Global Super League
The fourth match of the ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League (GSL) took pace under blue skies and bright sunshine in Providence, Guyana, on Saturday and saw the Lahore Qalandars defeat the Hampshire Hawks by four runs.
Carlos Braithwaite won the coin toss and decided to have first use with the bat but his side were put under immediate pressure by the English outfit.
Mirza Baig was cleaned up in the second over by the wily left-arm spin of Danny Briggs whilst opening partner Adam Rossington hung around to provide some stability.
Qalandars couldn’t break the shackles though, when Rossington fell for 30 off 29 deliveries the Pakistani side were struggling at 37-3 off eight overs.
It was the story of their innings, Hampshire bowled tight lines and denied Qalandars opportunities to pick up easy runs or opportunities to find the fence with any regularity.
Some much needed lower order hitting from Player of the Match Luke Wells (35* off 24) and from Muhammad Akhlaq (23* off 12) would prove crucial though, Akhlaq smiting three sixes off James Fuller’s second over with some lusty blows down the ground and over midwicket.
Hampshire struggled with the bat in response, spluttering to 50 off the first ten overs, leaving them with a demanding run rate for the rest of the game.
Asif Afridi’s left arm spin blocked up the scoring, just 16 runs came off his set of four overs and the Hawks joined up a series of dots with the bat to see their required run rate go into double figures.
With three overs to go the Hawks needed 36 from 18 deliveries. Ashraf pulled off a fantastic catch diving forward low to the turf to get rid of the dangerous looking Howell and then Liam Dawson committed the cardinal blunder of not sliding his bat in when attempting a quick single a couple of balls later, Carlos Brathwaite and Shamsi combining to run him out at the non-strikers end.
Chris Wood hit the final ball of the penultimate over from Ashraf’s over wide long-on for six to leave the Hawks requiring 21 off the final over. Captain Brathwaite took it upon himself to bowl it for the Qalandars and his opposite number Wood was then run out in a similar manner to Dawson.
There was a sting in the tale and late drama as James Fuller hit two consecutive sixes off Brathwaite to leave Hawks needing a third in a row to steal the win at the last. Brathwaite held his nerve to deliver a perfect yorker and secure the win for Qalandars. Both sides have now won one and lost one as things tightened up in the GSL table.
Barbados and Guyana’s absence derails critical CWI governance vote
Cricket West Indies (CWI) has been forced to postpone a pivotal vote on governance reform after representatives from the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) and Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) failed to attend the meeting, leaving the body without a quorum.
The meeting, convened to deliberate on reforms recommended in the Wehby Report, required the presence of all Full Member shareholders to proceed. While the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA), Leeward Islands Cricket Board (LICB), Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB), and Windward Islands Cricket Board (WICB) were present, Guyana formally indicated its non-attendance, and Barbados did not provide a response. This marks the second instance of both entities abstaining from such meetings, the first occurring in 2021.
CWI President Dr. Kishore Shallow expressed disappointment at the absence of two critical stakeholders at such a decisive moment for the future of West Indies cricket:
"It is deeply disappointing that representatives from Guyana and Barbados did not see the importance of being present at this crucial juncture. Governance reform is critical to ensuring our organization’s growth, sustainability, and ability to inspire pride across the region. Their absence undermines the collective effort required to move forward."
The meeting, announced on November 13, 2024, was expected to focus on structural adjustments to CWI’s governance, including term limits for the President and Vice President, enhanced accountability measures, and other steps to modernize the organization’s framework.
Commissioned in 2019, the Wehby Report outlines a roadmap to reform CWI’s governance by promoting transparency, accountability, and alignment with global best practices. Key recommendations include restructuring the Board of Directors, modernizing operations, and enhancing stakeholder engagement.
Despite progress on some fronts, the implementation of these reforms has faced delays, exacerbated by the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The proposed changes are widely regarded as essential to securing the long-term viability of cricket in the Caribbean.
Dr. Shallow emphasized the critical importance of the reforms: "This meeting was not just about structural changes; it was about safeguarding the future of cricket in the Caribbean. Change is never easy, but it is absolutely necessary. We must demonstrate to the cricketing world and our stakeholders that we are committed to improving and evolving as an organization."
CWI will now seek written responses from its members on the proposed resolutions. While this setback complicates the process, President Shallow reaffirmed CWI’s commitment to the reform agenda:
"The responsibility to lead and inspire rests with all of us. While today’s outcome is a setback, it will not deter us from our mission to transform West Indies cricket. I encourage all stakeholders to prioritize the greater good of the game and come together to ensure we continue to build an organization that every Caribbean citizen can be proud of."
CWI’s leadership remains committed to implementing the Wehby Report recommendations and is exploring alternative pathways to ensure these essential reforms move forward. The absence of Guyana and Barbados highlights the challenges of fostering unity within the organization but also underscores the urgency of achieving consensus for the betterment of West Indies cricket.
Nissanka puts Sri Lanka in strong position despite Verreynne ton
Pathum Nissanka spearheaded Sri Lanka's chase as they closed out day two of their second Test against South Africa in a strong position.
Nissanka scored 89 from 157 deliveries, with that knock including 11 fours and one six, before he was bowled by Keshav Maharaj (1-46).
South Africa's Kyle Verreynne played a starring role with the bat for the hosts earlier on in Friday's play at St George's Park, plundering 58 from just 50 balls for an unbeaten 105.
Verreynne's efforts saw South Africa reach 358 before they were bowled out, but Nissanka and his fellow opener Dimuth Karunaratne made good in-roads before the latter was dismissed by Kagiso Rabada (1-40) in the 16th over.
Proteas wicketkeeper Verreynne took the catch, and he followed that up by sending Dinesh Chandimal (44) packing from a Dane Paterson delivery, but by that stage Sri Lanka had progressed to 150.
They had reached 199 by the time Maharaj got the crucial wicket of Nissanka, who was dropped early in his innings, 11 overs later, though the damage had been largely done, with Angelo Mathews (40 not out) and Kamindu Mendis (30) further chipping away at South Africa's lead before stumps, which the hosts reached on 242-3.
Data Debrief: Verreynne drags South Africa out of trouble
Matters looked bleak at the start of play for the Proteas, who were on 269-7, and they had owed many of those runs to Ryan Rickelton, who scored 101 on day one.
Yet Verreynne anchored their innings and dragged them to a respectable total, tallying up his third Test ton in the process in his 22nd match in the longest format.
He clubbed 12 fours and three maximums, with his total coming from a 78.94 strike rate.
But with Verreynne and Rickelton combining for 206 of South Africa's 358 runs, while Temba Bavuma contributed 78, the rest of the Proteas batters must step up in their second innings.
Rangpur Riders beat Lahore Qalandars via DLS method to reach Global Super League final
A rain shortened nine over shootout between the Rangpur Riders and Lahore Qalandars saw the Bangladesh Premier League side progress to the final of the inaugural ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League (GSL) after they won by 23 runs on DLS on Thursday night at Providence.
Rangpur captain Nurul Hasan won the toss and elected to bat first. Eventual Player of the Match Steven Taylor and Soumya Sarkar got the Riders off to a healthy start, putting on 47 runs for the opening wicket before the latter was bowled by Salman Mirza for 22 runs off 13 deliveries.
The wicket brought Saif Hassan to the crease and he set about plundering the Qalandars attack, finding the fence on five occasions with four fours and a towering six.
Hassan and Taylor remained undefeated on 27 off 14 balls and 32 off 27 balls, respectively, when the rains returned and denied them the rest of their batting effort, finishing 85-1 off nine overs.
It was calculated by DLS that Qalandars would require a stiff 111 runs off their nine overs in order to win.
The task seemed like a steep one and so it proved. Despite 31 off 20 from Mirza Baig and a rapid 25 off 12 balls from Tom Abell, the run rate was too steep for the Qalandars and they lost wickets regularly attempting to throw caution to the wind.
Needing 33 runs off the final over, Faheem Ashraf hit a six off the first ball before nudging a single to bring Carlos Brathwaite on strike.
Needing four sixes in a row at the last, it was fitting that Brathwaite was on strike but he couldn’t repeat the heroics and thunderous sixes he struck off Ben Stokes in the 2016 World T20 final, being bowled by Zak Chappell for a first ball duck.
Qalandars ended up on 87-7 off their nine overs, a valiant effort but the DLS target was a challenging one and proved just out of reach.
The final scores meant that Qalandars were knocked out and so too home side Guyana Amazon Warriors as the margin of victory was too great by the Riders, each side finished on four points apiece but the superior run rate saw Riders go through to Friday’s grand final where Victoria await.
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