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• Windwards Volcanoes restrict Barbados Pride to 28-3 at stumps on day three chasing 236 for victory at Queen’s Park Oval

  The Windward Islands Volcanoes will enter Saturday’s day four of their final round fixture against the Barbados Pride seven wickets away from a possible title-clinching win after restricting the Pride to 28-3 chasing 236 for victory at the Queen’s Park Oval.

  The Volcanoes recovered excellently to make 225 off 73.2 overs after starting the day 14-4 with Kavem Hodge and Sunil Ambris at the wicket on four and zero, respectively.

  The recovery effort was led by Ambris thanks to a crucial 141-ball 79 including nine fours and a six while pacer Ryan John and wicketkeeper Tevyn Walcott made valuable contributions of 37* and 35, respectively.

  Jomel Warrican took 4-58 for the Pride while Akeem Jordan and Jair McAllister took two wickets, each.

  Chasing 236 for victory, the Pride were 28-3 off 17 overs at stumps with Jonathan Drakes (9) and Chaim Holder (0) at the crease.

  If the Windwards Volcanoes win and the Guyana Harpy Eagles lose to the Leeward Islands Hurricanes, the Volcanoes could lift the title.

• Moseley scores 112, Edward grabs 6-43 as Volcanoes hold narrow 24-run lead over Pride at Queen’s Park Oval

  Shayne Moseley scored a hundred and Larry Edward took a six-wicket haul as the Windward Islands Volcanoes closed day two of their final round fixture with the Barbados Pride with a narrow 24-run second innings lead at the Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad.

  The Pride were bowled out for 227 off 90.4 overs in response to the Windwards’ 237 all out on day one.

  Moseley scored 112 off 184 balls, his fifth first-class hundred, including 17 fours and one six.

  Larry Edward took 6-43 off 29.4 overs for the Volcanoes.

  The Windwards had a disastrous end to the day, losing four wickets in only eight overs.

  Kimani Melius (7), Johann Jeremiah (0), Sherman Lewis (2) and Alick Athanaze (0) all fell as the Volcanoes ended day two 14-4 after eight overs with Kavem Hodge and Sunil Ambris at the crease on four and zero, respectively.

  Jomel Warrican has, so far, taken two wickets from two overs without conceding a run.

• Olympics chief Bach labels politicians 'deplorable' over calls to deny Russian athletes right to compete

  Olympics chief Thomas Bach has attacked politicians pushing for Russian and Belarusian athletes to be prevented from returning to international sport, saying their attitude is "deplorable".

  International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Bach launched a tirade on Thursday at the "negative reactions" to plans to allow competitors from Russia and Belarus to compete in global sporting events as neutral individual athletes.

  There has been no final decision taken yet on whether those athletes can take part in next year's Olympics; however, there will be potential pathways for them to qualify for the Games, and it could yet mean there are Russians and Belarusians taking part in the Paris Games while war continues in Ukraine.

  Government figures in the UK, Germany and beyond have expressed opposition to such athletes being allowed to take part, although IOC guidance on Tuesday potentially opened that door.

  For those politicians there was a fierce rebuke from Bach.

  Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Bach said: "Today the IOC executive board discussed the reactions to our recommendations issued on Tuesday.

  "There we have taken note of some negative reactions by some European governments in particular. I can only reaffirm there what the Olympic movement and all the stakeholders have made very clear before: that it is deplorable to see some governments do not want to respect the majority within the Olympic movement and of all stakeholders, nor the autonomy of sport which they are praising and requesting from other countries in countless speeches, UN resolutions, EU declarations, and at every other opportunity.

  "It is deplorable that these governments do not address the question of double standards with which we have been confronted in our consultations.

  "We have not seen a single comment from them about their attitude towards the participation of athletes whose countries are involved in the other 70 wars and armed conflicts in the world.

  "It is even more deplorable that they grossly neglect the very clear statement of the two special rapporteurs from the UN human rights council. While in other issues they are always highlighting their firm request for the respect of human rights

  "Discussions and reactions from the Olympic movement are making it very clear, that these government interventions have strengthened the unity of the Olympic movement.

  "All stakeholders make it very clear again: it cannot be up to the governments to decide which athletes can participate in which competition. This would be the end of world sport as we know it today.

  "The Olympic movement stakeholders are very concerned about this politicisation of sport. They are very concerned about the attitude of these governments wanting to take over the participation and the decision of participation in sport events in their country or even in other countries."

  Bach pointed to a letter from the presidents of the five regional groupings on national Olympic committees, representing all 206 NOCs, in which he said it was stated that "international sports competitions welcome athletes from all countries".

  Asked why it was only athletes from Russia and Belarus that were being asked to compete as neutrals, rather than those from other conflicts and wars to which he referred, Bach said that was "because this was a blatant violation of the Olympic truce and happened between the Olympic Winter Games and the Paralympic Games".

  That was a reference to the timing of the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

  With regard to Germany and the UK, Bach said: "Both NOCs have made it very clear they do not boycott, and we will not punish athletes or an NOC for the position of their governments.

  "We will always make every effort not to punish athletes for misbehaviour of their national governments."

  Bach, who is German, said "a vast, vast majority of all stakeholders of the Olympic movement" supported the IOC putting in place conditions for the possible return to international competition of athletes with Russian and Belarusian passports.

  He added: "I can only reaffirm the entire Olympic movement strongly stands by its values and by its mission to unite the world in a peaceful competition."