Jamaica remained unbeaten while Guyana and Barbados picked up their first wins of the season in round two action in the CG United Women’s Super50 Cup in St. Kitts on Wednesday.
Stafanie Taylor once again led Jamaica to a comfortable 9-wicket win over the Leeward Islands at Conaree Cricket Centre.
Batting first the Leeward Islands fell short of a 100-run total, as they were bowled out for 98 in 35.1 overs. Vanessa Watts and Taylor, with their off-spin, combined for 6 wickets between them.
Watts had figures of 3/15 while Taylor had 3/16. Reniece Boyce was the stop scorer for the Leewards with 37, followed by Shebani Bhaskar 14 and Shanwnisha Hector 14.
Experienced batters Rashada Williams and Chedean Nation then made quick work of the small target, to reach victory in 11.2 overs, to end of 99/1. Williams 29 and Nation 61 remained not out when victory was achieved.
Guyana earned their first win of the tournament with a handsome 44-run win over the Windward Islands at Warner Park.
Batting first a patient 61 off 102 deliveries from Shabika Gajnabi and 42 from skipper Shemaine Campbelle propelled Guyana to 207/8 from their 50 overs.
Carena Noel once again starred for the Windwards with her spin, taking 3/47. Nerissa Crafton continued her run of form with the bat with a quickfire 47 off 54 deliveries, but it was not enough as she ran out of partners to take their team to victory, as the Windwards were bowled out for 163 in 40.2 overs.
Plaffiana Millington, Ashmini Munisar and Nyia Latchman all had 2 wickets a piece, to finish with figures of 2/23, 2/31, 2/38 respectively.
In the final match, Trinidad and Tobago Divas suffered their second defeat in as many matches, when they lost by 8 runs to archrivals Barbados at St. Paul’s Sports Complex.
Batting first, Barbados 186 all out in 48.4 overs, thanks to a brilliant 93 from captain Kycia Knight.
Knight’s innings of 134 deliveries which included seven fours and a six, looked set to take Barbados well past 200 but tactical bowling and a batting collapse prevented that.
Karishma Ramharack once again led the Divas bowling figures with 4/20 followed by Samara Ramnath with 3/38.
In their run-chase, the Divas had 33 from skipper Britney Cooper, 32 from Ramnath and 26 from Lee Ann Kirby but the rest of the batters failed to fire as they finished on 178/8 from 50 overs. Aaliyah Alleyne and Keila Elliott had figures of 2/33 from 10 0vers each.
Round 3 matches see Jamaica vs Trinidad and Tobago Divas at Conaree, Guyana vs Barbados at St. Paul’s and the Windward Islands vs Leeward Islands at Warner Park.
USA overpowers Jamaica to advance to Nations League semis with 5-2 aggregate win
The United States Men's National Team (USMNT) showcased their attacking prowess on Monday night in St. Louis, defeating Jamaica 4-2 in the second leg of their CONCACAF Nations League quarter-final. With a 1-0 victory in Kingston last Thursday, the Americans secured a comprehensive 5-2 aggregate win, eliminating the Reggae Boyz from the competition.
The home side wasted no time asserting dominance, with Christian Pulisic leading the charge. The AC Milan star opened the scoring in the 14th minute, converting a pinpoint cross from Weston McKennie. Pulisic doubled the lead in the 33rd minute, latching onto McKennie’s delivery and finishing off a well-worked team move.
Ricardo Pepi extended the advantage in the 42nd minute, turning sharply on the edge of the box before slotting home a precise shot past Jamaican goalkeeper Andre Blake. With a commanding 3-0 halftime lead, the USMNT were firmly in control, having enjoyed 70 per cent possession and limiting Jamaica to just two attempts in the opening 45 minutes.
Jamaica found a glimmer of hope early in the second half when Demarai Gray netted his first of two goals in the 54th minute. The former Leicester City attacker capitalized on poor defending to cut the deficit to 3-1.
However, the Americans responded just two minutes later, with Timothy Weah delivering a thunderous finish off a Yunus Musah cross to restore the three-goal cushion at 4-1. Gray struck again in the 68th minute, converting a rebound from Renaldo Cephas’ initial effort, but Jamaica struggled to mount a sustained comeback as the USMNT’s depth and tactical organization shone through.
Pulisic’s brace and McKennie’s two assists underlined the dominance of the Americans, who controlled possession and consistently tested Jamaica’s defense. The midfield duo of McKennie and Yunus Musah orchestrated play beautifully, while Timothy Weah and Ricardo Pepi added further dynamism in attack.
USMNT head coach Mauricio Pochettino utilized his substitutes effectively, bringing on Cade Cowell and Brandon Vazquez to maintain the intensity late in the game. Gianluca Busio and Brenden Aaronson also entered to secure the result, allowing the Americans to cruise into the semifinals.
For Jamaica, the defeat highlighted defensive lapses and an inability to sustain possession under pressure. Demarai Gray was the standout performer, scoring both goals for the Reggae Boyz, but the team was often on the back foot, particularly in the first half when they completed just 57 passes compared to the USMNT’s 277.
Jamaica’s head coach, Steve McLaren, will need to address these shortcomings as the team shifts focus to upcoming competitions. Despite their elimination, the Reggae Boyz showed glimpses of promise, particularly through Gray and Renaldo Cephas, who forced a save that led to Gray’s second goal.
The United States advances to the semifinals of the Nations League, aiming to defend their title with confidence after another dominant display. For Jamaica, the focus now turns to regrouping and building on the positives from their campaign.
Bangladesh tour match ends in rain-affected draw against West Indies Select XI
The touring Bangladesh side and the West Indies Select XI played to a draw in their two-day tour match at the Coolidge Cricket Ground on Monday. Rain disruptions and a dominant display by Bangladesh’s bowlers on the second day ensured the match ended without a result.
Resuming from their overnight score of 5 for 1 in response to Bangladesh's first-innings total of 253-7, the West Indies Select XI struggled to find their footing. The hosts were restricted to 87-9 in just 27.4 overs, with only Kimani Melius (23), Justin Greaves (20), and Daniel Beckford (19) reaching double figures.
Bangladesh's bowlers were relentless, led by Hasan Murad, who delivered a remarkable spell, taking three wickets for just one run. Hasan Mahmud and Taskin Ahmed chipped in with two wickets apiece, ensuring the West Indies XI could not mount a significant challenge.
On Sunday, Bangladesh’s innings was anchored by contributions from Jaker Ali (48), Mahidal Islam (41), and 31 each from Litton Das and Mominul Haque. The visiting team posted a competitive 253-7 despite tight bowling from Jair McAllister and Chaim Holder, both finishing with figures of 2-48.
While the match provided valuable preparation for Bangladesh, the rain-affected nature of the contest limited opportunities for extended play. The touring side will take heart from their bowlers’ performance, while they prepare to face the West Indies senior team.
Australia race to seven-wicket win to whitewash Pakistan
Australia signed off on their T20I series against Pakistan in style after racing to a seven-wicket win with almost nine overs in hand in Monday's third match.
The hosts had already sealed a series success thanks to Spencer Johnson's five-for in Saturday's second match, and any hopes Pakistan had of taking a consolation win were dashed by a dismal performance with the bat in Hobart.
Pakistan were bundled out for just 117 as Aaron Hardie finished with figures of 3-21 and Johnson (2-24) and Adam Zampa (2-11) also dismissed two apiece for Australia.
Babar Azam's knock had put Pakistan in a decent position at 61-1 through six overs, but when Haseebullah Khan handed Matthew Short a simple catch off Zampa's spin ball, the wickets began to tumble with ease.
Pakistan's next five wickets fell for just 31 further runs, with seven of their batters finishing in single figures and four managing one run or fewer, with Babar (41) the only batter to score above 30.
Australia lost Short and Jake Fraser-McGurk early but Marcus Stoinis took any jeopardy out of the chase by scoring an unbeaten 61 runs off 27 balls, with his stand including five fours and five maximums.
Stoinis was unwilling to hang around, smashing Haris Rauf for 22 runs in an over to take Australia to the brink.
He then hit Shaheen Shah Afridi for 19 in the penultimate over as the hosts got the job done with 52 balls remaining.
Data Debrief: Quick and easy for Stoinis
Australia could have taken their time after being set such a paltry target, but Stoinis was determined to put on a show for those present at the Bellerive Oval.
Only twice has he bettered his knock of 61 in T20Is – versus New Zealand in 2021 (78) and against Oman at the World Cup earlier this year (67*). His strike rate of 225.92, while ruthless, falls some way short of his T20I best of 327.77 versus Sri Lanka in 2022 (59 off 18).
Pakistan's Babar, meanwhile, is now second on the all-time list of T20I run scorers with 4,192 to his name, having overtaken Virat Kohli. Only Rohit Sharma (4,231) is ahead of him.
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