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• St Lucia Kings retains Johnson Charles, Alzarri Joseph among seven ahead of 2023 CPL season

  Explosive opener Johnson Charles and fast bowler Alzarri Joseph are among seven players retained by the Saint Lucia Kings ahead of the 2023 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

  Charles and Joseph are joined by Barbadian middle-order batsman Roston Chase, Roshon Primus, Jeavor Royal, Matthew Forde and McKenny Clarke. The Kings have also secured the services of Khary Pierre who has been transferred to the team from the Trinbago Knight Riders.

  The tournament gets underway on 16 August with the final taking place on 24 September. There will be matches in Barbados, Guyana, St Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia and Trinidad & Tobago.

  The overseas players and draft picks will be announced during the Republic Bank CPL draft show which will be broadcast at the end of June 2023.

   

• Ollie Pope and Ben Duckett move England close to big win over Ireland at Lord’s

  England are on the verge of a first victory of the summer after record-breaking innings by Ollie Pope and Ben Duckett almost saw Ireland defeated inside two days at Lord’s.

  Duckett did the early damage and showed exactly why he is perfect for Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum’s aggressive ‘Bazball’ style with a century on his maiden Test appearance on home soil.

  The Nottinghamshire opener made it to 150 off the same number of balls to snatch the record for quickest Test 150 at Lord’s off Australian great Don Bradman before his fun was ended on 182 that came at a strike rate of 102.84.

  Duckett had shared a 252-run partnership for the second wicket with Pope, who was not at his fluent best initially but freed up after reaching his fourth hundred and subsequently registered the quickest Test double-century in England.

  When Pope was stumped after crashing 22 fours and three maximums in his 205 innings from 208 balls, Stokes declared on 524 for four with Ireland needing 352 to make England bat again but more pressingly required to bat through the evening session to force a third day of this one-off Test.

  Three wickets for debutant Josh Tongue in a terrific spell threatened the possibility England could wrap up victory inside two days but Harry Tector stood firm to guide Ireland to the close on 97 for three, although opener James McCollum is unlikely to bat again after he retired hurt.

  Stokes’ bold declaration was in keeping with England’s desire to go against convention but it does mean himself, Harry Brook and Jonny Bairstow are all short of time at the crease ahead of the Ashes opener on June 16.

  Pat Cummins and co will not be as generous at Edgbaston as red-ball novices Ireland have been this week in only their seventh Test, but the emergence of Tongue makes this a worthwhile exercise.

  The debutant pinned Peter Moor in front for 11 and bounced out Paul Stirling for 15 during an excellent eight-over spell of three for 27.

  Duckett wasted little time moving England ahead of Ireland’s 172 total at the start of day two with a four off his first ball before he raced onto 99 with a cover drive and flick off his pads down to the fine leg boundary in a 35th over that also brought up the hundred partnership between Pope.

  The next over produced further milestones with the Nottinghamshire opener able to celebrate a second century for England after he nudged into the leg side for a single to short midwicket.

  Duckett held his arms aloft after he made it to a hundred from 106 deliveries following a chanceless innings in his 10th Test, but first on home soil.

  Pope had been more frenetic during the first hour, with the occasional play-and-miss married with the odd boundary down to third man that did not always look completely controlled.

  England’s number three also survived a review for an lbw against debutant Fionn Hand before lunch to walk off three short of a century, but the session belonged to Duckett, who swept his way into the history books.

  Two off Hand ensured Duckett reached 150 off the same amount of balls to set a new quickest 150 in Test cricket at Lord’s, beating Bradman’s previous record off 163 deliveries during the 1930 Ashes.

  Duckett picked up where he left off after lunch and crunched 14 from one Andy McBrine over with a slog sweep for the first maximum of the Test and a reverse sweep for four.

  Another drive to the boundary saw Duckett move on to 182 and bring up the 250-run partnership but he edged onto his stumps later in the over off Graham Hume.

  Pope now picked up the baton. He reached three figures for a fourth time in Test cricket with a single in the second over of the afternoon session – and it settled him down.

  A pull and cut away to the boundary was followed by a reverse paddle scoop before Pope hit the first maximums straight over McBrine’s head.

  Another drive for four saw Pope celebrate his 150 off 166 balls during a hundred partnership with Joe Root, who made 56 and went beyond 11,000 Test runs but struggled with his timing in a scratchy innings of 59 deliveries.

  Pope hit exactly 100 runs in the afternoon session to walk off three short of 200, but he got there when he skipped down the wicket to hit McBrine for six after tea before Stokes’ trademark bold declaration almost forced an early finish.

• Sammy says coaching style will mirror captaincy style from playing days- “Leave the ego at home”

  New Head Coach of the West Indies Men’s ODI and T20I teams, Daren Sammy, gave some insight in the coaching style he wants to implement going forward with the regional outfit.

  Sammy, 39, was hired as West Indies coach in May, with his first assignments coming very soon when the West Indies tackle the UAE in three ODIs from June 4-9 before attempting to secure a spot in the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup set for India from October 5-November 19 when they contest the ICC World Cup Qualifiers from June 18-July 9 in Zimbabwe.

  The St. Lucian former West Indies captain has previously coached the likes of Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League and the St. Lucia Kings in the Caribbean Premier League.

  The former all-rounder says his coaching style will be similar to his leadership style during his playing days.

  “My coaching style is similar to my leadership/captaincy style. The first thing I said when I spoke to my staff is that when we pack our bags, just leave the ego at home. Pack everything else but leave the ego at home. That’s how I’ve lived my life,” Sammy said.

  “Yes. I’m the head coach, but it takes a team effort in order to move things forward. I believe myself and the captain must be in sync with the way we want to play. Also, the selection panel, everybody must understand what the plan and the vision is for the team and it will take all of us to make it happen” Sammy added.

  He also outlined that delegation will not be a big part of his philosophy as head coach, instead promoting a more inclusive approach to preparing the team.

  “On the ground, I have to be a part of the system. I will not be true to myself if I said ‘hey, you take on this now.’ I have the head coach role by name but it doesn’t mean I’m going to designate; I’ve never been that type of leader. I’ve always incorporated everyone into the world and the job that has to be done. That’s why it’s a team. It’s not Tennis or Golf.”

  With his inexperience in the role of head coach in mind, Sammy said he plans to use methods learned from the large number of head coaches he played under during his career to develop his own coaching style and methods.

  He did, however, single out two coaches he reached out to for guidance, namely former West Indies coaches Otis Gibson and Phil Simmons.

  “The number of coaches I’ve worked through throughout my career, whether it be through franchise cricket, the West Indies team or different teams I’ve played for, I’ve gathered so much knowledge. I see the good things they do that I can implement for myself,” he said.

  “Otis Gibson and I are quite close. We’ve always been in contact from way before he came into the setup. We had a very good relationship in terms of planning the cricket and how we presented to the guys. I also worked with Phil (Simmons) and we won a Championship together so everybody has their own styles,” Sammy added.