James Anderson failed to appear for Lancashire as they rued poor catching in their LV= Insurance County Championship Division One clash with Somerset at Emirates Old Trafford.

The record-breaking England seamer left the field just before Thursday’s close of play with what was described as a “minor issue”.

The remaining Red Rose players combined to drop seven catches as teenager James Rew took centre stage, hitting 105 in Somerset’s total of 361 all out. Lancashire were 72 for two in reply at the close.

Tom Alsop’s unbeaten century helped Sussex into a strong position against Leicestershire despite Steve Smith falling cheaply.

Australia star Smith, who made a low-key 30 on his Sussex debut at Worcester last week, was back in the pavilion having scored just three off 14 balls as the match finally got under way.

However, despite his failure, Sussex still enjoyed a good second day as they made 319 for four after being sent into bat, with Alsop (118 not out), Cheteshwar Pujara (77) and James Coles (59no) leading the way.

Yorkshire edged their way into a controlling position against Durham, leading the hosts by 118 heading into day three.

George Hill claimed four wickets to help bowl Durham out for 227, with Yorkshire reaching 91 for three in their second innings and England pair Dawid Malan (33 not out) and Jonny Bairstow (16no) at the crease.

Rory Burns led from the front with a fluent and aggressive 88 as Surrey chased a significant first-innings lead against Middlesex, trailing by only 19 runs on 190 for three at stumps.

But the most eye-catching innings of a second day cut short by bad weather was Jamie Smith’s 55 not out, with the 22-year old showing off some memorable and high-class strokes.

Nottinghamshire seamer Brett Hutton took his third five-wicket haul of the season to compound former county Northamptonshire’s ongoing batting woes.

Hutton found plenty of movement under floodlights, cloudy skies and light rain and precipitated a Northamptonshire collapse from 113 for two to 158 all out.

A fluent fourth-wicket stand of 68 between Joe Clarke (41 not out) and Matthew Montgomery (34) helped Nottinghamshire close one run behind on 157 for four.

A buccaneering 10th-wicket stand of 70 restored Warwickshire’s control after Essex fought back hard at Edgbaston.

Essex closed day two on 86 for four, still trailing by 30, after Warwickshire’s last pair Hassan Ali (53 not out) and Olly Hannon-Dalby (18) clouted 70 from 69 balls to lift their side to 242.

A well-made 86 from Michael Neser and four wickets from Timm van der Gugten put Glamorgan within touching distance of their first win of the season against Worcestershire in Cardiff.

With Worcestershire ending the day on 195 for seven, 46 runs in front with just three wickets left, Glamorgan will be hoping to wrap up victory on Saturday.

Gloucestershire seamer Matt Taylor impressed on his first appearance of the season against Derbyshire, taking two for 18 from 10 overs as the hosts struggled on another day badly hit by the weather.

No play was possible until 2pm because of a wet outfield and – after Gloucestershire won the toss – Derbyshire reached 130 for five before bad light ended play early.

There was frustration for fans and players alike at Canterbury as a mere 6.1 overs were possible between Kent and Hampshire, with the visitors moving to 103 without loss, a lead of eight.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) today announced the appointments of the new Head Coaches for the West Indies Senior Men’s Teams. Andre Coley has been appointed Head Coach for the Test and ‘A’ Teams and Daren Sammy has been appointed the Head Coach for the white ball One Day International (ODI) and T20 International (T20I) Teams.

The new Head Coaches were selected following an open and transparent interview process, and the appointments were confirmed following the CWI Board of Directors meeting on Thursday 11 May.

Daren Sammy’s first assignment will be the three-match ODI Series against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Sharjah in June, ahead of the ICC Men’s World Cup 2023 Qualifier tournament in Zimbabwe. Andre Coley’s first assignment will be the two-match Test Series against India in the Caribbean in July. 

Sammy is a former West Indies captain in all three formats, who led the West Indies to the ICC T20 World Cup titles in 2012 and 2016. Since retirement, he has coached franchise teams in the Pakistan Super League and the Caribbean Premier League. Coley is a former Jamaica wicket-keeper/batsman who has coached at all levels in West Indies cricket. He was Interim Head Coach of the West Indies team on the tours of Zimbabwe and South Africa earlier this year with his most recent assignment as Head Coach of the West Indies Academy.

The 39-year-old Sammy said: “It will be a challenge but one that I’m ready for and excited about. I’m really looking forward to the opportunity, especially looking at the players we have and the impact that I believe I can have in the dressing room. I believe I will bring the same approach as I had as a player: the passion, the desire for success, and my undying love for West Indies cricket. When I look around there is an abundance of talent, and what I saw in South Africa in the white ball matches under new captains Shai Hope and Rovman Powell and the leadership provided by Andre Coley, there is great belief that we can do well. I’m looking forward to imparting my knowledge, my tactical acumen, my communication skills and my man-management skills. I get excited about putting the plans together and seeing the players execute them.”

Coley, 48, said: “I am honored to be appointed West Indies Men’s Head Coach of the red-ball team after serving in the interim role on the Zimbabwe and South Africa tours. I am looking forward to the challenges ahead, as well as the opportunities as we sharpen our focus on moving up the Test rankings, and qualifying for the World Test Championship final in June 2025. I also look forward to working with all our stakeholders, deepening relationships and fostering a high-performance mindset. I am also excited to be working closely with the ‘A Team’ as we seek to optimize opportunities for teams to play competitive cricket outside of our first-class competition and giving players greater exposure to different conditions at the international level. I believe that my expertise in the use of analytics, my leadership style and technical knowledge along with collaborative efforts alongside Daren, will make a positive contribution to player development and team performances.”

In March, CWI announced that the role of Head Coach for the West Indies Senior Men’s Teams will be split into two separate positions, a decision made with reference to the recommendation by the independent three-member World Cup Review Group to consider splitting coaching duties as one factor to help improve team preparation.

Johnny Grave, CEO of CWI said: “We are delighted to announce the appointments of Andre and Daren to the positions of red ball and white ball Head Coaches of the Senior Men’s Teams. They are well equipped for their roles, and we are confident they will bring different perspectives, skills and real passion to the West Indies dressing room. The introduction of separate coaches signals the start of a new approach for the West Indies Men’s Teams, and we know it will enable greater focus on player communication, team planning and preparation to the benefit of our players and West Indies cricket.”

The recruitment process for a Head Coach of the West Indies Women’s team has commenced and the deadline for applications of Wednesday 17 May. Further information on the timing and process for appointing a new Head Coach of the West Indies Academy to replace Coley will be announced at a later date.

England seamer James Anderson was a conspicuous absentee on the second morning of Lancashire’s LV= Insurance County Championship clash with Somerset, receiving treatment for a “minor issue”.

Anderson was in outstanding form on the opening day at Emirates Old Trafford, taking two for 16 from 14 metronomic overs, but left the field shortly before rain brought an early end to proceedings.

He did not emerge with his team-mates on Friday, with Lancashire confirming he was experiencing an undisclosed complaint.

A spokesperson said: “Jimmy is off the field with a minor issue, which is currently being assessed.”

Anderson, 40, is integral to England’s Ashes plans this summer, with bowling stocks already hit by fresh injuries to pace pair Jofra Archer and Olly Stone.

Archer has returned early from the Indian Premier League due to discomfort in his troublesome right elbow, while Stone faces several weeks on the sidelines after injuring his hamstring on duty for Nottinghamshire last week.

Anderson managed just four overs in the last home series against Australia, ruled out with a calf problem on the opening morning.

England begin their Test summer against Ireland at Lord’s, a four-day match starting on June 1, before the Ashes opener at Edgbaston on June 16.

Keemo Paul and Gudakesh Motie have been recalled to West Indies squad to contest the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Qualifiers in Zimbabwe in June. Naturally, both players were also selected for the West Indies three ODI tour of United Arab Emirates earlier in the month.

Paul, an all-rounder and left-arm spinner Motie last played in ODIs last July against India in Trinidad. Meanwhile, four uncapped players – left-handed batter Alick Athanaze, as well as allrounders Kavem Hodge, Dominic Drakes, and Akeem Jordan – have been selected for the series in the UAE.

The West Indies will play that One Day International (ODI) Series against UAE in Sharjah on June 5, 7 and 9 and form part of the preparations for the qualifiers.

CWI has given permission to players participating in the Indian Premier League (IPL) to return to the Caribbean for a short break before arriving in Zimbabwe for the qualification tournament.

 “Paul is a three-dimensional player, who can bowl the new ball effectively, he’s dynamic in the outfield and he can also make vital runs. He is now fully recovered from injury and with his skill-set we see him as a potential match-winner for us,” said Lead Selector Dr Desmond Haynes.

“Motie was excellent in the Test matches in the Zimbabwe earlier this year, where he took 19 wickets, and we anticipate similar conditions for the qualifiers. We believe he will again relish the chance to bowl in those conditions. He is also a capable batsman and good in the outfield. The team played well in South Africa earlier this year, when we drew the ODI Series 1-1 under the new captain. We were encouraged by that display and we expect them to continue to grow and create that synergy.”

Haynes reiterated that the qualifiers in Zimbabwe are crucial to the West Indies, who once again, did not get an automatic berth into the ICC World Cup in India.

“We see this as a crucial tournament as we look to secure one of the two places left in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 in India. Therefore, we have selected a balanced team which we believe is well equipped to get the job done in the conditions we anticipate in Zimbabwe,” he said.

“It will be a challenging tournament, it will be intense and competitive, there is no doubt about that. In speaking to the players, they are fully aware of the job at hand. We are happy with the preparations and the mindset of the players, and everyone is clear about their roles in the squad.

“For the matches against the UAE in Sharjah, this presents a chance for some other players who are not in the squad for the qualifiers, to get an opportunity at the international level as we look to expose more players.”

FULL SQUADS

West Indies Squad v United Arab Emirates: Shai Hope (captain), Brandon King (vice-captain), Alick Athanaze, Shamarh Brooks, Yannic Cariah, Keacy Carty, Roston Chase, Dominic Drakes, Kavem Hodge, Akeem Jordan, Gudakesh Motie, Keemo Paul, Raymon Reifer, Odean Smith and Devon Thomas.

Squad for the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers: Shai Hope (captain), Rovman Powell (vice-captain), Shamarh Brooks, Yannic Cariah, Keacy Carty, Roston Chase, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Gudakesh Motie, Keemo Paul, Nicholas Pooran and Romario Shepherd.

James Anderson starred as Lancashire got off to a strong start against Somerset on a rain-affected first day of their LV= Insurance County Championship Division One clash at Emirates Old Trafford.

Anderson, playing his fourth consecutive four-day game for the Red Rose and his final match before the sole Test against Ireland, gave notice of his readiness for England duty with a brilliant eight-over opening spell during which he bowled five maidens, was hit for five runs and claimed the wickets of Steven Davies and Tom Abell.

Although Somerset had recovered from 12 for three to 109 for four by the time torrential rain ended play for the day, it was Anderson’s spell that will have England supporters hoping for brighter days with the Ashes beginning in just over a month.

Chris Rushworth continued his stunning start to his Warwickshire career with another four wickets as Essex’s batting imploded on a rain-affected opening day at Edgbaston.

Former Durham seamer Rushworth went into this game, his fifth for Warwickshire, with 22 wickets at 15.27 apiece and enhanced those figures further with four for 28 as Essex folded to 126 all out.

Rushworth delivered a triple-wicket maiden in the last over before tea to reduce Essex from a relatively healthy 76 for two to 76 for five. Olly Hannon-Dalby followed up in the final session with four for 21, taking him past 450 wickets in all formats.

Warwickshire then encountered turbulence of their own as they reached 17 for two at the close of a day which provided abundant drama and entertainment despite play not starting until 3pm due to rain.

James Fuller took five for 21 as Hampshire dominated the first day of their match with Kent at Canterbury.

Kyle Abbott also starred for the visitors, claiming three for 23, as they skittled Kent for just 95 before reaching 89 without loss at stumps.

Dan Worrall’s five-wicket haul helped Surrey claim the honours on day one of their match with local rivals Middlesex after the visitors collapsed to 209 all out.

A 152-run second wicket stand between Sam Robson and Pieter Malan, who both hit half-centuries, put the visitors in a position of control but they lost nine wickets for 43 runs after lunch. The hosts reached 21 without loss in reply.

Ricardo Vasconcelos and Saif Zaib shared a 50 partnership as hosts Northamptonshire reached 86 for two against Nottinghamshire before rain ended proceedings early.

In Division Two, Durham’s Matthew Potts continued his impressive campaign by taking four wickets to help bowl out Yorkshire for 254 at Chester-le-Street.

Captain Shan Masood, making his Yorkshire debut, Dawid Malan and Jonny Bairstow failed to capitalise on starts, with Potts (four for 49) thriving. The hosts reached 42 for two in reply.

Michael Neser further stated his case for Australian selection this summer with a hugely impressive four-wicket haul for Glamorgan against visitors Worcestershire.

Neser, in partnership with Timm van der Gugten, ripped through the Worcestershire top order before James Harris claimed four wickets of his own as the visitors were bowled out for 109.

The Glamorgan top order also found batting challenging on a day where it swung and seamed throughout, moving to 177 for six with captain David Lloyd (48) leading the effort.

There was no action on day one of the second game of Australia batter Steve Smith’s three-match stint at Sussex. A wet outfield at Leicestershire did not help his preparations for his country’s World Test Championship final against India at the Oval on June 7 and the Ashes versus England, starting on June 16.

Rain meant the opening day of Derbyshire’s clash with visiting Gloucestershire was also washed out.

Nottinghamshire have announced Ashes hopeful Olly Stone is set for a spell on the sidelines with a hamstring problem.

The England paceman, who has had a luckless run with injuries, was forced off the field after pulling up when bowling during the LV= Insurance County Championship match against Lancashire.

Despite being in obvious discomfort, Stone hobbled to the crease at Trent Bridge on Sunday as last man and kept out the last four legal deliveries of the Division One match to help his side salvage a draw.

On Thursday, Nottinghamshire released a short statement which did not give any further details of the extent of the issue, but said Stone would not be in contention for the opening Vitality Blast fixture against Derbyshire on May 26.

“Olly Stone will miss the start of the Vitality Blast following a scan of his injured hamstring,” a statement on the county’s Twitter page read.

“We, and England, will be working with Olly to get him returning to cricket in a timely manner without compromising his recovery ahead of a busy summer.”

Stone made the last of his three Test appearances in June 2021, but had made a return to some international action after recovering from a fourth stress fracture in his back and a broken finger.

The 29-year-old played in four ODIs and a T20 last winter, and was then an unused squad member during England’s Test tour of New Zealand in February.

Depending on his recovery schedule, Stones could now face a battle to be fit ahead of the first Ashes Test, which starts at Edgbaston on June 16.

Nottinghamshire have announced Ashes hopeful Olly Stone is set for a spell on the sidelines with a hamstring problem.

The England paceman, who has had a luckless run with injuries, was forced off the field after pulling up when bowling during the LV= Insurance County Championship match against Lancashire.

Despite being in obvious discomfort, Stone hobbled to the crease at Trent Bridge on Sunday as last man and kept out the last four legal deliveries of the Division One match to help his side salvage a draw.

On Thursday, Nottinghamshire released a short statement which did not give any further details of the extent of the issue, but said Stone would not be in contention for the opening Vitality Blast fixture against Derbyshire on May 26.

“Olly Stone will miss the start of the Vitality Blast following a scan of his injured hamstring,” a statement on the county’s Twitter page read.

“We, and England, will be working with Olly to get him returning to cricket in a timely manner without compromising his recovery ahead of a busy summer.”

Stone made the last of his three Test appearances in June 2021, but had made a return to some international action after recovering from a fourth stress fracture in his back and a broken finger.

The 29-year-old played in four ODIs and a T20 last winter, and was then an unused squad member during England’s Test tour of New Zealand in February.

Depending on his recovery schedule, Stones could now face a battle to be fit ahead of the first Ashes Test, which starts at Edgbaston on June 16.

Cricket rivalry was put to one side by Surrey and Middlesex on Thursday to honour the life of “incredible” Florence Dunn, the daughter of Matt Dunn who died in March.

Surrey bowler Dunn led a team of runners from Lord’s to the Kia Oval on day one of the LV= Insurance County Championship fixture to raise funds for charity Dravet Syndrome UK.

Dunn’s daughter Florence was diagnosed with the rare and severe form of epilepsy, when she was 11 months old and died earlier this year at the age of two.

Former England Lions seamer Dunn and wife Jessica have decided to run 5k every day of May to raise funds and awareness of Dravet Syndrome UK, following the lead of Regional Pride of Britain winner Tamara Ward who started the ‘every day in May for Dravet’ challenge.

The Division One fixture between the London rivals has been dedicated to the charity with both teams warming up in special T-shirts showing a picture of Florence while commemorative caps have been signed by each member of the Surrey and Middlesex starting line-up.

These will now be auctioned off and Dunn alongside his team of runners received applause from the Kia Oval crowd when they walked onto the pitch before play resumed at 3pm having completed the 5k run from Lord’s ahead of lunch being taken.

Dunn had a long embrace with Surrey captain Rory Burns and hugged Middlesex’s Toby Roland-Jones with his current focus on fundraising and raising awareness of a serious form of epilepsy that affects one in 15,000 people in the UK.

“The awareness side is probably the biggest for us,” Dunn told Surrey’s YouTube channel.

“Because it is such a rare condition, really no one knew anything and even with epilepsy in general, it is such an unknown field,” Dunn reflected.

“Myself before our journey with Florence, I knew really very little. For me it is to shine a spotlight on the daily struggles and challenges people with Dravet Syndrome and epilepsy face.

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“It is one of those quite isolating illness and one of those illness you won’t see on day to day life because the risk for people who have epilepsy, it is too great to risk in day to day activities.”

Life for the Dunn family was turned upside down following Florence’s diagnosis and a large chunk of the second year of her life was spent in hospital following life-threatening seizures, although new rescue medication had a transformative effect.

The medication meant soon after Florence’s second birthday, she could be treated instantly at home after a seizure and therefore recovered from them sufficiently quicker having previously endured seizures that lasted up to two hours during regularly trips to Milton Keynes hospital.

Dunn added: “At two we finally got rescue medication we could safely use at home and that transformed our lives for eight months.

“It meant we could give it to her straight away as soon as she started seizing at home and we were terminating the seizure within a minute or two. It was huge for her and her recovery time.

“It meant between illness or periods of her being run down, we were able to get out and do all the things every child should be doing. For that eight months it really gave us a life of enjoyment and we saw a change in her.”

The danger with Dravet Syndrome and other forms of epilepsy is the risk of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP), which happened to Florence on March 11.

It left the Dunn family heartbroken but after watching Florence repeatedly defy doctors expectations by walking and talking, they draw inspiration from her strength.

“As a character she was pretty incredible. She was a character who loved life,” Dunn reflected.

“That showed throughout her whole time and even during hospital stays, she would wake up and be straight at the door of the ward and think, ‘I am better now, let’s go home and let’s get on with life.’

“It has really given strength to me and my wife for what we’re doing now because all the barriers she had throughout her whole life, she never once let it define her and for me to have that strength now is huge.”

Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal narrowly missed out on his second hundred of the 2023 Indian Premier League season, making 98* to help the Rajasthan Royals secure a dominant nine-wicket win over the Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens on Thursday.

The Royals first restricted the Knight Riders to 149-8 off their 20 overs after winning the toss and choosing to field.

KKR’s effort was led by a 47-ball 57 from Venkatesh Iyer that included a pair of fours and four sixes.

Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal led the way with the ball once again for the Royals, taking 4-25 from his four overs.

Chahal also made history with the wicket of KKR captain Nitish Rana, becoming the leading wicket-taker in IPL history with his 184^th scalp, passing West Indian great Dwayne Bravo.

New Zealand quick Trent boult took 2-15 in three overs in support of Chahal.

The Royals were then dominant in their reply, needing only 13.1 overs to reach 151-1.

Jaiswal, who made the fastest fifty in IPL history when he brought up the milestone off just 13 deliveries, finished 98* off 47 balls. He hit 12 fours and five sixes.

Royals captain Sanju Samson ended unbeaten on 48.

Rajasthan are now third in the table with 12 points from as many games played.

The Windward Islands picked up their second win of the 2023 CG United Women’s Super50 Cup, defeating the Leeward Islands by eight wickets at Warner Park on Wednesday.

After winning the toss and bowling first, the Windwards made easy work of the Leewards. By the 19^th over, the Leewards were all out as left arm spinner Qiana Joseph picked up her first career hat trick as part of a five-wicket haul. 

Divya Saxena was the lone Leewards batter to reach double figures and she remained unbeaten on 44 as her team was all out for 59.

Joseph had figures of 5-0-14-5, while seamer Jannillea Glasgow had 5-3-11-2.

In reply, the Windwards openers added 48 before Malika Edward was the first to go for 31. Namiah Marcellin made 12, then skipper Afy Fletcher smashed two boundaries on her way to 11 not out as the Windwards reached victory in 15.1 overs.

“Our team plans were the same as we did against Guyana. We wanted to bowl first and we got the toss win. It was exciting to bowl them out for less than 60, the plan worked faster than we expected,” said Windwards vice-captain Jannillea Glasgow to CWI Media after the match.

“We just have to continue sticking to the basics heading into the rest of matches. Qiana just kept that momentum from the Guyana game and she was buzzing around. To our competitors, we are coming for them, we are not backing down,” she added.

At Conaree Sports Ground, a batting masterclass by skipper Hayley Matthews took defending champions Barbados to their second win is as many matches with a nine-wicket victory over Guyana.

Batting first, Guyana’s struggles with the bat continued. Sheneta Grimmond top-scored with 24, while skipper Shemaine Campbelle and Kaysia Schultz made 21 each, as they posted 121 all out in 34.3 overs. Shakera Selman, Shamilia Connell, Hayley Matthews and Keila Elliott all grabbed two wickets apiece.

It was then the Matthews show as she shared in a 109-run opening stance with Kycia Knight who made 40. Matthews smashed four sixes and eight fours to finish the innings on 72 not out from 42 deliveries as Barbados needed just 17.1 overs to reach their target.

In the day’s other game, Trinidad and Tobago Red Force Divas pulled off a thrilling one-wicket victory over Jamaica at the St. Paul’s ground.

Batting first, Natasha McLean (59) rescued Jamaica’s innings, after their top-order collapsed at 19/4 in 13.5 overs.

McLean and Chedean Nation (24) then shared in a 59-run partnership as Jamaica reached 123 all out in 39.4 overs. 

Teenager Samara Ramnath dominated with her off-breaks as she finished with figures of 7.4-4-13-5 while Kirbyina Alexander was next best with 7-1-17-2.

Britney Cooper led the Red Force Divas run-chase with a top-score of 53 as T&T pulled off the thrilling win. Vanessa Watts was the top Jamaican bowler with figures of 10-4-16-3, followed by Celina Whyte with 9-0-24-2.

Northamptonshire’s Josh Cobb has declared himself “shocked and disappointed” by the club’s decision to oust him as T20 captain in favour of David Willey.

Cobb, 32, has held the role since 2019 and was set to lead the team in this season’s Vitality Blast until Wednesday’s announcement that England all-rounder Willey had taken the reins. The Steelbacks begin their campaign at home to Worcestershire Rapids on May 24.

Willey, who is back for a second stint at the county after returning from Yorkshire, has only just returned from the Indian Premier League.

And while Cobb wished him well, he made his unhappiness clear in a statement posted to Twitter.

“Having been blindsided by the news, I am shocked and disappointed to be relieved of my captaincy duties so close to the Blast starting,” he wrote.

“Spending the winter planning and preparing the squad, I felt we were in a good position to challenge again this year and we absolutely are!

“It has been an honour and a privilege to lead Northants for the last 4/5 years and I’ve enjoyed it all.

“I would also like to wish David Willey all the best for his tenure as captain. For now I’ll be trying to win as many games for Northants and my team-mates as I can.”

Cobb also thanked former coach David Ripley, while the incumbent John Sadler went pointedly unmentioned.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) has confirmed the dates and host countries for the remaining 2023 West Indies Rising Stars age-group Championships following the Rising Stars Men’s U15s Championship which took place in Antigua last month.

The final three upcoming tournaments are the Women’s Rising Stars Under 19s, Men’s Rising Stars Under 17s and Men’s Rising Stars Under 19s Championships which are all important steps in the development pathway for the next generation of West Indies men’s and women’s cricketers.

The Women’s Rising Stars Under 19s Championship, consisting of six rounds of 30-over matches, will take place in Trinidad from 2 to 16 July. The Men’s Rising Stars Under 19s Championship will take place in St Vincent between 2 July and 1 August, consisting of five rounds of 50-over white ball matches and four rounds of three-day red ball matches.

The Men’s Rising Stars Under 17s Championship will take place in Trinidad between 10 August and 1 September featuring five rounds of 50-over matches and for the first time also three rounds of two-day red ball matches.

The Men’s Rising Stars Championships will feature both red ball and 50-over white ball cricket which will help the players develop a strong foundation of skill-sets, both mental and technical, that they can build on as they progress through the CWI development pathway system.

Jimmy Adams, CWI’s Director of Cricket spoke of the importance of the West Indies Rising Stars Championships and age group cricket across the region and how essential they are to develop the next generation of young talent in the West Indies.

“These age group tournaments are of paramount importance, and we want to ensure the players get maximum opportunities and exposure. Many of our current and former international players have graduated from these tournaments and we continue to see this as the ‘nursery’ for West Indies cricket,” Adams said.

“With over 250 teenagers due to participate in these championships, this is the ideal platform for them to launch their careers and the tournaments will allow for ongoing talent identification and development of our best young players”.

 TOURNAMENT DATES

2 to 16 July: Women’s Rising Stars Under 19s Championship, Trinidad

2 July to 1 August: Men’s Rising Stars Under 19s Championship in St Vincent

10 August to 1 September: Men's’ Rising Stars Under 17s Championship in Trinidad

Thelston Payne, the former Barbados and West Indies wicketkeeper batsman died on Wednesday at the age of 66. Reports emerging from Barbados said he died of pancreatic cancer. He had been ailing for some time.

A capable wicketkeeper, the floppy-hat wearing Payne spent most of his Test career as an understudy to Jeff Dujon with whom he shared a resemblance.

He served as Dujon’s back up during the 1984 tour of England, in Australia 1984-85, and on later trips to New Zealand, Pakistan and Sharjah. His only chance came when Dujon missed the second Test against England at Port-of-Spain in 1986 through injury, and he held five catches in a comprehensive win.

He played seven One Day Internationals for the West Indies scoring 126 runs at an average of 31.50 and took six catches.

He was more successful in his first-class career that spanned more than a decade.

Payne played 68 first class matches, scoring 3391 runs at an average of 36.85 for Barbados with six hundreds and 25 half centuries. Behind the stumps, he took 103 catches and completed eight stumpings.

In paying tribute, Cricket West Indies President Dr Kishore Shallow said Payne's contributions to West Indies Cricket will be cherished.

“On behalf of CWI, I offer sincere condolences to the family and friends of Thelston Payne. He is one of those unsung heroes of West Indies cricket who served the game at all levels for over four decades. During his playing career, he was a dynamic keeper and stylish batsman and was part of the great era of West Indies cricket when we dominated world cricket, under Sir Clive Lloyd and Sir Viv Richards.," Dr Shallow said.

“After his playing days were over, he made a meaningful contribution as a coach and mentor in Barbados at the grassroots level. He also played a key role in the development of many players. His contribution will be remembered and we will remain grateful to this stalwart of cricket.”

Fit-again Ben Stokes was overlooked by Chennai Super Kings on Wednesday, extending his time on the Indian Premier League sidelines beyond five weeks.

The England Test captain was signed by CSK for a bumper £1.6million but has appeared in just two of their 12 fixtures.

He arrived managing a longstanding condition in his left knee following a flare-up during February’s tour of New Zealand and also picked up a toe complaint which has kept him out of action since April 3.

The all-rounder’s fitness is being closely monitored by the England and Wales Cricket Board ahead of this summer’s Ashes and it is understood he is now cleared to play. CSK tweeted a video of him batting in the nets on Tuesday, showing the 31-year-old striking powerfully down the ground and captioned ‘freeing up those big arms’.

Yet despite his price tag, status and player-of-the-match showing in last year’s T20 World Cup final, he was left out of the squad to face Delhi Capitals.

CSK went into the game in second place and opted to stick with an overseas unit comprising Stokes’ fellow Englishman Moeen Ali, New Zealander Devon Conway and Sri Lankan spinner Maheesh Theekshana.

Conditions at the Chepauk Stadium have been conducive to slow bowlers, which may have stacked the deck in favour of Moeen and Theekshana, as well as Kiwi left-armer Mitchell Santner, who was named among the impact substitutes.

Speaking ahead of the match head coach Mike Hussey said: “Stokes has been training really well. I am pretty sure that he is available for selection. It just comes down to the balance of the squad.

“Obviously, we have been playing in sort of spinning conditions, so they have decided to go for the extra spin-bowling option rather than Stokes, an all-rounder who can bowl seam.”

Stokes, who plans to leave the tournament ahead of the knockout phase to captain England’s summer curtain-raiser against Ireland from June 1-4, has made 15 runs in two innings and bowled a single over since arriving in India.

England fans may be more than happy to see that unexpectedly light workload continue, given the irreplaceable role he plays as batter, bowler and leader. He has overseen 10 wins from 12 games since taking the Test captaincy from Joe Root last year, reinvigorating the side in tandem with head coach Brendon McCullum.

As part of their preparations for the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe, the West Indies men’s cricket team will play three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in Sharjah next month.

The day-night matches will be played on Monday 5 June, Wednesday 7 June and Friday 9 June. Both teams will depart for Zimbabwe at the end of the series for their World Cup qualifying campaign which begins on 18 June. The all-important tournament will confirm the remaining spots for the 10-team ICC Cricket World Cup 2023, India.

“We are delighted to host a former World Champion side like the West Indies ahead of the qualifying tournament in Zimbabwe. In recent months, our team has produced some sensational performances in the ODI format which have helped raise UAE cricket’s profile,” said General Secretary of the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB), Mubashshir Usmani.

“Our qualification for the tournament in Zimbabwe is a testament of our recent achievements. We want to ensure we provide the best possible preparation to our team and this series will most certainly help in achieving the goal. We look forward to welcoming the West Indian team. We want to thank Cricket West Indies for their continuous support towards cricket development in the UAE”.

Meanwhile, Jimmy Adams, Director of Cricket for Cricket West Indies said the tour will prove valuable for several reasons.

“This is our first ever bilateral tour against the UAE and we are pleased to have agreed this historic three-match ODI Series as it will provide a good opportunity for our players to get some preparation ahead of the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifiers,” he said.

“It will also allow those players not going to Zimbabwe to get some valuable experience at the international level in foreign conditions, which would be hugely beneficial to their growth and development. We are happy to work closely with the ECB to arrange the three matches and we see this as a partnership which can grow in the future.”

UAE vs West Indies ODI series

5 June – UAE vs West Indies, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, UAE

7 June – UAE vs West Indies, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, UAE

9 June – UAE vs West Indies, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, UAE