The key to the West Indies winning their CG Insurance One-Day International series against Ireland will be the ability to maintain wickets in hand in order to launch at the back-end of the innings, according to opening batsman and vice-captain Shai Hope.
The West Indies top-order batsmen have experienced difficulties with the moisture on the Sabina Park pitch, in the first two games of the series, after losing the toss and being asked to bat by Ireland on both occasions.
“We all know that in the morning time, there’s a lot of moisture in the pitch and it’s just unfortunate that we didn’t get to win the toss in the first two games,” he said.
Still, Hope emphasized the importance of trying to battle through the conditions, regardless of the result of the toss.
“Whether we win the toss or not, we have to do whatever we do, first, to the best of our ability. The key is to make sure we do it better this game because we know it is a series decider,” Hope added.
When asked about the average batting performance in the series so far, Hope once again pointed to difficult conditions.
“I think anyone who understands cricket can see that conditions aren’t conducive to stroke-play. It’s not a free-flowing wicket, especially in the morning at Sabina Park. It’s just important for us as batters to adapt to that as fast as we can. It’s not easy but we still have to find a way,” Hope added.
Finally, he offered possible solutions for the West Indies' batting woes.
“It’s just important for us to find a way, whether it’s putting the bowlers under more pressure or trying to run more singles in the middle period. I also think it’s important for us to maintain wickets in the middle so we can launch at the back-end because, at the end of the innings, the wicket tends to get a lot better,” Hope said.
The third and final CG Insurance ODI between The West Indies and Ireland takes place on Sunday at Sabina Park at 9:15 am Jamaica Time.
The series is currently locked at 1-1.
Bradley Jacks is a budding journalist and an avid sports fan. His love of research and sports has led him to SportsMax.tv, a place where those passions work hand in hand to allow him to produce content.
Greaves’ maiden century powers Windies to control on day two as Bangladesh reeling at 40-2
West Indies took firm control of their opening Test match against Bangladesh as Justin Greaves’ maiden century piloted the Caribbean side to a mammoth first innings total of 450-9 declared at the Sir Viv Richards Stadium in Antigua on Saturday.
The hosts then restricted Bangladesh to 40-2 at the close of day two, leaving the visitors with a steep challenge ahead as they look to recover from a poor start.
Mominul Haque, not out on 7, and Shahadat Hossain, unbeaten on 10, will resume on Sunday with Bangladesh at 40-2, still trailing by 410 runs.
Greaves, who enjoyed sublime form in the Super50 Cup with three consecutive centuries, continued that rich vein of form with an unbeaten 115 that anchored West Indies’ innings and ensured a daunting total on the board.
The 30-year-old’s knock, which lasted just over six hours, had only four boundaries and was crucial in reviving the innings after a mid-session slump.
Scores: West Indies 450-9 dec; Bangladesh 40-2
West Indies resumed the day at 250-5 with Greaves on 11, and Joshua da Silva, 14, looking to consolidate their position. However, early breakthroughs from Bangladesh’s Hasan Mahmud threatened to derail the West Indies’ momentum.
Mahmud struck in the first session, removing da Silva without addition to his overnight score, and Alzarri Joseph (four), who also fell cheaply to leave West Indies at a precarious 261-7.
At that point, the Bangladesh bowlers seemed poised to bowl the Caribbean side down for a score under 300, but Greaves and veteran pacer Kemar Roach had other ideas.
The two Barbadians countered the pressure with patience, building a partnership of 140 runs for the eighth wicket that pushed West Indies past the 400-run mark.
Roach, who had previously struggled with the bat in Tests, made 47—his highest Test score in his 15-year career. He batted for over four hours, frustrating the Bangladesh bowlers with steady defence and timely strokes.
Together, Roach and Greaves weathered the storm, forcing Bangladesh to toil longer and harder than expected. Greaves, in particular, looked in complete control, while Roach’s composed knock provided vital support.
West Indies then made quick inroads in Bangladesh’s reply and reduced the visitors to 2-21, with both openers back in the pavilion cheaply. Alzarri Joseph was the first to strike, removing Mahmudul Hasan Joy for just five runs before Jayden Seales cleaned up Zakir Hasan for 15.
With Bangladesh struggling at 2-21, it seemed as though West Indies were on the brink of another quick domination as they sought to dismiss the Bangladesh top-order cheaply. However, Mominul Haque and Shahadat Hossain managed to negotiate the remainder of the day without further loss.
Host T&T, Jamaica register double wins on Rugby Americas North opening day
Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago were the only double winners on day one of the 2024 Rugby Americas North (RAN) tournament as their men and women teams registered contrasting victories at the Larry Gomes Stadium on Friday.
Trinidad and Tobago’s men came from behind to secure an unlikely and dramatic 12-5 victory over Mexico, while the Twin Island Republic’s women thrashed Barbados 37-0, as both teams put themselves on course for top spots in their respective round-robin groups.
Meanwhile, Jamaica’s men edged Cayman Islands 22-21, while the women were 40-12 winners over the Dominican Republic.
Canada and Barbados were also victorious in men’s Tier One action, bettering Guyana 29-0 and Bermuda 19-7, respectively.
In the men’s Tier Two division, Curacao topped Turks and Caicos 31-5, and the Dominican Republic secured a 46-0 win over St Vincent & the Grenadines.
The other women’s encounter saw Mexico register a comfortable 39-0 over Trinidad and Tobago’s ‘B’ team.
Action continues on Saturday with Trinidad and Tobago's women and their Jamaican counterparts doing battle, while the hosts’ B team will cross swords with the Dominican Republic to get the day going.
Day Two Fixtures
Women
Trinidad and Tobago ‘B’ vs Dominican Republic
Trinidad and Tobago vs Jamaica
Trinidad and Tobago vs Dominican Republic
Trinidad and Tobago ‘B’ vs Barbados
Trinidad and Tobago vs Mexico
Trinidad and Tobago ‘B’ vs Jamaica
Men’s tier one
Trinidad and Tobago vs Jamaica
Trinidad and Tobago vs Cayman Islands
Boyz striker Antonio recounts passport mishap after missing decisive Nations League quarterfinal clash
Jamaican striker Michail Antonio recently opened up about a bizarre and frustrating series of events that caused him to miss the Reggae Boyz's crucial Concacaf Nations League second-leg clash against the United States.
Speaking candidly on a podcast, Antonio detailed how losing his British passport set off an unexpected chain reaction that kept him grounded in Ghana and ultimately sidelined him from the decisive game.
The England-born player, who switched allegiance to Jamaica in 2021, explained that the trouble started when he misplaced his British passport just before traveling. Despite the setback, the West Ham striker decided to proceed with his plans, using his Jamaican passport to travel to Ghana to visit his academy, Samba Stars.
“I lost my passport before I left, but I thought, 'I'm English, so it's not gonna be a problem getting back into the UK,'" Antonio said on the Rest is Football podcast.
Antonio shows off his Jamaican passport during the podcast.
Confident that his Jamaican passport would suffice, Antonio spent three days in Ghana conducting media work and meeting players at his academy.
However, the real challenge came when the 34-year-old attempted to fly back to England, as immigration officials at the airport in Ghana dropped a bombshell—he required a visa to re-enter England using his Jamaican passport.
“I get to the airport, and they're like, ‘Where’s your visa?’” Antonio shared.
“I’m like, ‘What are you talking about?’ They said, ‘You need a visa to get back to the UK.’ I was like, ‘No, I don’t. I’m English. I’ve been living in the UK my whole life,’” he added.
What Antonio hadn’t realized was that using his Jamaican passport—a foreign document in this case—meant he was subject to the same entry requirements as any other Jamaican citizen, including a visa to enter the United Kingdom.
His disbelief quickly turned into frustration as Antonio realized he wouldn’t be allowed to board his flight back to England. Instead, he was forced to remain in Ghana for an additional three days while he arranged for an emergency British passport.
“I’ve never needed a visa in my life, but because I was using my Jamaican passport for the first time to get back to England, I needed one,” he stated with a broad smile.
That delay threw Antonio’s travel plans into disarray. While he eventually returned to England, he missed the opportunity to secure a visa to fly to the United States for Jamaica’s Nations League second leg in St Louis, Missouri.
Antonio’s absence proved costly for the Reggae Boyz, who suffered a 4-2 loss to their rivals at Energizer Park, sealing a 5-2 aggregate defeat in the two-legged tie.
Antonio, who has been pivotal in Jamaica's recent campaigns and has five goals in 21 appearances, could only watch from afar as the Reggae Boyz fell short of the Nations League semi-final and, by extension, the next edition of the Concacaf Gold Cup.
They are now left to contest the preliminary round in March in order to book a spot in the prestigious tournament.
For Antonio, the ordeal was a learning experience, as his story highlights the challenges faced by dual-national athletes navigating complex travel requirements.
Still, the West Ham striker is back in England, ready to focus on club and country, but will likely double-check his passport before his next trip.
"In the times we’re in with AI and everything, you’re telling me I can’t leave the UK, where I was born, and fly to Ghana using my Jamaican passport, and I can’t come back to England without a visa?” he joked.
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