Saint Vincent and the Grenadines delivered a stunning performance on Sunday, defeating El Salvador 2-1 in a dramatic Concacaf Nations League clash at Arnos Vale Stadium. The victory cut El Salvador’s lead at the top of Group A in League B to just two points, reigniting the Vincy Heat’s hopes of advancing in the competition.

Heading into the match, El Salvador was on the verge of earning promotion and securing a direct spot in the 2025 Gold Cup with a win. However, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines had other plans, rallying in front of their home fans to secure a crucial three points.

The hosts took the lead in the 39th minute when Shakeem Adams capitalized on a bouncing ball in the box, slotting it home from close range to send the crowd into early celebrations. Despite El Salvador's efforts to find a quick equalizer, they were unable to break through the Vincy Heat defense in the first half.

El Salvador, however, responded with intensity in the second half, and their persistence paid off in the 71st minute. Captain Rudy Clavel headed in a redirected ball from a corner kick to bring La Selecta level, putting them back in control of their promotion ambitions.

But the drama was far from over. In the 88th minute, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines snatched the win with a moment of brilliance. Diel Spring slid in to connect with a perfectly placed cross from Bishon Richards, sending the ball past the El Salvador goalkeeper and sparking wild celebrations at Arnos Vale.

With the win, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines moved to seven points, closing the gap on group leaders El Salvador, who remain at the top with nine points. Meanwhile, Bonaire leaped to third in the group with four points after a 1-0 win over Montserrat, while Montserrat now sits at the bottom of Group A with three points.

The victory marks a significant moment for the Vincy Heat as they continue their push for qualification, while El Salvador will now have to regroup to secure promotion in the final stages of the 2024/25 Concacaf Nations League.

Barbados have been crowned champions of the 2024 CWI Rising Stars Men’s 2-Day Championship after a draw with defending champions Jamaica in the final at Arnos Vale Playing Field from Saturday-Sunday.

Barbados batted first on Saturday after being put in by the Jamaicans and made 200-9 declared off 62.4 overs in their first innings.

Raneico Smith led the way with 50 off 57 balls including seven fours and a six batting at number nine after the Jamaicans had Barbados reeling at 79-5 in the 26^th over at one point.

Captain Nathan Sealy also provided some important runs with 29 against 3-61 off 19 overs from Tamarie Redwood and identical figures of 2-39 off 10 overs, each, from Jevone Wynter and Michael Clarke.

Jamaica, in their reply, reached 72-2 off 24 overs at stumps on day one, trailing by 128 runs with Steven Wedderburn and Matthew Morgan at the crease on 39* and 28*, respectively.

The first over of day two saw Wedderburn fall without adding to his overnight score and that signaled the beginning of the end for the Jamaicans.

The wickets of Morgan (33), Trevaun Williams (2) and captain Brian Barnes (16) followed soon after as they eventually reached 127-8 off 43 overs before declaring to try and force a result out of the game.

Off-spinner Saurav Worrell was the pick of the Barbadian bowlers with 3-24 from his 10 overs while Jatario Prescod also took three wickets.

Barbados then batted smartly in their second innings, eventually reaching 172-2 in 57 overs before proceedings drew to a close with them as champions.

Openers Kyle Jordan and Joshua Morris made 62 and 52, respectively.

Full Scores:

Barbados U-19s 200-9 declared off 62.4 overs (Raneico Smith 50, Nathan Sealy 29, Tamarie Redwood 3-61, Michael Clarke 2-39, Jevone Wynter 2-39) & 172-2 off 57 overs (Kyle Jordan 62, Joshua Morris 52, Joshua Dorne 29*, Zion Brathwaite 22*)

Jamaica U-19s 128-8 declared off 43 overs (Steven Wedderburn 39, Matthew Morgan 33, Saurav Worrell 3-24, Jatario Prescod 3-51, Raneico Smith 2-16)

Teams will now turn their attention to the CWI Rising Stars Men's 50-Over Championships starting on Tuesday.

Defending champions Jamaica will face Guyana at Arnos Vale. The Leeward Islands will face Trinidad & Tobago at Sion Hill while Barbados takes on the Windward Islands at Park Hill.

Rain was the dominant force in St. Vincent and the Grenadines on Friday as play was not possible in two of the three matches in the CWI Rising Stars Under-19 Men’s 2-Day Championship.

Play on day two between the Leeward Islands and Guyana at the Park Hill Playing Field and Barbados and Trinidad & Tobago at the Sion Hill Playing Field was not possible.

Guyana were leading the Leewards by 27 runs entering day two.

Full Scores:

Guyana U-19s 111 all out off 34.2 overs (Jonathan van Lange 28, Rampertab Ramnauth 22, Nathan Edward 5-21, Micah McKenzie 2-18, Matthew Miller 2-23)

Leeward Islands U-19s 84-2 off 20 overs (Michael Palmer 24, Devanand Singh 22*, Jewel Andrew 16*)

The Trinidadians were trailing Barbados by 149 runs entering day two.

Barbados U-19s 200-9 declared off 67 overs (Jatario Prescod 55, Joshua Morris 43, Raneico Smith 21, Nathan Sealy 20, Jacen Agard 4-50, Aneal Rooplal 2-36)

Trinidad & Tobago U-19s 51-3 off 17 overs (Justin Jagessar 22, Kyle Ramdoo 15)

The only match that saw some cricket on day two was the match between the Windward Islands and defending double champions Jamaica at Arnos Vale.

The Windwards reached 44-0 in the ninth over after starting the day 27-0 off five overs.

Theo Edward and Captain Stephan Pascal finished 22* and 20*, respectively.

Full Scores:

Windward Islands U-19s 135 all out off 45.2 overs (Stephan Pascal 26, Lee John 23, Kirtney Franklyn 22, Kirt Murray 21, Tamarie Redwood 6-44, Michael Clarke 4-26) & 44-0 off 8.2 overs (Theo Edward 22*, Stephan Pascal 20*)

Jamaica U-19s 146-8 declared off 34.1 overs (Adrian Weir 38, Brian Barnes 30, Steve Wedderburn 28, Michael Clarke 24, Kirt Murray 4-22, Aaron Joseph 2-24)

The teams will now turn their attention to the next round which begins on Sunday, July 14.

The Leeward Islands will take on Barbados at Arnos Vale with Jamaica facing Trinidad & Tobago at Park Hill and the Windward Islands facing Guyana at Sion Hill.

Bangladesh keep their T20 World Cup fate in their own hands after a 25-run victory over the Netherlands in St Vincent on Thursday.

Not only do Bangladesh take one step closer to the Super 8s with their emphatic victory, but they also ensure Sri Lanka are knocked out, while the Netherlands need a string of results to go in their favour.

The Tigers looked to be up against it after the Netherlands' strong start, as Liton Das made an early exit for just one run thanks to Sybrand Engelbrecht's diving catch.

However, Tanzid Hassan hit 35 off 26 balls, while Shakib Al Hasan plundered an impressive 64 not out, effectively taking control of the game.

Mahmudullah's 25 just about saw them over the line before Jaker Ali closed with 14 not out to see them to 159-5.

The Netherlands soon found their stride after losing two early wickets of their own and looked to be comfortably chasing down their target through Vikramjit Singh (26) and Engelbrecht (33).

Rishad Hossain soon intervened for Bangladesh though, finishing on 3-33 as the Flying Dutchmen lost four middle-order wickets for six runs and finished with 134-8.

Data Debrief: Bangladesh just too strong

Bangladesh narrowly missed out on a win against high-flying South Africa in their last game, but a win like this is exactly what they needed to get back on track.

Al Hasen was the standout, making a marked improvement on his three runs from the defeat to South Africa with a superb knock of 64 off 46 balls, including nine fours.

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).

Jamaica are champions of the West Indies Rising Stars Under-19 Three-Day competition after securing a 56-run win over Barbados on the third and final day of the final at Arnos Vale on Tuesday.

After starting the day 4-0 in their second innings, Jamaica were dismissed for just 87 in 31.4 overs, meaning Barbados would need 199 in just over two sessions to win.

Steven Wedderburn made 39 for Jamaica as Saurav Worrell took 4-14 from six overs and Renecio Smith grabbed 3-11 from seven overs for Barbados.

Then, despite starts from Joshua Dorne (34), Zion Brathwaite (28), Nimar Bolden (23) and Captain Nathan Sealy (23), Barbados were bowled out for 142 in 61.2 overs with just 10 balls left in the match.

Tamarie Redwood took 4-47 off 18 overs while Reon Edwards took 3-31 off 10.2 overs.

Jamaica have now successfully completed the Regional Under-19 double after winning the 50-over title earlier in July.

Final Scores: Jamaica U19s 269 off 108.4 overs (Jordan Johnson 120, Brian Barnes 61, Nathan Sealy 5-64) and 87 off 31.4 overs (Steven Wedderburn 39, Saurav Worrell 4-14, Renecio Smith 3-11) Barbados U19s 158 off 56.1 overs (Nimar Bolden 37, Nathan Sealy 24, Deshawn James 5-21, Tamarie Redwood 3-56) and 142 off 61.2 overs (Joshua Dorne 34, Zion Brathwaite 28, Tamarie Redwood 4-47, Reon Edwards 3-31)

A day of tremendous momentum swings ended with Leeward Islands holding on with one wicket remaining to win the West Indies Rising Stars Under-19 championship in a roller coaster three-day final against Barbados at Arnos Vale in St. Vincent on Saturday.

Nathan Edwards, the left-handed allrounder ended unbeaten on 11, which came off 55 balls in over 90 minutes at the crease, played a defensive masterclass for to help Leewards hold on in their second innings on 51-9 (28 overs) to avoid being bowled out, to deny Barbados the title in dramatic fashion.

The day’s play began with Leeward Islands batting in their first innings on 172-4, 107 runs behind Barbados's first innings total of 279-8 declared.

 Overnight batsman Carl Bowen-Tuckett showed his experience during a crucial composed knock of 68 off 200 balls with two boundaries to anchor the Leewards before he was dismissed in the 98th over, ahead of the team tactical declaration on exactly 250-8 (110 overs), to receive key batting points for scoring 250 and facing that number of overs.

Although Barbados held a 29-run lead, Leewards had closed the points gap due to the fast bowling and batting points accumulated. So, when Edwards, bowling his left-arm medium, trapped Barbados opener Achilles Browne without scoring with the second delivery, that lead quickly became insignificant. Right-hand medium pacer Chamiqueko Landerfort took 4-16 as Barbados collapsed to 76-9.

The final equation to win the final meant Leewards either could chase down the 106 to win or just bat out the final session. While Barbados had to get all 10 wickets. When pacer Johan Layne struck in the first over of Leewards run chase, they started to wobble. Left-arm spinner Nathan Sealy with an inspired spell (14-8-10-6) was seemingly bowling Barbados to victory, but one final twist would occur.

Sealy unfortunately dropped Edwards at first slip with off fellow left-arm spinner Devon Stevenson which would have won Barbados the title. In the end Edwards and last man Onaje Armoy survived the final stages to win the championship for the Leeward Islands.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Soca Warriors secured a 2-0 win over St. Vincent & the Grenadines as Group C action continued in the Concacaf Nations League B at the Arnos Vale Stadium on Friday.

Defender Neveal Hackshaw, who represents USL Championship club Indy Eleven, opened the scoring in the 17th minute before AEK Athens winger Levi Garcia got the second and final goal for T&T.

Trinidad and Tobago are now second in Group C with six points after three games, one behind Nicaragua who moved to seven points after securing a 2-0 win over the Bahamas at the Thomas A. Robinson Stadium in Nassau.

The Youth One-Day-International series between West Indies Under-19s and South Africa Under-19s ended in a 2-2 draw after the Caribbean outfit secured a 19-run win in the fourth and final match at Arnos Vale on Monday.

For the fourth game in a row, West Indies U19 captain Ackeem Auguste won the toss, this time choosing to bat first.

In another disappointing batting display, West Indies U19s could only manage 126 all out in 35 overs.

Teddy Bishop top scored with 43 and Rivaldo Clarke added 30, against 4-11 from leg-spinner Dewald Brevis and two wickets each from pacers Matthew Boast and Aphiwe Mnyanda.

South Africa U19s were then skittled out for 107 in 23.5 overs to go down by 19 runs.

Mnyanda top-scored with 20 while Boast (11) and Valentine Kitime (13) were the only other batsmen to get double figures against 3-34 off eight overs from pacer Johann Layne, 3-23 off six overs from medium-pacer McKenny Clarke, and 3-14 off 2.5 overs from left-arm spinner Jaden Carmichael.

Both teams will now turn their attention to the start of the ICC Men’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup on January 14^th in the Caribbean.

West Indies U19s will play Australia U19s in their first game at Providence in Guyana on January 14^th while South Africa U19s will square off against India U19s at the same venue a day later.