The Massy Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) set a new record for viewership numbers in 2023. The total broadcast and digital viewership for the 2023 tournament reached 36.2million for the expanded tournament which took place in Barbados and Trinidad.

 The Massy WCPL had a 45% rise in viewership in 2023, with a huge increase in the number of fans tuning in around the world for the second season of the event.

 The seven-match tournament concluded with the Barbados Royals beating the Guyana Amazon Warriors to claim the title, with the final at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy being the most watched match.

 The tournament saw some amazing performances with New Zealand’s Sophie Devine finishing as the leading run scorer and breakout Indian star Shreyanka Patil claiming the most wickets. West Indies all-rounder Hayley Matthews was the player of the final with a brilliant 82 runs and two wickets as the Barbados Royals emerged victorious.

 Pete Russell, CPL’s CEO, said: “We are delighted with the viewing figures in 2023 as global interest in the women’s game continues to grow. The second edition of the WCPL surpassed all expectations in terms of interest and the quality of cricket and we are already looking forward to the 2024 event which we are certain will be even more successful.”

Johnny Grave, CEO of Cricket West Indies, said: “The growth in the interest and opportunities in women’s cricket in the Caribbean in recent years has been incredible and Cricket West Indies are very pleased with the impact WCPL has had on giving opportunities to our players to further develop their skills. To see the WCPL already showing such fantastic growth in year two is very pleasing and we are looking forward to seeing the tournament go from strength to strength in 2024 and beyond.”

Brendon McCullum urged Ollie Pope to loosen up early on in his innings but pointed out England’s vice-captain is not alone in having a reputation as a nervy starter.

Pope has had mixed fortunes in India. A career-defining 196 underpinned a famous England triumph in Hyderabad but the number three batter has amassed a combined 89 runs in his other seven knocks.

He has been accused of being on edge when first arriving at the crease and faced just three deliveries in Ranchi without scoring as India moved into an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match Test series.

His first-innings dismissal, charging down the wicket to Akash Deep and out lbw, was symptomatic of a batter with a cluttered mindset but McCullum argued some of the greats could be cagey at the outset.

Former England captain Kevin Pietersen was famously anxious to get off nought throughout his decorated career and would frequently set off for a risky single.

“It’s tough – he played three balls in the game,” McCullum said of Pope. “Pietersen, (Ricky) Ponting, guys like that were all frenetic at the start, everyone’s susceptible when they first go out to bat.”

Fifteen months ago, Pope praised England head coach McCullum and captain Ben Stokes for removing “a fear of getting out”. Under the duo, Pope has flourished and averages 40.85 in his last 19 Tests, a significant improvement from 28.66 in his first 23 matches.

While shielding Pope from criticism, McCullum thinks the 26-year-old is capable of further improvement and can adapt to situations rather than thinking too much about batting while still in the pavilion.

“He’s trying to be as calm as he can when he goes out there and there’s a period when he needs to grab information from the wicket and get the rhythm of how the game is going,” McCullum added.

“For him, the key is to not have played his innings before he goes out there, just to be nice and calm, relaxed and go out there and be able to back himself in that situation.

“He’s aware of that, that’s ultimately what everyone is trying to do when they go out and play. He obviously bagged them in the last Test and he’s gutted.”

Despite two anonymous showings with the bat, Pope’s enthusiasm in India’s successful pursuit of 192 impressed McCullum, whose side will be looking for a consolation victory this week in Dharamsala.

“The way he was helping the skipper and diving around in the field, that’s the stuff you’re desperate for as a coach, to see people giving it their best regardless of their own performance,” McCullum said.

“It was great leadership qualities and shows where he’s at as a player, member of the team and as a person.”

In a scathing critique of the International Cricket Council (ICC) and major cricketing nations, Cricket West Indies (CWI) CEO Johnny Grave has accused the global cricketing body of deliberately obstructing the resurgence of West Indies cricket by maintaining an unjust economic model.

Grave's outburst follows the West Indies' impressive performance in their tour of Australia from January to February 2024. The underdog West Indies, led by captain Kraig Brathwaite, secured a historic Test series draw against Australia, marking their first Test victory on Australian soil in 27 years.

In a podcast with Daniel Gallan, Grave expressed his frustration, stating, "I think everyone is a bit sick of the phrase - world cricket needs a strong West Indies - when we definitely feel that world cricket is doing everything they can at almost every level to make sure that West Indies Cricket are never strong again."

One of Grave's primary grievances is with the ICC's revenue share model, which he deems flawed. Grave alleged that West Indies' share of the revenue has dwindled from seven to five percent under the current model, despite headlines suggesting an increase in financial support.

"I think that's the borne of the frustration of that as Ian Bishop says in his own words that this is a patronising tone. If you really want a strong West Indies Cricket, it would actually not be that hard to do a bit more. ICC are giving us more money in headlines but our percentage of revenue has gone down from seven to five percent, which we struggle to understand," Grave explained.

The CWI CEO questioned the cricketing community's commitment to fairness, stating, "If we all just are looking after ourselves then are we really acting as a community? Are we putting the best product on the field?"

This is not the first time Grave has criticized the ICC. In January, he had raised concerns about the economic disparity, claiming that the West Indies made no money from the men's and women's tour of Australia series, with the majority of revenue going to Cricket Australia.

"The revenue-share model is completely broken," Grave stated. "If we really want to operate as a cricketing community, we are only as strong as the weakest team, and we've got to change the mindset of bilateral cricket.

 "CWI has spent over USD$ 2 million sending teams to Australia in the last four months, and whilst CA have received all the economic benefits from those series, we've seen zero dollars back. Is that really fair, reasonable, and sustainable?"

Ollie Robinson should have all the motivation he needs under the leadership of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum to get back to firing on all cylinders, according to former England seamer Alex Tudor.

Robinson’s fitness issues surfaced once more in Ranchi as a twinge in his troublesome back meant he was down on pace, sending down just 13 wicketless overs in the fourth Test and unused in India’s chase of 192 as the hosts went 3-1 ahead in the five-match series.

Despite an outstanding record of 76 wickets at an average of 22.92 in 20 outings, there is again scrutiny at whether Robinson’s body can withstand the rigours of Test cricket.

His previous competitive appearance was seven months ago – when a back spasm shortened his involvement – and a seamer described as the heir apparent to Stuart Broad now seems at a crossroads in his career.

Tudor was a keen observer of Robinson’s underwhelming return in his role as a talkSPORT commentator and sympathises with the 30-year-old, as several injuries restricted him to 10 Tests between 1998 and 2002.

But Tudor hopes Robinson can rediscover his mojo and argued there is no greater incentive for him than the chance to play under the relaxed environment cultivated by captain Stokes and head coach McCullum.

“His place is definitely up for debate, which you wouldn’t have said a year or so ago,” Tudor told the PA news agency.

“He’s a quality performer but he’s having a few issues with lasting a Test match. I’m sure he’ll want to sort this out because playing in and around this team, it’s what any cricketer would want.

“England are full of positivity under Ben Stokes, who backs his team to the hilt, the same with Brendon McCullum. The atmosphere that they’re creating, any sportsperson would want to be a part of that.

“I’m sure Ollie Robinson is no different but it’s for him to get it sorted to get his body right and show everybody what he can do.”

England are due to arrive into Dharamsala on Sunday ahead of the fifth Test, starting on Thursday, with conditions expected to be wetter and cooler than what they have so far experienced on this tour.

There has been persistent rain and hail showers in recent days in the small city at the foothills of the Himalayas in north India although the weather is forecast to brighten up ahead of the Test.

Fast bowlers could therefore be called upon more at the HPCA Stadium, with James Anderson expected to shrug off a minor thigh issue to play as he looks for two more wickets to take him to 700 in Tests.

“It will be another milestone in a glittering career,” Tudor said of the 41-year-old seamer. “I don’t think he would have ever dreamed of the haul of wickets he’d get when he first got into the team.

“Getting to 700 wickets will be a fantastic milestone and one that I think no other seamer will get near again. Jimmy’s really shown the next generation how to go about things.”

Tudor first met Anderson during the 2002/03 Ashes tour, with England’s now record wicket-taker then a shy 20-year-old as part of the ‘A’ team. Anderson made his international debut soon after.

“Quite early on, the England team knew what they had,” Tudor added. “It would be foolish of me to say ‘I knew straight away he was going to have this illustrious career’.

“But he’s evolved with the times, got better with age and got better and better. The biggest compliment I can give is I regard (ex-West Indies fast bowler) Malcolm Marshall as the greatest of all-time but Jimmy’s like the English version of Malcolm Marshall because he gets wickets all around the world.”

West Indies captain Hayley Matthews had only a small role to play, as her Mumbai Indians team registered a comfortable seven-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bangalore to assume pole position of the Women’s Premier League at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, on Saturday.

Matthews, who made 55 in a losing cause on last, got a fairly decent start, and though she failed to push on, it mattered little, as Mumbai Indians made light work of the modest target set by Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Chasing 132, Mumbai Indians got to their target with 29 balls to spare, with Matthews contributing a brisk 21-ball 26.

She struck three fours and a solitary six in a 45-run opening stand with Yastika Bhatia, which laid the foundation for the run chase. Bhatia lashed a 15-ball 31. 

Matthews added a further 24 runs for the second wicket with captain Nat Sciver-Brunt (27), before holing out to cover off-spinner Shreyanka Patil.

From there, it was left for New Zealander Amelia Kerr to apply the finish with a snappy 40 off 24 balls, including seven fours, that fuelled an important 49-run third wicket partnership with Sciver-Brunt.

Earlier, RCB stumbled their way to 131 for six off their 20 overs after being sent in, Australian Ellyse Perry holding the innings together with an unbeaten 44 off 38 balls.

With the innings in trouble at 42 for four in the ninth over, Perry put on 29 for the fifth wicket with fellow countrywoman Sophie Molineux (12), before adding a further 51 for the seventh wicket with another international teammate Georgia Wareham, who made 27 from 20 deliveries.

The win was Mumbai’s third in four games, putting them top of the standings on six points.

New Zealand kept their hopes in the first Test alive as Glenn Phillips took five wickets to bowl Australia out and set a target of 369 on the third day in Wellington.

Nightwatchman Nathan Lyon was the unlikely top scorer for Australia, falling on 41 with his first Test 50 in sight.

Cameron Green continued his form with 34, but all-rounder Phillips spun his way to five wickets and was on a hat-trick after removing Travis Head for 29 and dismissing Mitch Marsh with the next ball.

Phillips finished with 5-45 as Australia were all out for 164.

The Australians struck early in the Blackcaps innings, Lyon dismissing Tom Latham and Kane Williamson for single-digit scores, before part-timer Head removed Will Young for 15.

Rachin Ravindra (56 not out) and Daryl Mitchell (12 not out) dug in for the rest of the day.

Two days remain with New Zealand requiring 257 pull off what would be an incredible victory.

West Indian all-rounder Kyle Mayers produced a man of the match performance to help Fortune Barishal secure their first Bangladesh Premier League title with a six-wicket win over Comilla Victorians in the final at the Shere-e-Bangla Stadium in Mirpur on Friday.

The Victorians, who entered Friday’s game seeking their third BPL title in a row and fifth overall, made 154-6 from their 20 overs after being put in to bat by Barishal.

Mahidul Islam Ankon was the top scorer for Comilla with a measured 35-ball 38 while Andre Russell provided some lower order excitement with 27 off 14 balls including four sixes.

James Fuller was expensive in his four overs, going for 43 while picking up a pair of wickets.

Mayers and Obed McCoy were both economical on the day with figures of 1-26 and 1-24 from four overs, respectively.

Barishal then needed only 19 overs to reach 157-4 and secure their maiden hold on the title.

Mayers completed a fine all-round display with a top score of 46 off 30 balls including five fours and two sixes.

Captain Tamim Iqbal, who was named the player of the tournament, made 39 off 26 balls including three fours and as many sixes at the top of the order.

His opening partner, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, also batted well for his 26-ball 29.

Mustafizur Rahman and Moeen Ali took a pair of wickets, each, for the Victorians.

Somerset will consider letting emerging England star Shoaib Bashir leave the club on loan this summer, with head coach Jason Kerr weighing up how best to manage the next step of the spinner’s career.

Bashir was fast-tracked into the Test squad in India after just six first-class matches and has quickly grown into his new surroundings, with 12 wickets in two mature outings for his country.

The 20-year-old has been identified as a player with significant long-term potential by the ECB, but with his path to first-team cricket at Taunton blocked by Jack Leach – currently recovering from knee surgery but still England’s first-choice slow bowler – his immediate future is less clear.

Test head coach Brendon McCullum said last week it would be “slightly mad” if Bashir and Lancashire’s Tom Hartley, who has Australia’s Nathan Lyon in his way at Old Trafford, were kept on the sidelines in the county season and Kerr appreciates the dilemma.

“It’s certainly not easy but I always try and put myself in the player’s shoes and what they want is to play cricket,” he told the PA news agency.

“Bash will be on cloud nine right now and riding that. He would have seen the world very differently at the start of the winter than he does now that he’s had international opportunities and done very well. So it’s important to have really honest, transparent conversations.

“We start the season on April 5th and I’d be surprised if too many teams are playing two specialist spinners so understand there will be some questions about it. There’s still a lot of water to go under the bridge, but what I’m not going to do is stand in the way of anyone’s opportunity.

“We will always do what is best for the player and we’ve done it time and time again. We’ve allowed people to go on loan and get some cricket because it can benefit them and us in the future, and we’ve said no to players because they’re next in line and we might need them.

“We will look at each case as it arises but, historically, we’ve been open to it.”

Bashir’s rapid rise effectively reprises the situation Somerset experienced when fellow off-spinner Dom Bess emerged. He and Leach began by working in tandem on turning pitches but, when Bess was elevated to the Test side, the pair eventually found themselves competing for one spot.

Leach held that berth, with Bess moving on to Yorkshire, and Kerr made it clear he retains full faith in a player who has given more than a decade of good service to Somerset.

“It’s important we see both of the guys bowling first but we also look at what Leachy has done for club and country over the years,” he said.

“We always want competition for places and we want it to be healthy. Nobody has the right to start but Jack has got a lot of experience and, from my side, that counts for a lot. Bash has so much time to grow and to become a world-class spinner who can bowl on all surfaces and know when to defend and attack. He’ll be coming back from India to very different conditions in the UK.

“We’re an incredibly ambitious club and we want to inspire players to represent England. We want to help them fulfil those aspirations and that doesn’t change whether it’s Shoaib or Jack.”

James Anderson might find conditions more to his liking as he bids to join Test cricket’s 700 club when England regroup for their final assignment of the tour of India next week.

England expect Anderson to be available for the fifth Test in Dharamsala, starting on Thursday, despite a sore thigh which limited his involvement on the last day of their five-wicket defeat in Ranchi.

India’s unassailable 3-1 series advantage leaves only pride and World Test Championship points at stake, but one sub-plot centres on England’s record wicket-taker Anderson.

The evergreen 41-year-old has advanced his tally from 690 to 698 in three outings in India, offering England his customary control on slow, low turners that have largely neutralised his wicket-taking threat.

But his attempt to become the third individual, after Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan and the late Australian Shane Warne, and first fast bowler to reach 700 Test wickets could be aided in Dharamsala.

The HPCA Stadium in the foothills of the Himalayas is renowned as the best venue for seamers in India and is where the national team often goes to train in preparation for tours of England and Australia.

Temperatures in the area have struggled to get into double figures recently and, although the weather is forecast to improve next week, it is unlikely the mercury will get much above 15 degrees Celsius.

Local officials expect the crisp English-like conditions to play into Anderson’s hands, while a recall for express speedster Mark Wood is also on the cards, with the pitch expected to offer pace and bounce.

If Anderson’s quad injury turns out to be more serious, England could hand Gus Atkinson his Test debut, with Ollie Robinson poised to make way after his unflattering return to competitive action in Ranchi. Ben Stokes could supplement the pace bowlers after stepping up his workload in training recently.

There was plenty of carry and consistent movement seven years ago when the Dharamsala venue staged its only Test as India beat Australia, 18 of 30 wickets from bowlers falling to the spinners.

England are therefore likely to stick with Tom Hartley and Shoaib Bashir as their frontline spin options.

The ground was due to hold another India-Australia contest 12 months ago, but poor outfield conditions led to the Test being shifted to Indore, while the issue reared its head again at last year’s World Cup.

England’s players were cautious about diving in the outfield ahead of a group game against Bangladesh because of the uneven grass coverage and a sandy make-up, leading Jos Buttler to suggest the “integrity of the game” could be compromised.

However, a new drainage system has been installed in an effort to resolve the problem and officials are confident there will be no complaints this time from England, who are due to reassemble as a group on Monday.

Many of the squad are currently in Bangalore on a golfing trip, while Stokes, Wood, Bashir and Ben Foakes, plus the non-golfing members of the backroom staff, are in Chandigarh.

Jonny Bairstow is set to become the 17th member of England’s 100 Test club after head coach Brendon McCullum confirmed the Yorkshireman will feature against India in Dharamsala next week.

Here, the PA news agency looks at some of Bairstow’s best moments as a Test cricketer.

South Africa v England, January 2016, Cape Town

 

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Bairstow had a number of false dawns, including a sparkling 95 in his fourth Test against the same opposition. Four years and 18 Tests later, Bairstow had his first international hundred but it was worth the wait. This Test is remembered for Ben Stokes going supersonic but Bairstow was no shrinking violet and contributed 150 not out to a world-record stand of 399 for the sixth wicket. A couple of days before the anniversary of the death of his father David – a former England and Yorkshire cricketer – Bairstow junior cemented his spot as a Test regular. Afterwards, he said: “I was thinking of my dad, my grandfather, who passed away last year, and my family – that was for those guys.”

England v Sri Lanka, May 2016, Leeds

Where else but Headingley should one of Yorkshire’s favourite sons make his first Test ton at home? England were teetering on 83 for five against opponents who shocked them two years earlier. Bairstow riding to the rescue was a common theme in 2016 – his 1,470 runs remain the most by a wicketkeeper in a calendar year – and England never looked back after his swaggering 140 in 183 balls. Bairstow hit another hundred at Lord’s with an unbeaten 167 as England romped to a 2-0 series win.

Sri Lanka v England, November 2018, Colombo

An ankle injury sustained in a football warm-up had the knock-on consequence of Bairstow surrendering the wicketkeeping gloves for a few months to Ben Foakes. Restored to the side as a specialist batter for the final Test and into England’s problem number three position, Bairstow defied Sri Lanka’s coterie of spinners and peeled off a masterful 110. Upon reaching three figures, a red-faced Bairstow let out an emotional roar and later hit out at those who had “castigated” him for the nature of his injury. Bairstow’s push up the order was short-lived but he helped England seal a famous 3-0 series whitewash.

England v New Zealand, June 2022, Trent Bridge

A career that had blown more cold than hot showed signs of flickering with a battling hundred in the previous winter’s Ashes that effectively spared England another 5-0 defeat. A lack of role clarity could perhaps partially explain Bairstow’s shortcomings but there was no second guessing what Stokes and McCullum wanted from him. Chasing 299 and with New Zealand resorting to bowling short, Stokes told Bairstow: “Don’t even think about trying to hit one down. Hit it into the stands.” Bairstow obliged in jaw-dropping fashion with seven sixes in a 77-ball hundred which threatened Gilbert Jessop’s long-standing record. After a run of low scores, Bairstow helped England over the line in emphatic fashion.

England v India, July 2022, Edgbaston

With a run of indifferent scores currently – he is yet to reach 40 in India – it cannot be forgotten Bairstow established himself as the early poster boy for the Stokes-McCullum era. After his Nottingham heroics, he blitzed another mammoth century at his beloved Headingley before his magnum opus in this format in Birmingham. Fired up by Virat Kohli’s sledging, Bairstow thumped 106 first time around in a Test rearranged from the previous summer. Then he and fellow Yorkie Joe Root put on an unbroken 269 as England eased to a national record chase of 378. Bairstow made an unbeaten 114, his sixth and final century of an astonishing 2022, where he averaged 66.31 before suffering an untimely badly broken leg.

A century last-wicket stand, a top-order collapse and a comedy of errors run out conspired to put Australia in control of the first Test against New Zealand.

Having had the visitors in early trouble on the first day in Wellington, the hosts saw last-wicket pair Cameron Green and Josh Hazlewood frustrate them for much of the morning session.

They then saw their top order blown away and only some counterattacking lower down got them within 204 runs of their visitors.

Having reached his century off the penultimate ball of day one, Green added another 71 runs as he reached a Test-best 174 not out – last man Hazlewood weighing in with 22 as they took the overnight score from 279 for nine to 383.

Mitchell Starc was first to strike in the New Zealand inning as he bowled Tom Latham for five before the hosts lost talismanic batsman Kane Williamson without scoring.

Williamson, who scored seven centuries in his last seven Tests, and Will Young collided in the middle of a quick single and Marnus Labuschagne’s direct hit sent the former captain packing.

Rachin Ravindra followed for a duck as he cut Hazlewood to Nathan Lyon, Young and Daryl Mitchell also departing cheaply to leave New Zealand 29-5.

Glenn Phillips hit a counterattacking 71 off 70 balls alongside Tom Blundell (33) but only Matt Henry’s 42 offered much more resistance, Lyon collecting four for 34 as the hosts were dismissed for 179.

Australia opted against enforcing the follow on and lost Steve Smith without scoring off the third ball, bowled by Tim Southee.

Southee struck again as Labuschagne’s poor run continued, caught behind for two, but Usman Khawaja and Lyon saw Australia through to stumps at 13-2 – a lead of 217.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) on Thursday confirmed the squads of the six regional teams participating in the 2024 CG United Women’s Super50 Cup and Twenty20 (T20) Blaze. 

The CG United Super50 Cup matches will be played at three venues in St Kitts – Warner Park, Conaree Cricket Centre, and St Paul’s Sports Complex from March 4-25. Start time for the 50-over matches is 10:00am local time. 

Meanwhile, the T20 Blaze will feature five full days of entertainment for fans from March 17-25 at Warner Park. There will be three matches per day – starting at 10:00am, 2:30pm and 7:00pm (under lights). 

Barbados are defending champions in both the CG United Super50 Cup and the T20 Blaze. 

West Indies Women’s and Barbados captain Hayley Matthews will miss the CG United Women’s Super50 Cup and the T20 Blaze, as she has been granted a No Objection Certificate (NOC) to participate in the Women’s Premiere League in India. 

CWI’s Director of Cricket Miles Bascombe said: “It’s an exciting period for women’s cricket in the region. This year’s CG United Women’s Super50 and T20 Blaze has a whole new context as we seek to professionalize the women’s pathway with the first cohort of regionally contracted Women being signed on from October 1, 2024. We will miss Hayley’s profile and impact in the regional Tournament. She is our gold standard. I am sure she will make us proud at the WPL which will be excellent preparation for her ahead of ICC Women’s T20 World Cup later this year.”

Fans can attend all the matches for free and all matches will be streamed live with commentary on the Windies Cricket YouTube channel, along with live scorecards and ball-by-ball scoring on the windiescricket.com match centre.

FULL SQUADS

BARBADOS: Kycia Knight (Captain), Kyshona Knight, Aaliyah Alleyne, Shanika Bruce, Asabi Callender, Zaliya Camobelle, Shamilia Connell, NaiJanni Cumberbatch, Erin Deane, Keila Elliott, Allison Gordon, Theanny Herbert-Mayers, Trishan Holder, Alisa Scantlebury.

Head Coach: Sherwin Campbell

GUYANA: Shemaine Campbelle (Captain), Naomi Barkoye, Shabika Gajnabi, Trisha Hardat, Plaffianna Millington, Sheneta Grimmond, Realeanna Grimmond, Ashmini Munisar, Cherry-Ann Fraser, Mandy Mangru, Kaysia Schultz, Realeanna Grimmond, Cyanna Retemiah, Nyia Latchman.

Head Coach: Clive Grimmond

JAMAICA: Stafanie Taylor (Captain), Rashada Williams, Natasha McLean, Vanessa Watts, Keneshia Ferron, Neisha-Ann Waisome, Chedean Nation, Kate Wilmott, Nicole Campbell, Celina Whyte, Abigail Bryce, Jaunel Deers, Jessica Garcia

Head Coach: Shane Brooks

LEEWARD ISLANDS: Amanda Edwards (Captain), Terez Parker, Tyynetta McKoy, Reniece Boyce, Melicia Clarke, Rozel Liburd, Shawnisha Hector, Tonya Martin, Chey-Anne Moses, Shebani Bhaskar, Kimberley Anthony, Jahzara Claxton, Divya Saxena, Saneldo Willett.

Head Coach: Percy Daniel

TRINIDAD & TOBAGO RED FORCE DIVAS: Britney Cooper (Captain), Steffie Soogrim, Karishma Ramharack, Djenaba Joseph, Kirbyina Alexander, Shunelle Sawh, Samara Ramnath, Selene Oneil, Shalini Samaroo, LeeAnn Kirby, KD Jazz Mitchell, Caneisha Isaac, Shanice Pascall, Brianna Harricharan.

Head Coach: Gibran Mohammed

WINDWARD ISLANDS: Afy Fletcher (Captain), Malika Edward, Zaida James, Qiana Joseph, Kimone Homer, Carena Noel, Jannelia Glasgow, Pearl Etienne, Earnisha Fontaine, Tracy Byron, Nerissa Crafton, Amiah Gilbert, Namiah Marcellin, Selena Ross.

Head Coach: Petra Lynch

 

Sherfane Rutherford's blistering knock (58* off 31) and his unbroken match-winning partnership of 80 with Akeal Hosein (22* off 17) took Quetta Gladiators to a thrilling five-wicket win over Karachi Kings in a last-ball finish in Karachi on Thursday.

Chasing a slightly below-par target of 166, the visitors raced away to 57 off just 29 deliveries through their openers Jason Roy and Saud Shakeel.

Both batters made use of the powerplay, notably the Englishman who went hammer and tongs at the Karachi bowlers. However, the partnership was broken off the last ball of the powerplay when Shakeel fell to Hasan Ali. The breakthrough spurred a collapse for the Gladiators as they lost four more wickets for just 32 runs in the next 37 deliveries. Zahid Mahmood's wrist spin proved tricky to handle on a slightly two-paced surface at the National Stadium.

While the leggie picked the big wickets of Rilee Rossouw and Khawaja Nafay, Hasan Ali removed Sarfaraz Ahmed while Shoaib Malik took the big scalp of Roy. From a cozy 57/0, the Gladiators were staring down the barrel at 89/5 in the 14th over. Rutherford, though, showed no signs of panic and got good support from Hosein as the duo went about their work effortlessly. They struck sixes with frequency and then rotated strike to take the game deep. From 66 off 36, it became 45 off 24 and then 25 off 12. Hasan's penultimate over went for just 10 despite a six in it, leaving 15 to get off the final over.

Anwar Ali, playing his first game of the season, couldn't hold his nerve as Rutherford smashed him for sixes off the first two balls to virtually seal the deal. The pacer did drag the game deep to the final ball but couldn't prevent a Gladiators win. There was massive drama off the penultimate ball when Anwar missed an opportunity to run out Rutherford - the all-rounder went all the way to the stumps to whip the bails off when a gentle throw would have caught the West Indian short. It was to be Karachi's final chance of salvaging something from the game as Rutherford had the last laugh off the final ball.

Earlier on, though, Anwar's unbeaten 14-ball 25 is what gave the Kings some respectability to their finish with the bat. James Vince (37 off 25) and Tim Seifert (21 off 11) had gotten the hosts off to a flier after skipper Shan Masood's first-over dismissal, racking up 61 off the powerplay. However, once Gladiators' spin duo of Usman Tariq and Abrar Ahmed got into the act, things changed drastically as the Kings lost wickets at regular intervals. Mohammad Nawaz created some impetus in the middle overs but couldn't convert his starts.

Just when the Kings had gotten themselves to a position for the final assault, they lost wickets in a heap. From a potential total of 180-plus, even 160 looked doubtful before Anwar's flurry in the 20th over gave the Kings something to bowl at. It was a below-par total but they nearly still made a game of it.

Brief scores: Karachi Kings 165/8 in 20 overs (James Vince 37, Mohammad Nawaz 28, Abrar Ahmed 3-31, Usman Tariq 2-16) lost to Quetta Gladiators 169/5 in 20 overs (Sherfane Rutherford 58*, Jason Roy 52, Zahid Mahmood 2-17) by five wickets

 

In a consequential announcement, the President of Guyana and Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Dr. Irfaan Ali, revealed on Wednesday that the legendary West Indies and Guyanese cricketer, Sir Clive Lloyd, is set to be honored with the Order of Caribbean Community (OCC) Award. This prestigious award, the highest regional honor, is reserved for individuals whose impact on the economic, political, social, and cultural development of Caribbean society is deemed extraordinary.

The award ceremony is scheduled to take place at the CARICOM meeting in July in the picturesque locale of Grenada. This recognition is a testament to Sir Clive Lloyd's remarkable contributions not only to cricket but also to the broader development of the Caribbean community.

Sir Clive Lloyd, an iconic figure in West Indies cricket, steered the team to historic victories during his captaincy. Notably, he led West Indies to triumph over Australia at Lord’s in the inaugural Cricket World Cup tournament in 1975. Four years later, he repeated this feat, guiding the team to another world title by defeating England at the same historic venue.

Having played in 110 Tests and 87 One-Day Internationals, Sir Clive Lloyd stands as one of the most successful cricket captains in history. Under his leadership, the West Indies team achieved unparalleled success, boasting a remarkable 27-Test match unbeaten streak, including 11 consecutive victories.

Beyond his playing career, Sir Clive Lloyd has served cricket in various capacities, including as a former West Indies team manager, selector, and ICC Match Referee. In recognition of his outstanding contributions to the sport, he was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2009.

The announcement of the Order of Caribbean Community Award for Sir Clive Lloyd is met with anticipation and excitement, as the cricketing legend prepares to join the esteemed ranks of individuals who have left an indelible mark on the Caribbean region.

The Comilla Victorians and Fortune Barishal will lock horns to determine the champion of the 2024 Bangladesh Premier League at the Shere-e-Bangla stadium in Mirpur on Friday.

The Victorians, home of West Indians Sunil Narine, Andre Russell and Johnson Charles, will be looking for their third BPL title in a row and fifth overall while Barishal, home of Kyle Mayers, Obed McCoy and Yannic Cariah, will be seeking their first BPL crown.

Comilla finished second on the final points table in the league phase and got to the final on the back of a six-wicket win over the Rangpur Riders in Qualifier 1 on Monday.

Barishal, who finished third on the points table, got a seven-wicket win over the Chattogram Challengers in the Eliminator on Monday before upsetting the Riders with a six-wicket win in Qualifier 2 on Wednesday.

The final is expected to be an exciting affair as both teams have registered wins over each other this season.

They first met on January 23 with the Victorians winning by four wickets before, a month later, Barishal registered a six-wicket win.

Individually, the two finalists boast the top two run scorers in this season’s edition of the BPL.

Fortune Barishal will be looking for a big contribution from opener Tamim Iqbal who currently leads the run-scoring chart with 453 runs from 14 innings at a strike rate of 125.48 including three fifties.

Second on that list in Comilla’s Towhid Hridoy with 447 runs from 13 innings at a strike rate of 149.49 including a hundred and a pair of fifties.

Comilla’s Litton Das (375 runs from 13 innings) and Barishal’s Mushfiqur Rahim (367 runs from 14 innings) are also among the top five run getters this season and will be looking to score big in Friday’s final.

As for the bowling side, medium pacer Mohammad Saifuddin has taken 14 wickets at an average of 14.14 for Barishal while left-arm spinner Tanvir Islam has picked up 13 wickets in 12 matches for the Victorians.

Off-spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz and West Indian left-arm quick Obed McCoy have also been in good form for Barishal with 11 wickets each.

 

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