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• Shai Hope, Rovman Powell secure moves up ICC T20I batting rankings

  Despite a 3-1 loss to England in their recent five-match series, West Indies captain Rovman Powell and Shai Hope were both successful in making moves up the ICC Men’s T20I Rankings.

  Hope, who was brought in for the last three games in St Lucia, moved 16 spots up to 21st on 599 rating points, following his half-century in the penultimate contest, and he also looked steady in the last contest before rain had the final say.

  Powell, who had three tidy knocks of 43, 54, and 38 in the series, inched one place up to 33 on 575 rating points.

  Though slipping three places, Nicholas Pooran remains the best-ranked West Indies batsman (624 rating points) at 12, a position he now shares with Sri Lanka’s Kusal Mendis and Australia’s Josh Inglis.

  Brandon King is the next best Caribbean batsman on the list, though he too slipped three places to 16th on 613 rating points. Johnson Charles (587 rating points), who slipped seven spots to 26th, is the only other West Indies batsman in the top 50.

  Meanwhile, India’s Hardik Pandya returned to the top of the T20I All-rounders Rankings after making significant contributions to his team’s successful, 3-1 series triumph over South Africa. It is his second time at the top of this list this year, the first time following India’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup victory in the USA and West Indies.

  Pandya moved two places to reach the top with 244 rating points, swapping places with England’s Liam Livingstone, who slipped to third place with 230 points, just one point shy of Nepal’s Dipendra Airee, who holds second place with 231 points.

  Tilak Varma’s sensational exploits with the bat for India saw him leap 69 slots to the top 10 of the batters list for the first time, taking over third place with 806 points from his skipper, Suryakumar Yadav, who fell one spot to take fourth.

  Sanju Samson also made significant gains after his remarkable back-to-back centuries, jumping 17 spaces to 22nd place among the batters.

  South Africa’s Marco Jansen shot up 65 spots to reach a career-best 14th position among the all-rounders, with his captain, Aiden Markram, moving up one place to number nine. Their teammate, Tristan Stubbs, continued his rise among the batters, rising three places to 23rd.

  The bowlers list saw a lot of movement as well, with Australia’s Adam Zampa and Nathan Ellis making significant gains following their three-match series sweep against Pakistan. Zampa rose five slots to third place with 693 points, while Ellis mounted 15 slots to 11th on 628 points.

  India’s Arshdeep Singh went up three places to ninth position (656 points), with teammate Axar Patel sailing 10 spots to 13th (632 points), while Pakistan’s Haris Rauf went from 24th to 20th with 601 points. Marco Jansen also featured with a 20-slot jump to 25th place among the bowlers with 576 points.

• Julien 'The Black Dragon' Baptiste eyes bigger stage after defending Massachusetts middleweight title

  Julien “Black Dragon” Baptiste, the reigning Massachusetts Middleweight boxing champion, successfully defended his title last Saturday, November 9, with a sixth-round TKO victory over Anthony Hines at Fall Reckoning in Dorchester. The main event saw Baptiste overwhelm his opponent with a flurry of punches, prompting the referee to stop the bout at 2:35 of the penultimate round.

  With the victory, Baptiste improved his professional record to 8-4-1, cementing his place as a dominant force in the Massachusetts boxing scene. Reflecting on the win, he expressed gratitude and acknowledged the hard work that went into his preparation.

  “And STILL!!!!” Baptiste exclaimed. “I would like to thank God ?? for another opportunity for me to showcase my skills and talents. Training camp was on point from beginning to end. Mark DeLuca made sure that I got 1% better each day. Was it easy? Hell no ?, but if you want to stay champion, you’re gonna have to be uncomfortable until you get comfortable to get the job done.”

  The fight marked another milestone in Baptiste’s journey, one that began in his youth as the son of Jamaican and Grenadian parents. His mother, Donna Holder Willemsen, hails from Duncans in Trelawny, Jamaica, while his father, Egbert Baptiste, who is battling cancer, is from Grenada. Julien credits both of them for his drive and determination.

  “Their strength and spirit, along with my mother’s, drive me to success,” he said.

  Baptiste’s introduction to boxing came after his college football career as an All-American free safety. While pursuing his NFL dreams, he was invited to a boxing gym by a cousin from Jamaica, and from that moment, he found a new passion.

   “I fell in love with it,” he recalled. “I was there every day. That was in New York. Then I left New York and came to Massachusetts, back to the town I went to school at, looking for work. The first gym I worked at just happened to have a boxing gym and a coach. And here I am now as Massachusetts champion.”

  

   In 2023, Baptiste captured the vacant United States Boxing Federation (USBF) Middleweight title, which he has successfully defended three times. His Massachusetts title has also been defended on three occasions, adding to his growing legacy.

   “I know what is at stake every time I fight because my belts are on the line every time I fight. Whenever I fight here in Massachusetts, both my belts are on the line,” he said.

   Now 35, Baptiste acknowledges that time is not on his side in the sport, but he remains focused on his ultimate goals.

   “I’m coming to the end of my athletic career. I just want to get on ESPN,” he said. “I fought on ESPN earlier this year at Madison Square Garden in February and lost by split decision. I want to get back on that stage, so hopefully by next year, I should be back on a bigger stage on television or something of that nature.”

   Beyond boxing, Baptiste’s aspirations include securing a home and retiring from the sport with his health intact.

   “I want to leave the game with my mind and my brains, my health. I want to be one of the ones leaving with my health. I want to help the youth and show that there are ways to get out of situations to better yourself,” he said.

   With his dedication, resilience, and a drive rooted in his Caribbean heritage, Julien Baptiste continues to embody the spirit of a champion both inside and outside the ring.

   

   

   

   

   

• Hope, Lewis shine in Windies record chase to defeat England by five wickets

  Half-centuries from openers Shai Hope and Evin Lewis propelled West Indies to a stunning five-wicket victory over England as they chased down a mammoth 219-run target in the penultimate contest of their five-match T20I series at the Darren Sammy Stadium on Saturday.

  Hope (54) and Lewis (68) set the tone with a record-breaking 136-run stand off a mere 55 balls that paved the way for a famous win and, by extension, etched the chase into the history books as the highest ever at the venue and the second-highest in West Indies T20I history.

  Lewis had four boundaries and seven maximums in his 30-ball knock, while Hope’s 24-ball innings had seven fours and three sixes. Captain Rovman Powell (38) and Sherfane Rutherford, with an unbeaten 29, were the only other scores in double figures.

  The win saw the Caribbean team salvaging some pride as England still hold an unassailable 3-1 lead heading into Sunday’s final encounter.

  Scores: West Indies 221-5 (19 overs); England 218-5 (20overs)

  West Indies’ response to England's formidable 218 for 5 was nothing short of spectacular. Despite a slow start, with just five runs off the opening over, Hope and Lewis exploded into action in the third over bowled by debutant John Turner.

  Lewis launched the assault with a towering six, followed by a flurry of boundaries from Hope that turned the tide firmly in the hosts' favour. 

  Hope reached his half-century off just 23 balls, as he combined sublime timing with power, while Lewis joined the party with a blistering 26-ball fifty of his own. The pair dismantled England's bowling attack, racking up 10 sixes and 11 fours in the opening stand. 

  Lewis’s standout moment came in the eighth over when he smashed a 105-meter six off Liam Livingstone, followed by another in a 30-run over that left England reeling.

  Though Lewis departed when he holed out to Dan Mousley off Rehan Ahmed, the damage was done, despite the drama that followed his dismissal.

  Hope was then run out in a chaotic sequence that saw West Indies lose two wickets in as many balls, as Nicholas Pooran (zero) was bowled off a googly from Ahmed immediately after.

  Shimron Hetmyer’s brief cameo ended with a sharp catch by Livingstone, who later left the field with an apparent knee injury.

  However, Powell steadied the innings with a quick-fire 38 off 23 balls, including three sixes and two fours, before falling to John Turner. His contribution, however, ensured that the West Indies remained in control, requiring only 23 runs off the final 21 deliveries. 

  Rutherford, who lofted a six down the ground off Mousley, brought the equation within striking distance and then unleashed a powerful slog over deep midwicket to clinch victory in dramatic style. Roston Chase was also unbeaten on nine.

  Ahmed ended with 3-43 from his four overs.

  Earlier, England's innings, led by Phil Salt’s 55 off 35 balls and Jacob Bethell’s unbeaten 62 off 32, appeared daunting.

  Salt, who had five fours and four sixes in his 35-ball knock, and Will Jacks (25) added 53 in just 4.2 overs, while Bethell’s late blitz, including three consecutive sixes off Chase, propelled England to a venue-record-equalling 218-5.

  Bethell had five maximums and four boundaries in his unbeaten 32-ball knock. Captain Jos Buttler (32) and Sam Curran (24) also got in on the act.

  However, West Indies bowlers, despite early punishment, found key breakthroughs. Alzarri Joseph and Gudakesh Motie struck at crucial junctures, while Chase and Motie held their nerve in the middle overs to prevent England from running away with the game. 

  Motie was the pick of the pack with 2-40 from his four.