Despite losing both friendly encounters to Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana senior men’s Head coach Jamaal Shabazz says their objectives were met, as the players that made the trip to the twin island republic gained invaluable experience that will assist to shape their future in the sport.

The Golden Jaguars lost 1-2 and 0-2 to Angus Eve’s Soca Warriors at the Crawford Stadium, in Port of Spain, but for Shabazz, the fixtures served their purpose of gauging the readiness of players, who competed in recently concluded Round One of the KFC Elite League Season, especially with the Concacaf World Cup qualifiers scheduled to get under way next month.

“We did not win, but a lot of questions were answered as to who is ready to move into our full international squad. We achieved our other objectives. We got higher level match practice for the likes of Daniel Wilson, Kelsey Benjamin, Curtez Kellman, Colin Nelson and Ryan Hackett, all of whom travel with our first team. We gave valuable exposure to players like Marcus Tudor, Simeon Moore, Chris Macey and Stephen McDonald, just to name a few,” Shabazz shared.

“It is clear that player for player we were able to match our opponents. Some boys gave a good account of themselves, and some were a bit nervous. Most importantly, the lads would have learnt a few lessons for their future, like the margin for error at international level is small and the need for more composure in front of goal,” he added.

Aside from those he mentioned, Shabazz also had three overseas-based players from Canada, France and the United States, in his 24-member squad, and by all indications, a few more might be assessed, as the tactician prepares to select his final squad for the qualifiers.

Guyana will contest Group D of the qualifiers, alongside Panama, Montserrat, Belize and Nicaragua. They are set to open against Panama in Panama City on June 6, followed by the Belize encounter on June 11 in Barbados.

Shabazz expressed gratitude for the continued support in gifting local-based players the opportunity to showcase their potential, and challenge for spots in the final squad.

“I must thank the Government of Guyana and the Guyana Football Federation for enabling this exposure for the home-based players. At least twice a year we should get these types of matches for home-based players to develop,” Shabazz noted.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Head coach Angus Eve welcomed the outcome of their two-match friendly series against Guyana, but in the same breath, says he is bracing for even tougher assignments when kick off the 2026 World Cup qualifiers next month.

Though pleased that a few local-based players gave him much to think about in their 2-1 and 2-0 win over Jamaal Shabazz’s Guyana outfit, Eve again rued Trinidad and Tobago’s citizenship laws, which he believes puts them at a slight disadvantage against regional opponents, who have the luxury of importing heritage players from elsewhere around the world.

As such, Eve, who used the Guyana fixtures to fine-tune tactics and expose more players to the national team, is hoping to get the necessary support to spur his Soca Warriors on throughout the World Cup qualifying campaign, which gets under way against Grenada on June 5.

“I think when we used to play before, going against Grenada was a foregone conclusion,” Eve said as he reminisced on the twin island republic ‘s dominance in the past.

“But the immigration laws in this country do not help us. We do know Grenada has a lot of players coming back from England. They might not be the quality as those for Jamaica, but we do know they have a lot of those sort of players coming back,” he reasoned during a post-match interview.

Eve and his men will also have St Kitts and Nevis, Costa Rica and The Bahamas to contend with in Group B.

Former Soca Warriors and Manchester United striker Dwight Yorke recently joined the call for a review in the citizenship laws, which states that “A person shall not become a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago, if at the time of his birth – (a) neither of his parents is a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago.” Until such changes are made, both Yorke and Eve believe Trinidad and Tobago will remain on the backfoot when compared to other nations.

“So, we need the 12th man to be on board with us. The guys are going to come out and give everything that they have, so it’s just for the fans to come out and support the team. The 23 players and the TTFA alone can’t qualify. We need support from corporate, the Government, the fans, the normal man in the street, because when the team does qualify, then all of us will be celebrating as a nation. So, we need a national effort to qualify,” Eve stated.

That said, the tactician quickly pointed out that the team still has much to do in terms of their technical and tactical efficiency, particularly those local players who might be included in the final squad.

“I think it could have been a bigger scoreline (against Guyana). We gave some sloppy chances, and we have to alleviate those problems when we play the next team,” Eve declared.

He named midfielders Matthew Woo Ling and Daniel David and veteran striker Kevon “Showtime” Woodley, who scored in both games, among those that impressed against the Jaguars.

“I thought when we put them on in the second half, it changed the game, and we got a little bit more tempo and we got more penetration. So, very happy for these guys. They got the opportunity and I thought that they grasped it with both hands. A number of them gave us some stuff to think about, so there is a lot of positive,” Eve noted.

 

Trinidad and Tobago's Head coach Angus Eve and his Guyanese counterpart Jamaal Shabazz welcomed the upcoming two-match friendly international series as a window to not only give new players an opportunity to strut their stuff, but also to gauge their overall readiness for the World Cup qualifiers.

The senior Soca Warriors and their Jaguars counterparts will lock horns on May 13 and 15 at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo, as they kick start preparations for the FIFA World Cup qualifiers in June, as well as the Concacaf Nations League campaign in September.

Eve pointed out that a handful of new players will be given the opportunity in the two matches owing to their good form in the ongoing 2023/24 T&T Premier Football League (TTPFL) season.

Defenders Sheldon Bateau, Josiah Trimmingham and Andre Raymond, who became a regular fixture at left back toward the backend of the Soca Warriors' 2023/24 Nations League campaign, have completed their respective club seasons and are expected to be involved in the friendlies. Daniel David, Ezekiel Kesar, Isaiah Lee, Matthew Woo-Ling and the Miscellaneous Police FC pair of Simeon Bailey and Josiah Wilson, will also be in the mix to stake a claim on a spot in the squad for the major tournaments.

"We see these games as a very important cog in the wheel of our preparations going into the World Cup campaign for 2026," Eve said, via a T&T Football Association release.

"It's an ongoing programme that we have started since I have come on board where we get some international games to get the locally based players up to speed to see how they perform against international opposition,” he added.

Guyana, guided by Shabazz, a former T&T coach, gained promotion for the upcoming Nations League A campaign after topping their Nations League B group, which included Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas and Puerto Rico. This represents their competitiveness and quality which Eve is expecting to see on show against his team.

"Guyana is also in the League A of the Nations League so it's not slouches we will be playing. It gives the local players a final opportunity to be seen outside of their league against international opposition so that we can pick the final squad. That is what these exercises are about,” Eve noted.

That said, the tactician explained that meetings with recently-elected TTFA president Kieron Edwards, have been fruitful.

"The TTFA president has been in the media saying how positive the meetings were and we think they were also positive from our end. He and his new board are committed to helping us and the country to qualify for another World Cup,” Eve shared.

Meanwhile, Shabazz believes the Soca Warriors are formidable opponents, as he praised the TTFA and the Guyana Football Federation for their huge investments with the staging of the friendly matches.

"Of course, whether it is football, cricket, hockey or rugby, when Guyana plays T&T, we want to win so it's also going to be a title fight. Trinidad and Tobago are formidable opponents, and it will provide a stern test for the home-based players vying for a spot in the final squad for our FIFA World Cup qualifiers in June,” Shabazz said.

The last meeting between the two teams at the same venue ended in a 1-1 stalemate two years ago.

Kick-off will be 7 pm on both days, with tickets priced at $75 (covered section) and $50 (uncovered section).

 

Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago are set to cross swords in the group stages of this year’s fourth edition of the Concacaf Nations League, as both were drawn in Group B of League A for the 2024/25 campaign which is scheduled to kick off in September.

This year’s Concacaf Nations League will again be contested in a three-league format –Leagues A, B and C –and will see the Confederation’s 41 senior men’s national teams doing battle during the FIFA match windows of September, October, and November 2024. The semi-finals and finals of the tournament, which serves as the qualifiers for next summer’s 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup, are scheduled for March 2025.

The teams have been grouped across the respective Leagues based on their results from the 2023/24 staging. The Reggae Boyz and their Soca Warriors counterparts, who contested the business end of the competition for the first time in that campaign, will be hoping to do so again on this occasion.

They are among 12 teams, split in two groups of six teams each to contest League A in a “Swiss style” league system, with each team playing a total of four games (two at home and two away).

Jamaica, last edition’s semi-finalist, and Trinidad and Tobago, who made the quarterfinals, are drawn alongside Honduras, Cuba, Nicaragua, and French Guiana, while Group A comprises, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Suriname, and Guyana.

After group stage play in September and October, the first and second-place finishers of each group, will advance to the quarterfinals, where they will join the four top-ranked League A teams, Mexico, United States, Panama, and Canada. The quarterfinals will be played in a home-and-away format, with the winner of each fixture, on aggregate, set to secure a berth in next year’s Finals.

Meanwhile, League B will feature 16 teams divided into four groups of four teams. Each team will play every team in its group twice. The groups were drawn as follows:
 
Group A -El Salvador, Montserrat, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Bonaire

Group B -Curacao, Saint Lucia, Grenada, and Saint Martin
Group C -Haiti, Puerto Rico, Aruba, and St Maarten
Group D -Dominican Republic, Bermuda, Antigua and Barbuda, and Dominic 
Matches in each group will be played at a centralized venue instead of the previous home-and-away format, to alleviate travel challenges that Member Associations face.

The third best-ranked teams in each group will host the September matches, the second best-ranked teams will host the October matches, and the best-ranked teams will host the decisive November matches.

Over in League C, which consists of nine teams, divided into three groups of three teams, the format takes a similar shape, where each team will play every team in its group twice.

Group A -Barbados, Bahamas, and US Virgin Islands
Group B -Belize, Turks and Caicos Islands, and Anguilla
Group C-Saint Kitts and Nevis, Cayman Islands, and British Virgin Islands

Where centralized venues are concerned, the second highest-ranked teams in each group will host the September matches, and the highest-ranked teams will host the October matches.

Schedule:

Group Stage: September 2-10, October 7-15, and November 11-19, 2024
Quarterfinals: November 11-19, 2024
Semifinals: March 20, 2025
Final and Third Place Match: March 23, 2025

There was no fortune for Caribbean countries at the backend of Saturday’s first day of the World Athletics Relays, as the various teams failed to progress in the men’s and women’s 4x400m events at the Thomas A. Robinson Stadium in Nassau, Bahamas.

In the female qualifiers, Jamaica’s quartet of Charokee Young, Ashley Williams, Junelle Bromfield, and Roneisha McGregor placed third in heat three in 3:29.03, behind Poland and France, who clocked 3:27.11 and 3:28.06.

Earlier, Cuba (3:31.56) and Dominican Republic (3:40.93) placed third and seventh, respectively, in heat two.

Ireland headlined the team’s that progressed, as they clocked a National Record 3:24.38 in qualifying. United States (3:24.76), Great Britain (3:24.89), Italy (3:26.28), Norway (3:26.89), Poland (3:27.11), and Canada (3:27.17), also booked their spots in the final, as well as for this summer’s Paris Olympic Games.

Meanwhile, it was more of the same on the male side of action, as Trinidad and Tobago’s quartet of Asa Guevara, Timothy Frederick, Shakeem McKay, and Jereem Richards, clocking 3:04.15 for third in heat one, where Japan (3:00.98) and Germany (3:01.25) secured the coveted spots.

United States initially won the heat, but they were later disqualified for an infringement.

Jamaica’s Malik James-King, Zandrion Barnes, Assinie Wilson, and Demish Gaye, clocked 3:02.46 for third, behind Belgium (3:00.09) and Nigeria (3:01.70). Guyana (3:09.91) was eighth in that heat.

The Bahamas (3:07.45) placed sixth in heat three, which was won by Italy (3:01.68), ahead of the fast-finishing Great Britain (3:02.10).

In the last heat, Barbados (3:03.72) and Dominican Republic (3:08.15), placed third and sixth, respectively, as Botswana (2:59.73) and South Africa (2:59.76) took the top spots.

Despite missing out on this occasion, the teams will have another shot at Olympic qualification in Round 2 action on Sunday.

As the much-anticipated ICC Men’s T20 World Cup draws closer, Cricket West Indies president Dr Kishore Shallow expressed satisfaction with the region’s state of readiness for global showpiece which is jointly hosted by in the Caribbean and United States.

Shallow’s remarks followed a recent visit Kensington Oval in Barbados where he was assured that all was on course for the June 1-29 tournament.

Barbados will host nine matches– five in the group stage, three in the Super Eight second stage, and the final on June 29, which will mark the third such ICC marquee game to be staged at the venue following on from the historic One-Day International World Cup in 2007 and the 2010 T20 World Cup.

Though West Indies will not feature in any group stage games at the Oval, a box office fixture between reigning T20 World champions England and Australia is on the cards for June 8.

Ambassador Noel Lynch, chairman of the National Organising Committee, in a recent media conference said that the major elements of the storied venue would be delivered to tournament authorities next week while the remaining elements would be completed by month end.

“On the eastern concourse where there’s the party stand and the temporary facility, and all of those facilities that are coming in, we are sure that we’ll hand over those on the 30th of April. But we’ll hand over the major parts that you know – the 3Ws, the Greenidge and Haynes, the Media Centre, the field of play, the scoreboards, all of the electronic boards – will be finished within a week and handed over,” Lynch said.

“I think that’s ahead of schedule. I think Barbados has done an exceptional job. It wasn’t my job … when I came back from the US, we were already very far advanced in terms of the progress – the infrastructural progress at Kensington Oval,” he added.

Shallow agreed, as he gave the thumbs up to Barbados and other host venues across the region, who are well advanced in preparation for the tournament.

“Well ahead of schedule. I’m happy with the progress we’ve made so far with the World Cup and it’s definitely going to be a spectacle of an event and something we should all look forward to,” Shallow said.

He later revealed that there was one territory that was lagging behind in their preparations, but was reluctant to name the island.

Along with Barbados, games will also be played in Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, St Lucia, and St Vincent and the Grenadines.

“Only one facility in the Caribbean, one country (is) probably a couple weeks behind schedule, but we have their commitment that they are going to accelerate. It might take some day and night application but no doubt, by June 1, every country in the Caribbean is going to be ready,” Shallow shared.

Jamaica’s athletes swept the girls’ and boys’ Under-17 400m races, with the Under-20 events going to Guyana, as action continued on the opening day of the 51st Carifta Games at the Kirani James Athletics Stadium in Grenada on Saturday.

Nastassia Fletcher of Jamaica finished tops in the girls’ Under-17 event, as compatriot Nickecoy Bramwell topped the boy’s Under-17 event in a championship record, while the impressive Guyanese duo of Tianna Springer and Malachi Austin were a cut above rivals in the Under-20 events.

Fletcher started the series with a tidy 54.32s-clocking to win the girls’ Under-17 event ahead of the fast-finishing Keyezra Thomas (54.59s) of Bahamas, with Antigua and Barbuda’s Tyra Fenton (54.89s) finishing third.

Bramwell then followed suit, as he successfully defended his boys’ Under-17 title. The smooth striding athlete had the field beaten from 200m out, but pushed himself to stop the clock in 47.27s, which lowered Usain Bolt’s 47.33s Championship Record set in 2002.

Kemron Mathlyn (47.96s) of Grenda and Eagan Neely (48.16s) of the Bahamas were the runners-up.

Meanwhile, Springer the Under-17 champion from last year, produced a breathtaking performance to top the girls’ Under-20 final in personal best 52.31s. She closed well to better the Jamaican pair of Abigail Campbell (52.85s) and Shaquane Williams (53.03s).

Austin, a Commonwealth Youth Games silver medallist, then brought the curtains down on the series, as he also produced a late charge to win in a new personal best 46.35s. He denied Jamaica’s Marcinho Rose (46.59s), with Joshiem Sylvester (46.93s) of Grenada in third.

The Carifta Games can be seen live on SportsMax and the SportsMax App.

The men and women who will be responsible for the preparations of the pitches and fields for the upcoming ICC Men’s Twenty20 (T20) World Cup, are now well equipped with the tool of the trade. Following a two-week series of workshops, the ground staff across the region went through theory and practical sessions geared towards education and re-education on the rudiment of their crucial roles.

Over 100 participants completed the workshop series, which included both indoor educational sessions and outdoor practical events. The events were led by senior officials of Cricket West Indies (CWI).

Winston Reid, the Lead Curator for the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA), lauded the initiative, which he hopes will continue beyond the World Cup.

Reid, who is based at Kensington Oval in Barbados, the venue that will host the June 29 World Cup final, had a hugely successful cricket career when he played over 100 matches at the regional level for Barbados. He joined the staff at the historic venue in 2005, ahead of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2007.

“This was a very good initiative by the ICC [International Cricket Council], CWI [Cricket West Indies] and the BCA [Barbados Cricket Association]. This is something that should be encouraged, and I know the staff here benefited tremendously. It was a wonderful eye-opener, an education in many ways it was enlightening and interactive and the responses I got from the others who participated, said to me it was clear they too benefitted in a meaningful way,” Reid said.

“The reason behind the workshop was to improve in every way we can and to do better at our jobs. We are gearing up towards the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which will be the biggest event we have ever hosted. We will be staging the final here, at this magnificent venue, so we want to make sure everyone is fully equipped.

“Not only for Kensington, but for curatorship at all the other venues around the island and the region. We want to see better pitches and fields and playing conditions for our players to show their skills and also to entertain the fans in the stands. So, this was a very timely workshop series which augurs well for the game in the West Indies going forward," he added.

Roland Holder, CWI Manager of Cricket Operations and Head of Cricket for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, outlined the reasons behind the series of workshops. He said the series was crafted by CWI and designed to upskill existing curators across the region by exposing them to international best practices for pitch preparation and applicable maintenance, while simultaneously expanding the cadre of curators by identifying new talent with the appropriate combination of theoretical knowledge and practical exposure, to lend further expertise to match venues to deliver a world-class event in June.

A CWI Curators Manual was also produced in the lead up to the workshop and will be disseminated to the curators.

Six countries in the West Indies will host matches in the ninth edition of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup which will be played from June 1-29. West Indies, which hosted the event in 2010, will hold matches at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua; Kensington Oval, Barbados; Guyana National Stadium, Guyana; Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, Saint Lucia; Arnos Vale, St Vincent and Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Trinidad and Tobago.

The event will be the largest in the tournament’s history with 20 international teams playing 55 matches across nine locations. It is the first time USA will host matches at a T20 World Cup, with 16 first-round matches split between Nassau County International Cricket Stadium (New York), Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium (Dallas), and Broward County Stadium (Lauderhill).

The Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) created a record total economic impact of US$101,683,135 for Guyana during the 2023 tournament.

 There were six regular season matches and four playoff matches in Guyana between the 13th and 24th September and the tournament concluded in front of a sell-out home crowd at the Providence Stadium with the Guyana Amazon Warriors claiming their first CPL title.

 The Economic impact study was compiled by World renowned research organisation, YouGov Sport who reported on the impact CPL had on the local economy. A lot of factors are taken into account, though the key economic drivers are organiser spend, visitor spend and media value for Guyana.

During the CPL window, the tournament was responsible for filling a record 23,217 hotel room nights in Guyana, made up by CPL’s significant cohort which included players, coaches, administrators, TV and media crews, team owner groups, league and franchise event management teams, alongside overseas visitors who arrived to watch the games. A large part of the total economic impact figure came from the money spent by these overseas visitors who spent a considerable amount of time in Guyana during the CPL matches, enjoying the many activities put on as part of the Cricket Carnival.

Guyana also benefited from the tournament being broadcast around the world with CPL’s total audience reaching 853.5million viewers. As always, the tournament worked closely with the local tourism authorities to create world class content which highlighted the fantastic eco-tourism opportunities that exist in this stunning country. These exclusive features and vignettes were shown during the CPL matches, further promoting the tourism message to a global audience.

Pete Russell, Republic Bank CPL’s CEO, said: “The conclusion of the 2023 tournament was certainly dramatic, as all eyes were on Guyana to see the Amazon Warriors claim their first CPL title. This was a fantastic moment for the country and it is extremely rewarding to have seen both the social and economic impact the tournament had in Guyana, with the figures released today confirming what we all felt during those memorable 11 days last September.

“Having the showpiece finale the Biggest Party in Sport in Guyana was certainly a huge success and these numbers show how sports tourism can leave a significant and lasting legacy.”

Kamrul Baksh, Director of the Guyana Tourism Authority, said: “The Caribbean Premier League (CPL) has been a game-changer for Guyana’s tourism industry. More specifically, since becoming the host nation of the CPL finals in 2022, Guyana’s visitor arrivals have significantly increased by 131% from 2022 to 2023. This is the highest number of visitors for September on record. In just two years, the rush of cricket fans and travellers from around the world has filled our hotels and restaurants and provided opportunities for local businesses to thrive. The CPL has not only brought exciting matches but has also displayed Guyana’s rich culture and natural beauty worldwide, reinforcing our status as a leading tourism destination. We aim to capitalise on this success, leveraging sports tourism to drive steady economic development.”

 

Jamaica’s Samuel Ricketts emerged champion at Cuba’s Torneo International competition when he defeated top seeded Yeison Alvarez two sets to one in Sunday's final in Havana.

After ousting the third seed Matthew Abela in the semis 21-17 21-3 in just 37 minutes on Saturday, the second seeded Ricketts outplayed Alvarez in the final 21-18 7-21 21-19 in the hour-long title decider.

In women’s play, Jamaican Tahlia Richardson advanced to the semis where she was narrowly beaten 12-21 23-21 27-25 by Nikte Sotomayor, the Guatemalan top seed who lost the final to Cuban Taymara Pupo.

Guyanese Priyanna Ramdhani reached the quarterfinals where she lost to Pupo.

The effects of the fallout between Jamaica’s senior Reggae Girlz World Cup players and the Jamaica Football Federation (JFF), has started to set in, as the country continues to slip down the FIFA/Coco-Cola Women’s World Rankings, and now sit 42nd.

After achieving an all-time high of 37 and 1589 points in August, following the Reggae Girlz historic Round of 16 FIFA Women’s World Cup exploits in Australia, the country’s women’s programme slipped five places and now has 1543 points on the latest rankings released on Friday.

This follows 0-2 and 1-2 defeats to Canada, as well as a 1-2 defeat and 1-1 stalemate against Panama, followed by 2-2 and 1-1 stalemates with Guatemala, over the September and December windows. Their most recent fixtures in the February window ended in 1-5 and 0-1 losses to Chile.

By virtue of the slip, Jamaica’s women lost ground on Concacaf rival Mexico, who inched four places up to 31st on 1668 points. Other Concacaf teams United States slipped to fourth despite their Women’s Gold Cup triumph, while Canada inched one place up to ninth.

World champions Spain remains atop the rankings, with England, France in second and third. Germany (fifth), Sweden (sixth), Japan (seventh), Netherlands (eighth) and Brazil (10th), completing the top 10.

Other Concacaf teams, Costa Rica slipped one place to 44th, Haiti slipped two places to 53rd, Panama held firm at 55th, and Trinidad and Tobago inched one place up to 77th.

Meanwhile, Guatemala held firm at 80th, with Puerto Rico making a big move up 18 places to its best ever ranking of 85th, while Guyana and Cuba both slipped three places to 90th and 92nd, respectively, with El Salvador (97th), the other team from the confederation in the top 100.

Jamaica were crowned the 2024 CG United Women’s Super50 Cup champions picking up the winners’ cheque for $20,000 USD despite a 5-wicket defeat to Guyana in their final match of the tournament.

Winning the toss and batting first in a match reduced to 44 overs per side, Jamaica slumped to 73 all out in 27.1 overs at St. Paul’s Sports Complex on Wednesday.

Rashada Williams top-scored with 31 followed by Chedean Nation with 20. Ashmini Munisar once again led the way for Guyana with figures of 3/11, followed by Nyia Latchman with 2/1.

Guyana made a meal of the run-chase, losing five wickets in the process, but 24 from Mandy Magru and 21 from skipper Shemaine Campbelle ensure they did enough to earn the victory, finishing on 74/5 in 17.4 overs.

Jaunel Deers picked up 2/4 while Neisha-Ann Waisome had 2/23 bowling for Jamaica. Guyana finished second earning them the $10,000 USD runners-up cheque.

The Windward Islands earned a 44-run victory over Barbados, thanks to an 81-ball 72 from skipper Afy Fletcher and 30 from Namia Marcellin as the Windwards posted 233/9 in their 50 overs.

This is the second game in a row that Barbados have conceded over 200 runs when bowling. Shamilia Connell was the pick of the Barbadian bowlers with 4/38.

64 from Kycia Knight and 49 not out from Aaliya Allyene took Barbados to 189/9 from their 50 overs, as the Windwards bowlers kept the scoring in check.

Qiana Joseph 2/21, Zaida James 2/22 and Jannillea Glasgow 2/24 were the Windwards bowlers who got the defence job done.

Trinidad and Tobago Red Force Divas finally earned a win and points in the final match of the competition when they defeated the Leeward Islands by 4 wickets.

Batting first, the Leewards posted 151 all out in 40.2 overs, thanks to 48 from Reniece Boyce and 39 from Tonya Martin. Caneisha Isaac had the best bowling figures for Red Force Divas of 3/33 followed by Steffie Soogrim 2/15 and Samara Ramnath 2/22.

Ramnath returned with the bat to score 35 in their run-chase along with 48 from Lee Ann Kirby as Red Force Divas reached 152/6 in 41.1 overs. Leewards captains Amanda Edward had their best bowling figures with 3/17.

The teams return to action on Sunday for the start of the T20 Blaze tournament, with three matches per day at Warner Park at 10am, 2:30pm and 7pm. The T20 Blaze will run from March 17- 25.

 

Jamaica women remain unbeaten after four rounds of the CG United Women’s Super50 Cup after they defeated the Windward Islands by 3 wickets at the St. Paul’s Sporting Complex on Monday.

Batting first, the Windward Islands were kept to 175/9 courtesy some spectacular bowling by Chinelle Henry who finished with figures of 6/31 in the match reduced to 45 overs due to a wet outfield.

Experienced all-rounder Pearl Etienne top-scored with 58 followed by the inform Jannillea Glasgow with 38 and skipper Afy Fletcher with 31.

Jamaica had a nervy run-chase as they lost seven wickets in the process. Rashada Williams played a patient 101-ball 72 and Natasha McLean hit a run-a-ball half-century as Jamaica reached 176/7 in 36.1 overs.

The Leeward Islands scored their highest total ever in the competition when they posted 255/5 from their 50 overs at Warner Park.

Half-centuries from Shawnisha Hector 56, Amanda Edwards 55 not out and Divya Saxena 51 along with 46 from Jahzara Claxton took the home team to challenging total against defending champions Barbados. Barbados’ bowlers had a tough time in the heat as they toiled against the Leewards. NaiJanni Cumberbatch had the best bowling figures of 1/33.

The experience of the Barbados batting lineup reared its head, as the three most senior batters got their team to the victory line.

Skipper Kycia Knight kicked things off with 42, but it was 88 not out from twin sister Kyshona Knight who shared in a 152-run partnership with Aaliyah Alleyne that took the match away from the Leewards.

Barbados got to the target in 46.2 overs to finish on 256/5. Shawnisha Hector finished with figures of 2/48.

Trinidad and Tobago Divas slump continue in this season’s competition, as they lost their fourth match in row to Guyana by 62 runs, to remain winless.

The Divas bowlers did well to restrict Guyana to 156/8 from their 50 overs. Karishma Ramharack once again led the bowling with figures of 3/26 followed by Lee Ann Kirby with 2/24. Guyana captain Shemaine Campbelle made 52 while Shabika Gajnabi added 33.

In their reply, the Divas were bowled out for 94 in 42 overs, Samara Ramnath top-scored with 20 followed by Shunelle Sawh with 18.

Ashmini Munisar spn a web on the Divas, picking up her first fifer to finish with figures of 5/15. Nyia Latchman had 2/24.

 

Guyana’s senior national men’s football team, the Golden Jaguars are set for a historic sojourn to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to play two international friendlies during the March window.

President of the Guyana Football Federation, Wayne Forde made the announcement on Thursday at the Federation’s headquarters in Georgetown.

Jamaal Shabazz’s men will be up against Cabo Verde on March 21 and Cambodia on March 26. Both games will be played at the Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium, Jeddah.

Based on the current FIFA rankings, Cabo Verde is ranked 65th, Guyana 157th and Cambodia 179th.

Forde expressed excitement about the upcoming matches in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, emphasising the enthusiasm among local stakeholders, particularly the Golden Jaguars team members.

As per the initiative approved by the FIFA Council in 2023, these matches mark the beginning of a new tradition where FIFA will host matches across the six confederations every even-numbered year.

“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia offers a unique experience for all of us, especially our players. The environment will be markedly different from what they’re accustomed to within the Confederation of Concacaf. We hope they seize the opportunity to showcase their skills, aiming to catch the attention of clubs in Saudi Arabia and other scouts monitoring these games,” said Forde.

Forde lauded Shabazz for his achievements in the Concacaf Nations League, where he guided Guyana to promotion to League A.

“We eagerly anticipate the start of the World Cup qualifiers in June and the Nations League, which begins in September. As we strive towards 2026, we’re focused on arranging more international friendlies for the team while actively scouting new talent to bolster our programme,” Forde noted.

Shabazz for his part, expressed delight at the opportunity for his team to participate in the FIFA Series, as he stressed not only the historic aspect of playing in the Middle East for the first time, but more importantly, the significance of being able to assess the team’s strengths and weaknesses in preparation for the upcoming World Cup campaign.

The inaugural FIFA Series aims to facilitate football nations in competing against teams outside their confederation, fostering greater international football interaction and contributing to global football development. The pilot edition will feature 20 member associations playing across four locations spanning three continents.

Algeria, Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia, and Sri Lanka are the host nations for the first FIFA Series.

As preparations continue for the hosting of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, organizers will be hosting a series of workshops for the pitch and outfield curators as well as other members of the ground staff who will be responsible for the venues and facilities across the region.

Over 50 staff members in the six host nations in the West Indies will benefit from the knowledge and expertise of International Cricket Council (ICC) and Cricket West Indies (CWI) officials as part of the workshops and developmental courses which started on March 6 and will end on March 27.

Roland Holder, CWI Manager of Cricket Operations and Head of Cricket for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, outlined the reasons behind the series of workshops.

He said the upcoming series is crafted by CWI and designed to upskill existing curators across the region by exposing them to international best practices for pitch preparation and applicable maintenance, while simultaneously expanding the cadre of curators by identifying new talent with the appropriate combination of theoretical knowledge and practical exposure, to lend further expertise to match venues as we seek to deliver a world-class event in June.

“We are enthusiastic about these workshops and educational seminars across the region. It is great to know that over 50 members of our ground staff will benefit from this series of seminars which has been strategically set-up in the six region host territories for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup,” Holder said.

He continued: “This is geared towards ensuring that the persons with responsibility for the pitch, outfield, and other facilities on the ground will benefit from the knowledge available, in line with international best practices and in keeping with the highest standards.

“We are aware this is for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, but also post-World Cup, as good pitches lead to good cricket with an even contest between bat and ball. This is an essential area of preparation for what will be the biggest event ever hosted in the West Indies.”

The workshops will include both indoor educational sessions and outdoor practical events. They started at Antigua and Barbuda on March 7-8, and will next move to St Lucia from March 11-12, then on to St Vincent and the Grenadines on March 14-15. From there the series moves to Barbados from March 18-19, and Guyana for the period March 21-22, before concluding in Trinidad and Tobago on March 25-26.

These six countries will host matches in the ninth edition of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup which will be played from June 1 to 29. West Indies, which hosted the event in 2010, will hold matches at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Kensington Oval, Guyana National Stadium, Daren Sammy Cricket Ground, Arnos Vale, and Brian Lara Cricket Academy.

The event will be the largest in the tournament’s history with 20 international teams playing 55 matches across nine locations. It is the first time USA will host matches at a T20 World Cup, with 16 first-round matches split between Nassau County International Cricket Stadium (New York), Grand Prairie Cricket Stadium (Dallas), and Broward County Stadium (Lauderhill).

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