Jamaica Tallawahs top-order batsman and stand-in captain Chadwick Walton insists the team had no choice but to battle for a win, after getting their first of the season against Barbados Tridents at Sabina Park on Sunday.
Walton took on the mantle of leadership to help the team secure a four-wicket win, the team’s first in five attempts.
“We found ourselves with our back against the wall, so we had to find a way to come up trumps and fortunately we did,” Walton said after the match.
Having conceded and eyewatering 875 runs in four prior game, the Tallawahs made changes to their bowling attack and opted to go with spinners at the top of the order. The ploy worked as extra bounce and turn from George Worker quickly removed openers Johnson Charles and Alex Hales.
From there the variation never allowed the Tridents to settle as they were eventually left short at 140 for 9. What should have been an easy runs chase, however, looked any but despite solid starts from the opening duo of Glen Phillips and Chris Gayle. Walton, who scored a match-winning 51 from 42, stuck around to deliver the win.
“It was a lot of pressure, but I knew that if we batted the full 20 overs, we would win the game. The aim was just to bat the 20 overs,” he added.
“It’s nice to get your campaign off and running, it’s a bit late but we will take it nonetheless and hope that we can move strength to strength from here.”
Kwesi has been a sports journalist with more than 10-years’ experience in the field. First as a Sports Reporter with The Gleaner in the early 2000s before he made the almost natural transition to becoming an editor. Since then he has led the revamp of The Star’s sports offering, making it a more engaging and forward-thinking component of the most popular tabloid newspaper in the Caribbean.
Jamaican coaches benefit from Level 2 course under Coaching Education Programme
Twenty local coaches are benefitting from a Cricket West Indies (CWI) Level 2 Coaching Course delivered with the assistance of tutors from University of the West Indies and the governing body’s recently appointed Coaching Education Manager – Chris Brabazon.
The course that began on December 12 and concludes on December 16, is being delivered at Sabina Park and also incorporated the services of two CWI Cricket Specialists, Jamaicans Phillip Service and David Bernard Jr. Prior execution in Jamaica it was delivered in Barbados, Guyana and the Windward Islands.
“This course is part of the CWI’s ‘cricket-first’ strategy which is aimed at improving the human capital in the which supports talent development at all levels. This coaching education focus is done for the foundation through to Level 3. We are building capacity in different areas so that we can develop quality players and winning teams,” said CWI Director and Jamaica Cricket Association President Wilford “Billy” Heaven.
“The Cricket Education Manager will add to the process a focus on the methodology used by the coaches. The pedagogy of any subject is quite important. All our players don’t learn the same way and that is being taken into consideration.”
Meanwhile, the CWI Cricket Education Manager Chris Barbazon believes that coaching in the region is trending in the right direction but the region is behind in this regard.
“Other countries are more advanced in terms of their accreditation systems already being in place. Once the system is in place then more workshops and seminars can be done to build more on what is learned during a course. It allows for greater focus to be placed on getting coaches to the top levels over shorter periods than currently exist,” he said.
“I’m enthused by the positive attitude of the coaches. The next step is to take a look at all the Level 2 coaches across the region and organize a Level 3 course over the next 8-12 months. Thereafter we will seek to strengthen the various cohorts and better the franchise coaches and so on.”.
UWI Tutor Ryerson Bahgoo noted that Level 2 focuses on identifying a player’s strengths and weakness and with the intention to reinforce and strengthen. The Level 2 course uses a more cooperative approach to coaching through observation and implicit learning using cricket drills. Coaches who have successfully completed the level 2 certification may coach in senior clubs and secondary schools that play competitive cricket.
Hetmeyer says match-winning hundred meant a lot
Guyanese power hitter Shimron Hetmeyer said his match-winning ton against cricket powerhouse India on Sunday had special meaning.
Proteas paceman Ngidi set to miss Boxing Day Test
South Africa paceman Lungi Ngidi is set to miss the first Test against England due to a hamstring injury.
Cricket South Africa (CSA) on Sunday revealed Ngidi sustained a "significant Grade 1 hamstring muscle tear" during Tshwane Spartans' warm-up for the Mzansi Super League (MSL T20) play-off against the Nelson Mandela Bay Giants on Friday.
The 23-year-old quick has been ruled out of the MSL T20 final versus Paarl Rocks on Monday.
Ngidi looks unlikely to feature in the Boxing Day Test at the start of a new Proteas era under head coach Mark Boucher and it remains to be seen when he will be available to return.
CSA chief medical officer Dr Shuaib Manjra said: "Lungi Ngidi sustained an acute hamstring muscle injury during the warm-up prior to the MSL T20 play-off on Friday.
"Scans done on Saturday showed a significant Grade 1 tear of his hamstring muscle and therefore he has been ruled out of the MSL T20 final.
"He will commence his rehab and return to play program with the aim of getting him fit to play for the Momentum Multiply Titans in January 2020 and based on his progress, a decision will be made regarding his availability for selection for the Proteas team."
Ngidi has been plagued by a series of injuries early in his career, most recently damaging his hamstring during the Cricket World Cup.
South Africa name their Test squad to face England on Monday.
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