An unfortunate floodlight failure at the National Stadium in Providence, Guyana, saw a reduced over match in the Eliminator game of the 2024 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL).
A two-hour delay whilst the light was fixed saw the Barbados Royals set a revised target of 60 runs in five overs. The Royals made short work of the chase, David Miller almost single-handedly getting his side over the line with four balls to spare by hitting a brutal 17-ball fifty that included five sixes and three fours.
Trinbago Knight Riders won the toss and batted first, amassing 168-3 off 19.1 overs before the lights went out. Nicholas Pooran scored a masterful 91 not out off 60 balls to anchor their efforts with captain Kieron Pollard and Andre Russell adding support at the end of the innings with 17 and 20 runs, respectively. Jason Roy assisted Pooran from the top of the order with 25 off 17 balls after the early dismissal of Sunil Narine – bowled by Theekshana off the third ball of the match.
Although not picking up many wickets, the Royals bowled well to limit the damage and keep the Knight Riders in check, a target of 163 would be chaseable if their own batting card fired.
After it looked like their 2024 campaign was going to be cruelly derailed by the floodlight failure, the Royals would have been mightily relieved to get back on the park and have the chance to keep their destiny in their own hands.
Their revised chase was a frenetic and exhilarating affair. Sunil Narine cleaned up Quinton de Kock with the third ball of the first over, a beautifully flighted delivery that clipped the bails and left the batter bamboozled. The ball before had been clobbered for four runs by de Kock and David Miller hit the next delivery after the wicket for a towering six over midwicket. It was a sign of things to come.
Miller came into his own in the shortened chase, cutting Chris Jordan away for four over point before slog sweeping Narine for a huge 106-metre six off the next over. With two overs left the Royals needed 25 runs to progress. Miller kept his cool, consecutive fours off overpitched deliveries from Jordan were followed by a full toss by the beleaguered bowler that was clubbed for six down the ground. The penultimate over costing the Knight Riders 17 runs.
With eight needed off the last over Miller smashed back-to-back sixes off Terence Hinds to finish the match in emphatic fashion, claiming the Player of the Match award and booking the Barbados Royals a place in the second eliminator after a dramatic night in Guyana.
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Matthews among players targeting success at upcoming ICC Women’s T20 World Cup as top ranking spot up for grabs
The battle to reach the top of the ICC Women’s T20I Player Rankings is closer than ever ahead of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024.
With the tournament set to get underway on Thursday in the United Arab Emirates, 10 countries will battle for supremacy to be crowned world champions on October 20.
However, while full focus will be on powering their respective teams to glory, some players will also have their eyes on topping the ICC batting, bowling, and all-rounder rankings come the end of the month.
Just 22 points currently separate the top five batters, with West Indies captain Hayley Matthews leading the charge to become the first non-Australian in three years to reach the summit. But, she will have to get past Australia’s Beth Mooney and Tahlia McGrath to do so.
Mooney currently heads the standings at 757 points, nine ahead of her compatriot and former number one McGrath. Mooney showed why she is the one to beat with an impressive 30-ball half century in Australia’s warm-up match against England last week.
Matthews is a further two points behind in third with a career-high 746, with India’s Smriti Mandhana also in contention on 743, while Laura Wolvaardt is also close to the leaders on 735.
Big performances from any of the top five could shake up the individual standings with so little to choose between each player.
There are six countries represented in the top ten, with Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu being just nine points off the 700-point barrier, while New Zealand pair Suzie Bates and Sophie Devine are ninth and tenth, respectively.
Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana makes it seven countries in the top 13 batters, as she is the first female Bangladesh batter to accrue over 600 points.
Where the all-rounder ranking is concerned, Matthews is large and in charge there with a comfortable 109-point lead over Australia’s Ash Gardner thanks to her total of 524.
The top six all-rounders all hail from different nations, with India’s Deepti Sharma and New Zealand’s Amelia Kerr both just below the 400-point threshold.
Sri Lankan Chamari Athapaththu is the only other all-rounder above 300, with 330, while Pakistan’s Nida Dar rounds out a top six, demonstrative of the diverse strength with bat and ball set to be on show at the upcoming T20 World Cup.
Meanwhile, the bowling rankings are similarly hotly contested, with just 12 points between first and fourth. England’s Sophie Ecclestone leads the way with 757 points, but she is just two ahead of India’s Deepti Sharma.
The top four are all spinners, with Pakistan’s Sadia Iqbal on 750 points and England’s Sarah Glenn a further five back on 745.
Indeed, 13 of the top 15 ranked bowlers are spinners, with Renuka Singh Thakur and Lauren Bell the only seamers amongst that group. Thakur is fifth with 722 points, 35 off the summit.
Bell is 11th on 676 points and is one of four England bowlers in the top 15, alongside Ecclestone, Glenn, and 13th-placed Charlie Dean.
Only Australia has more bowlers in the top 20, with five; Ash Gardner leads the way for the defending champions in ninth place, while Georgia Wareham’s form has helped her climb six places into 14th.
There are eight nations represented in the top 20. Sri Lanka’s Inoshi Fernando leads those looking to break the 700 mark this month with 691 points in seventh, while Bangladesh’s Rabeya Khan is 10th with 677.
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STATHS Class of 1978 and Friends to spotlight school's sports legends in webathon for new medical and counselling centre
The St. Andrew Technical High School graduating class of 1978, along with friends, are joining forces to stage a web-a-thon aimed at raising funds for the construction of a state-of-the-art Medical Counselling and Intervention Centre at the Kingston-based school. The initiative, led by sports agent Claude Bryan as chairman of the project, is a vital step in modernizing the school's outdated sick bay and providing essential health and counselling services for its students.
Operating under the banner STATHS 78 and Friends Incorporated, the group consists of graduates from 1978 and non-78 graduates who have come together with a shared goal of improving the school's infrastructure. The primary objective is to replace the existing sick bay, which has remained unchanged since the school's inception, with a modern facility that meets 21st-century standards, including incorporating green technology like solar energy.
“The reason behind it is that the sick bay that was there, I was told, has been the same since the school started. It’s still the same dimensions with only limited bed space, so we wanted to do something that would benefit the entire student body,” said Bryan.
To kick off their fundraising efforts, the group will host a three-hour webathon on Saturday, November 2, 2024, from 6-9 pm. The event will take on a sporting flavor, highlighting the lives and achievements of 16 sporting legends who attended STATHS. Among these legends are the late Jamaica and West Indies cricketer Richard "Danny Germs" Austin, Olympian Mike Fray, and Reggae Boy Jeadine White. In addition to the tributes, there will also be musical performances throughout the evening.
Bryan emphasized the importance of the event, encouraging people to tune in and support the cause. “It’s our first major fundraising thrust, and we’re encouraging folks to call in or log in, listen, learn, and support the event.”
Supporters can participate in the event by logging in at https://givebutter.com/Z3RPbW. The funds raised will help bring the much-needed medical, counselling, and intervention centre to life, ensuring that future generations of students at St. Andrew High School benefit from improved health and well-being services.
With the backing of STATHS 78 and Friends Incorporated, the school community is hopeful that this initiative will be the first of many steps in ensuring that their students are provided with the best possible care in a modern, sustainable facility.
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West Indies beaten by 35 runs by Australia in second Women’s T20 World Cup Warm-up game
The West Indies Women suffered a 35-run loss to defending champions Australia as they continued their preparation for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in the UAE.
The 2016 champions won the toss and chose to field first in their second warm-up encounter at the Sevens Stadium in Dubai on Tuesday morning.
Annabel Sutherland led the way with a 28-ball 38 while Ash Gardner made a run-a-ball 31 as the Australians made 144-8 from their 20 overs.
Alana King provided a spark down the order with 21* while captain Alyssa Healy was the only other Australian batter to get into double figures with 20.
Aaliyah Alleyne took 2-24 from three overs for the Windies and was supported well by Afy Fletcher who grabbed 2-36 from her full quota of four overs.
The West Indies were then restricted to 109 all out off 17.5 overs in reply.
Hayley Matthews and Qiana Joseph made 42 and 36, respectively, to be the only West Indian batters to score more than 10.
The Caribbean side were in a good position at the halfway mark of the chase at 69-1 with Matthews and vice-captain Shemaine Campbelle at the crease.
They then lost their final nine wickets for just 50 runs as Alana King and Tayla Vlaeminck ripped through the batting.
King was the pick of the bowlers with 4-30 from her 3.5 overs of leg spin while Vlaeminck took 3-33 from her four overs of pace.
The West Indies lost their first warm-up game to India on Sunday.
They will look to bounce back from these losses when they open their group stage campaign against South Africa at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Friday.
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