The Cricket West Indies (CWI) Senior Men’s Selection Panel today announced the squad for the first match of the Cycle Pure Agarbathi Test Series powered by Yes Bank against India.
The Panel named 13 squad members and two traveling reserve players for the match which will be played at Windsor Park in Dominica from 12 to 16 July.
There is a first-time call-up for left-handed batter Kirk McKenzie, while fellow left-hander Alick Athanaze is the other uncapped player in the squad. There are recalls for allrounder Rahkeem Cornwall, who played his last Test in November 2021, and left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican who was in the squad which toured Zimbabwe but missed the last tour of South Africa in February.
Left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie is unavailable for selection as he is undergoing rehabilitation from injury.
“We were very impressed with the approach to batsmanship of McKenzie and Athanaze on the recent ‘A’ Team tour of Bangladesh. These are two young players who got good scores and played with great maturity, and we believe they deserve an opportunity,” said Lead Selector, The Most Hon. Dr Desmond Haynes.
“We are without Motie, who is doing his rehabilitation, and this has created an opportunity for Warrican and Cornwall in the spin bowling department. They have both played at Test match level before and are capable of doing the job.”
Haynes added: “We had Jayden Seales here in the camp and he has made good progress during his rehab from surgery. However, we felt he is not yet quite ready to return, and we don’t want to risk him at this stage. Kyle Mayers was also considered but he has some niggles, and the precaution is not to have him in the rigors of a five-day match at this stage.
“Looking ahead to the series we know it will be a challenging one as we start the new cycle of the ICC Test Match Championship. We want to build and improve and strive to move up the ladder.”
West Indies squad will travel to Dominica on Sunday following their ongoing pre-series camp at Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua. They will have training sessions on Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning in the build-up to the match.
The Cycle Pure Agarbathi Test Series powered by Yes Bank will be the first fixtures for both West Indies and India in the new 2023-2025 ICC World Test Championship. The first match bowls off on Wednesday at 10am (9am Jamaica/7:30pm India). The second Test on 20-24 July at Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad will be historic – marking the 100th Test match between West Indies and India.
Fans can purchase tickets in their preferred viewing locations from the Windies Tickets service, presented by Mastercard, at tickets.windiescricket.com – where they will be able to download tickets securely to their mobile device, or print out their ticket to present for scanning at the entrance point.
FULL SQUAD
Kraigg Brathwaite (Captain)
Jermaine Blackwood (Vice Captain)
Alick Athanaze
Tagenarine Chanderpaul
Rahkeem Cornwall
Joshua Da Silva
Shannon Gabriel
Jason Holder
Alzarri Joseph
Kirk McKenzie
Raymon Reifer
Kemar Roach
Jomel Warrican
Traveling Reserves:
Tevin Imlach
Akeem Jordan
FULL MATCH SCHEDULE:
Cycle Pure Agarbathi Test Series powered by Yes Bank
12-16 July: 1st Cycle Pure Agarbathi Test Match, Windsor Park, Dominica
20-24 July: 2nd Cycle Pure Agarbathi Test Match, Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad
CG United ODI Series powered by Yes Bank
27 July: 1st CG United ODI, Kensington Oval, Barbados
29 July: 2nd CG United ODI, Kensington Oval, Barbados
1 August: 3rd CG United ODI, Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad
T20 Internationals
3 August: 1st T20I, Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad
6 August: 2nd T20I, National Stadium, Guyana
8 August: 3rd T20I, National Stadium Guyana
12 August: 4th T20I, Broward County Stadium, Lauderhill, Florida
13 August: 5th T20I, Broward County Stadium, Lauderhill, Florida
Moeen Ali hailed another “brilliant” intervention from Ben Stokes and insisted England’s Ashes destiny remains in their own hands as long as their talismanic captain is still in the game.
His body may appear to be in rebellion against him as he battled hip discomfort to add to longstanding concerns over his left knee but Stokes lifted England from 87 for five in the third Test at Headingley.
Following on from his jaw-dropping 155 in a losing cause at Lord’s, Stokes thumped five sixes in his 80 off 108 balls to drag England to 237 before Australia extended a first-innings lead of 26 to 142.
Thoughts have already drifted towards what England might be able to chase down, with three days still to go at a ground where Stokes’ unbeaten 135 secured a victory for the ages against Australia in 2019.
Moeen cautioned against an over-reliance on Stokes but always feels they have a shot at narrowing their current 2-0 deficit in the series if he is at the crease.
“Ben’s a brilliant player,” Moeen said. “He’s the one player in the world who everyone will be thinking about in that situation, especially against Australia because he has done it a couple of times now.
“Whether it’s a white ball or a red ball, as long as he’s there you’ve always got a great chance of winning. It’s the situations more than anything, he loves those situations, he thrives off them.
“We can’t rely on him all the time. We do have dangerous players who we just need to come to the party as well as Ben. Ben’s playing brilliantly but there are runs out there for other players.”
Stokes called out the physiotherapist twice and took a couple of pain-killing tablets in the morning before cutting loose after lunch and Moeen hinted there may be more than the all-rounder is letting on.
“It’s difficult, there’s so much he’s dealing with,” Moeen said. “I think when I was batting he was a little bit sore. There’s a lot more than he’s showing. As long as he’s batting well, he’s fine.
“His body has obviously been through a lot but there’s one thing with Ben, he can’t do anything without it being 100 per cent. Hopefully he’ll get through this series well, scoring a lot more runs.”
Moeen was recalled after his finger drama at Edgbaston and reached 200 Test wickets – only Graeme Swann and Derek Underwood have more among English spinners – by snaring Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith.
Both perished to loose strokes but Moeen was able to hold up an end as he bowled 17 consecutive overs after tea, critical to a side that were unable to call upon Ollie Robinson because of a back spasm.
Moeen is not renowned for containment – he was selected for his ability to bowl the odd magic ball and add batting ballast to the lower order – but this was a quietly impressive spell of 17-3-34-2.
“My finger is fine, it’s sore but I can bowl,” Moeen said. “I’m pleased with the 200 wickets. We are in a good position and those two wickets were gifted in a way but generally I bowled quite well.”
While Mark Wood is wicketless so far, he once again troubled Australia’s batters with his express pace and Moeen felt like a beneficiary when bowling at the other end.
“It’s great to have him someone like him and as a spinner, you do definitely take more wickets just by batters being anxious to score (at the other end),” Moeen added.
“There’s a lot of belief that if we can get a couple early (on Saturday), we’ve got somebody who can knock over the tail with pace.”
While Pat Cummins’ Ashes-best six for 91 went some way towards stifling England, they were once again left to rue a defiant Stokes.
Australia head coach Andrew McDonald was singing off the same hymn sheet as Moeen when asked about the influence Stokes – who was dropped on 45 by Mitchell Starc – has on opposition sides.
“When Stokes is there you are never in total control,” McDonald said. “We have seen that over a period of time. We created a couple of opportunities so there was a bit of dysfunction there on our behalf.
“Full credit to Ben, his way of batting with the tail is probably second to none. We have to work out a way to navigate through Ben Stokes in the second innings.”
Ben Stokes’ latest act of defiance and a spirited performance from England’s bowlers left everything up for grabs after three days of the third Ashes Test.
Just five days after scoring a brilliant 155 in a losing cause at Lord’s, Stokes once again dug deep to give his side hope with a muscular 80 at Headingley.
Despite batting through clear physical pain he pulled the trigger on five sixes and six boundaries, dragging England back from 87 for five to post 237 all out during a frantic afternoon session.
That kept the first-innings deficit to a manageable 26, with a dicey display from Australia’s top order leaving the tourists 116 for four at stumps for a lead of 142.
The England attack was depleted by two, with Stokes clearly unfit to bowl and Ollie Robinson reduced to a spectator’s role by back spasms, but showed huge heart to keep the game, and the series, alive.
Stuart Broad continued his long-time hex over David Warner, Moeen Ali prised mistakes out of Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith to reach 200 career scalps and Chris Woakes chimed in with the wicket of Usman Khawaja.
Australia skipper Pat Cummins had earlier claimed his best figures in Ashes cricket, brushing off the the boos that have followed him since last week’s stumping controversy to claim six for 91.
There was a sense of expectation in the air at the start of the day, with England vulnerable on 68 for three but two local heroes, Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow, unbeaten overnight.
With Bairstow bearing a grudge following the divisive stumping that sparked fury at Lord’s and both men eager to make up for dropped catches on day two, the stage was set for the pair.
Instead, they barely left a dent. Root nicked the second ball of the morning to slip, too eager to play at Cummins with no width available, and Bairstow was not far behind. Tempted to drive away from his body as Mitchell Starc slanted it towards the cordon, he saw his revenge mission fall flat.
Stokes was fighting through the pain barrier to keep the contest alive, moving awkwardly as fresh niggles added to his existing knee problems.
He admitted at the pre-match press conference that his century on Sunday took “quite a bit out of me” and the evidence was there for all to see. His movements were stiff and uncomfortable and there were plenty of grimaces, but he stuck to the task during a careful stand of 44 with Moeen.
Cummins finally drew the latter into a careless hook and Woakes was also undone by the short ball, leaving England under-powered on 142 for seven at lunch. A switch was flipped during the interval and the adrenaline flew during the next 10.2 overs, during which they piled on 95 runs and lost their last three wickets as the game romped along.
Mark Wood got the show on the road, launching Starc for six over midwicket off the first ball of the session. The second was slashed for four, the third for six more and when he top-edged Cummins over fine-leg he had 24 off just six deliveries.
That was where his fun stopped, chipping straight up in the air looking for more of the same, but the tone was set. Starc dropped Stokes on 45, unable to hold on low after making good ground, and it was Starc himself who paid the price as Stokes guided him for three successive boundaries to pass 50.
An outstanding boundary catch from Smith saw Broad become Cummins’ sixth victim, but the emergence of Robinson at number 11 merely raised Stokes’ temperature.
He blitzed Australia’s stand-in spinner Todd Murphy for five sixes in 14 balls – three back down the ground, one swept behind square and another picked up from outside off into the leg-side. He holed out going for another big hit, Murphy going flatter and wider.
Despite being down on numbers, England’s bowling unit needed to front up again and it was Broad who got them on the board in his second over.
Plowing a familiar furrow against the left-handed Warner, he earned an equally familiar edge to slip. For the 17th time in this longstanding duel, and the second time in as many days, Broad had won the head-to-head.
A stand of 55 between Khawaja (43) and Labuschagne (33) threatened to drag the game away from a tiring England. When Labuschagne gloved Wood down leg and Bairstow dropped the catch – his eighth miss of a chastening series – it looked a killer blow.
Remarkably, though, Labuschagne slogged Moeen to deep midwicket off his very next ball and Smith followed close behind. His trademark concentration deserted him after a few short moments, flicking the spinner nonchalantly but straight to the waiting Ben Duckett.
When Woakes snapped up Khawaja’s outside edge – and Bairstow managed to hold on – it left things finely poised with day one centurion Mitchell Marsh (17no) and Travis Head (18no) at the crease.
Sri Lanka geared up for their ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2023 final against the Netherlands with a comfortable eight-wicket victory over West Indies.
Opening batters Pathum Nissanka (104) and Dimuth Karunaratne (83) did the bulk of the damage to chase down 243 after Keacy Carty (87) had dragged Windies to a respectable target.
Victory means Sri Lanka remain unbeaten in Zimbabwe, and now face one final hurdle in Netherlands to be crowned Qualifier champions.
Openers fire Sri Lanka to victory
Pathum Nissanka hit the third ODI century of his career as Sri Lanka cruised to an eight-wicket victory over West Indies.
Nissanka hit 104 runs off 113 balls as part of a 190-run opening stand with Dimuth Karunaratne that took the game away from West Indies.
Kusal Mendis (34) and Sadeera Samarawickrama (17) did the rest to easily reach their target of 244, for which Windies had Keacy Carty (87) to thank after Maheesh Theekshana (4/34) had ripped through much of their top order.
West Indies had started strongly, racing to 31 from their first four overs before Theekshana conceded just two from his first over and cleaned up Brandon King (10) in his second.
The spinner struck again in his third, Shamarh Brooks (2) nicking behind before captain Shai Hope (2) became his third victim from his fourth over, pinned leg before.
Opener Johnson Charles (39) was next back to the hutch an over later, trapped leg before by Matheesha Pathirana to leave Windies floundering on 62 for four.
But Carty and Nicholas Pooran (14) led the fightback, as the pair stopped the flurry of wickets until Dushan Hemantha accounted for Pooran to further drag West Indies into the mire at 81 for five.
Carty, having survived a dropped catch on nine, kept the scoreboard ticking over and dragged his side to 123 for seven by the time Sahan Arachchige bowled Kyle Mayers (18) and Hemantha trapped Roston Chase (1) leg before.
Late contributions from Romario Shepherd (26) and Kevin Sinclair (25) then pulled Windies towards 250 before Carty fell 12 balls from the end to leave his side 243 all out.
Having perhaps been disappointed to let West Indies reach almost 250, Sri Lanka began their chase quickly, bringing up 50 inside nine overs before Nissanka reached his 10th ODI half century in as many balls in the 16th over.
Opening partner Karunaratne soon followed, bringing up his 50 with four as Sri Lanka cantered towards their total.
Windies tried mightily to break the partnership, rotating through six bowlers in search of a way through, but the pair proved impenetrable as they brought up the 150 stand in the 28th over.
Nissanka then brought up his century with just under 20 overs remaining before eventually holing out to mid-wicket off the bowling of Kevin Sinclair.
But the fall of the first wicket failed to stem the flow of runs, as Mendis picked up the scoring baton, bringing up the 200 with a four before Karunaratne was trapped leg before by Akeal Hosein.
It left Mendis and Samarawickrama to bring the chase home, doing so in style with 34 balls remaining to send Sri Lanka into Sunday's final with their unbeaten record intact.
Sri Lanka and Netherlands face off in final
After almost a month of absorbing action, the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2023 comes to a close on Sunday, as Sri Lanka and the Netherlands fight it out for the right to be crowned champions.
Both sides have already claimed their main prize, a place in India next October for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 but neither will want to end their time in Zimbabwe with defeat.
Sri Lanka were comfortable victors when the two sides met in the Super Six just over a week ago, but Netherlands are fresh from their thrilling victory over Scotland and will hope their momentum can help them to victory.
Scores in brief
Sri Lanka beat West Indies by eight wickets at Harare Sports Club, Harare
West Indies 243 all out in 48.1 overs (Keacy Carty 87, Johnson Charles 39; Maheesh Theekshana 4/34, Dushan Hemantha 2/49)
Sri Lanka 244/2 in 44.2 overs (Pathum Nissanka 104, Dimuth Karunaratne 83; Kevin Sinclair 1/52, Akeal Hosein 1/54)
Sunday 9 July – Fixtures
Final
Sri Lanka v Netherlands at Harare Sports Club
Ben Stokes’ power-hitting and Stuart Broad’s dominance over David Warner kept England in with a shout on the second afternoon of the third Ashes Test at Headingley.
Just five days after from taking his side close at Lord’s with a brilliant 155, the captain once again carried the innings with a muscular 80, clubbing five sixes and six fours as wickets tumbled around him.
He was last man out as England made 237 all out, just 26 behind despite a flimsy showing from the top five. Broad then nicked off Warner for the second time in the match and the 17th time overall, as the tourists reached 29 for one in their second innings.
Australia captain Pat Cummins had earlier banked six for 91, standing tall despite the boos that have followed him to Leeds following last week’s stumping controversy. England’s bowling, meanwhile, was hampered by the absence of Ollie Robinson due to back spasms.
There was a sense of expectation in the air at the start of the day, with local heroes Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow unbeaten overnight with a fragile score of 68 for three.
Both men have two Test hundreds at their home ground and conspired to drop four catches between them on Thursday. Add in Bairstow’s much-discussed grievance over his stumping at Lord’s and the scene seemed set for the pair.
Instead, they barely left a dent. Root nicked the second ball of the morning to slip, too eager to play as Cummins left him no width to work with, and Bairstow was not far behind. Tempted to drive away from his body as Mitchell Starc slanted it towards the cordon, he was unable to exact any kind of revenge.
Stokes was fighting through the pain barrier to keep the contest alive, moving awkwardly as fresh niggles apparently added to his existing left knee problem.
At 87 for five, Stokes set himself for a rescue mission just five days after nailing 155 in a losing cause at Lord’s. He admitted at the pre-match press conference that the innings had taken “quite a bit out of me” and the evidence was there for all to see.
His movements were stiff and uncomfortable, with his longstanding left-knee issues apparently compounded by further problems, and he required treatment midway through the session.
But he stuck to the task, putting on a careful 44 with Moeen Ali before Cummins finally drew the latter into a careless hook. Chris Woakes was also undone by the short ball in the last over before lunch, leaving England with a sorely underpowered 142 for seven.
A 40-minute break allowed them to reassess and they came out with all guns blazing. In just 10.2 overs they piled on 95 runs and lost their last three wickets as the game romped along at speed.
Mark Wood got the show on the road, launching Starc for six over midwicket off the first ball of the session. The second was slashed for four, the third for six more and when he top-edged Cummins over fine-leg he had 24 off just six deliveries.
That was where his fun stopped, chipping straight up in the air looking for more of the same, but the tone was set. Starc dropped Stokes on 45, unable to hold on low after making good ground, and it was Starc himself who paid the price as Stokes guided him for three successive boundaries to pass 50.
An outstanding boundary catch from Steve Smith saw Broad become Cummins’ sixth victim, but the emergence of Robinson at number 11 merely raised Stokes’ temperature.
He blitzed Australia’s second-choice spinner Todd Murphy for five sixes in 14 balls – three back down the ground, one swept behind square and another picked up from outside off into the leg-side. He holed out going for another big hit, Murphy going flatter and wider.
Broad ensured England got a quick breakthrough in response, plowing a familiar furrow against the left-handed Warner and earning an equally familiar edge to slip.
Usman Khawaja and David Warner ensured no further losses, stretching the lead to 55 by tea.
Nat Sciver-Brunt says England are expecting to face a fired-up Australia when they attempt to stay in the hunt for the Ashes at Lord’s on Saturday.
Heather Knight’s side trail 6-2 in the multi-format series but have been lifted by clinching Wednesday’s second T20 match at The Oval by three runs.
Although England remain in must-win territory if they are to have any hope of claiming the Ashes for the first time since 2014, Sciver-Brunt insists they are convinced they are on the right path.
“It makes the game more simple – there’s no choice, you just have to go for it. We’re trying to focus on ourselves,” the all-rounder said.
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“Both teams would say they haven’t played their best so there should be some tuned-in performances from both sides.
“But we know that Australia will definitely come back hard at us and hopefully we can combat that.
“The win on Wednesday helps with the belief in our group. If anything it will spur us on to keep playing in the way we have been playing. It validates that a bit.
“We’ve believed in ourselves quite a lot more than we have in the past over the last nine to 12 months but not quite got the results, so we’re really happy to have got over the line.”
A crowd of around 20,000 is expected at Lord’s for the last of the three T20 matches before the Ashes concludes with a trio of one-day internationals, each of which has sold out.
It comes after 20,328 gathered at The Oval to see England claw their way back into contention. The last time the series was played on these shores in 2019 it produced a total combined attendance of 30,000.
“The crowds have been really special and show where we are at the minute, but also what happens when you market it as well as you can,” Sciver-Brunt said.
“You’ve got two top teams going head to head and it’s the Ashes and this proves it is as popular as we think it is.
“Playing in front of that many people and riding that energy you get from the crowd is something really, really special. Hopefully it will be replicated at Lord’s.”
Sciver-Brunt has confirmed that she will be able to bowl after completing two overs at The Oval in her first spell since suffering from knee inflammation during the Test between the rivals.
“I’m feeling good. My knee’s recovered pretty well from the injection after the Test match so I’m really happy with how it’s going,” she said.
“I’ve played pretty much my whole career as an all-rounder and I thrive off being able to contribute to everything in the game.
“I felt like I was letting people down when I couldn’t do that and I’m in a good place for it now.”
Stuart Broad dismissed David Warner for the 17th time in 29 meetings and for the second time in the match as England fought back against Australia in the third Ashes Test at Headingley.
Having already snared Warner in the first Test last month, Broad had his old foe caught in the slips on day one in Leeds and then replicated the trick second time around, Zak Crawley again the catcher.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look back at their duels over the years to see how they have historically fared against each other.
2021-2022 Ashes
While Warner was run out by his nemesis at Adelaide, it was not until the fourth Test at Sydney where Broad had the left-hander in his pocket with a trademark outswinger pouched at second slip. Warner also fell to Broad in the next Test at Hobart after holing out to Ollie Pope at point.
2019 Ashes
Broad had Warner’s number throughout the series, dismissing him seven times across 10 innings as the tactic of bowling from round the wicket left the usually tenacious top-order batter hesitant of where his off-stump was. Warner managed just 95 runs across the five Tests at a meagre average of just 9.5 in a torrid tour. Broad was England’s leading wicket-taker in the series (23) and even ended up with a higher batting average (12.2) than Warner.
2017-18 Ashes
Less than two years earlier and it was Warner who held the upper hand in the head-to-head contest. Broad had a poor series by his lofty standards with just 11 wickets across the whole series while Warner amassed 441 runs at 63. He was dismissed by the likes of Jake Ball, Craig Overton and even Joe Root but not once by Broad.
2015 Ashes
Broad was the leading wicket-taker on either side with 21 dismissals at 20.9 but he was never able to dislodge Warner, who amassed 418 at 46.44. Even in Broad’s career-best eight for 15 at Trent Bridge which swung a see-saw series England’s way, it was Mark Wood who prised out Warner.
2013-14 Ashes
After months of being baited by the Australian media for his memorable refusal to walk in the series opener between the teams, Broad accounted for Warner en route to recording six for 81. While Warner nicked off in the second innings to Broad, it came after the Australian’s belligerent 124 gave his side the upper hand. Broad got him twice more in the series where he took 21 wickets, a rare bright spot in England’s 5-0 whitewash defeat. Warner was key to the result after racking up 523 runs at 58.11.
2013 Ashes
Warner made his Ashes debut in the third Test at Old Trafford, just weeks after being hit with a suspension for an unprovoked attack on Joe Root in a Birmingham nightclub. Warner’s rivalry with the fast bowler who would go on to become his tormentor began in the next Test at Chester-le-Street when he was castled for a duck in the first innings. It was the only time in the series Warner fell to Broad, whose 11 for 121 in the north east remains his career-best match figures.
Jonny Bairstow’s hopes of exacting revenge on Australia ended in disappointment at Headingley, as England’s batting faltered again on the second morning of the third Ashes Test.
The hosts lost four for 74 in the first session – Bairstow, Joe Root, Moeen Ali and Chris Woakes all picked off by a ruthless attack – to leave their side 121 behind on 142 for seven.
Captain Ben Stokes (27no) was once more carrying the burden of hope for his team despite being in clear physical discomfort at the crease.
Bairstow’s controversial stumping at Lord’s sparked a furore about the ‘spirit of cricket’, with England insistent they would not have claimed the dismissal and the tourists unapologetic about playing to the letter of the law.
Bairstow has yet to have his say on the matter but he missed the chance to let his bat do the talking in front of his home crowd, nicking Mitchell Starc to slip for 12 as Australia made vital early inroads.
Fellow Yorkshireman Root had already departed, edging Pat Cummins’ second ball of the morning to David Warner as England’s overnight 68 for three lurched to 87 for five inside seven overs.
Stokes was fighting through the pain barrier to keep the contest alive, moving awkwardly as fresh niggles apparently added to his existing left knee problem.
He admitted in his pre-match press conference that his efforts in the second Test, where he bowled a gruelling 12-over spell and made a brilliant 155 in the second innings, had “taken quite a bit out of me” and required treatment midway through the session.
England already had injury concerns over seamer Ollie Robinson, who left the field on day one with a back spasm.
Root’s early exit, cramped for room by Cummins’ precision around off stump but perhaps a little too eager to play, sucked the life out of a crowd that had poured in hoping for a big show from their local favourites. Bairstow gave them a couple of boundaries to cheer but was tempted into a big swing as the left-armer Starc angled one towards the cordon.
Stokes and Moeen (21) played against their attacking instincts in a stand of 44, only occasionally taking the bowlers on as they favour a more pragmatic method. Moeen eventually cracked after being tempted once too often by Cummins, pulling a bouncer straight into the hands of fine leg.
Woakes managed one hook for six before he joined the exodus in the final over before lunch, nicking another short one from Starc to expose the England tail.
The West Indies Women took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match T20 International series when they defeated Ireland Women by eight wickets at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground on Thursday night.
Winning the toss and batting first, Ireland posted 113-7 in their 20 overs. Amy Hunter led the scoring with 33 from 35 deliveries with skipper Laura Delany adding a valuable 20 for the tourists.
Cherry-Ann Fraser led the West Indies bowlers with figures of 1-16 and Captain Hayley Matthews taking 1-24.
Once again, Matthews led from the front with the bat during the run-chase, bringing up her eighth T20I half-century before being dismissed on exactly 50 off 39 deliveries.
Shabika Gajnabi scored 17 in a supporting role to her captain and Chinelle Henry smashed a full toss for six and three boundaries to finish on 22 off 12 as the West Indies Women reached the 114-run target in 16.4 overs.
“I think we’re pretty happy with the result,” said Matthews, who was Player of the Match.
“Coming into this tour we wanted to be able to take home both series, so just very happy that we were able to go out there and win convincingly today and secure the T20I series.
“We had more intent going out today and we noticed early on that the wicket was a bit better on today and we went out with the intent to chase down the runs quicker. What really helped us today was the fielding, the catches and run outs we were able to take, kudos to the overall team for the bowling performance they put on and the fielders for backing them up.”
The teams will meet on Saturday, July 8 for the final T20I. First ball is at 5pm local time (4pm Jamaica time).
Yorkshire chief executive Stephen Vaughan hopes to secure the club’s financial future within a matter of weeks, but admits he had to “kiss a lot of frogs” before finding a suitable investor.
The county owes the Graves Family Trust nearly £15million and also faces a hefty fine following a CDC investigation into historic racism, with Vaughan working on refinancing the debt ever since he took over in November.
Former chair Colin Graves angrily withdrew his own interest in returning after claiming he had been treated as a “last resort”, while former Newcastle owner Mike Ashley, backers of IPL franchise Delhi Capitals and Prince Badr of Saudi Arabia are among a long list of those linked with Yorkshire.
Others from India and the UK have also been involved in talks and, with an initial £500,000 payment to the Graves Trust due in September, Vaughan is confident a deal is close.
But he also admitted the process had been far from straightforward.
“We’ve spoken to a lot of people. In these situations you’ve got to kiss a lot of frogs,” he said.
“I really did kiss a lot of frogs, I carry Lipsil around with me I’ve kissed so many. Hopefully (we’ve found a prince), but not the Saudi prince we were reported to have met. We don’t remember that one!
“It was always going to be a very difficult time to attract a traditional financier in the UK. The club’s brand equity wasn’t as high as it could have been because we were in the news for the wrong reasons.
“But we’re now at a place where we’ve got a bedfellow we’re working with. It’s not a takeover, not a buyout, it’s an investor coming in to ensure we can move on and continue our journey.
“We’re hoping in weeks rather than months we’ll be able to announce we’re getting something done. These things are always full of legal conversations, lawyers to lawyers, and you’re only as fast as your slowest runner in the race.
“We’ve got to start a new chapter for Yorkshire. We want to be unapologetically modern and progressive.”
Vaughan explained that the market interest in the club had been huge, but most were looking for an outright controlling stake that Yorkshire were unwilling, and unable, to offer.
“We could have sold Yorkshire cricket 15 times over,” he said.
“It wouldn’t even have to go on the market. Everyone wants a piece of Yorkshire cricket, but we’re a members’ co-operative and the dynamic changes dramatically.
“You go from dozens of organisations saying ‘how much can we pay for Yorkshire cricket, we’re desperate to buy it’, to explaining that it’s not an equity play, it’s a loan. That takes out 99% of the market immediately.”
Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow can bat away their costly dropped catches as England look to assume control of an evenly-poised third Test at Headingley.
The Yorkshire pair each put down two chances on the opening day, with Root’s spillage of Mitch Marsh on 12 especially expensive as the recalled Australia all-rounder went on to make a run-a-ball 118.
Mark Wood took five for 34 with his breakneck pace as Australia were all out for 263, with Root and Bairstow unbeaten at stumps as England, 2-0 down in the five-match series, closed on 68 for three.
Much has been made of how Bairstow might react after his controversial stumping at Lord’s but he will be hoping his bat can do the talking as it did so emphatically did during last year’s golden summer.
What they said
Four years on from his most recent Test appearance – when he declared “most of Australia hate me” because of his inconsistency – Marsh might be feeling the love even more after his rescue-act. Called in because of a niggle to Cameron Green, the 31-year-old flayed his third Test hundred – all of them have come against England – and chipped in with the wicket of Zak Crawley for good measure.
Butter-fingered England
England’s subpar fielding in this series has frequently been cited as the major difference between the two sides – and there were another four dropped catches on Thursday. Bairstow can be forgiven for being unable to reel in a tough chance when Steve Smith was on four but the England wicketkeeper put down an easier chance down the leg-side when Travis Head was on nine. Root then put down regulation catches with Marsh on 12 and Alex Carey on four before slamming the ball into the turf in frustration at himself after holding on to Head. In total, the lackadaisical efforts cost England a whopping 158 runs.
England grateful for five-star Wood
Fitness concerns precluded Wood’s involvement at Edgbaston and Lord’s but he was worth the wait after dealing almost exclusively in speeds upwards of 90mph here, topping out at 96.5mph. He ended his first spell by flattening the leg stump of Usman Khawaja while he wiped out Australia’s lower order to finish with his first five-wicket haul at home. Every ball he bowled was an event with none of Australia’s batters looking comfortable against him. Wood has been a must-have overseas but this display summed up what a handful he can be in any conditions and why England are desperate to keep him on the park.
Headingley boo-boys
Emotions have been running high so there was some anticipation – and maybe a little trepidation – at how Headingley’s Western Terrace crowd would react. One of the liveliest and noisiest stands in the country made their presence felt by booing Australia captain Pat Cummins at the toss, while Carey was serenaded with ‘stand up if you hate Carey’ when he was batting. They seemed delighted by Cummins getting a two-ball duck and Carey being sconed on the helmet by Wood – even if the pair’s days ended better. Given they were at the forefront of the controversial Bairstow stumping at Lord’s, how they were received in Leeds is no surprise. The pantomime jeers of Smith and David Warner seem to have returned as well, harking back to how they were welcomed in England in 2019 after ball-tampering bans. Overall, though, any nerves at tensions potentially boiling over appear to have been unfounded.
Warner’s unsweet 16
Stuart Broad has enough time to climb to the top of this list with a possible five more innings at Warner, for whom retirement might not be able to come soon enough. The Australia opener’s latest downfall to his nemesis came when he was persuaded to push away from his body with the ball kissing the edge and carrying to Crawley, who pouched a chest-high catch at second slip.
Robinson squashed?
Ollie Robinson’s relatively quiet series continued as he went wicketless in his first 11 overs before trudging off the field after sending down just two balls of his 12th before tea. An England and Wales Cricket Board spokesperson confirmed a back spasm had curtailed his day. As for whether he will be able to bowl in Australia’s second innings, watch this space.
Jamaica secured an early lead in the CWI Men’s Rising Stars Under-19 50-Over tournament with a six-wicket win over Trinidad & Tobago at Arnos Vale on Thursday.
The Trinidadians first posted 158 all out from their 50 overs. They recovered from being 87-6 thanks to a late 57-ball 28 from Abdurrahmaan Juman including one four and a six.
Earlier, opener Nick Ramlal made 22. Michael Clarke took his second consecutive three-wicket haul for the Jamaicans with 3-30 from his 10 overs while Reon Edwards also picked up his second three-wicket haul in a row with 3-36 from nine. The Jamaicans also got a pair of wickets from Tamarie redwood and Deshawn James.
Jamaica then made quick work of their target to get their second win in as many games. Jordan Johnson led the way with an unbeaten 57 off 67 balls including two fours and three sixes. Adrian Weir also contributed 36 as the Jamaicans finished 159-4 off 33 overs.
The Windward Islands got their first win of the campaign when they beat Barbados by four wickets at Sion Hill.
Barbados, the defending champions, managed only 137 all out off 39.4 overs batting first. Gadson Bowens led the way for Barbados with 49 against an excellent 5-28 off 10 overs from Kirt Murray and 2-16 from 4.4 overs from Ackeem Auguste.
Captain Stephan Pascal then scored a composed 43 to lead the Windwards to 138-6 off 44.1 overs. Nathan Sealy and Saurav Worrell both took two wickets, each, for the Bajans.
The Leeward Islands also got their first win of the tournament with a comfortable eight-wicket win over Guyana, who slumped to their second straight big defeat.
Guyana, who were dismissed for 78 in their opening game against Jamaica, didn’t fare much better against the Leewards, making just 108 off 35.2 overs at the Cumberland Playing Field.
Only Thaddeus Lovell was able to provide any real resistance with 37 against Onaje Amory’s 3-21 off eight overs and Nathan Edwards’ 2-16 from six overs.
Malique Walsh then led the way for the Leewards with 52* as they reached 109-2 in 31.4 overs.
A burst of breakneck speed from Mark Wood breathed life into England’s Ashes campaign as the third Test got off to a feisty start at Headingley.
Four days on from the stumping controversy that dogged the previous match at Lord’s, Wood bamboozled Australia with express pace that topped 96 miles per hour and claimed five for 34 in the tourists’ 263 all out.
A one-man show from comeback kid Mitch Marsh was responsible for the majority of those runs, but his breathtaking run-a-ball 118 would not have been possible had Joe Root not put him down at slip with just 12 to his name.
That was one of four drops for an England side whose collection of missed chances is starting to become a worrying theme of the summer.
Root, with 19 not out, has the chance to make amends with the bat on day two with England 68 for three in response.
With him at the crease is Jonny Bairstow, the man at the centre of last Sunday’s flashpoint dismissal and one who always brings his best when there is a score to settle.
Australia’s struggles either side of Marsh’s fireworks – four for 91 in the morning session and a collapse of six for 23 as Wood mopped up – went down well with a raucous crowd, who booed and barracked the opposition with gusto all day.
The two players involved in Bairstow’s controversial dismissal copped the worst of the anger but both held their nerve, Cummins dismissing Ben Duckett and Harry Brook and Carey pulling off a fine leaping catch.
But the moment belonged to Wood, making his first Test appearance since December and held back for the first two matches due to worries over his fitness, as he recorded his best ever performance on home soil.
Bas de Leede produced a dazzling first-ever ODI ton to fire Netherlands to the World Cup with a dramatic four-wicket victory over Scotland.
De Leede starred with bat and ball, picking up a first ODI five-for before smashing 123 with the bat to haul the Netherlands home and punch their tickets to India later this year.
Having put Scotland into bat, Netherlands made the perfect start as Logan van Beek (1/49) struck in the first over to dismiss Matthew Cross (0).
But Scotland steadied the ship through Christopher McBride (32) and Brandon McMullen (106) before opener McBride became the first of De Leede’s five scalps, pulling straight into the hands of Van Beek at midwicket with George Munsey (9) falling shortly after.
But McMullen began to take control of the innings on the way to the second century of his career alongside Richie Berrington (64).
The pair combined for a stand of more than 150 runs to leave Scotland in rude health at 201 for four by the time McMullen was eventually caught behind by Scott Edwards off the bowling of Ryan Klein.
Klein then bowled Michael Leask (1) before De Leede removed Berrington’s middle stump, but Scotland rallied through an unbeaten 38 off 28 balls from Tomas Mackintosh as well as a useful knock from Chris Greaves (18) to set the Dutch 278 in 44 overs to book their place at the World Cup.
Netherlands began their innings quickly, with openers Max O’Dowd (20) and Vikramjit Singh (40) taking just 8.2 overs to bring up their 50 partnership, before Leask trapped O’Dowd leg before.
Leask repeated the trick in his next over, this timing sending Singh back to the hutch as Scotland began to slow the run rate.
Having starred with the bat, McMullen then made his first contribution with the ball with the wicket of Wesley Barresi (11) to leave Netherlands on 94 for three after 20 overs.
Teja Nidamanuru (10) was next to fall four overs later as Chris Greaves earned his first scalp of the afternoon but De Leede (123) and Scott Edwards (25) combined to rejuvenate the Dutch chase, bringing up 50-run stand in just 40 balls before Edwards fell to Mark Watt LBW.
De Leede then opened up, powering past 50 in 55 balls before reaching his century in just 84 alongside Zulfiqar (33), as the pair combined to produce a huge final few overs to surmount the 50 runs required from the final four overs to seal qualification in stunning fashion.
UAE edge USA for ninth
An unbeaten 151 from Asif Khan powered UAE to a narrow victory over USA by just a single run in Harare.
Khan produced an impressive knock to help his side post 308 for four, their highest total of the tournament, but middle over contributions for USA from Monank Patel (61), Aaron Jones (75), and Gajanand Singh (69) set up a grandstand finish.
But the American tail were unable to get their side over the line, as two wickets in the final over from Sanchit Sharma sealed victory.
It was the opening partnership that proved so devastating for UAE, as Sharma (57) and Khan combined for an initial stand of 107 before the former was caught and bowled by Nosthush Kenjige.
Khan was simply unstoppable for UAE, inspiring his side’s total to the brink of 300 alongside Basil Hameed (44), before hitting his 18th boundary of the innings to set USA 308 to win.
USA started brightly in their chase, with Saiteja Mukkamalla hitting a quickfire 21 off 17 balls alongside Sushant Modani (9) as the Americans raced to 32 off the first six overs before Mukkamalla fell to Muhammad Jawadullah.
Modani followed just two balls later to leave USA 32 for two but Patel and Jones combined to lift their side to a much healthier 144 for three before Patel was bowled by Aayan Afzal Khan with 20 overs remaining.
A rapid 69 from just 44 balls from Singh then shifted the momentum of the match with USA left needing 62 from the remaining 46 balls as Singh was eventually dismissed by Junaid Siddique.
Shayan Jahangir (32) led the final run chase to set up a nervy finish, with USA requiring 11 from the final over to win.
But Sharma dismissed both Nisarg Patel and Ali Khan in the final over to ensure UAE sneaked over the line and sealed ninth.
Sri Lanka and Windies round off Super Six
The Super Six comes to a close tomorrow, as already qualified Sri Lanka take on West Indies in Harare.
Windies have endured a torrid time so far in Zimbabwe, but will be hopeful of ending their campaign with what would be an impressive victory over table-toppers Sri Lanka.
The Lions now know they will face Netherlands in Sunday’s final and will hope to continue their momentum with another strong display.
The MCC is restricting access to its members inside the Lord’s pavilion amid the introduction of fresh operational measures following the unseemly scenes that unfolded during the second Ashes Test.
A ground renowned for its genteel atmosphere erupted into fury after the controversial stumping of England’s Jonny Bairstow on Sunday and tempers boiled over in remarkable scenes inside the Long Room.
With the teams trudging off for the lunch interval, television footage captured apparent clashes between MCC members and Australia pair Usman Khawaja and David Warner, leading to security stepping in.
Khawaja branded what occurred “disrespectful”, while Australia captain Pat Cummins felt his side experienced “aggressive and abusive” behaviour, prompting the MCC to apologise “unreservedly”.
Three MCC members have already been suspended pending an investigation while the organisation, which intends to take a tougher stance on the general behaviour of individuals, has promised more sanctions if anyone else is found to have engaged in direct confrontation with the Australian players.
MCC chair Bruce Carnegie-Brown set out a list of new protocols to be implemented immediately for the remainder of the summer in a letter to members which has been seen by the PA news agency.
These include expanding the roped-off area where players walk through as they make their way from the dressing room to the pitch and back again, while members will be prohibited from using the stairwell when the teams are coming on and off the field and must either wait at the ground or top floor level.
Carnegie-Brown also called upon members to police one another’s behaviour, as well as reacquaint themselves with the organisation’s code of conduct.
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