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• One brings two: Scorpions build on victory over Academy with 19-run DLS method win over Volcanoes

  The Jamaica Scorpions entered this year’s CG United Super50 Cup after a winless season last year and lost their first game to the Barbados Pride to increase that streak to eight.

  They broke that streak in their last game with an 80-run DLS method win over the West Indies Academy on Saturday.

  On Tuesday, they got their second win in a row, another DLS method victory, this time by 19 runs over the Windward Islands Volcanoes at the Queen's Park Oval.

  The Scorpions, after winning the toss and batting first, reached 155-4 in the 31^st over before rain brought their innings to a close.

  Kirk McKenzie, on the back of 90 against the West Indies Academy on Saturday, was 59* off 75 balls at the time of the stoppage while captain John Campbell made a 49-ball 41.

  Darel Cyrus had figures of 2-21 off 5.1 overs.

  The Volcanoes, chasing a revised total of 205 off 30 overs for victory, were dismissed for 186 off 29.3 overs.

  Captain Sunil Ambris led the way with the bat for the Volcanoes with 59 while Shamar Springer and Kavem Hodge hit 37 and 36, respectively.

  Marquino Mindley was the pick of the Jamaican bowlers with 4-33 from six overs while Tamarie Redwood and Odean Smith each had figures of 2-31 from six overs and 5.3 overs, respectively.

  Full Scores:

  Jamaica Scorpions 155-4 off 30.1 overs (Kirk McKenzie 59*, John Campbell 41, Darel Cyrus 2-21)

  Windward Islands Volcanoes 186 off 29.3 overs (Sunil Ambris 59, Shamar Springer 37, Kavem Hodge 36, Marquino Mindley 4-33, Tamarie Redwood 2-31, Odean Smith 2-31).

  The win moves the Scorpions into fourth on the points table with 20 behind the Barbados Pride (31), Leeward Islands Hurricanes (26) and the Trinidad & Tobago Red Force (25).

• Hope says Windies women's return to Test cricket a step in the right direction; Graves hopes Hayley Matthews gets to play format at home

  With West Indies women set to make a return to Test cricket after a 20-year hiatus from the sport’s longest format, men’s ODI captain Shai Hope welcomed the move as a step in the right direction.

  Hope’s comments came after the International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday announced its line-up for the Blockbuster Women’s Future Tours Programme (FTP) for 2025-2029.

  The Maroon women reignite the region’s Test status when they play host to Australia for one match in 2026, 50 years after the Caribbean team made its Test debut against the Australians in 1976.

  England women play against the West Indies in 2027, and this will be the first meeting between the two teams in this format since 1979. It was also confirmed that the West Indies women will travel to South Africa for an away Test in 2028.

  

  Shai Hope.

  WI women have not played a Test match since 2004. Their short record from four Test series stands at three draws and one loss to England.

  The Maroon team played Australia (0-0) in 1976, India in 1977 (1-1), lost to England (2-0) in 1979, and drew against Pakistan (0-0) in 2004. The 1976 match against Australia was the last time West Indies played a Test match at home.

  “It is always a step in the right direction. Anytime you get opportunities to excel and improve,” Hope said on Tuesday ahead of his team’s decisive ODI clash against England in Barbados.

  “I think it is going to be great for the women’s game because anytime you’re playing the longer format, it tests your skills in a different way, and you can always use what you learnt from that format into the other formats. So I think it is a step in the right direction, and I wish them all the best,” he added.

  

  Johnny Grave, whose tenure as Cricket West Indies CEO ended last week, raised the prospect of the Windies playing a Test at the iconic Kensington Oval, Barbados.

  “When you have an iconic player who will go down in history of our game, in Hayley Mathews (Barbados), it seems right she will have the opportunity to wear a maroon Test cap and lead her team out, hopefully at her home ground of the Kensington Oval at some point in a Test,” Graves told the Stumped podcast.

  “Our philosophy has been that red-ball cricket is where you can build your technique, hone your defence and look to score all around the wicket. If that is what we believe for the men, then it has to be the case for the women,” he added.

• Barbadian sensation Chelsea Tuach cop silver at Pro World Surf League (WSL) 3000 Series

  Highly decorated Barbadian surfer Chelsea Tuach added more silverware to her collection as she produced an impressive performance to secure second position at the inaugural 2024 La Marginal Surfing Pro World Surf League (WSL) 3000 Series in Puerto Rico on Sunday.

  Tuach, who locked horns with Costa Rica’s Leilani McGonagle in the final round of comptition, recovered from a slow start to get the better of her opponent in the opening exchanges.

  After trading the lead on a number of occasions, Tuach maintained a slight edge over McGonagle, with a score of 5.67, heading into the back half of the final.

  However, another massive exchange unfolded in the closing five minutes, as McGonagle unleashed her forehand attack to overtake the lead from Tuach with a heat-best score of 7.83.

  Tuach found an opportunity and tried her best to rally, but fell just shy of topping the podium with a total score of 11.04. McGonagle won with a total of 12.76.

  It was Tuach’s third podium finish in the 3000 Series in the Caribbean, having won the Martinique Surf Pro in 2019 and the Barbados Surf Pro in 2022. Her second-place finish propelled her up to eighth place on the North American Qualifying Series ranking.

  Tuach, who comes from a surfing family and started surfing at age 8, is one of Barbados' Sports Tourism Ambassadors.