Shamar Springer facing a delivery from Peat Salmon.
The Windward Islands Volcanoes needed only three days to complete a nine-wicket victory over the Jamaica Scorpions in their 2024 West Indies Championship opening round fixture at Sabina Park in Kingston.
The Scorpions started Friday’s day three 76-4 off 18 overs, trailing by 106 runs with Nkrumah Bonner and Gordon Bryan at the crease on 36 and one, respectively.
Eleven overs into the day’s play, Bonner was trapped in front by Shamar Springer for 45 to leave the Scorpions 109-5 needing a further 73 runs to make the Windwards have to bat again.
New batsman Abhijai Mansingh joined Bryan at the crease and the pair looked to be safely guiding the Scorpions into the lunch break without any further damage.
However, this proved not to be the case as Mansingh was caught brilliantly at short mid-wicket by Sunil Ambris off the bowling of Shadrack Descarte for 11 to leave the hosts 131-6 off 47 overs at lunch.
The first over after lunch saw Bryan’s resistance finally ended by Kenneth Dember for 31 with the score on 133.
Peat Salmon and Romaine Morris then did their best to get the scoring rate up but their partnership ended when Salmon went back to a full delivery off Dember and was bowled for 15.
Despite the fall off wickets around him, Morris maintained his positive play, eventually bringing up a maiden first-class fifty.
He was eventually the last man dismissed for 68 off 76 balls including seven fours and two sixes as the Scorpions were dismissed for 234 in 73.4 overs, leaving the Volcanoes needing just 53 for victory.
Darius Martin finished with 4-85 from 16 overs while Shamar Springer and Kenneth Dember took 2-30 from 16.4 overs and 2-53 from 22 overs, respectively.
The Volcanoes then needed only 16 overs to reach 55-1 and secure the win. Jeremy Solozano ended 29* while Johann Jeremiah made 22*.
Full Scores: Jamaica Scorpions 159 all out off 41 overs (Romaine Morris 35, Peat Salmon 26, Ryan John 5-43, Shamar Springer 3-53) & 234 all out off 73.4 overs (Romaine Morris 68, Nkrumah Bonner 45, Gordon Bryan 31, Darius Martin 4-85, Shamar Springer 2-30, Kenneth Dember 2-53)
Windward Islands Volcanoes 341 all out 105.2 overs (Johann Jeremiah 80, Shamar Springer 71, Ryan John 57, Sunil Ambris 45, Gordon Bryan 4-64, Peat Salmon 3-78, Marquino Mindley 2-60) & 55-1 off 16 overs (Jeremy Solozano 29*, Johann Jeremiah 22*)
Jamaica names youthful squad for Fast5 Netball World Series in New Zealand
Jamaica has selected a youthful squad to compete in the 2024 Fast5 Netball World Series, which will take place from November 9-10 at the Wolfbrook Arena in Christchurch, New Zealand. The team, led by a mix of emerging talent, is eager to make its mark in this high-intensity, fast-paced tournament format.
The squad includes Tiffany Langley, Amanda Pinkney, Simone Gordon, Kimone Shaw, Cornelia Walters, Paula Ann Burton, Kestina Sturridge, Roxana McLean, Zaudie Green, and Shadene Bartley. These players will represent Jamaica in the two-day competition, where the unique Fast5 rules – such as power plays and shortened quarters – bring an added level of excitement to the game.
The tournament format features a round-robin stage, where each team plays each other once. The top four teams will advance to the finals on the second day. The 1st-ranked team will face the 4th-placed team, while second will play third, with the winners progressing to the Grand Final. The remaining teams will contest third- and fifth-place playoffs.
Jamaica has a proud history in the Fast5 series, finishing as runners-up in 2009, 2017, and 2018, and securing third place in 2010 and 2013. Currently ranked fourth in the world, Jamaica will be looking to improve on their past performances and push for a podium finish.
This young team represents the next generation of Jamaican netball talent, and although relatively inexperienced, they are determined to bring their flair and skill to the competition and make their country proud on the global stage.
As the tournament approaches, fans of Jamaican netball will be eagerly awaiting the team's performance, hoping that this new-look squad can continue the nation’s strong tradition in Fast5 netball and perhaps bring home their first-ever title in the tournament.
Root surpasses Cook to become England's all-time leading Test run scorer
Joe Root has become England's record run scorer in Tests, overtaking Alastair Cook.
Root broke Cook's record of 12,472 runs when he moved onto 71 against Pakistan with a sublime drive for four.
That moved Root onto 12,473 runs, making him England's outright leading scorer in Test cricket.
The former Test captain, who made his debut in December 2012, has played 147 matches in the longest format, batting in 268 innings in total. He has been not out on 22 occasions.
His high score is 254, which came against Pakistan.
By the time he hit his record-breaking boundary, Root had plundered 34 centuries, 65 half-centuries and struck 1,349 fours and 44 sixes. He has been dismissed for a duck 12 times.
He has scored more runs against India (2,846) than against any other team, with Australia (2,428) his next favourite opponent. Root's high score in 55 innings against India is 218.
In comparison, Cook ended his illustrious career with a Test average of 45.35 and a high score of 294, which came against India, who he scored 4,431 runs against in total.
However, Australia were Cook's favourite team to bat against when it came to run scoring – he tallied up 2,493 against them, albeit his highest average came against West Indies (57.96 – 1,739 runs scored total in 35 innings).
Cook, who hit just 11 sixes but struck 1,442 fours, batted for 291 innings across 161 matches, and has gone unbeaten on 16 occasions. His strike rate was 46.95, while he hit 33 centuries and 57 half-centuries. He was only dismissed for a duck nine times.
Australia move to two from two with comprehensive win over New Zealand
Australia became the only unbeaten team in Group A of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 with an impressive 60-run win over New Zealand on Tuesday.
The defending champions made an imposing 148 for eight in Sharjah despite Amelia Kerr's four for 26.
In reply, Megan Schutt took three for three runs from 3.2 overs, dismissing Kerr for 29 before getting the final New Zealand wicket as they crumbled to 88 all out.
Having chosen to bat first, Australia skipper Alyssa Healy followed successfully overturning an lbw decision, by hitting 11 runs off Fran Jonas to also pass 3000 T20I career runs.
A fourth boundary for Healy came in the final over of the powerplay before she was caught by Georgia Plimmer for 26.
From there, Ellyse Perry slowly built the Australian innings alongside Beth Mooney, with the former surviving being dropped on the boundary while on four.
The partnership ended in the 12th over as Mooney was unable to carry her bat for a third successive T20 World Cup game, departing for 40 with Australia at 86 for two.
Perry began to motor on as she passed 2,000 T20I runs before she was dismissed for 30 to be Kerr’s second wicket of the day.
Kerr took her third with the very next ball as she bowled Grace Harris through the gate with a googly, to mark the power-hitter's return from injury with a duck.
Rosemary Mair, Lea Tahuhu and Brooke Halliday each got the chance to bowl before Kerr could attempt to achieve a hat-trick, with Halliday dismissing Phoebe Litchfield for 18 to continue her fine run of form against Australia.
Kerr’s googly on the hat-trick ball did not deceive Georgia Wareham but she got another wicket two balls later, as Tahuhu held on to a firm shot from Wareham to leave Australia teetering at 129 for six.
Ashleigh Gardner and Annabel Sutherland departed in the final two overs as Australia progressed to a total of 148, comfortably the highest score made at Sharjah in this World Cup.
The White Ferns’ opening partnership of Plimmer and Suzie Bates impressed in the powerplay of their win over India, but the partnership lasted only 14 balls this time around before Plimmer was out.
The youngster was bowled by Schutt, who became the outright most successful bowler in ICC Women’s T20 World Cups with 44 wickets.
Kerr and Bates rotated the strike well without worrying Australia as the required run rate climbed to 8.57 at the end of the powerplay.
By the halfway stage of the innings, the run rate had grown further before a struggling Bates was bowled by Sophie Molineux for 20 from 27.
Kerr departed soon after before three wickets fell in five balls as Sutherland took two in two deliveries to see the White Ferns slump to 60 for six.
Sophie Devine departed for seven from 15 after attempting a big swing against Sophie Molineux. Schutt completed her big day with the final wicket of Eden Carson as New Zealand fell well short in Sharjah, all out for 88 in 19.2 overs.
Scores in brief
Australia v New Zealand, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Australia 148/8 in 20 overs (Beth Mooney 40, Ellyse Perry 30; Amelia Kerr 4/26, Brooke Halliday 2/16)
New Zealand 88 all out in 19.2 overs (Amelia Kerr 29, Suzie Bates 20; Megan Schutt 3/3, Annabel Sutherland 3/21)
Result: Australia win by 60 runs
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