Jamaica's Shaquane Gordon (left) and Nikoli Blackman.
Shaquane Gordon won Jamaica’s second gold medal at the Commonwealth Youth Games and in the process clocked one of four records that fell on day five action, as he proved too good for competitors in the men’s 110 metres hurdles at the Hasley Crawford Stadium in Trinidad and Tobago.
The outstanding Gordon raced to 13.16s, which lowered the previous mark of 13.32s set by Australia’s Andries Van der Merwe in 2011. Noah Hanson (13.20s) of England was second, with another Jamaican Daniel Wright (13.45s), third.
Wright had earlier topped the men’s 400m hurdles in 51.51s, ahead of Sri Lanka’s Liyanage (51.61s) and Oliver Parker (52.36s) of England
In the women’s 100m hurdles, Jamaica’s Bryanna Davidson (13.94s) missed the podium, placing fourth behind Australia’s Delta Amidzovski (13.25s), who won ahead of Thea Brown of England and South Africa’s Tumi Hope Ramokgopa, who both clocked in at 13.53s.
England’s Ayesha Jones launched the javelin to a new Commonwealth Youth Games record of 52.49m to win the event, as she bettered the 19-year-old mark of 51.99m set by Australia’s Annabel Thomson in 2004.
Jones won ahead of compatriot Harriet Wheeler (51.50m), while South Africa’s Lo-Ann Engelbrecht (50.12m) was third. Caribbean athletes Suerena Alexander (42.85m) of Grenada and St Lucia’s Naya Jules (38.60m) were fifth and sixth.
Another Commonwealth Youth Games record and, by extension, one-two finish, went to England, courtesy of Stephanie Okoro and Mia Walker in the women’s 400m hurdles final.
Okoro finished tops in a record 58.19s, erasing the old mark of 59.40s set by Jamaica’s Jhonelle Thomas in 2017. Walker (1:00.52) ensured the England quinella, as she held of South Africa’s Hope Ramokgopa (1:00.63).
Trinidad and Tobago’s Keneisha Shelbourne (1:04.28), finished fifth.
Jaidi James added silver to Trinidad and Tobago’s tally when he cleared 2.00m in the men’s high jump final. Carey Glyde of England won the event after her soared to 2.06m, while Sri Lanka’s Thenuja Rathnaweera, who also cleared 2.00m, was third on the count back.
In Para athletics action, England’s Maddie Down, cut the sand at 4.70m to win the women’s T-38 long jump final. She bettered the Australia pair of Niamh Mac Alasdair (4.09m) and Reese Prior (3.73m).
Action at the National Aquatic Centre was highlighted by a Caribbean sweep in the men’s 50m freestyle where homeboy Nikoli Blackman continued his rich vein of form.
Blackman, who started the twin island republic's medal haul on the opening day, ended in the same vein, as he copped another gold in 22.36s, ahead of Marvin Johnson Jr (22.54s) of Bahamas and another local favourite Zarek Wilson (22.95s), who added another bronze to his tally.
The women’s event was won by England’s Skye Carter in a Junior Commonwealth Games Record of 25.15s, which bettered previous mark of 25.19s, set by Australia’s Ami Matsuo in 2011. Theodora Taylor (25.54s) of Wales and Australia’s Inez Miller (25.59s), took silver and bronze.
In the men’s 200m butterfly final, Malaysia’s Li Hen Goh (2:03.63) outclassed rivals to win ahead of Reuben Rowbotham-Keating (2:03.84) of England and South Africa’s Dylan Eaton (2:06.07). Nigel Forbes (2:06.11) of Bahamas, just missed the podium in fourth, while Antigua and Barbuda’s Ethan Stubbs-Green (2:07.50), placed sixth.
There was an Australia one-two finish in the women’s event, where Mikayla Bird (2:12.66), finished ahead of Poppy Stephen (2:13.34) and England’s Ashleigh Baillie (2:16.74). Sierrah Broadbelt of Cayman Islands placed seventh in 2:23.45.
Earlier, Harper Barrowman of Cayman Islands, clocked 9:11.72 to secure bronze in the women’s 800m freestyle timed final. Hannah Erin Allen of Australia won the event in 8:48.66, ahead of New Zealand’s Hanna Adbou, who touched in 9:10.56.
Allen’s time was just shy of the Junior Games Record of 8:45.90 held by England’s Ariarne Darwent since 2015.
Meanwhile, Trinidad and Tobago and St Vincent and the Grenadines, the two lone Caribbean nations in the Fast5 Netball competition at Shaw Park Complex, both failed to make the medal round, finishing seventh and eighth, after going down 11-15 and 11-25 to Botswana and Canada, respectively.
Australia, England, South Africa and Scotland, are set to decide the medals.
At the end of day five, Trinidad and Tobago remained the top Caribbean Island with 11 medals in fifth on the medal standings, behind Australia (48), England (39), Scotland (20) and South Africa (17).
Cayman Islands is 10th with six medals, Jamaica 11th with four –based on quality –Guyana (three) 13th, Bahamas (four) 16th, Barbados and St Lucia, joint 21st, with two each and Grenada 25th, with a solitary bronze medal.
The curtains will come down on the Games on Thursday.
Sherdon Cowan is a five-time award-winning journalist with 10 years' experience covering sports.
“We have capable replacements”- Powell encourages bowlers to step up and be counted in Alzarri Joseph’s absence for first two England T20Is
West Indies T20 captain Rovman Powell called the unavailability of pacer Alzarri Joseph a big loss on the eve of the first of five T20 Internationals against England at the Kensington Oval in Barbados.
Joseph was suspended by Cricket West Indies for two games after abruptly leaving the field during the series-deciding third ODI between the West Indies and England at the same venue on Wednesday which the hosts won by eight wickets to claim a 2-1 series win.
“It’s a definite loss for us,” Powell said in a pre-match press conference on Friday.
“He’s the spearhead of our attack and one of our more experienced bowlers but, having said that, we have capable replacements. When you look on the bench strength, I think guys that are waiting in the wings are good also. It’s an opportunity for somebody to step up and be counted,” he added.
The West Indian T20 side are coming off a disappointing series loss to Sri Lanka and will be looking to bounce back against opponents they have become very familiar with over the years, especially on their home turf.
“Every time England comes to the Caribbean it’s a big rivalry. England is one of the best teams in the world so it definitely brings out the best in us from a T20 perspective,” Powell said.
“I think we’ve been playing some good T20 cricket so this series provides an opportunity for us to continue to do that,” he added.
Another added thought in the mind of players in the format this time of year is the looming IPL player auction.
With the amount of cricket played throughout the year, however, Powell doesn’t see how anyone’s performance in these five games will determine whether or not they are picked up during the auction on November 24 and 25.
Instead, Powell wants his team to focus on the task at hand.
“A lot of scouting has already been done. I don’t think five games would actually change the decisions of where IPL teams will go. It’s just for us from an individual standpoint to focus on what we can contribute to our team and leave the rest to whatever,” he said.
With the ODI team just winning their series, Powell was asked about whether or not there is pressure for the T20 side to do the same.
“There is always pressure, especially playing at home against such a good opponent,” he said.
“Fortunately for us as a T20 team, we’ve been managing that pressure pretty well, so far,” he added.
The first T20I bowls off tomorrow at 3:00pm JA time/4:00pm ECT.
Sunshine Girls face setback with Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard’s withdrawal from Horizon Series against England
Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls have suffered a significant blow ahead of their upcoming Horizon Series against England’s Roses with the withdrawal of star goal shooter and team captain Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard. Netball Jamaica announced today that Fowler-Nembhard, who has been a crucial presence in the goal circle, will be unable to participate in the series due to medical advice, affecting both the Manchester games on November 16 and 17 and the Jamaican leg on November 25 and 26.
Fowler-Nembhard, who has been training with the team for the past month, was anticipated to play a vital role not only in scoring but also in mentoring the new players who recently joined the senior squad. However, Netball Jamaica President Tricia Robinson emphasized the importance of prioritizing Fowler-Nembhard’s health. “Netball Jamaica is focused on her health and well-being and will provide updates as necessary regarding her condition. Romelda Aiken-George will instead join the team in England for the series,” Robinson said.
Sunshine Girls’ head coach Sasher-Gaye Henry expressed disappointment over the unexpected loss of Fowler-Nembhard but reinforced the team’s commitment to supporting her recovery. “Jhaniele is the captain and a very important player for Jamaica, and so we are quite disappointed that she will not be able to participate in the Horizon Series. However, our priority at this time is her health, and we are committed to supporting our players every step of the way. Additionally, we remain confident in the strength of our squad as we move forward with the series,” said Henry.
As the Sunshine Girls prepare to depart for England, Netball Jamaica extended their gratitude to fans for their understanding and continued support, assuring them that the team is ready for what promises to be a highly competitive series despite this setback.
West Indies squad named for first two England T20Is in Barbados
Cricket West Indies has named a dynamic 15-man squad for the first two matches of the 'Rivalry' T20I series against England, with Rovman Powell leading the team as captain.
Following a dominant 2-1 ODI series win capped by a decisive eight-wicket victory at the Kensington Oval, the West Indies team heads into this series with renewed confidence. The squad announced for the first two games in Barbados showcases a mix of seasoned T20 stars and in-form players who have excelled in recent competitions.
The squad includes seasoned players such as Roston Chase and Shimron Hetmyer, alongside the versatile talents of Matthew Forde and Terrance Hinds. Shai Hope, Akeal Hosein, and Shamar Joseph bring further strength to the lineup, while explosive batsmen Brandon King and Evin Lewis add depth at the top. Gudakesh Motie joins Nicholas Pooran, returning with Andre Russell after both missed the recent tour to Sri Lanka, and Sherfane Rutherford and Romario Shepherd complete a formidable squad, ready to go for another victorious series in front of home fans.
Guiding the team is Head Coach Daren Sammy, who is joined by Team Manager Rawl Lewis. Supporting Sammy are Rayon Griffith as the fielding coach, Floyd Reifer handling batting responsibilities, and James Franklin overseeing bowling. The team’s physiotherapist is Denis Byam, with Ronald Rogers providing strength and conditioning expertise, while Dane Currency attends to the squad’s massage therapy needs. Avenesh Seetaram contributes his analytical insights as the team analyst, and Jerome Foster will serve as the Media and Content Officer.
The 'Rivalry' series kicks off with two back-to-back matches at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on November 9 and 10, before moving to Saint Lucia for three more games at the Daren Sammy Stadium on November 14, 16, and 17. Fans across the Caribbean are set for an action-packed series as the West Indies aim to extend their undefeated home streak in T20Is, facing off against a challenging England squad in what promises to be a thrilling display of cricket.
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