Dominican tallied 216 runs, including a maiden Test century.

Captain Kraigg Brathwaite remains the highest-ranked West Indies batsman at 41st, with out-of-favor Jermaine Blackwood slipping to 52^nd. Wicketkeeper/batsman Joshua da Silva (62^nd), Holder (70^th), Mayer (76^th), Tagenarine Chanderpaul (86^th), and Roston Chase (92^nd) are also in the top 100.

Meanwhile, England batter Joe Root reclaimed the number one Test batting position after scoring 87 in the first innings of the third and final match against West Indies in Birmingham, which his side won by 10 wickets.

This is Root’s ninth stint as number one. His first tenure at the top of the rankings commenced in August 2015, and he was last at the top in June last year after a fine performance in the opening match of the Ashes series, also in Birmingham.

While Root overtook Kane Williamson to take the top spot, Babar Azam, Daryl Mitchell, Steve Smith, and Rohit Sharma have all gained a spot each as Harry Brook slipped to seventh position after attaining a career-best third position last week.

In the weekly update to the rankings that also takes into consideration performances in the Ireland versus Zimbabwe Test in Belfast, England captain Ben Stokes, who struck 54 in the first innings in Birmingham and a quickfire 57 not out off 28 balls in the second, has moved up four positions to 30^th in the batting rankings.

Zimbabwe’s Sean Williams has re-entered the rankings in 33^rd position after scores of 35 and 40, while England wicketkeeper Jamie Smith’s knock of 95 has lifted him 31 places to 64^th position.

England fast bowler Mark Wood’s Player of the Match performance of two for 52 and five for 40 has lifted him into the top 20 of the bowling rankings for the first time in his career.

Gus Atkinson of England (up four places to 46^th), Blessing Muzarabani of Zimbabwe (re-entered in 50th position), and Mark Adair of Ireland (up three places to 63^rd) are other notable gainers in the bowling rankings.

Batting first Bangladesh found themselves in a strong position at 105 for 2 with a solid partnership between Anamul Haque and Najmul Hossain Shanto, who came together following the dismissal of Tamim Iqbal.  After looking set at the crease, Iqbal was dismissed by Joseph on 44.

 After briefly steading the innings the duo departed in quick succession, Haque was sent back for 23 by Phillip while Kyle Mayers dismissed Shanto Lbw for 26.  Shakib Al Hasan was then bowled by Jayden Seales for 8.

Bangladesh were 159-6 at tea with Liton Das set at the crease, but as soon as he reached 14th Test fifty, he was dismissed by Joseph on 53.

Tailenders Shoriful Islam and Ebadot Hossain pushed the team past 200 but the innings was wrapped up soon after.

At the close of play, West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite and opening partner John Campbell pushed the team to 67 without loss.  Campbell and Brathwaite were untroubled in making 32 and 30 respectively.  

Meanwhile, Jason Holder is being rested to manage his workload whilst Shimron Hetmyer is also unavailable for selection following the birth of his first child. Evin Lewis was not considered for selection after failing to meet CWI’s fitness criteria.

The West Indies will visit the Netherlands for three ODIs on May 31, June 2 and 4, followed by another three ODIs on June 8, 10 and 12 in Pakistan.

Both Seales and Lewis have played at the Test level while Carty is the first player from St. Maarten to be selected for the West Indies Senior Men’s team as the era of Nicholas Pooran’s captaincy begins.

“We were impressed with Carty and the way he goes about his innings, we saw several glimpses of his ability the way he played against England earlier this year for the CWI President’s XI,” said Lead Selector Dr Desmond Haynes.

“We hope that by giving him this opportunity he will recognize the importance of representing the West Indies. We think he is a young batsman with great promise, and this is the kind of tour he can show he fits in.”

Dr Haynes also expressed confidence in the fast bowlers selected for the white-ball tours.

“We also have a very good group of young fast bowlers who have demonstrated their ability and we want to use these two tours to give them opportunities in the 50-over format,” he said.

“We have a week in The Netherlands and another week in Pakistan and this should provide them with quality opposition to bowl against as we build towards the Cricket World Cup in 2023.  Phillip has been around for some time, and we know what he can offer, Seales has been very good in Test cricket and Lewis is making a return to the West Indies set-up following some good performances.”

The tour of the Netherlands will be the first-ever ODI Series between the two teams and will be played at the VRA Cricket Ground, Amstelveen.

The matches in Pakistan will be played at the Pindi Stadium in Rawalpindi. Both series form part of the ICC ODI Super League, where teams will have the opportunity to earn points to secure one of the top seven places, excluding hosts India, to gain automatic qualification for the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.

The West Indies squad: Nicholas Pooran (Captain), Shai Hope (Vice Captain), Nkrumah Bonner, Shamarh Brooks, Keacy Carty, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Shermon Lewis, Kyle Mayers, Anderson Phillip, Rovman Powell, Jayden Seales, Romario Shepherd and Hayden Walsh Jr.

Match schedule:

West Indies tour of Netherlands

May 31: 1st ODI at VRA Cricket Ground, Amstelveen

June 2: 2nd ODI at VRA Cricket Ground, Amstelveen

 June 4: 3rd ODI at VRA Cricket Ground, Amstelveen

 West Indies tour of Pakistan

June 8: 1st ODI at Pindi Stadium, Rawalpindi

June 10: 2nd ODI at Pindi Stadium, Rawalpindi

June 12: 3rd ODI at Pindi Stadium, Rawalpindi

Gloucestershire looked to be in the driver’s seat after piling up 417 off 108.5 overs after being put in to bat.

James Bracey (69), Ben Charlesworth (62), Zafar Gohar (60) and Miles Hammond (56) all hit fifties for Gloucestershire against 3-69 off 20 overs from Danny Lamb, 3-78 off 16.5 overs from Jack Carson and 2-72 from 24 overs from Seales.

Cheteshwar Pujara (86), Tom Alsop (84), and Danny Lamb (83) then all narrowly missed out on centuries at Sussex wrestled back momentum with a massive 479 off 135.5 overs in their first innings.

Captain John Simpson and Tom Clark also hit fifties with 78 and 53, respectively. Dominic Goodman and Zafar Gohar took three wickets each for Gloucestershire.

With a lead of 62, Sussex, on the back of some excellent bowling from Jayden Seales, restricted Gloucestershire to 205 in 85.2 overs.

In 16.5 overs, Seales conceded just 18 runs and took four wickets. Jack Carson provided good supports with 3-45 from 25 overs.

Mile Hammond and Zafar Gohar both hit their second half centuries of the game with 77 and 52, respectively.

Cheteshwar Pujara then anchored the successful chase for Sussex with 44* as they reached 144-6 in 37.4 overs.

Gohar completed a fine all-round performance with 5-59 from 18.4 overs.

Full Scores: Gloucestershire 417 off 108.5 overs (James Bracey 69, Ben Charlesworth 62, Zafar Gohar 60, Miles Hammond 56, Danny Lamb 3-69, Jack Carson 3-78, Jayden Seales 2-72) & 205 off 85.2 overs (Miles Hammond 77, Zafar Gohar 52, Jayden Seales 4-18, Jack Carson 3-45)

Sussex 479 off 135.5 overs (Cheteshwar Pujara 86, Tom Alsop 84, Danny Lamb 83, John Simpson 78, Tom Clark 53, Dominic Goodman 3-79, Zafar Gohar 3-139) & 144-6 off 37.4 overs (Cheteshwar Pujara 44, Zafar Gohar 5-59)

The squad is expected to be whittled down to 13 by Monday, June 7.

Fast bowler Jayden Seales is a first-time inclusion in the West Indies provisional squad for a Test Series. Hope had scores of 79 and 106 in the just-concluded BestvBest intra-squad match while Powell scored a patient 95 as his side marched towards victory. Meanwhile, Captain Kraigg Brathwaite, Alzarri Joseph and Kemar Roach have also been included having recently returned from stints playing County Cricket in England.

The two-match Betway Test Series will be played at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground for the Sir Vivian Richards Trophy on June 10-14 and June 18-22. These are the final matches in the current cycle of the ICC World Test Championship with both teams trying to finish higher in the final championship table.

The 17-man squad comprises Kraigg Brathwaite (Captain), Jermaine Blackwood (Vice-Captain), Nkrumah Bonner, Darren Bravo, Roston Chase, Rahkeem Cornwall, Joshua Da Silva, Shannon Gabriel, Jahmar Hamilton, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Kyle Mayers, Kieran Powell, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales and Jomel Warrican.

According to CWI, fast bowler Chemar Holder was unavailable due to injury while 19-year-old. The selectors have also revealed that four other young fast bowlers Keon Harding, Preston McSween, Marquino Mindley and Nial Smith will remain in St. Lucia to assist the Test squad with their preparations.

Holder made his Test debut against New Zealand last year but has not featured since then. Brooks, meanwhile, also last played against New Zealand and has earned a recall following a polished century in the Best v Best four-day match last week.

“Chemar Holder returns, having recovered from his injury. He will bolster the fast bowling department. Shamarh Brooks batted his way into the provisional squad by scoring an accomplished century. He will certainly add some depth to the squad’s batting,” said Chief Selector Roger Harper in explaining the recall of the two players.

Regarding Gabriel’s omission, Harper said the player is being given time to work on his fitness.

“Shannon Gabriel has been given time to rehab fully and build his conditioning, so he was not part of the preparations for the Test series against Pakistan, which included the Best v Best game. Darren Bravo has been part of the ‘bubble’ from the preparation camp leading into the Betway Test series against South Africa and has been given a break,” Harper said.

“I expect the team to be highly competitive in every department while playing with passion, purpose and determination. I look forward to the batsmen stepping up as they did in the series against Bangladesh and against Sri Lanka earlier this year in Antigua.”

The two-match Betway Test Series will be played at Sabina Park from August 12-16 and August 20-24. The Betway Test Series forms the first of six Series in the new cycle of the International Cricket Council World Test Championship to find the best Test match cricket team in the world.

FULL SQUAD: Kraigg Brathwaite (Captain), Jermaine Blackwood (Vice-Captain), Nkrumah Bonner, Shamarh Brooks, Rahkeem Cornwall, Roston Chase, Joshua Da Silva, Jahmar Hamilton, Chemar Holder, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Kyle Mayers, Kieran Powell, Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales, and Jomel Warrican.

The promising right-arm medium bowler represented the West Indies U19 and played six matches and took eight wickets for four-time CPL champions Trinbago Knight Riders earlier this year. Notwithstanding, it was beyond his wildest dreams to be called by the West Indies selectors so early in his career.

“I was really shocked when I heard the news. During CPL  there were talks that I was performing in CPL (and) I had a good World Cup. It was the last thing in my mind. I was just playing my cricket and then after CPL I got the phone call. I was very happy, but shocked,” said the player, who only turned 19 on September 10, during an interview with Newsday.

He believes travelling to New Zealand where he will rub shoulders with the more experienced bowlers in the Windies squad will provide him with an opportunity to learn from the best in the region.

“For me, it is just to listen to how they speak about certain things and watch how they carry about themselves, whether it be in training, recovery (and) during a game. Just to see how they operate and their way of thinking, and just learn from it as much as possible,” he said.

His thinking falls in line with that of Chief Selector Roger Harper.

“Jayden is a very talented young fast bowler, who is being given some exposure to the West Indies team environment on tour in an effort to fast track his development,” Harper said.

“He will have a tremendous opportunity to learn and grow as a player as he trains and practices with the West Indies Test players under the guidance of Phil Simmons, the Head Coach, and his coaching staff.”

The hosts won the toss and decided to bowl first, a decision which proved to be correct as the tourists were, at one point, struggling mightily at 45-6 after 15 overs of play with three top-order batsmen being removed without scoring. 

They eventually recorded six ducks in total as a fighting 51 from captain Shakib Al Hasan and 29 from opener Tamim Iqbal helped the Bangladeshis stumble to 103 all out after just 32.5 overs.

Jayden Seales (3-33 from 10 overs), Alzarri Joseph (3-33 from 8.5 overs), Kemar Roach (2-21 from eight overs) and Kyle Mayers (2-10 from five overs) were the wicket-takers for the hosts.

In their reply, the Windies ended the day 95-2 off 48 overs, trailing Bangladesh by just eight runs. Captain Kraigg Brathwaite (42) and Nkrumah Bonner (12) are the batsmen at the crease while John Campbell (24) and Raymon Reifer (11) are the batsmen dismissed so far.

Pacers Mustafizur Rahman and Ebadot Hossain took the wickets.

The hosts, who have six players in their 11 with Test experience, won the toss and chose to bat first on Tuesday, posting 287-9 before declaring.

They were led by half centuries from Keegan Petersen (59), Tony De Zorzi (55) and Clyde Fortuin (53) while David Bedingham also played well for his 47.

Jayden Seales bowled excellently up front with 3023 in 15.5 overs while Akeem Jordan took 3-61 from 18 overs. Kevin Sinclair also bowled 18 overs and took 2-64.

The West Indian opening pair of Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Zachary McCaskie were able to put on 46 in nine overs before stumps on day one.

Chanderpaul will enter day two 28* while McCaskie is on 17*.

Full scores: South Africa “A” 287-9 dec. off 78.5 overs (Keegan Petersen 59, Tony De Zorzi 55, Clyde Fortuin 53, David Bedingham 47, Jayden Seales 3-23, Akeem Jordan 3-61, Kevin Sinclair 2-64)

West Indies “A” 46-0 off nine overs (Tagenarine Chanderpaul 28*, Zachary McCaskie 17*)

Leaders of the West Indies Championship after three rounds, Barbados Pride, have roped in fast bowler Miguel Cummins and batsman Jonathan Drakes to replace West Indies ODI vice-captain Shai Hope, who scored a well-played 119 against Guyana in round three, and Shamarh Brooks.

The Leeward Islands Hurricanes currently sit second behind the Pride and have brought in Jahmar Hamilton and Kofi James to replace Hayden Walsh Jr and Keacy Carty.

The Jamaica Scorpions have replaced round three centurion Brandon King and Nkrumah Bonner with Alwyn Williams and Brad Barnes, while the Windward Islands Volcanoes have replaced Sherman Lewis with Ryan John.

The Trinidad and Tobago Red Force have had to make the most changes with Jyd Goolie, Sharron Lewis, and Terrance Hinds coming in for Akeal Hosein, Jayden Seales, and Anderson Phillip.

Full squads for Round 4:

Barbados Pride: Kraigg Brathwaite (Captain), Jonathan Carter, Roston Chase, Shane Dowrich, Keon Harding, Chaim Holder, Akeem Jordan, Shayne Moseley, Raymon Reifer, Ramon Simmonds, Jomel Warrican, Camarie Boyce, Justin Greaves, Miguel Cummins, Jonathan Drakes.

Guyana Harpy Eagles: Leon Johnson (Captain), Keemo Paul, Chandrapaul Hemraj, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Tevin Imlach, Vishaul Singh, Akshaya Persaud, Veerasammy Permaul, Anthony Bramble, Gudakesh Motie, Nial Smith, Demetri Cameron, Antony Adams, Kevin Sinclair, Ronsford Beaton.

Jamaica Scorpions: John Campbell (Captain), Jermaine Blackwood, Leroy Lugg, Oraine Williams, Aldaine Thomas, Gordon Bryan, Paul Palmer Jr., Jamie Merchant, Marquino Mindley, Nicholson Gordon, Derval Green, Patrick Harty, Kirk McKenzie, Alwyn Williams, Brad Barnes.

Leeward Islands Hurricanes: Rahkeem Cornwall (Captain), Devon Thomas, Amir Jangoo, Kieran Powell, Colin Archibald, Terence Warde, Jeremiah Louis, ​ Sheno Berridge, Daniel Doram, Damion Williams, Ross Powell, Kian Pemberton, Jahmar Hamilton, Kofi James

Trinidad & Tobago Red Force: Imran Khan (Captain), Jason Mohammed, Jeremy Solozano, Isaiah Rajah, Khary Pierre, Shannon Gabriel, Darren Bravo, Terrance Hinds, Bryan Charles, Yannic Cariah, Sharron Lewis, Uthman Muhammad, Jyd Goolie, Keagan Simmons, Joshua Da Silva. 

Windward Islands Volcanoes: Kavem Hodge (Captain), Keron Cottoy, Denis Smith, Devon Smith, Ackeem Auguste, Alick Athanaze, Alick Athanaze, Daurius Martin, Desron Maloney, Josh Thomas, Kenneth, Dember, Kimani Melius, Preston McSween, Ryan John, Teddy Bishop, Larry Edward.

The young West Indies finished fifth in the competition won by Bangladesh, who were claiming their maiden world title.

Despite not making it to the semi-final, the West Indies did have some impressive performances with both bat and ball.

Young, for instance, became the first West Indian to take a five-for (5-45) and score a half century (66) in an under-19 match when he helped the side to a dominant victory over England in the first round. His 61 was also instrumental in helping the West Indies get past Australia.

Young would end the tournament with an average of 28 with the bat and eight wickets from six games at an average of 26.75.

For his performances, Young makes the side as the designated number six batsman.

Understandably, further down the order lies Seales, who is an out-and-out strike bowler, having taken 10 wickets with a best of 4-19 against Australia at an impressive average of 18.3. He was also miserly when not taking wickets, ending the tournament with an economy rate of 3.89 runs per over.

Only India and Bangladesh have more players in the team of the tournament with Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ravi Bishnoi and Kartik Tyagi, making the cut.

Tournament winners Bangladesh have Mahmudul Hasan Joy and Shahadat Hossain making the team as batsmen, with Akbar Ali chosen to keep wicket.

Afghanistan, like the West Indies, have two players in the side with Ibrahim Zadran and Shafiqullah Ghafari making the cut.

Canada’s Akil Kumar is the team’s 12^th man.

Gus Atkinson finished with figures of 4-67, while Chris Woakes took 3-69 for England, as only a fine sixth-wicket stand from Jason Holder and Joshua Da Silva saved West Indies from being bowled out for a much lower total. 

But England, chasing a 3-0 series whitewash, let their dominant position slip when taking up the bat for the final 35 minutes, Zak Crawley (18), Ben Duckett (3) and Mark Wood (0) being dispatched as bowler Jayden Seales dropped them to 38-3.

Windies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite won the toss and chose to bat, leading his side to a solid start before a spell of three wickets in five overs before lunch put England on top.

Atkinson accounted for Mikyle Louis (26) and Alick Athanaze (2) on either side of Wood sending stumps flying with a full delivery to dismiss Kirk McKenize for 12.

Brathwaite's knock of 61 was brought to a halt shortly after the action resumed, the captain gloving Wood's leg-side ball to Jamie Smith as the tourists slid from 76-0 to 115-5 in 45 balls. 

Holder (59) and Da Silva (49) then shared 108 to drag the Windies towards a respectable total, but things looked bleak for them when the latter feathered Woakes' ball through to Smith.

Having gone 30 overs without a wicket, England needed just 14 more to polish off the tail, the highlight being a terrific diving catch from Joe Root to send Gudakesh Motie (8) packing.

England were given just over half an hour with the bat to cap Friday's action, but any hopes of a serene finish were soon dashed.

Holder made two terrific catches off Seales' bowling, the first from Crawley's thick outside edge and the second to dismiss Wood for a duck, either side of Alzarri Joseph's cracking delivery accounting for Duckett.

That spell ensured what had been a good day for the hosts ended on a sour note, with the Windies sure to target quick wickets when the action resumes on Saturday.

Data Debrief: Atkinson and Seales dominate 

This series began with all the focus on James Anderson as England's greatest-ever bowler bowed out at Lord's, but Atkinson has taken centre-stage since making his Test debut in the opening match and now has 20 wickets through five innings.

That is eight more than West Indies' Jayden Seales, the next-most prolific bowler in this series, has managed.

Seales was determined to have an impact on day one, though, and his two wickets at the death have set the stage for a far more competitive match than those England won at Lord's and Trent Bridge. 

Bangladesh started day four 132-6, trailing the Windies by 42 runs with Nurul Hasan on 16 and Mehidy Hasan yet to score.

After the entire morning session was delayed by rain and a wet outfield, proceedings got underway after lunch with the Windies quickly cleaning up the Bangladesh tail with the wickets of Mehidy Hasan (4), Ebadot Hossain (0), Shoriful Islam (0) and Khaled Ahmed (0).

Nurul Hasan was the only batsman to offer any resistance for Bangladesh with an aggressive 60 not out off 50 balls as the tourists were dismissed for 186 with Kemar Roach, Alzarri Joseph and Jayden Seales doing the damage with three wickets each.

Needing just 13 runs to win, West Indies openers Kraigg Brathwaite and John Campbell made short work of the total to secure the win and a 2-0 series triumph.

Final Scores: Bangladesh 234 and 186, West Indies 408 and 13-0.

Rovman Powell has been announced as the new Vice Captain for the T20Is while left-arm fast bowler Obed McCoy returns after recovering from injuries. There are also recalls for experienced wicket-keeper batter Devon Thomas and allrounder Keemo Paul. In the CG United ODI Series squad, there is a call up for left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie.

“We know Rovman’s history. He has captained the West Indies before and is also the captain of his CPL franchise. Our role is to look at future leaders as well and we have identified a few, including himself, who we will be putting programmes around to ensure we keep them involved in that aspect of the cricket,” said lead selector Dr the Hon. Desmond Haynes.

“Thomas is a very versatile cricketer, who has been knocking on the door in all formats. He has been doing well in franchise cricket and with that level of talent, we must ensure we keep him interested. He brings a lot to the table and is basically a four-dimensional player, he can bat, bowl, he is brilliant in the field, and he can keep wicket as well. McCoy has done exceptionally well in the IPL and enjoyed a successful stint in England as well, so we are confident that he is back to his best in terms of playing and fitness. Generally, we have to start looking at the bigger picture of getting these players playing together as often as possible in preparation for the ICC T20 World Cup later down in the year. We need to ensure we are fielding a very strong side for that tournament,” Haynes added.

The T20I Series opens with back-to-back matches on Saturday, 2 July and Sunday, 3 July at the Windsor Park in Dominica. This will see a return to international cricket at the fully refurbished venue, where international cricket is being hosted for the first time since the hurricane damage of 2017. The Series climaxes with the third and final match on Tuesday, 7 July at the Guyana National Stadium. The CG United ODI Series will be played at the Guyana National Stadium on Friday, 10 July, Monday 13 July and Thursday, 16 July.

Online ticket sales are now live via the new WINDIES TICKETS service, presented by Mastercard, at www.tickets.windiestickets.com. Fans can purchase in advance without the need to travel to box offices to save tickets to their mobile phones which can then be presented for scanning at the stadium entrance. Fans who register for the WINDIES TICKETS service and purchase tickets will also receive offers and promotions for future games.

In Dominica, there is great excitement on the Nature Isle for the return of international cricket with tickets available in three price categories providing a range of viewing positions for every budget. Ticket prices range from US$6 (EC$15) for the Mound/Grounds, to US$15 (EC$40) for the standard seats and US$25 (EC$70) premium seating in the Shillingford Stand.

In Guyana, the prices will range from US$6 (GUY$1200) for the Mound/Grounds, to US$15 (GUY$3000) for the Orange Stand or US$25 (GUY$5000) for the best seats in the Red and Green Stands, as the fans in Guyana welcome the busiest “Summer of Cricket” to the South American mainland. 

Fans can watch live on ESPN Caribbean and listen to live radio commentary on the Windies Cricket YouTube channel.

FULL SQUADS

T20 Internationals

Nicholas Pooran (Captain)

Rovman Powell (Vice Captain)

Shamarh Brooks

Akeal Hosein

Alzarri Joseph

Brandon King

Kyle Mayers 

Obed McCoy

Keemo Paul

Romario Shepherd

Odean Smith

Devon Thomas

Hayden Walsh Jr.

Reserve: Dominic Drakes

One-Day Internationals

Nicholas Pooran (Captain)

Shai Hope (Vice Captain)

Shamarh Brooks

Kaecy Carty

Akeal Hosein

Alzarri Joseph

Brandon King

Kyle Mayers

Gudakesh Motie

Keemo Paul

Anderson Phillip

Rovman Powell

Jayden Seales

Reserve: Romario Shepherd

Having won the toss and elected to bat, the Prime Minister’s XI got a solid start as openers Matt Renshaw and Marcus Harris shared in an opening stand of 134 inside 42 overs.

Jayden Seales broke the partnership when he had Harris caught by Kyle Mayers for 73.

Renshaw made 81 for the Prime Minister’s XI, who also benefitted from 55 from the bat of Peter Handscomb as the home side looked set for a score above 400 at 250-4.

However, Roston Chase led the West Indies fightback when he dismissed Aaron Hardie for 23 and then removed Handscomb as the Prime Minister’s XI slipped to 253-6.

Alzarri Joseph then bowled Ashton Agar for 33, Michael Neser for 10 and Joel Paris for two with the last ball of the day to finish with figures of 3-52 from 17.3 overs.

Chase’s two wickets in 21 overs cost 72 runs while Kemar Roach, Mayers and Raymon Reifer had one wicket each.

De Zorzi, the Proteas’ opening batter, was dismissed for 78 before lunch, while Bavuma was dismissed late in the day for 80, allowing West Indies to gradually claw their way back into the contest. Wiaan Mulder, not out on 37, and Kagiso Rabada, on 12, will resume batting for South Africa on Friday’s third day.

Jomel Warrican has been the pick of the Caribbean bowlers so far, with Kemar Roach (2-53) and Jayden Seales (2-57) also picking up key wickets.

Scores: South Africa 342 for 8 (Bavuma 86, de Zorzi 78, Warrican 3-66) vs West Indies

Resuming at 45-1 on a slow pitch that requires patience instead of flair, South Africa were initially kept quiet by West Indies' senior seamers Kemar Roach and Jason Holder, who started on good lengths but were punished as soon as they strayed.

While de Zorzi, who resumed on 32, got to his 50 off 78 balls, Tristan Stubbs (20) didn’t have the same luck as he edged a delivery from Roach to Holder in the slip cordon, adding only 18 to his overnight score of two.

Bavuma, in his first Test innings since March 2023, and de Zorzi kept West Indies at bay with a 51-run third wicket stand, which was eventually broken when the latter gloved to Kavem Hodge off Warrican shortly before the lunch interval.

After the break, Bavuma again dropped anchor and allowed his partner, David Bedingham, to take the fight to West Indies in a partnership worth 50 runs. Bedingham (29) later holed out to debutant Keacy Carty off Seales.

Ryan Rickelton (19) came and went shortly after watching Bavuma raise his 21st Test fifty. However, the captain was later trapped in front, and as the day draws to a close, Warrican struck twice, removing Kyle Vereynne (39) and Keshav Maharaj (zero) to keep West Indies in contention.

Since 2019, and for the third consecutive season, 12 players have been drafted, retained or signed into the two mandatory Emerging Player positions in each of the six CPL franchises.

Each CPL franchise will have to field an Emerging Player a minimum of five times during the tournament, ensuring that these players get at least some competitive playing experience and the opportunity to train with some of the best players and coaches from across the Caribbean, and around the world.

The list of 12 retained and drafted players include recent West Indies Men’s Test and T20I debutants Joshua Da Silva and Kevin Sinclair who will feature for St Kitts & Nevis Patriots and Guyana Amazon Warriors respectively. At relatively young ages, these two players have notably risen through the CWI development ranks in the last 18 months since featuring for the victorious West Indies Emerging team in the 2019 CG Insurance Super50 Cup.

Four of the Emerging Players will be experiencing the CPL for the first time: Joshua James, Kirk McKenzie, Kadeem Alleyne and Leonardo Julien.  McKenzie and James were members of the West Indies Under-19 side that featured in the last ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup, held in South Africa in 2020, who now have a chance to develop their white ball skills with the Jamaica Tallawahs.

CWI’s Director of Cricket, Jimmy Adams congratulated the selected players saying: “CWI is extremely happy for the 12 Emerging Players who will participate in this year’s CPL tournament. The Emerging Player programme is now a focal point of our elite player pathway and the CPL plays a critical role in exposing these young players to elite players and high level competition. We have no doubt that the experience gained by these young players will be a significant factor in establishing the next generation of international players within this format of the game.”

Reflecting on the third year of the CWI and CPL collaboration, CWI’s High-Performance Manager Graeme West said: “The Emerging Player Programme underlines the growth and strength of the CWI and CPL partnership. In a year where running high-performance activities for our talented young players has been challenging, CPL will provide the 12 emerging players a great learning and development opportunity.”

He continued: “With seven players retained from the 2020 CPL, this draft represents a reward for the performances and potential that the franchises saw from the Emerging Players in Trinidad last year. I’m delighted that three players from last year’s West Indies Under-19 squad have been drafted for the first time with McKenzie, James and Julian joining team-mates Nedd, Young and Seales who will look to build on their performances in 2020. The drafting of Kadeem Alleyne is really significant as it demonstrates to all young cricketers in the Caribbean that outstanding performances in local tournaments can be recognized and rewarded.”

The full list of drafted, retained and signed Emerging Players for their respective CPL teams is as follows:

Joshua Bishop​​ (Barbados) - Retained by Barbados Tridents

Nyeem Young (Barbados) - Retained by Barbados Tridents

Ashmead Nedd​​ (Guyana) - Retained by Guyana Warriors

Kevin Sinclair (Guyana) - Retained by Guyana Warriors

Joshua James* (Trinidad & Tobago) - Drafted by Jamaica Tallawahs

Kirk McKenzie​​* (Jamaica) - Drafted by Jamaica Tallawahs

Dominic​ Drakes (Barbados) - Retained by St Kitts & Nevis Patriots

Joshua Da Silva​​ (Trinidad & Tobago) - Retained by St Kitts & Nevis Patriots

Kadeem Alleyne* (Barbados) - Drafted by St Lucia Zouks

Jeavor Royal (Jamaica) - Drafted by St Lucia Zouks

Leonardo Julien* (Trinidad & Tobago) - Signed by Trinbago Knight Riders

Jayden Seales​​ (Trinidad & Tobago) - Retained by Trinbago Knight Riders

Seales, who took 13 wickets in the three-match Test series at an average of 27.23, spoke about the significance of his comeback. "I'm proud of being able to represent the West Indies again. Coming back and doing well for the team is rewarding. I'm just looking to improve going forward," he said.

Reflecting on his time with Sussex, Seales noted that it was instrumental in preparing him for the series against England. "Playing for Sussex was great. It allowed me to understand the conditions and how they can help me. The experience was invaluable," he added.

Seales joined Sussex in early April and impressed with his performance, taking 24 wickets in six matches, including two five-wicket hauls, at an average of 24.25. His stint in English county cricket undoubtedly played a role in his readiness for the West Indies tour of England.

"England's attacking approach was tough at times. They take opportunities to score if you give them a chance, so you have to be on it all the time," Seales remarked about the challenges he faced against England's aggressive batting lineup.

Despite the series loss, Seales remains optimistic about the future of the West Indies bowling attack. "I think once we grow and learn, we can be a force to be reckoned with," he said. "The body is not too bad, just trying to get some recovery in and looking forward to the series against South Africa at home."

Seales' journey back to the West Indies squad began after he was sidelined with a knee injury in December 2022. His impressive performance for Sussex earned him a recall, and during the series against England, he reached a personal milestone by picking up his 50th Test wicket.

While the series result was disappointing for the West Indies, Seales' performance provided a bright spot and a glimpse of the potential within the team. His contributions will be crucial as the West Indies prepare for their upcoming series against South Africa, where Seales hopes to continue his upward trajectory and help his team achieve success.

Captain Kraigg Brathwaite leads the charge on the batting ranking, as he moved up two slots to 40th position, following scores of 48 and 47 in the second Test, which West Indies lost by 241 runs. They lost the first Test by an innings and 114 runs and will try to avoid a whitewash in the final Test in Edgbaston starting on Friday.

Wicketkeeper/batsman Joshua de Silva was rewarded for his first innings score of 82 in that match, as he jumped seven places to 61st, while Jason Holder’s 27 and 37 saw him inched up two places to 70th. Kavem Hodge’s 120, which was his maiden Test century, pushed him into the top 80.

The Dominican batsman moved 21 places up to 75^th, one spot behind Kyle Mayers, who, despite being out of action, remains in 74th. Alick Athanaze held firm in 77th, while discarded Jermaine Blackwood (50th), Tagenarine Chanderpaul (83rd), Roston Chase (86th), and Kirk McKenzie (100) are the other Caribbean batsmen in the top 100.

On the bowling chart, new-ball bowlers Alzarri Joseph and Jayden Seales made the only notable improvements to their rankings. Joseph moved up two places to 33rd after finishing with five wickets in the match, and Seales moved up 10 places from 44th to 34th with six wickets.

Meanwhile, England batter Harry Brook has achieved a career-best third position after notching a century in the second Test.

Brook, who scored 36 and 109 in Nottingham, advanced four places, while his teammates Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope have also made significant gains in the latest weekly update to the men’s rankings, which are carried out on Wednesdays across formats.

Left-handed opener Duckett has progressed six places to 16th position after notching scores of 71 and 76, while Player of the Match Pope has advanced from 29th to 21st with scores of 121 and 51.

Chris Woakes is back into the top 20 of the bowling rankings for the first time since September 2021, after he finished with four for 84 and two for 28 in the match, while spinner Shoaib Bashir has advanced 18 slots to 53rd position after he took his third five-wicket haul in just his fifth Test.

In the ICC World Test Championship standings, England are placed in sixth place, while West Indies are ninth, as per the percentage points that determine qualification.

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.