“His involvement in T20 cricket has been non-existent,” Gray said of Cariah on the Mason & Guest radio show in Barbados on Tuesday.
The 30-year-old Trinidadian made his One-Day International debut for the Windies in the recently concluded series against New Zealand in Barbados last month.
“With Cariah, I think the selectors are assessing him on the couple of games he played against New Zealand but those were 50-over games. Where are you going to bat Cariah? He’s a very intelligent player, hard-working. I had him at the Under-19 level and I had to stop him a few times because he would be the one that would over-train and put too much pressure on himself,” added Gray, who represented the region in five Tests and 25 ODIs from 1985-1991.
Cariah has played four T20 matches in his career, the last coming six years ago.
Regarding Cottrell, Gray pointed to his fitness as his main question mark heading into Australia.
“I don’t think Cottrell has been fit enough in recent times to warrant a place on the West Indies team. When you look at Cottrell in the last 50-over tournament, he was the player of the tournament for the West Indian people. When we look at Cottrell then, he was extremely fit. He was not only brilliant with the ball, but he was also brilliant in the field and took some stunning catches,” Gray said.
“The point I’m trying to make about Cottrell is that if he’s not playing consistently, I’m not sure that he’s going to fare well. We understand that he’s going to be playing on bouncier tracks in Australia and that he has different types of deliveries, but I’ve not seen him enough in recent times to make a determination on his fitness,” he added.
Cottrell has taken 48 wickets in 43 T20 Internationals since his debut in 2014. In the 2022 CPL, he took five wickets in six matches for the St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots.
Jordan took 3-48, Springer 3-11 and Boyce 3-26 as Barbados routed Jamaica for 141 in just 54.5 overs.
At stumps, in reply Barbados were 89-2 with Sheyne Moseley unbeaten on 41. With him is Shamarh Brooks on 16.
Jamie Merchant was the top scorer for Jamaica with 35. Tevin Gilzene scored 31 while Abhijai Mansingh contributed 27 to the paltry total.
Meanwhile, over at North Sound, Trinidad and Tobago Red Force playing against the Leeward Islands Hurricanes, were 151-3 at stumps thanks to an unbeaten 74 from Darren Bravo.
Bravo came to the rescue after his team had lost two early wickets with only eight runs on the board. He and Jason Mohammed put on 74 for the third wicket to put the Red Force back on track.
By stumps, he and Yannic Cariah added a further 69 to the total.
Jeremiah Louis did the early damage for the Leewards taking 2-19.
The Red Force started the day 51-3, needing 110 more runs to make the Pride bat again, and they got off to the worst possible start after Chase removed Jason Mohammed for 10 to leave the score at 55-4.
55-4 became 64-5 as opener Keagan Simmons was next to go for 31, caught off the bowling of Chase.
Yannic Cariah was the only other batsman to put up any resistance, finishing 35 not out as Joshua Da Silva (14), Imran Khan (2), Terrance Hinds (1), Uthman Muhammad (7), and Shannon Gabriel (8) all fell in quick succession to restrict the Red Force to 139 all out, condemning them to their second straight outright loss.
Chase took 3-26 from 12 overs while Akeem Jordan and Justin Greaves were also instrumental with 3-31 off 11.1 overs and 2-27 from nine overs, respectively.
Final scores: Trinidad and Tobago Red Force 133 and 139, Barbados Pride 294.
The panel confirmed the fifteen (15) players who will represent the West Indies in the eighth ICC T20 World Cup, which will be played in Australia from October 16 to November 13.
The West Indies are the only team to have won the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup twice, in Sri Lanka in 2012 and in India in 2016. The West Indies campaign to win an unprecedented third ICC Men’s T20 World Cup title starts on October 17, when they take on Scotland in first of three Group B fixtures played at the Bellerive Oval, in Hobart, Tasmania to qualify for the Super 12 phase of the tournament. Nicholas Pooran leads the West Indies in his first World Cup as captain, with Rovman Powell as vice-captain.
Left-hand opening batter Evin Lewis has been recalled for the first time since the 2021 ICC T20 World Cup. Two uncapped players have been selected; right-arm leg-spinner allrounder Yannic Cariah and left-arm batting allrounder Raymon Reifer.
The Most Honourable Dr. Desmond Haynes, CWI’s Lead Selector said: “We have selected a mixture of youth and experience to represent the West Indies. In the selection process, we have been cognizant of the ongoing CPL and we have been looking at the players who have been playing very well. I said at the beginning of my tenure that I would be interested in giving players the opportunity and I think I have been consistent in doing that. I believe it is a very good team we have selected, and it is a team that will compete, given that we have to qualify from Round 1 into the Super12s.”
Dr. Haynes added: “ There are players who did not make the team and I hope they will continue to work hard and perform to their best in the CPL and the upcoming CG United Super50 Cup; because you never know what can happen in case of injuries or any other unforeseen situations where we might need to call up players as replacements.”
West Indies will face Zimbabwe on October 19 and then Ireland on October 21 with the top two teams from Group B joining the Super 12s, along with the top two teams from Group A which features Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands and Namibia. The top two teams from each Super12 group will advance to the semi-finals on November 9 and 10.
Before the start of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, the West Indies will meet home team Australia in a two-match bilateral T20 International (T20I) series on October 5 at the Metricon Stadium on the Gold Coast and on October 7 at the historical Gabba, in Brisbane.
FULL SQUAD
- NICHOLAS POORAN - Captain
- ROVMAN POWELL – Vice captain
- YANNIC CARIAH
- JOHNSON CHARLES
- SHELDON COTTRELL
- SHIMRON HETMYER
- JASON HOLDER
- AKEAL HOSEIN
- ALZARRI JOSEPH
- BRANDON KING
- EVIN LEWIS
- KYLE MAYERS
- OBED McCOY
- RAYMON REIFER
- ODEAN SMITH
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)
The Volcanoes were restricted to 189 all out in 47 overs after winning the toss and choosing to bat.
Kavem Hodge followed up his hundred against the CCC with a top-score of 39 while Tevyn Walcott made 36 against Yannic Cariah’s 3-34 from 10 overs. Shannon Gabriel and Terrance Hinds took two wickets each in support.
The Red Force chase was a simple one thanks to an excellent 88-ball 66 from Joshua Da Silva including six fours and one six. Opener Kjorn Ottley continued his good form this season with 36 while captain Nicholas Pooran and Darren Bravo finished not out on 36 and 27, respectively as the Red Force ended 195-3 off 43 overs.
The Red Force resumed from their overnight score of 151-3 with Bravo on 74 and Yannic Cariah at the other end on 32.
They extended their fourth-wicket stand of 69 to 101 when Colin Archibald trapped Cariah leg before wicket with the score at 186. Shortly after, Archibald dismissed Tion Webster for six as TT Red Force slipped to189-5.
Bravo and Jangoo set about repairing the damage but the score had reached 227, Bravo was bowled by Sheeno Berridge for exactly 100. He had faced 229 balls and hit 10 fours and two sixes.
Jangoo and Imran Khan began a lower-order rally adding 51 for the seventh wicket when Jeremiah Louis dismissed Jangoo for 52.
Khan assumed the role of senior batter and together with Terrance Hinds put on 81 for the eighth wicket as Trinidad progressed past 300 runs and began to push towards 400.
Hinds was eventually dismissed by Kofi James for a run-a-ball 51.
At stumps, Khan remains not out on 68. At the other end Khary Pierre is not on nine as the match heads into its third day.
Louis has so far taken 3-56 and Berridge 2-78. Archibald has 2-83.
With just two rounds of matches left in the regional first-class season, the Red Force sit sixth on the eight-team standings with 51 points from five games.
The Leeward Islands Hurricanes currently lead the table with 81.2 points.
Gabriel took a back seat earlier in the season with Jayden Seales available to play the first five matches of the campaign.
However, with Seales unavailable for the final two games due to his commitment to play in the England County Championship with Sussex, Gabriel has made himself available for the final two matches.
Meanwhile, Cariah is also available following his stint in the Bangladesh Premier League T20 and Jyd Goolie also comes back into the team after recovering from injury which kept him out of the previous game.
Veteran leg-spinner Imran Khan was left out of the squad having played just one game for the Red Force this season.
Joshua Da Silva will captain the team with Bryan Charles serving as vice-captain.
The players will have the option of playing for their local clubs when the T&T Cricket Board Sunday League 50-over competition bowls off with matches tomorrow (Saturday) and Sunday.
The Red Force will take on CCC in round five at the Sir Frank Worrell Memorial Ground from April 10-13 before finishing their season against Jamaica as Sabina Park from April 17-20.
T&T Red Force squad: Joshua Da Silva (captain), Brian Charles (vice-captain), Vikash Mohan, Kjorn Ottley, Amir Jangoo, Jason Mohammed, Tion Webster, Anderson Phillip, Shannon Gabriel, Terrance Hinds, Jyd Goolie, Yannic Cariah, Khary Pierre.
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.
After receiving his debut cap at the Kensington Oval, ahead of the first ODI in the series, Cariah finished with figures of 1 for 49 in 9 overs. The spinner accounted for the wicket of Michael Bracewell who was dismissed lbw.
The 30-year-old player, a regular in the region’s A-Team, was added to the squad after Gudakesh Motie failed to fully recover from a fractured thumb, which he sustained during the ODI series against India last month.
“It was a great feeling, I worked very hard to reach here. It took longer than I expected but I’m grateful to finally have the opportunity and I’ve enjoyed it so far,” Cariah said of his debut.
Another debutant Kevin Sinclair also reaped success after taking 1 for 37 in the bowling unit's overall strong performance. The charge was led by Akeal Hosein’s 3 for 28 and Alzarri Joseph’s 3 for 36. All-rounder Jason Holder also chipped in with 2 for 39.
“I think we utilized the wicket well. I think Akeal bowled, Sinclair bowled well and all the bowlers, in particular, bowled well. We set up a good chase.”
Cariah, the leg-spinner and left-handed batsman, had surgery on a nasal fracture last week after getting hit in the nets. He has not recovered sufficiently to resume playing at this stage, CWI said. Sinclair the tall off-spinner and right-handed batsman is due to arrive in Harare on Thursday.
The Event Technical Committee of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2023 approved the replacement. The replacement of a player requires the approval of the Event Technical Committee before the replacement player can be officially added to the squad.
The Super Six stage will be played from Thursday 29 June to Friday 7 July. West Indies ended third in Group A with two wins and two defeats and play three Super Six matches against the sides qualifying in the top three positions from Group B. Those three matches will be against Sri Lanka, Scotland and Oman.
The final will be played at Harare Sports Club on Sunday 9 July. The two finalists will progress to the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 to be played in India in October and November.
Full Squad: Shai Hope (captain), Rovman Powell (vice-captain), Shamarh Brooks, Keacy Carty, Roston Chase, Johnson Charles, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Keemo Paul, Nicholas Pooran, Romario Shepherd and Kevin Sinclair.
Super Six Match Schedule
(all matches start at 9am/3am East Caribbean/2am Jamaica)
Saturday, 1 July: Scotland v West Indies, Harare Sports Club
Wednesday, 5 July: West Indies v Oman, Harare Sports Club
Friday, 7 July: v Sri Lanka, Harare Sports Club
Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the topics up for debate ahead of the series opener in Antigua on Sunday.
Keep calm and carry on
No longer the standard-bearers in ODIs after their crown dramatically slipped in India, the talk from outside the England camp is of a reset. Those inside the dressing room, however, argue that one bad campaign should not be followed by radical transformation. It is sound logic given how successful the blueprint created by Eoin Morgan then taken on by Jos Buttler was, enabling England to become the first nation to hold both limited-overs World Cups simultaneously.
Out with the old, in with the new
So a change in approach seems unlikely but only half a dozen of the World Cup squad have travelled out to the Caribbean, which might have been the case regardless of how well they fared. Many of England’s established stars are the wrong side of 30 and unlikely to be involved in the 2027 World Cup – some such as Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali and Chris Woakes might not play another ODI. Will Jacks and Phil Salt are set to form an explosive opening combination while teenage leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed and pacemen Gus Atkinson and the uncapped John Turner may be at the forefront of a new era.
Pressure on Buttler and Mott
As England’s World Cup title defence unravelled, scrutiny inevitably fell on the decision-making of captain Buttler and head coach Matthew Mott. They have been backed fully by director of men’s cricket Rob Key, who shouldered some of the blame for prioritising the Test team above all else. While Key expects the experience to strengthen Buttler-Mott as a partnership, he added the caveat: “If it isn’t, it isn’t and you move on.” Victory in this series and in the three T20s that follow – six months before returning here for the T20 World Cup – would go a long way to easing some concerns.
Cricket’s unrelenting schedule
Barely three weeks on from the final match of the World Cup, six travellers from a gruelling trip to India are in another continent preparing for a different series. Buttler, Atkinson, Harry Brook, Sam Curran, Liam Livingstone and Brydon Carse hardly had any time back in the UK before having to pack their suitcases again. A congested programme is frequently lamented and shows no sign of slowing down – although these are England’s last ODIs until September.
Rally round the West Indies
While England’s campaign in India went badly awry and they finished seventh out of 10 teams, the Windies were absent from the extravaganza, losing four of five matches and finishing below Scotland and Zimbabwe in the qualifiers. Shai Hope remains captain but the hosts will be without Jason Holder and Nicholas Pooran because of their involvement in the Abu Dhabi T10, a reminder of the Windies’ talent drain to franchise competitions. Shane Dowrich was then named in the squad before immediately retiring from international cricket this week. Little-known players such as Alick Athanaze, Yannic Cariah, Keacy Carty and Gudakesh Motie therefore get a chance to show what they can do as the Windies look to rebuild.
Replying to Windward Islands’ score of 254-9, Trinidad and Tobago achieved victory at 255-4 with 12 balls to spare.
Batting first, Windward Islands owed their total to a brilliant knock of 89 from Johnson Charles, who smashed eight fours and five sixes in his 69-ball stay before he was dismissed by Yannick Cariah, who also claimed the wicket of Johnson’s opening partner Alick Athanaze for 39.
Kavem Hodge contributed 45 while Captain Andre Fletcher, batting much lower in the order, made 36 to help take the Windwards to a competitive total.
Cariah also took the wickets of Sunil Ambris for 10 and Tevyn Walcott for six to end with figures of 4-57. Sunil Narine provided support with 2-29.
The chase was relatively uneventful was Ottley dominated the bowling scoring his runs from 142 balls during which he hit 11 fours and three sixes. Fellow opener Tion Webster scored 40 and there were contributions of Terrence Hinds, who was not out on 26 at the end, and Darren Bravo, 25 and Jason Mohammed, 20.
Kenneth Dember was the best of the bowlers with 2-23.
Batting first in the contest which was initially reduced to 44 overs per side, Red Force posted 246 for four from their allotment, with captain Darren Bravo leading from the front with an unbeaten 81. Bravo's 84-ball knock included eight boundaries and two sixes, as he played a hand in some useful partnerships.
Red Force lost open Tion Webster (one) cheaply, but Kjorn Ottley (16) and wicketkeeper/batsman Joshua Da Silva steadied the innings with a 60-run second-wicket stand.
When Ottley fell, Da Silva and Bravo tried to maintain the tempo, but their combination only lasted 26 runs, before Da Silva went caught for a well-played 50-ball 48, which included nine fours.
Bravo found another steady partner in Jason Mohammed, as the two added another 88 runs for the fourth wicket. Mohammed smashed four boundaries and a solitary six in his knock of 43 off 61 balls, before being caught by Shaqkere Parris off Abhijai Mansingh.
Yannic Cariah, with an unbeaten 31, joined Bravo to add a further 66 runs to what seemed a competitive total, given their bowling attack. No CCC bowler took more than one wicket.
In reply, CCC's openers Kadeem Alleyne, 27 not out and Johann Jeremiah, 25 not out, played with poise and confidence, as they took aim at the target, before the rain intervened.
Scores: T&T Red Force 246-4 (44 overs); CCC 53-0 (6.4 overs)
The West Indies will play three ODIs on March 16, 18 and 21, followed by three T20Is on March 25, 26 and 28.
In the ODIs, Shai Hope will have his first series as captain with allrounder Rovman Powell appointed as the new vice-captain. In the T20Is, captain Rovman Powell will be supported by a new vice-captain in batting allrounder Kyle Mayers.
Fast bowler Shannon Gabriel has earned a recall to the ODI squad on the back of his performances during the CG United Super50 Cup last November.
He was the joint leading wicket-taker spearheading the Trinidad & Tobago Red Force bowling attack, taking 15 wickets in seven matches at an average of 14.2. He last played ODIs for the West Indies at the ICC Cricket World Cup in July 2019.
Left-arm pacer Obed McCoy has been named in the T20I squad subject to medical clearance. Fast bowler Jayden Seales remains unavailable for selection following a knee injury and subsequent surgery, while another fast bowler Anderson Phillip has returned to training but is not yet match-fit.
Lead Selector the Most Hon. Dr Desmond Haynes said: “We have had some injuries to our fast-bowling pool so therefore we see Gabriel as an ideal fit heading into South Africa, and the surfaces we expect to play on. It is felt that we need someone to get those early wickets and he is the kind of bowler that can do that. Judging from his performances in the CG United Super50 Cup, he is potentially a wicket-taking option up front.”
Haynes added: “For the T20Is, we have an experienced squad. What we are looking for is to form a cohesive unit and look at the players who we believe can form the nucleus as we build towards doing very well and challenging when we host the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in June 2024.”
FULL SQUADS
One-Day Internationals
Shai Hope (Captain)
Rovman Powell (Vice Captain)
Shamarh Brooks
Yannic Cariah
Keacy Carty
Roston Chase
Shannon Gabriel
Jason Holder
Akeal Hosein
Alzarri Joseph
Brandon King
Kyle Mayers
Nicholas Pooran
Romario Shepherd
Odean Smith
T20 Internationals
Rovman Powell (Captain)
Kyle Mayers (Vice Captain)
Shamarh Brooks
Yannic Cariah
Johnson Charles
Sheldon Cottrell
Jason Holder
Akeal Hosein
Alzarri Joseph
Brandon King
Obed McCoy
Nicholas Pooran
Raymon Reifer
Romario Shepherd
Odean Smith
White ball 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)
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.
After losing the opening match, the Kiwis came roaring back into the series with a dominant 50-run (DLS) win over the Windies on Friday. The team would have taken plenty of encouragement after bowling out New Zealand for 212, led by Kevin Sinclair’s industrious 4 for 41.
In their turn at the crease, however, the Windies batsmen could not come to grips with the duo of Trent Boult and Tim Southee. Together, the two combined for a relentless opening spell that left the home team six wickets down in the 10th over.
Overall, the duo finished with seven wickets and ended the Windies response before it began. Southee finished with 4 for 22 and Boult 3 for 18.
Cariah, however, did play his part in making a contest of things. He provided the majority of the little resistance getting his maiden half-century in an 85-run partnership with Alzarri Joseph. With the series and possibly an automatic spot at the ICC World Cup on the line the bowler knows the team can’t afford a repeat performance at the crease.
“We need to find a way to bat the first 10 overs from Southee and Boult, keep them out of the game in the wickets column and we will be fine,” Cariah said ahead of Sunday’s decider.
“I just think with the new ball is we had faced some balls and bat some overs and get ourselves in it would have been easier for us,” he added.
The leg-spinner and left-handed batter suffered a nasal fracture when he was struck in the face during a training session last Saturday while preparing for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier tournament in Zimbabwe.
The procedure was performed in Harare on Thursday evening. Cariah will remain with the squad under the care of the CWI Medical Team whilst he recovers. A decision on when he can return to play will be made in the coming days, as the medical team support his recovery.
Assistant Coach, Floyd Reifer, was also struck in the face during a training session on Wednesday and has also undergone a similar procedure. Reifer will continue his coaching duties under the supervision of the CWI Medical Team.
West Indies have so far played two ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier matches in the group stages, defeating United States on Sunday and Nepal on Thursday, to sit top of Group A with two group stage fixtures to play. West Indies will face Zimbabwe on Saturday June 24 and Netherlands on Monday June 27.
In the group stage, each side plays the other group teams once with the top three from each group progressing to the Super Six stage. Each team carries over to the Super Six stage any points won against the other two qualifying teams from their group. Each team in the Super Six will then play three further matches against the qualifying teams from the opposite group.
The Super Six stage will be played from Thursday 29 June to Friday 7 July and the top two teams in the final Super Six table will qualify for the ICC 2023 Cricket World Cup to be played in India later this year.
West Indies ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier Group Stage Match Schedule
All matches start at 9am local time (3am Eastern Caribbean/2am Jamaica)
Sunday 18 June: West Indies beat USA by 39 runs at Takashinga Cricket Club
Thursday 22 June: West Indies beat Nepal by 101 runs at Harare Sports Club
Saturday 24 June: v Zimbabwe at Harare Sports Club
Monday 26 June: v Netherlands at Takashinga Cricket Club
