Olympic medalists Ronald Levy and Briana Williams as well as Natasha Morrison and Jaheel Hyde enjoyed podium finishes at the ISTAF Berlin meeting in Germany on Sunday.

Man of the Match Kennar Lewis smashed his second half-century of the season as the Jamaica Tallawahs made it two wins in two as they defeated the Saint Lucia Kings by 55 runs at Warner Park, St Kitts.

This win means the Tallawahs move into a qualifying spot for the knockout games next week but all six teams still have a mathematical chance to reach the latter stages. The Kings remain in third place in the table with all teams having two more group matches left to play.

The Tallawahs got off to a lightning start thanks to other brutal innings from Kennar Lewis who smashed 56 from just 24 balls. Lewis was well supported by Shamarh Brooks as the Tallawahs reached 78-1 off their PowerPlay overs.

While wickets fell throughout the Tallawahs innings they managed to maintain a fast scoring rate throughout with contributions from the middle order. It was Imad Wasim who pushed the Tallawahs past 200 with 10-ball innings worth 27 runs including three consecutive sixes off the 20th over.

The Kings chase started just as quickly with Andre Fletcher and Mark Deyal both making quick-fire scores as they reached 79-1 off their first six overs. Roston Chase and Deyal put on 66 runs in just 32 balls but both fell in the space of two balls to Carlos Brathwaite to bring the Tallawahs back into the match.

Those two wickets gave the Tallawahs a lot more control as they squeezed the Kings in the middle overs with Brathwaite keeping things very tight. The Tallawahs took two wickets in two balls twice more as the Kings chase petered out and the Tallawahs emerged victorious.

Jamaica Tallawahs 211 all out (Lewis 56, Brooks 34; Royal 3-37, Royal 3-53) beat Saint Lucia Kings 156 all out (Deyal 33, Chase 30; Imad 3-34, Brathwaite 2-13) by 55 runs

Elaine Thompson-Herah was the only Caribbean athlete to win on the final day of the Diamond League season in Zurich on Thursday but a few others came very close.

Former West Indies opener Philo Wallace does not believe Chris Gayle should be included in a West Indies squad for the ICC T20 World Cup to be held in the United Arab Emirates next month.

Wallace believes the 42-year-old Jamaican, arguably the best T20 player in history, who has served West Indies cricket well over the years, is now well past his best. He cites Gayle's performances so far in the 2021 Hero Caribbean Premier League as clear signs that the Universe Boss is not the game-changing player he used to be.

“Past performances don’t cut it,” Wallace argued while speaking on the Mason&Guest radio show in Barbados on Tuesday evening.

“Gayle has done wonderfully well. I have no disrespect for Christopher Gayle. I think he has done wonderfully well for the West Indies and himself but the time has come where you need to sit down or stand in a mirror and say ‘can I make it? Can I make it through a world cup?”

At the time he made his comments Gayle had scored 83 runs in five matches in the 2021 CPL with a top score of 42. He is averaging 16.6 runs an innings and has a strike rate of 110.60. According to Wallace, those numbers are simply not good enough.

“For where he is right now in the CPL, it’s a bit of a struggle for someone like Gayle knowing his reputation and what he can do, but you want people of that vintage to be striking it,” Wallace said.

“You had enough time to prepare for the CPL and you know that the CPL is coming before selection for the World Cup.

“If you really wanted to make a statement that I want to go to the world cup despite my age you need to be striking the ball and score runs. There is no excuse for it.”

Wallace named the team he would select for the World Cup and it included Kieron Pollard (captain) Nicholas Pooran (vice-captain), Evin Lewis, Lendl Simmons Shimron Hetmyer, Fabian Allen, Andre Russell, Obed McCoy, Dwayne Bravo, Jason Holder, Andre Fletcher, Hayden Walsh Jr, Akeal Hosein, Odean Smith and Roston Chase.

He listed Sherfane Rutherford, Oshane Thomas and Romario Shepherd as his reserves.

“There is no Gayle, there is no Fidel Edwards because I feel when you get to a certain vintage and you are not fit you have to quit,” Wallace said.

“This cricket is going to be hard. The UAE is not going to be easy against the best players in the world. New Zealand has left out Ross Taylor as well, so they’re looking to move on. West Indies cricket needs to move on.”

As she looks forward to what could be her final race this season on the final day of the Diamond League season in Zurich on Thursday, double, double Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah said she kind of surprised herself with the incredible success she has experienced this year.

Since she won her first sprint double in 2016, the first woman to do so since Florence Griffith-Joyner at the Seoul Games in 1988, Thompson-Herah failed to win a medal at the 2017 and 2019 World Championships. However, at the Toyko 2020 Olympics this past summer, Thompson-Herah became the first woman in Olympic history to win back-to-back sprint doubles.

She set a new Olympic record of 10.51 in the 100m and set a lifetime best of 21.53 to win the 200m titles. She added a third gold medal as a member of Jamaica’s 4x100m relay team that set a new national record of 41.02, the third-fastest time in history.

Weeks later she won the 100m at the Prefontaine Classic in 10.54, the second-fastest time ever run and then followed up with 10.64 to finish second to Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in Lausanne and then 10.72 in Paris.

Speaking at a press conference this morning before she takes to the track on Thursday, the history-making Olympic champion said she has not yet had time to take it all in.

“It hasn’t sunk it as yet. I think because I knew I had a long season I don’t want to get too carried away, too excited and the focus is still continuing the season for next year and the years to come. After the season ends I can say hurrah, hooray and I watch back my videos and see what I have done and say yes, I did it,” she said.

“Being the fastest woman alive, I think I still haven’t known what I have done yet. Because I have put in all the work and I have achieved, it is not something I never expect myself to do but my expectations were not high but I think I surprised myself this entire season with everything that I have done so far.”

On Thursday, Thompson-Herah will line up against Dina Asher-Smith, Natasha Morrison, Javianne Oliver, Daryll Neita, Marie Jose Ta Lou and the Swiss pair of Ajla Del Ponte and Mujinga Kambundji in the 100m.

West Indies U19s lost by one wicket today and went 0-2 down to England U19 in their five-match Youth ODI series at Beckenham.

Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist Ronald Levy and compatriots Stephenie-Ann McPherson and Shanieka Ricketts were among the winners on Sunday at the Meeting Citta di Padova in Italy where American Sha’Carri Richardson ended up on the podium in the 100m.

Levy, who ran 13.10 to win the bronze medal in the 110m hurdles at the Tokyo Olympics last month,  clocked 13.34 to win the event ahead of Italy’s Paolo Dal Molin.

The Italian clocked 13.45 while Brazil’s Rafael Pereira was third in 13.66.

McPherson, in her first race since she suffered an injury in the final of the 400m at the Olympics, ran a smart 50.78 for victory in the one-lapper. Authorised Neutral Athlete Polina Miller finished as the runner-up in a time of 50.96.

Junelle Bromfield made it a Jamaica 1-3 as she took third in 51.19.

Ricketts led a Caribbean 1-2-3 in the triple jump that she won with 14.74. Standout Dominican jumper Thea LaFond was second with her best effort of 14.57m while Cuba’s Liadagmis Povea took the final podium spot with 14.35.

Meanwhile, Sha’Carri Richardson, who has had more bark than bite in recent races, was a close second-place finisher in the 100m. The 21-year-old American, who was ninth in the 100m in Eugene last month and fourth over 200m in Brussels on September 3, clocked 11.19, the same time as winner Javianne Oliver.

It was an American 1-2-3 as Candace Hill finished third in 11.26. Olympic relay gold medalist Briana Williams finished fifth in a pedestrian 11.44.

Trinbago Knight Riders moved back into the top four of the 2021 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) table with a seven-wicket victory over the Jamaica Tallawahs

 TKR won the toss and elected to field first. This proved an inspired decision as their vaunted bowling attack ran through the Tallawahs top order. However, Carlos Brathwaite and Imad Wasim managed to rebuild the innings to give the Tallawahs a total to try and defend.

In reply, TKR overcame a rain delay to win the game with ease although they had several fielding mishaps to help them on their way. Lendl Simmons returned to form as his 70 lead the way for the Knight Riders.

 With several enforced changes as a result of injuries in the camp, the Tallawahs got their innings off to a poor start with five wickets falling in the PowerPlay.

 At the halfway stage of the innings, they could only muster 34 runs as the TKR bowling combinations of Akeal Hosein, Ravi Rampaul, Sunil Narine and Khary Pierre offered no freebies.

 Once Imad Wasim, making his first appearance for the Tallawahs in this Hero CPL, and Brathwaite got their eye in they were able to launch a counter-attack.

 The pair put on an 83-run partnership from 64 balls to rebuild the innings and that was supplemented by some late Andre Russell sixes to give TKR a tricky total to negotiate.

 TKR got their innings off to a watchful start, but Sunil Narine was dismissed just before the heavens opened leading to a rain delay.

 Once play resumed TKR easily chased the 145 required as Simmons and Colin Munro put together a 102-run partnership to ensure there would be no drama in the chase.

Trinbago Knight Riders 145-3 (Simmons 70, Munro 34; Imad 2-19, Pretorius 1-39) beat Jamaica Tallawahs 144-7 (Brathwaite 58, Imad 42; Hosein 2-12, Rampaul 2-26) by seven wickets.

The Saint Lucia Kings repeated their performance from 24 hours earlier and once again recorded a win over St Kitts & Nevis Patriots in their 2021 Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) encounter.

The Patriots won the toss and stand-in captain Chris Gayle chose to bat first, yet it turned out to be a trial by spin as they faltered for 118 all out against the turn of Jeavor Royal and Samit Patel.

The Kings got off to the worst possible start in their chase, losing Andre Fletcher to a Fabian Allen delivery in the very first ball of the innings. They rebuilt via Roston Chase to comfortably reach their target of 119.

St Kitts & Nevis Patriots lost their two explosive batsmen in the PowerPlay overs, as Evin Lewis and Chris Gayle were dismissed early. Youngster Royal was the stand out bowler with three wickets while Patel was the most economical. A mix-up saw the dangerous Sherfane Rutherford run out and while Fabian Allen tried to give his side a big finish, he was dismissed in the 19th over.  

Despite losing Fletcher in the first ball of the innings, Saint Lucia Kings still had the dangerous Faf du Plessis, who raced to 22 off 14 balls, before being caught out. The in-form Roston Chase ended up seeing his side home with a superb innings that saw him reach yet another half-century, this time in 36 six balls, his third in a row at this year’s Hero CPL.

The Kings chased their target in the 16th over as the powerful Tim David helped take them over the line with a rapid 18 runs off 7 balls.    

Saint Lucia Kings now have their third consecutive win of the tournament and move closer to the top spot of the league standings.

Saint Lucia Kings 121-4 (Chase 51*, du Plessis 22; Allen 2-30, Naseem 1-11) beat St Kitts & Nevis Patriots 118 all out (Allen 34, Thomas 28; Royal 3-20, Patel 2-15) by six wickets.

Olympic medalists Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Hansle Parchment were impressive winners at the Continental Tour Gold meeting at the Stadion Slaski in Chorzow, Poland on Sunday.

Fraser-Pryce, the Olympic 100m silver medalist, who was running her first race since her lifetime best 10.60 in Lausanne, Switzerland on August 26, sped to a meet record 10.81 to win by daylight over Swiss athlete Mujinga Kambundji who stopped the clock at 11.08.

Great Britain’s Daryll Neita (11.15) was further back in third. Trinidad and Tobago’s Michelle-Lee Ahye ran 11.19 for fourth.

Parchment, the Olympic champion, recovered from an average start to overhaul Devon Allen and win in 13.26. Allen clipped the last hurdle but managed to finish second in 13.37 while Damion Thomas was third in 13.50.

The women’s sprint hurdles event was won by Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan in 12.64 ahead of Olympic bronze medalist Megan Tapper who clocked 12.75. The USA’s Christina Clemons was third in 12.92.

Jaheel Hyde ended up on the podium after finished third in the 400m hurdles in 48.89. Brazil’s Alison Dos Santos was an easy winner in 48.50 over Turkey’s Yasmani Copello, who ran 48.80.

Candace McLeod, a finalist over 400m in Tokyo finished third in the 400m. Among the leaders up to 300m, the Jamaican faded to third clocking 51.88. The Polish pair of Natalia Kaczmarec and Anna Keilbasinska took the top two places in 50.70 and 51.19, respectively.

Meanwhile, Anderson Peters threw 83.61m for a second-place finish in the men’s javelin throw. However, he was no match for Germany’s Johannes Vetter, who flung the spear 89.60m for victory.

Fedrick Dacres took third place in the men’s discus. He threw a best mark of 64.91m that was bettered by Lithuania’s Andrius Gudzious (65.89m) and Slovenia’s Kristjan Ceh (66.65m)

Andre Degrasse was an easy winner in the 200m in 20.21. His compatriot Jerome Blake took second place in 20.32. Olympic relay gold medalist Filippo Tortu was third in 20.40.

Jamaica has named a stronger 23-man squad for today’s World Cup qualifier against Panama at the National Stadium in Kingston. The match time is 5:00 pm (6:00 pm ECT).

The squad includes West Ham striker Michail Antonio, Ravel Morrison and Bobby Reid, who did not play in the Reggae Boyz match against Mexico on Thursday night. Jamaica lost the match 2-1 on a 90th-minute goal from Henry Martin. Alexis Vega had put Mexico ahead in the 50th minute before Shamar Nicholson's 65th-minute strike pulled Jamaica level.

Jamaica was the only team to have lost in the opening round of the CONCACAF qualifiers and are at the bottom of the table. It makes today’s match against Panama, a crucial one.

The full squad comprises Andre Blake, Wesley Harding, Ethan Pinnock, Ravel Morrison, Alvas Powell, Liam Moore, Kemar Roofe, Oniel Fisher, Cory Burke, Bobby Reid, Shamar Nicholson, Junior Flemmings, Dillon Barnes, Javain Brown, Blair Turgott, Daniel Johnson, Michail Antonio, Lamar Walker, Adrian, Mariappa, Kemar Lawrence, Tyreek Magee, Devon Williams and Dennis Taylor.

Meanwhile, the JFF said it is pleased at the onset of the local component of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers with the first home game against Panama at the 'Office' today.

The governing body said the players will miss profoundly the fans and the positive vibes that they are accustomed to at World Cup Qualifiers in the stadium but expressed confidence that the team will perform up to expectations.

"The technical staff of the JFF has assembled a very experienced professional group of players who are committed to an entertaining display of football," the JFF said in a statement.

"The group is comprised of players who have over recent years ensured that Jamaica has maintained a top-50 position in international football, maintain its leading role in the Caribbean and a continuous respectful position in Concacaf. It now includes some players who will make their debut for the country as they also want to help Jamaica achieve the ultimate goal of qualification to another senior men's World Cup.

"The JFF has also worked assiduously with all relevant state authorities and governing football bodies to get the full approval for the hosting of the game and wishes to thank all for making this happen. We urge Jamaicans to increase their observance of the established protocols to fight the Covid -19 pandemic so that we can not only host our next game on October 10 but all remaining six home games."

Waterhouse FC thrashed Molynes United 4-1 to secure a place in the Jamaica Premier League playoffs in the first match of a triple-header at the UWI-JFF Captain Horace Burrell Centre of Excellence on Friday.