The Jamaica Scorpions had two of the top three leading run scorers in the 2022 CG Insurance Super50 competition that ended on Saturday night with the Jamaican franchise defeated the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force by three wickets in a tense encounter at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua.
Captain Rovman Powell ended the tournament with the highest aggregate of 346 runs, just four more than Red Force captain Nicholas Pooran (342) and nine more than his teammate Brandon King (337). But it was success of his bowlers that led the Scorpions to their first regional 50-over title since 2012 when Tamar Lambert led Jamaica to victory.
Four Jamaican Scorpion bowlers are among the top 10 wicket takers in the tournament – Odean Smith and Nicholson Gordon each took 15 wickets and shared the prize of leading wicket taker with Red Force and former West Indies paceman Shannon Gabriel. Not far behind were spinner Dennis Bulli with 14 wickets and Jeavor Royal with 12.
Asked about the impact of Smith and Gordon, Powell said the two pace bowlers were key to the team’s success this season.
“They were very, very important in the sense that every time I gave them the ball they delivered right throughout the tournament,” he said.
“As a captain, it is very good when you find bowlers that give you wickets in crucial times of the game and both of them have been fantastic throughout the entire tournament. Not the most fast-bowling friendly wickets to be honest but they have been very good.”
Smith took his 15 wickets at an average of 19.26 and economy of 5.25 wicket while Gordon was slightly more expensive at 21.26 and economy of 5.94.
Bulli snared wickets at an average of 18.64 and economy of 4.75 while Royal took his 12 wickets at an average of 21.91 and economy of 3.92.
Meanwhile, the team has been praised by the Jamaica Cricket Association on its triumphant season.
The Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) congratulates our national senior men’s team “The Jamaica Scorpions” on winning the regional CG United Super 50 Championship. This achievement is the end product of teamwork, intense preparation and exemplary leadership,” said President Billy Heaven in a statement released on Sunday.
“Under the astute leadership of Captain Rovman Powell and guidance of Head Coach Andrew Richardson and Assistant Coach Nikita Miller, the world witnessed the Jamaica Scorpions win five games back to back. The collective performance of the entire team has made Jamaica proud.”
According to Heaven, strategic planning by the JCA that places emphasis on a player centric approach built an ‘exceptional team’ that claimed the trophy in a year when Jamaica celebrates its 60th year of independence.
“Cricket is known as the Gentleman’s Sport and on November 19, 2022, as the world celebrated International Men’s Day, Jamaica Scorpions provided the perfect celebration of the day winning the CG United Super 50 Championship in fine cricketing style,” Heaven said.
“This year Jamaica celebrates its 60th year of independence and cricket has always been a rich part of our history and legacy. The JCA is therefore extremely proud that our senior men’s team provided this gift to a proud nation on its diamond jubilee. Gentlemen we raise our bats to you.”
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Stop Clock trial to get underway from opening West Indies vs England T20I
In its ongoing efforts to speed up the pace of play in international cricket, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has introduced a stop clock, on a trial basis, in Full Member Men’s ODI and T20I matches (approximately 59 fixtures) between December 2023 and April 2024.
The trial will start with the first T20I match between the West Indies and England on 12 December in Barbados.
The stop clock will restrict the amount of time taken between overs, meaning that the bowling team will need to be ready to bowl the first ball of their next over within 60 seconds of the previous over being completed. Failure to do so for the third time in an innings (following two warnings) will result in a five-run penalty being imposed against the fielding team.
Wasim Khan, ICC General Manager – Cricket said: “We are continually looking at ways to speed up the pace of play across international cricket.
“The stop clock trial in white ball international cricket follows the introduction of a successful new playing condition in 2022, which resulted in the fielding team only being allowed four fielders outside of the inner circle if they were not in a position to bowl the first ball of their final over in the stipulated time.
“The outcomes of the stop clock trial will be assessed at the end of the trial period.”
Rookie spinner Shoaib Bashir handed shock call-up for England tour of India
Shoaib Bashir – a rookie spinner with “world class” potential – has been handed a shock call-up for England’s new year Test tour of India, just six months after making his first-class debut for Somerset.
The 20-year-old off-spinner only made his LV= Insurance County Championship bow in June but has been fast-tracked to the very highest level after just six senior red-ball appearances.
Bashir’s track record is wafer thin – with 10 wickets to his name at an average of 67 – but he impressed on a recent England Lions training camp in the United Arab Emirates and will travel as one of three uncapped players in a 16-strong squad.
The others, Lancashire’s left-arm spinner Tom Hartley and Surrey quick Gus Atkinson, have represented their country in white-ball cricket and were fancied to make the five-match trip.
Director of men’s cricket Rob Key heads the selection panel that made a similar call 12 months ago when drafting 18-year-old leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed for the tour of Pakistan.
Ahmed, who also travels as one of four frontline slow bowlers, went on to take a five-wicket haul on debut in Karachi and Key insists investing in promising individuals is the correct course – particularly in a discipline that is notoriously under-served by the domestic game.
“Life is always about how good someone’s good is, not how bad their bad is,” he said.
“He’s very raw – he’s going for experience as much as anyone else, albeit we won’t be afraid to play him if required. This is the start of his journey, where we will hopefully see a world-class spinner in the future.
“He’s got one of the higher release points in the game, he just looks like everything that you see in a classical off-spinner: a bit of real craft, a bit of real guile and a decent character as well.
“It can be different if you’re bowling at Virat Kohli out in India in front of 50,000 people but we feel like his character is very solid and he looks like his ceiling is very high.
“It’s very hard, especially for spinners in English cricket to judge them on their numbers as such. You’re not going to expect your spinner to average 24 with the ball in county cricket, you’re trying to see something else and back their character. You want to see how the ball comes out of their hand and make those judgements. You’re going more to the art of selection, rather than the science of selection.”
England may need to continue thinking creatively when it comes to balancing their XI in India, with Key admitting there is next to no chance of captain Ben Stokes being able to bowl so soon after surgery on a longstanding left-knee issue.
Stokes is currently recovering and, while hopes are high he will be ready for the first Test on January 25 in Hyderabad, it will be as a specialist batter.
“The surgery has been a success and we expect him to be fit but we are not expecting him to be able to bowl at that point,” said Key.
“We never had him down to be bowling in India. We won’t try to rush through it. It does make it trickier but, as long as you know that, you can come up with a plan.”
Senior spinner Jack Leach is fit again after a stress fracture of the back saw him miss last summer’s Ashes series, but Chris Woakes drops out following his player-of-the-series efforts against Australia and may have played his last overseas Test.
Hartley, a tall left-armer who England feel can cause problems by spearing the ball quickly into the pitch, has effectively been selected over the more experienced Liam Dawson.
The Hampshire veteran was touted for a possible return after an excellent domestic season but has been left to pursue franchise opportunities. Will Jacks, the big-hitting Surrey all-rounder currently on England white-ball duty in the Caribbean, has also been left out and will take up T20 deals over the winter.
Wicketkeeper Ben Foakes travels despite losing the gloves to Jonny Bairstow against Australia and could be a strong candidate to break back into the first choice XI given the importance of the role in the sub-continent.
With Stuart Broad retired, there are four fast bowlers chosen: James Anderson, Ollie Robinson, Mark Wood and Atkinson.
England squad for Test tour of India: B Stokes (c), R Ahmed, J Anderson, G Atkinson, J Bairstow (wkt), S Bashir, H Brook, Z Crawley, B Duckett, B Foakes (wkt), T Hartley, J Leach, O Pope, O Robinson, J Root, M Wood.
Rob Key and England hand shock call-up to spinner Shoaib Bashir
Rookie spinner Shoaib Bashir has been handed a shock call-up for England’s new year Test tour of India, just six months after making his first-class debut for Somerset.
The 20-year-old off-spinner has made just six senior red-ball appearances, taking 10 wickets at an average of 67, but earned a spot on a recent England Lions training camp in the United Arab Emirates and impressed enough to be fast-tracked into the main squad.
Bashir is one of three uncapped players in a 16-strong group, though Lancashire’s left-arm spinner Tom Hartley and Surrey quick Gus Atkinson have represented their country in white-ball cricket and were fancied to make the trip.
Bashir represents a much bolder choice, having only broken into Somerset’s LV= Insurance County Championship side for the first time in June.
Speaking to the Somerset website just a matter of weeks ago, he suggested his had not even expected to be involved with the Lions this winter.
“When I got the call, I was very surprised,” he said.
“I’m very grateful to get this opportunity and I’m excited to get started. I’m just going to keep working hard, learning and making the most of opportunities like this.”
England’s selection panel, headed by director of cricket Rob Key, made a similar call this time last year when they drafted teenager Rehan Ahmed for the tour of Pakistan. He went on to become the country’s youngest male Test cricketer at just 18 and took five wickets on debut in Karachi.
Fresh from an encouraging ODI series in the Caribbean, leg-spinner Ahmed returns to the Test squad as part of a slow-bowling group led by Jack Leach. Leach is fit again after a stress fracture of the back saw him miss last summer’s Ashes series.
The experienced left-armer Liam Dawson, who had been tipped for a potential recall after an impressive season for Hampshire, was not included. Both he and talented Surrey all-rounder Will Jacks missed out on the recent batch of central contracts and have pursued franchise contracts over the winter.
England begin the first of five games against India in Hyderabad on January 25 following a training week in the UAE. Ben Stokes is hoping to be fit to lead the side but is currently in rehabilitation having undergone surgery on his longstanding left knee injury.
Wicketkeeper Ben Foakes travels despite losing the gloves to Jonny Bairstow against Australia and could be a strong candidate to break back into the first choice XI given the importance of the role in the sub-continent.
With Stuart Broad retired, there are four fast bowlers chosen: James Anderson, Ollie Robinson, Mark Wood and Atkinson.
England squad for Test tour of India: B Stokes (c), R Ahmed, J Anderson, G Atkinson, J Bairstow (wkt), S Bashir, H Brook, Z Crawley, B Duckett, B Foakes (wkt), T Hartley, J Leach, O Pope, O Robinson, J Root, M Wood.
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