The players were among the 292 announced who have been shortlisted based on interest shown by the IPL franchises and represent about 30 per cent of the actual numbers of Caribbean players who had enrolled for the draft.
In addition to the three aforementioned players, Oshane Thomas, Chemar Holder and Obed McCoy were also shortlisted along with Akeal Hosein, Romario Shepherd and Kyle Mayers.
Sheldon Cottrell, Fabian Allen and Keemo Paul also made the cut as well as Carlos Brathwaite, Sherfane Rutherford, and Shannon Gabriel.
Jayden Seales, Fidel Edwards, Alzarri Joseph, Jon Ross Jaggesar complete the list of West Indies who will be hoping for lucrative contracts in the coming draft.
A total of 1097 players had registered for the 2021 IPL Draft.
West Indies, after setting a formidable total of 173-5, saw significant contributions from their top order. Johnson Charles led the charge with a solid 44, while Andre Russell's brisk 30 off 17 balls, alongside essential innings from Rovman Powell (23), Nicholas Pooran (22), and Sherfane Rutherford (22), set a challenging target for Uganda.
The Ugandan side, however, crumbled under the pressure of the West Indies' bowling onslaught, collapsing to a paltry 39 all out. Only Juma Miyagi managed to reach double figures, remaining unbeaten on 13. Hosein’s exceptional spell was well-supported by Alzarri Joseph (2-6) and a wicket each from Russell, Gudakesh Motie, and Romario Shepherd.
Reflecting on his outstanding performance, Hosein attributed his success to his dedication and strategic planning. "I think I needed this. In the nets and in the previous series, I felt the ball was coming out good but I was just not getting the rewards," Hosein explained.
“It is a lot of hard work. When you get success, guys are going to study you and have a plan. You always have to stay a step ahead. For me, it is just about trying to react to what the surface is doing and planning it out. Even if the ball is going both ways, you cannot do much if you don't plan. So, it is about planning the over well. I am happy to bowl wherever the team needs me."
Hosein’s disciplined approach and adaptability were evident as he dismantled the Ugandan batting lineup, showcasing why he is regarded as one of the top bowlers in the world.
Meanwhile, West Indies captain Rovman Powell praised his team's significantly improved performance compared to their nervy five-wicket victory against Papua New Guinea in the opening match on June 2.
"We talk about improving 10-15 per cent every match. Last game, we were flat so we just wanted to improve as a team," Powell remarked. "When you are playing at home, the pressure can sometimes get to you. So, a little bit of rust in the first match. We started off at 60 per cent, now up to 70-80 per cent and from here, it gets tougher."
Powell was particularly effusive in his praise for Hosein, emphasizing his consistent excellence. "He has been fantastic, that is why he is the number-three ranked bowler in the world. He has done it against Full-Member nations as well, and we expect him to do it against teams that are just coming into international cricket."
Looking ahead, Powell highlighted the challenges that lie in wait but expressed confidence in his team’s preparedness. "It is just for us to continue to play good cricket. We have played good cricket for the last 12 months or so. It gets tougher from here but we understand conditions and cricket is not easy in the Caribbean."
The victory means the two teams will do it all again on Tuesday in the first qualifier.
The Amazon Warriors won the toss and opted to field first, and that proved to be an inspired decision. On a fresh surface, their seamers wreaked havoc taking three wickets inside the PowerPlay to leave the Royals in disarray.
Wickets continued to fall at regular intervals and the 125 the Royals mustered was never likely to be enough on a track that offered good value for positive stroke play.
The Royals were able to take two early wickets of their own when they had their turn to bowl restricting the Amazon Warriors to 18-2 but that was as good as it got.
Shakib Al-Hasan produced a scintillating half-century to put the Amazon Warriors on the cusp of victory and the remaining batters saw the chase home to win the game inside 15 overs.
Earlier Guyana Amazon Warriors had utilised the movement on offer to unleash their cadre of seamers on the Royals. Romario Shepherd, Keemo Paul and Odean Smith all weighed in with wickets to leave the Royals 97-9 and it was only late cameos from Ramon Simmonds and Mujeeb Ur Rahman that enabled the Royals to post 125.
Although the Amazon Warriors lost Chandrapaul Hemraj and Shai Hope in the PowerPlay, Shakib played an enterprising innings to take the drama out of the chase. His knock of 53 came off 30 balls and laid the foundation for the Amazon Warriors to win with five over to spare.
The two sides will now do battle again in the first qualifier on Tuesday to determine who will earn the right to go straight to the Hero CPL final.
Scores: Guyana Amazon Warriors 126-5 (Shakib 53, Gurbaz 22; McCoy 2-22, Mayers 1-20) beat Barbados Royals 125 (Holder 42, Khan 20; Shepherd 3-14, Paul 2-9) by 5 wickets.
Russell, the Hitter of the Match, smashed four fours and three sixes in his 14-ball 39 in an opening partnership of 58 with Tom Kohler-Cadmore, who made 23 as the Gladiators made 139-4 from their 10 overs.
However, it was David Wiese and Smith, who powered the team to their match-winning total after Dominic Drakes took three wickets in the sixth over to see the Gladiators slip from 74-1 to 77-4.
The pair plundered 62 runs from the final four overs.
Wiese hit two fours and two sixes in his unbeaten 15-ball innings of 31 while Player-of-the-Match Smith hit two fours and three sixes from the 11 balls for 30.
Drakes was the best of the bowlers for the Bulls with 3-15 from his two overs.
Chasing 140 for victory, Delhi Bulls started well scoring 36 mid-ways the third over when Chandrapaul Hemraj was out for 24 caught by Russell off the bowling of Smith, who conceded 21 runs from his two overs.
Hemraj had struck two fours and two sixes in the eight balls he faced.
Smith would later return the favour when he caught the dangerous Eoin Morgan off Russell’s bowling for 27 that came off just eight balls.
When Sherfane Rutherford was bowled by Tymal Mills for 21 in the eighth over Bulls were 95-4 needing 45 from 16 balls.
Russell would eventually remove Bravo for nine in the ninth over with the Bulls still needing 34 from the final over.
It would be too much of an ask for Romario Shepherd, who was unbeaten on 16 from eight balls and Drakes one from one as the Bulls innings closed at 122-5.
Russell completed a solid all-around performance returning figures of 2-27.
Set a target of 180, South Africa appeared to be in a strong position at 129 for 3 in the 14th over, but the West Indies bowlers had other plans. In a stunning collapse, South Africa lost seven wickets for just 20 runs within the space of 35 balls, eventually being bowled out for 149 in 19.4 overs, falling short by 30 runs.
The West Indies' innings was anchored by key contributions from Shai Hope (41) and Rovman Powell (35), allowing them to post a competitive 179 for 6. South Africa's bowlers, led by Lizaad Williams (3 for 36) and Gerald Coetzee (2 for 29), kept the West Indies' scoring in check, but the hosts managed a late flourish, adding 50 runs in the last five overs.
South Africa started their chase aggressively, racing to 100 inside 10 overs, but the West Indies bowlers tightened the screws in the middle overs. Akeal Hosein and Gudakesh Motie delivered crucial breakthroughs, dismissing Tristan Stubbs and Donovan Ferreira respectively. However, it was the duo of Romario Shepherd and Shamar Joseph who truly turned the game on its head.
Shepherd was particularly effective, claiming 3 for 15 in his four overs, while Joseph recorded a career-best 3 for 31. Their combined efforts derailed South Africa's chase, which at one point seemed on track for victory.
South Africa's middle-order collapse highlighted concerns for the visitors, with only one batter from No. 3 down managing to surpass 20 runs. In a match where individual scoring milestones were scarce, the West Indies' ability to clear the boundary made the difference. They hit 13 sixes compared to South Africa's six, underscoring their superiority in power-hitting.
The 47-run stand between Rovman Powell and Sherfane Rutherford provided the West Indies with a crucial edge, as their late acceleration ensured a challenging total for South Africa.
The victory not only secured the series for the West Indies but also demonstrated their growing dominance over South Africa, particularly in home conditions. The hosts will now look to build on this momentum as they prepare for future challenges.
King was set to lead the West Indies A-Team on the recently concluded T20 tour to Nepal before he was withdrawn due to injury. Chase, appointed instead, went on to lead the A-Team to a series win against Nepal.
The West Indies Men’s squad for the series is as follows: Brandon King (Captain), Roston Chase (Vice-Captain), Fabian Allen, Alick Athanaze, Johnson Charles, Andre Fletcher, Matthew Forde, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Kyle Mayers, Obed McCoy, Gudakesh Motie, Romario Shepherd and Hayden Walsh Jr.
Alzarri Joseph and Sherfane Rutherford will be added to the squad if their respective franchises do not reach the Indian Premier League (IPL) Final. Shai Hope and Nicholas Pooran are both rested for the series and will join the squad in Trinidad on Monday, 27 May.
“These are among the last competitive T20 International matches before the start of the World Cup,” said lead selector Desmond Haynes. “Players have the opportunity to fine-tune their skills and ensure they are as prepared as they can be for the World Cup, whether they are in the final squad or reserve pool.”
White Ball Head Coach Daren Sammy also commented on his objectives for this series stating, “We have not played together as a team since the Australia series, but we just completed a very high-intensity training camp in Antigua. Now we have the chance to integrate some of our players returning from the IPL and build some momentum as a group going into the World Cup.”
Tickets for the T20I Series against South Africa at Sabina Park, Jamaica are available now to buy online from the Windies Tickets service, at WINDIES TICKET PORTAL. Fans who purchase online will benefit from a 20 per cent discount compared to the box office prices, with tickets ranging from the most premium seats with the best-shaded views in the stadium through to affordable standard seats or mounds/grounds entry.
Match schedule:
- 23 May 1st T20I West Indies v South Africa at Sabina Park, Jamaica 2:00 pm JT/3:00 pm ECT
- 25 May 2nd T20I West Indies v South Africa at Sabina Park, Jamaica 2:00 pm JT/3:00 pm ECT
- 26 May 3rd T20I West Indies v South Africa at Sabina Park, Jamaica 2:00 pm JT/3:00 pm ECT
West Indies won the last T20 International played at Sabina Park against New Zealand in August 2022, which was the last time international cricket was played at this historic venue.
The 31-year-old left-hand batsman stamped his authority on the Harpy Eagles bowlers with a solid unbeaten 48-ball 71, which included seven fours and two sixes. And almost like rubbing salt in the opponent’s wounds, Cariah returned to grab five wickets for a mere 34 runs in five overs to restrict Harpy Eagles to 176 in reply to Red Force’s 290.
Captain Darren Bravo continued his good form with another half-century knock of 51 off 60 balls, while Kjorn Ottley, stroked 52 of 57 deliveries in the Red Force’s daunting total.
Scores: Trinidad and Tobago Red Force 290-8 (50 overs); Guyana Harpy Eagles 176 all out (34 overs)
Sent in to bat, Red Force relished the conditions. Though they lost Evin Lewis (16) in the fifth over with the score at 27-1, wicketkeeper/batsman Joshua Da Silva (27) and Ottley, who had six boundaries and one six in his knock, added 64 for the second wicket.
Ottley was the first to go, caught by Gudakesh Motie off Veerasammy Permaul and Da Silva followed soon after, leaving Bravo and Jason Mohammed (26) to post another 58 runs for the fourth wicket.
Bravo, who had six fours in his innings went caught off Sherfane Rutherford and Mohammed stuck with Cariah in a 45-run fifth-wicket stand before the former was undone by Motie.
Still, Cariah remained aggressive and with small contributions from those in the lower order, saw Red Force to their match-winning total.
Romario Shepherd (2-43) and Sherfane Rutherford (2-55), were the pick of the Harpy Eagles bowling.
Guyana’s response started positively, but was never allowed to bear fruit, as Jayden Seales, Akeal Hosein, Sunil Narine and Terrance Hinds combined to remove Tagenarine Chanderpaul (19), Chandrapaul Hemraj (21), Tevin Imlach (26) and Shimron Hetmyer (24), with an even 100 runs on the board in the 17th over.
From there, it was left for Cariah, bowling his leg spin, to mop up the remaining batsmen of which only Rutherford (30) and Kevin Sinclair (20), offered any real resistance to the onslaught. Narine had the next best Red Force figures of 2-18.
Action in the tournament continues on Sunday with Windward Islands Volcanoes crossing swords with Combined Campuses and Colleges at the Sir Frank Worrell Memorial Ground.
McCoy was named in the original squad subject to medical clearance but has been ruled out of the upcoming series due to a knee injury.
Lead Selector, The Most Hon. Dr Desmond Haynes, said: “Roston gets an opportunity in the upcoming series as we see him being a versatile player who can be called upon at any stage in the game. We want to wish Obed the best with his rehabilitation programme and hope to see him back in West Indies colours soon.”
The three-match T20I Series bowls off on Saturday 25 March at SuperSport Park in Centurion.
The second match will be at the same venue the following day, while the third match will be at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on Tuesday 28 March.
The T20I Series is preceded by a three-match One-Day International (ODI) Series.
The first two matches will be at Buffalo Park in East London on March 16 and March 18, with the final contest on March 21 at JB Marks Oval Potchefstroom.
T20I SQUAD
Rovman Powell (Captain)
Kyle Mayers (Vice Captain)
Shamarh Brooks
Yannic Cariah
Johnson Charles
Roston Chase
Sheldon Cottrell
Jason Holder
Akeal Hosein
Alzarri Joseph
Brandon King
Nicholas Pooran
Raymon Reifer
Romario Shepherd
Odean Smith
West Indies white ball match schedule in South Africa
Thursday, 16 March: 1st ODI at Buffalo Park, East London (day/night)
Saturday, 18 March: 2nd ODI at Buffalo Park, East London (day/night)
Tuesday, 21 March: 3rd ODI at JB Marks Oval, Potchefstroom
Saturday, 25 March: 1st T20Is at SuperSport Park, Centurion
Sunday, 26 March: 2nd T20I at SuperSport Park, Centurion
Tuesday, 28 March: 3rd T20I at Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg (night)
This is in addition to 90 players across the region who are contracted to Territorial Board Franchise Squads.
The West Indies Men’s contracted player list sees fast bowler Jayden Seales, left-arm seamer Obed McCoy and allrounder Odean Smith awarded international retainer contracts for the first time. The West Indies Women’s contracted player list sees allrounders Mandy Mangru and Jannillea Glasgow along with batter Rashada Williams awarded international retainer contracts for the first time, all of which are development contracts.
For 2022-23, CWI has changed the Men’s retainer contract structure to offer player contracts across all formats of cricket, compared to specific red or white-ball contracts in previous years. The offer of retainer contracts to all players follows an Evaluation Period of performances from 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022, which is also supported by statistics from the previous 2019 -2020 Evaluation Period. This allows for all players to be appraised immediately after the Evaluation Period and provides a notice period before new contracts start on 1 July 2022. The system is designed to reward hard work and performance results.
“Congratulations to all the players who have been offered contracts. We think this is a dynamic group, with the right mixture of experience and youthfulness to properly represent the people of the Caribbean. With general retainer contracts, it gives us a pool of talented and dedicated cricketers, who can take West Indies cricket forward in years to come,” said West Indies Men’s Lead Selector the Hon. Desmond Haynes.
West Indies Women’s Lead Selector, Ann Browne-John also offered her congratulations.
“The selectors have placed a great focus on the young developing players because these are the ones who will help to build the team as we look towards the future. The panel believes that the combination of experienced players and the emerging players will give a good base as we continue to prepare teams for international matches and the T20 World Cup early next year,” she said.
“I am delighted for all the players who have been offered retainers for the upcoming period. This represents a significant investment in the ongoing development of our international players whilst also ensuring our best players are available for selection,” said CWI Director of Cricket Jimmy Adams.
Full list of contracted players:
West Indies Men
Jermaine Blackwood
Nkrumah Bonner
Kraigg Brathwaite
Joshua Da Silva
Jason Holder
Shai Hope
Akeal Hosein
Alzarri Joseph
Brandon King
Kyle Mayers
Obed McCoy
Nicholas Pooran
Rovman Powell
Kemar Roach
Jayden Seales
Romario Shepherd
Odean Smith
Hayden Walsh Jr.
West Indies Women
*Denotes developmental contract
Aaliyah Alleyne
Shemaine Campbelle
Shamilia Connell
Deandra Dottin
Afy Fletcher
Cherry Ann Fraser *
Shabika Gajnabi *
Jannillea Glasgow *
Chinelle Henry
Mandy Mangru *
Hayley Matthews
Anisa Mohammed
Chedean Nation
Karishma Ramharack
Kaysia Schultz *
Shakera Selman
Stafanie Taylor
Rashada Williams*
Hetmyer was replaced by Shamarh Brooks in the West Indies squad for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup after the player missed a rescheduled flight to join his teammates in Australia.
The West Indies’ loss turned out to be Berbice’s gain as the 25-year-old explosive batsman was named in a strong Berbice XI to take on Demerara at Bourda.
The Berbice team also features former West Indies spinner Veersammy Permaul and rising talent Gudakesh Motie as well as Kevin Sinclair and Romario Shepherd.
The Super Kings, after winning the toss and electing to field first, restricted New York to 163-8 from their 20 overs.
Rashid Khan (55) and Monank Patel (48) were the top run scorers for MI against an important 2-18 off four overs from Marcus Stoinis. Aaron Hardie also took two wickets while Dwayne Bravo finished with 1-21 from 1.3 overs.
Texas then needed only 18.3 overs to reach 167-1 thanks to a 47-ball 72 from du Plessis, his third fifty of the season, including six fours and three sixes.
That knock now brings du Plessis’s run total to 375 from seven games, form that he will hope translates to the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) where he will captain the St. Lucia Kings beginning August 29.
Devon Conway capitalized on some missed chances from the MI New York fielders to finish 51* while Hardie followed up his two wickets with 40* off 22 balls.
The Super Kings will now face the loser of the Qualifier between the Washington Freedom and San Francisco Unicorns in the Challenger on Friday for a place in Sunday’s final.
Full Scores:
MI New York 163-8 off 20 overs (Rashid Khan 55, Monank Patel 48, Marcus Stoinis 2-18, Aaron Hardie 2-22)
Texas Super Kings 167-1 off 18.3 overs (Faf du Plessis 72, Devon Conway 51*, Aaron Hardie 40*)
The missive to the CWI comes on the heels of the recent announcement by CWI of 18 players who were offered retainer contracts for the year July 1, 2021-June 30, 2022. Among those who were awarded were newcomers Kyle Mayers, Joshua Da Silva and Nkrumah Bonner, who had standout performances against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
However, there were no contracts for the four Guyanese players, a troubling development for the GCB.
“The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) notes with great concern the information that Shimron Hetmyer, Keemo Paul and Romario Shepherd were not awarded International Retainer Contracts by the Cricket West Indies (CWI),” the board said in a statement Friday.
“The GCB is also concerned with the non-award of an International Retainer Contract to Veerasammy Permaul.”
The GCB said it is not aware and was not informed of the criteria used for the award of international retainer contracts nor were any reasons given for the non-award contracts to the four players.
“The non-award of International Retainer Contracts to these players by CWI is a matter of extreme concern to the GCB and to the Guyanese public and the GCB intends to fully investigate this matter,” the GCB said.
Earlier this month, CWI West Indies released the names of 18 players who were offered retainer contracts for the different formats of the game. Kyle Mayers, Joshua Da Silva and Nkrumah Bonner were all rewarded with contracts after standout performances against Bangladesh and Sri Lanka earlier this year.
However, Shimron Hetmyer, Keemo Paul, Veerasammy Permaul and Romario Shepherd, were not among the players who will be retained for the year July 1, 2021, to June 30, 2022.
Subsequently, the GCB wrote to the CWI requesting the criteria for being offered contracts as it began what it says was an investigation into why the players were overlooked by CWI.
Asked about the matter, Harper, while speaking on the Mason and Guest show in Barbados last week revealed that GCB President Bissoondyal Singh and Vice President Hilbert Foster, Directors at CWI, were in attendance at the CWI Board of Directors meeting where the players that were being considered for contracts were discussed. He said they were fully aware of which players were being offered contracts before the names were made public.
“The opportunity was there to ask as many questions as they needed to so I am not quite sure what’s going on,” Harper said.
Harper’s statements prompted a charged response from the GCB.
“We write to you with great astonishment and much disappointment on the media statements by the Chairman of Selectors of the CWI as they relate to the issue of the non-retainer by CWI of male Guyanese cricketers,” the letter said.
“We at GCB thought that we were doing the proper and decent thing by first, writing to CWI requesting the criteria which were used for the retention and/or non-retention of our male cricketers, prior to making any public statements on their non-retention.
“It is most unfortunate and quite disappointing that while we are still patiently awaiting the submission of the said criteria, the Chairman of Selectors thought it best, whether on his own accord or with the support of the CWI, to make the comments in the media that two of our Directors were present at the meeting when the matter of retention and/or non-retention was discussed.”
The GCB said they believe Harper ought to have been aware that there was no "handing over of the mantle" to the current directors of GCB by the two former directors" and it was the first meeting of the CWI that the two new directors attended and the issue of the retention of the players was more in the form of a report after the decision was already made.
Additionally, the GCB said, the two directors could not have commented and/or usefully participated in the "report" in relation to the retention of the players without the two directors knowing or being fully apprised of the selection and/or non-selection criteria.
“Like the Chairman of Selectors, GCB also has its own responsibility to the public and will, therefore, following the trend set by the said Chairman, to make this letter available to the media,” the GCB said.
“We are still patiently awaiting the criteria and report on the non-retention of our male cricketers and we fervently hope that CWI sees it best to provide those to us urgently rather than to have one of its officers (the Chairman), whether on a frolic of his own or not, unleash his unnecessary and unfortunate wrath on the GCB. “
Chasing 186 for victory, West Indies slumped to yet another seemingly inevitable defeat characterized by poor shot-making and reckless play.
The West Indies slumped to 49-4 in the seventh over with Kyle Mayers (1), Nicholas Pooran (15), Devon Thomas (1) and Shimron Hetmyer (2) all back in the hutch.
Jason Holder and Rovman Powell tried to accelerate but were out for 25 and 18, respectively as the West Indies slumped to 114-7, needing 72 from the final 32 balls.
Holder’s dismissal brought together Shepherd and Smith whose partnership brought the West Indies within 13 runs of an unlikely victory.
Shepherd hit three sixes and a four in his 16-ball 31 while Smith made 27 from just 14 balls with four fours and a six, but the task proved too great as the West Indies innings closed at 172-7.
Mitchell Santer was the best of the New Zealand bowlers with 3-19 from his four overs.
After the visitors were invited to take the first strike, Martin Guptill and Devon Conway shared in an opening stand of 62 at almost eight runs an over.
It took a spectacular piece of fielding from Shimron Hetmyer to break the partnership in the eighth over when Guptill cut Odean Smith up and over deep point only to see the Guyanese snatch the ball out of the air just as it was about to clear the boundary.
Smith removed Conway next ball caught down the leg side by wicketkeeper Devon Thomas for a 29-ball 43 that included four fours and two sixes.
Glen Phillips went for 17 caught at short fine leg off Holder and Daryl Mitchell was dismissed by Obed McCoy as the West Indies tried to fight back having New Zealand at 144-4 in the 17th over.
At the other end, Kane Williamson bludgeoned the bowling making 47 from just 33 balls before he became Smith’s third victim with New Zealand 149-5 in the 18th. The next 15 balls would prove costly, especially the last six bowled by Jason Holder, who was plundered for 23 runs that pushed New Zealand to 185-5. James Neesham's 33 from 15 balls with three fours and two sixes at the death, was instrumental in getting New Zealand to their winning total.
Smith ended with 3-32.
Despite a tricky start with the bat the Amazon Warriors posted an imposing total of 210-7 with fifties for Shimron Hetmyer and Keemo Paul. In reply, the Tallawahs top order succumbed to the bowling of Romario Shepherd with five wickets falling inside the first seven overs.
A brilliant partnership between Imad Wasim and Fabian Allen saw the Tallawahs recover from 36-5 to 133-6 but the damage caused by those early wickets could not be repaired.
The Jamaica Tallawahs started brilliantly with the ball, claiming two wickets inside the first over. The first man to go was Hazratullah Zazai who made a two-ball duck on his CPL debut when he cut a ball from Chris Green to Imad Wasim at point. When Saim Ayub edged a ball from Mohammad Amir through to the keeper the score was 7-2 and the Amazon Warriors were in danger of losing the game inside the PowerPlay.
Azam Khan hit a huge six but was dismissed for just seven when he was brilliantly caught by Salman Irshad who claimed a diving effort on the third-man boundary, but from there it was all about the Warriors batting.
Shai Hope made an attractive 25 and shared a 50-run stand with Shimron Hetmyer, but the fireworks really started with Keemo Paul walked to the crease. Hetmyer and Paul put on 99-run stand from just 47 balls with both men passing 50. Paul was dismissed for a career best 57 while Hetmyer made a blistering 60.
It was left to Romario Shepherd and Dwaine Pretorius to take the Warriors past 200 as they set a target of 211.
It was always going to be a stiff ask but when Romario Shepherd bowled a double wicket maiden it made things very hard for the Tallawahs. Shepherd would go on to finish with figures of 3-7 from his three overs.
The stand between Allen and Imad was full of attacking shots but with the required rate getting unmanageble there was too much left for them to do. When Imad was dismissed for 63 by Imran Tahir the required rate was up to 20 runs an over.
Allen fell for 47 and with him any slim hopes of a Tallawahs win departed as the Jamaican side finished on 176 all out.
Scores: Guyana Amazon Warriors 210/7 (Hetmyer 60, Paul 57; Amir 3-33, Green 2-28) beat Jamaica Tallawahs 176 all out (Imad Wasim 63, Allen 47; Shepherd 3-7, J Sinclair 2-17) by 34 runs
Shepherd also took a wicket and bowled with pace on a good surface at the Coolidge Cricket Ground. He won the CG Insurance Man-of-the-Match award. Guyana batted first and made 235. After a rain break, the target was revised to 232 off 47 overs. Barbados Pride reached 91-5 in the 30th over when the rain returned and brought an end to the match.
Off-spinner Kevin Sinclair, a member of the victorious West Indies Emerging Players team back in 2019, took 2-17 from 7.3 overs as Guyana Jaguars bowled well. His first wicket was opener Justin Greaves, caught at mid-wicket by Hetmyer and the second was Roston Chase, beaten and bowled.
“I’m really pleased with my performance. I have been working really hard on my batting and I was happy with the way I played and the contribution I made to help the team win,” Shepherd said.
“I’m in good shape and the ball is also coming out really well. This was a good victory for us … you always want to start with a win.”
The Scots won the toss and put the West Indians in to bat at the Harare Sports Club.
Hope top scored with a 65-ball 57 while Shepherd provided some valuable lower-order hitting with a brisk 34-ball 53 as the Windies posted 264 in 48.4 overs.
Hope’s knock contained six fours while Shepherd hit five fours and three sixes.
Chris Sole took 4-50 from his 10 overs while Jack Jarvis and Chris Greaves each claimed three wickets for Scotland.
The West Indies then successfully defended the total, needing only 33.5 overs to bowl the Scots out for 173.
Cariah produced an excellent spell of bowling to claim 4-46 in nine overs while Roston Chase took 3-43 from 5.5 overs.
Brandon McMullen and Matthew Cross were the chief scorers for Scotland with 38 and 35, respectively.
The West Indies next warm-up match will take place at the same venue on Thursday against the UAE.
The English levelled the series after a narrow 1-run win, at the Kensington Oval, but early on in the West Indies run chase, after the visitors had scored 171, the result seemed a mere formality.
After a slow start from the hosts, tight bowling from England during the middle overs, spearheaded by Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid, saw the West Indies tumble from 47 for 2 to 65 for 7 but a superb display of power hitting from Hosein and Shepherd, in the end, left the team just short of the target.
Shepherd blasted 44 from 28, a tally which included 5 sixes, while Hosein put in 44 from 16, including a flurry of boundaries to close out the match.
“Akeal and Shepherd have been working really hard on their batting. We have a long list of hitters in our team and tonight we saw something special from Akeal and Shepherd, kudos go to them, they didn’t give up at all,” Pooran said.
“It just shows the strength in our team, tonight was their night, we lost the game by two runs but another night someone else will turn up to the party,” he added.
At the same time, Pooran admits that the team could have gotten a bit more contribution from the top order. Pooran scored 24 himself and Darren Bravo 23, but both openers Brandon King (0) and Shai Hope (2) went for peanuts.
“I think Kingy (Brandon King) had a tough decision, but we have to accept those things and Hope was a bit unfortunate, the wrong decision maybe at that time. That set us back in the powerplay but having said that (Reece) Topley bowled really well in the powerplay.”
The 24-year-old, right-arm fast-medium bowler will replace Romario Shepherd who has been withdrawn after he tested positive for the Covid-19 virus, according to sports broadcaster Andrew Mason.
Harding has played 17 First-Class matches during which he has taken 54 wickets at an average of 25.11. His best bowling performance came against Trinidad and Tobago in February 2020 when he took 10 wickets in the match with a best of 5 for 19 in TT’s second innings.
The loss of Shepherd, though, will be a major blow to the West Indies, who were already without a number of stars including Captain Jason Holder, Shimron Hetmyer, Darren Bravo, Shamarh Brooks, Kieron Pollard, Shai Hope, Sheldon Cottrell and Nicholas Pooran for the tour set to take place between late January and February this year.
Shepherd scored a century and a 50 during the recent West Indies ‘A’ tour of New Zealand and was one of the shining lights in an otherwise disastrous tour. He also took two wickets in the unofficial two-Test series.
Chasing 222 for victory the West Indies reached their target in the 40th over. King scored an even 100 and Captain Shai Hope, an unbeaten 63 to secure their first win in the Super Six stage of the tournament.
With both teams already eliminated from contention from qualifying for the ICC World Cup in India later this year, the match was of academic interest.
However, the West Indies were looking to save face after losing to the Netherlands and Scotland in consecutive matches. After winning the toss, Hope asked Oman to take first strike.
The bulk of the scoring came from Suraj Kumar, whose unbeaten 53 and Shaoib Khan, an even 50, helped Oman to 221-9. Opener Kashyap Prajapati got 31 and Aayan Khan, 30, in the face of accurate bowling from Romario Shepherd who took 3-44 and Kyle Mayers 2-31 from seven overs.
Kevin Sinclair, who replaced the injured Yannic Cariah in the West Indies squad finished with 1-42.
With the West Indies looking for their first points of the Super Six stage, they Caribbean side lost Johnson Charles for four with only seven runs on the board.
However, Keacy Carty and King settled nerves with an 80-run second wicket partnership before the latter was run out for 29. From there the West Indies were cruising as King and Hope steered the West Indies to the brink of victory with a third-wicket partnership of 96 that was broken when King feathered a catch through to wicketkeeper Kumar off the bowling of Bilal Khan for 100.
His second ODI century came off 104 deliveries and included 15 sublime boundaries.
Hope and Nicholas Pooran scored the remaining runs without much bother with Hope scoring his 23rd ODI 50 along the way. Pooran was unbeaten on 19 at the end.
The West Indies will play their final match of their failed campaign against Sri Lanka on Friday. Sri Lanka has already qualified for the ICC World Cup.
