Head Coach Andre Coley welcomed the West Indies A team tour of South Africa as a significant assignment to not only define, but more importantly, develop the region’s depth of talent in the longer formats of the game.

The Joshua Da Silva-captained team will engage their South African counterparts in three Tests between November 21 and December 8.

“It will give us an opportunity to boost our red-ball opportunities outside of the Caribbean. Earlier this year, we went to Bangladesh, and we did well there, and now we are going to another part of the world – South Africa. It will give us an opportunity to explore the brand of cricket that we want to play,” Coley said in an interview with CWI Media.

“Our next international assignment is in Australia, and six months after that we go to England, so this A team is positioned to offer red-ball playing opportunities on the back of the just-concluded Super50 Cup,” he added.

Coley, who is also Head coach of the senior West Indies Test side, is no stranger to South African conditions, having guided a Kraigg Brathwaite-led squad on last year’s tour.

“The South Africans are a team that want to play a specific way, and they always look to challenge you, but they respect our players. The pitches have offered pace, have offered bounce, so you will have pitches on which you can trust the bounce,” Coley reasoned.

“Players can, therefore, express themselves, whether they are batting or bowling, but it has never really been a place where the spinners have excelled. So, it’s also an opportunity for our spinners to learn to be effective in those conditions, and I am looking forward to being there,” he noted.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Da Silva will have Tevin Imlach as his deputy in a squad that also boast the experience of left-handers Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Kirk McKenzie, as well as fast bowlers Jayden Seales and Shermon Lewis.

Kevlon Anderson, fast bowler Shamar Joseph, and Jamaican spin bowling all-rounder Abhijai Mansingh, are also in the squad.

Coley, a former Jamaica wicketkeeper-batsman, pointed out that while the main objective is to come away from the tour victorious, there are other goals that are equally important for the development of the West Indies squad.

Coley will be assisted by former West Indies captain Jimmy Adams and former Australia fast bowler Shaun Tait.

 “You learn to win over time. We want to see our primary batsman scoring loads of runs, as well as the all-rounders and bowlers averaging above 20 or 30 and building lower order partnerships, that will help to expand our batting options,” Coley said.

“Once we are able to tick the boxes that we have agreed upon, 75 per cent or more of what we have aimed for, that will help to define success,” he ended.

The leg-spin of Javed Leacock proved too good for Jamaica Scorpions, as he secured career-best figures of four wickets for 43 runs to lead Barbados Pride to a 47-run win in their CG United Super50 Cup contest at the Frank Worrell Field in Trinidad and Tobago on Friday.

Batting first, Shamarh Brooks (69) and Shai Hope (65), both posted half-centuries in leading Barbados Pride to 259, after which Leacock’s skill with the ball, trumped a brisk 94 from Jamaica Scorpions wicketkeeper/batsman Chadwick Walton and condemned the reigning champions to a second consecutive defeat.

Scores: Barbados Pride 258-6 (50 overs); Jamaica Scorpions 211 all out (44.3 overs)

Walton smashed six fours and six maximums in his 112-ball knock with Jeavor Royal contributing a 34-ball 44, while Jermaine Blackwood made a patient 30 off 49 balls in the Scorpions failed attempt to overhaul their target on this occasion. In their opening contest against Leeward Islands Hurricanes, they lost by eight wickets after posting a paltry total.

Blackwood, West Indies Test vice-captain, had four boundaries in his knock, while Royal had four sixes and one four in his late flurry.

Leacock, playing only his sixth List “A” match, required only eight overs to do the damage, as he accounted for Walton, captain Rovman Powell (zero), Shalome Powell (zero) and Fabian Allen (two).

This, as left-arm pacer Dominic Drakes, two for 14 from 3.3 overs, and Roston Chase, two for 37 from eight overs, took out the Scorpions middle order.

Earlier, the Pride, last year’s beaten semi-finalists had a slight stutter at the start, as they lost opener Kyle Mayers (one) with just four runs on the board.

However, West Indies Test captain Kraigg Brathwaite and Brooks steadied the innings with an 88-run stand, before the former fell for a 78-ball 45 which included two boundaries.

Brooks, who had three fours and one six in his 89-ball knock, formed another partnership worth 88 runs with West Indies One-day International captain Hope, whose 76-ball innings included four fours and one six.

There was another stutter after both fell, but Drakes hammered two fours and three sixes in 18-ball cameo to end unbeaten on 40 and, more importantly, saw Pride to what turned out to be a winning target.

Parnell had two wickets for 33 runs, and Gordon, two wickets for 41 runs for the Scorpions.

The tournament continues with a double-header on Saturday when Leeward Islands face West Indies Academy at Queen’s Park Oval and Guyana Harpy Eagles meet Trinidad & Tobago Red Force at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in a day-night contest. The games are scheduled to begin at 9:00am and 1:00pm respectively.

West Indies pacer Kemar Roach took four wickets in the first innings to help Surrey have a 109-run lead over Warwickshire at stumps on day two of their County Championship fixture at the Kia Oval on Monday.

Roach grabbed figures of 4-64 from 13 overs to help restrict Warwickshire to 161 all out in 44.3 overs replying to Surrey’s first innings total of 396.

Michael Burgess led the way for Warwickshire with 54 while West Indies Test captain Kraigg Brathwaite made 16.

Roach’s new ball partner, Daniel Worrall, provided excellent support with 3-34 from 12 overs while Tom Lawes took 2-27 off 6.3 overs.

At stumps on day two, Warwickshire were 126-7 off 33 overs following on. Dan Mousley ended the day 60* off 70 balls. Kraigg Brathwaite followed up his first innings 16 with nine.

Worrall (3-17 from seven) and Jordan Clark (3-22 from six) have done most of the damage so far in the second innings.

Scores: Surrey 396 off 109.4 overs (Ben Foakes 125, Cameron Steel 71, Dom Sibley 65, Jamie Smith 60)

Warwickshire 161 off 44.3 overs (Michael Burgess 54, Kemar Roach 4-64, Daniel Worrall 3-34) & 126-7 off 33 overs (Dan Mousley 60*, Daniel Worrall 3-17, Jordan Clark 3-22)

The West Indies have their backs against the wall heading into the final day of the second Test match against India at Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad. At stumps on Sunday, the Caribbean men were 76-2, still needing 289 runs to achieve an unlikely victory in the milestone 100^th Test match between the two countries.

When play resumes on Monday, Tagenarine Chanderpaul will carry on from 24 and Jermaine Blackwood 20. They and their fellow batters will have to produce something extraordinary of the West Indies are to avoid being swept 2-0 in the series that has so far been a lop-sided affair.

On Sunday, the West Indies resumed from their overnight score of 229-5 with Alick Athanaze on 37 and Jason Holder on 11. Athanaze did not add to his overnight score, trapped lbw by Munesh Kumar. Holder added four when Mohammed Siraj had him caught behind for 15.

There was little resistance after that as Siraj tore through the lower order to end with figures of 5-60. Kumar took 2-48 while Ravindra Jadeja had 2-37 as the West Indies folded for 255.

With a commanding lead of 183 runs, India propelled by half-centuries from Rohit Sharma, who made 57 and Ishan Kishan 52 not out, raced to 181-2 declared in just 24 overs.

Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal added 38 and Shubman Gill was unbeaten on 29 when the declaration came.

Jomel Warrican, who dismissed Jaiswal, took 1-36 while Shannon Gabriel took the wicket of Sharma to end with 1-33.

Chasing an unlikely target of 365, the West Indies were in trouble early as Ravichandran Ashwin, who has terrorized the West Indies batters during the series dismissed Brathwaite for 28 and Kirk McKenzie for a duck.

Chanderpaul and Blackwood have so far added 32 for the third wicket and will need to add much more on Monday, if the West Indies are to have any chance of surviving the final two days without crumbling to yet another humiliating defeat.

Captain Kraigg Brathwaite hit his 29^th Test half-century as the West Indies ended the third day of the second Test against India on 229-5 after 108 overs, trailing by 209 runs at the Queen’s Park Oval in Port-of-Spain.

The West Indies began the day 86-1 and Brathwaite and his overnight partner, debutant Kirk McKenzie, added a further 31 runs before McKenzie became the first man to fall on day three for a well-made 32 off 57 balls.

Vice-captain, Jermaine Blackwood, then joined the skipper out in the middle and the pair added a further 40 runs to the total before Brathwaite was brilliantly bowled by Ravichandran Ashwin for a top-score of 75 from 235 balls including five fours and a six.

Just after tea, Blackwood became Ravindra Jadeja’s second victim of the innings when he was caught brilliantly by Ajinkya Rahane at first slip for 20 with the score on 178.

Joshua Da Silva was next to go when his middle stump was uprooted by Mohammed Siraj for 10.

Alick Athanaze (37), and Jason Holder (11) were the batsmen at the crease at stumps.

Scores: India 438 off 128 overs (Virat Kohli 121, Rohit Sharma 80, Ravindra Jadeja 61, Yashasvi Jaiswal 57, Ravichandran Ashwin 56, Jomel Warrican 3-89, Kemar Roach 3-104, Jason Holder 2-57) West Indies 229-5 off 108 overs (Kraigg Brathwaite 75, Alick Athanaze 37*, Tagenarine Chanderpaul 33, Kirk McKenzie 32, Ravindra Jadeja 2-37)

Captain Kraigg Brathwaite and fellow opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul placed West Indies on a steady foundation, but they are still left with much to do, after Virat Kohli registered a 29th Test century to put India in full command at the end of day two action at Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad and Tobago on Friday.

Brathwaite ended the day unbeaten on 37, with the Caribbean side at 86-1 in their first innings, still 352 runs behind the visitors, after losing Chanderpaul for 33 shortly before close in this, the 100th Test between the two teams. India lead the two-test series 1-0.

India resumed from their overnight score of 288-4 and though West Indies bowled with some amount of purpose, they couldn’t stop the opponents from posting a daunting 438 all out, just prior to the tea interval.

Kohli scored 121, his first hundred away from home in five years, while Ravendra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin, both added half-centuries to what is massive total, give the feeble nature of West Indies batting.

Left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican snared two of the last four wickets to end with 3-89 from 39 overs. He had support from veteran pacer Kemar Roach, who had 3-104 from 22 overs, and Jason Holder, who had 2-57 from 21 overs, as West Indies took the last four Indian wickets for a mere 43 runs.

West Indies started their reply in a solid manner, as Chanderpaul and Brathwaite withstood early pressure from India’s seamers, and later capitalised on the hard, easy-paced surface.

The openers hardly played a stroke wrong and had the bowling at their mercy until Jadeja, bowling his left-arm spin, had Chanderpaul caught at backward point, from an ill-advised lofted drive.

It brought Jamaican debutant Kirk McKenzie to the middle and the young left-handed batsman displayed confidence throughout his half-hour knock which included a lofted drive over long-off for six off Ashwin’s off-spin. He will resume on 14 alongside his captain on Saturday’s third day in which they will be targeting at least 239 to avoid being asked to follow-on.

Earlier, Kohli raised a well-deserved century, partnering with Jadeja in a 159-run fifth wicket stand that pushed India past the 350-run mark.

Kohli’s 76th milestone knock came from 180 balls and included 11 boundaries.

Jadeja reached his 50 from 105 balls, before West Indies grabbed a breakthrough when Kohli was run out by Alzarri Joseph.

Further success came for the hosts five overs later when Roach got Jadeja caught behind for 61 after reviewing a negative verdict from South African umpire Marais Erasmus.

West Indies maintained steady bowling in tough conditions after the visitors continued from their lunchtime total of 373 for six, and it paid dividends, though Ashwin defied them to carve out 56.

Holder had Ishan Kishan caught behind for 25, and after being frustrated by Jaydev Unadkat and Ashwin, they eventually made inroads when Warrican had the former stumped.

The spinner then accounted for Mohammed Siraj for a duck, before Roach brought the innings to a close when he had the last laugh in against Ashwin, who smashed three boundaries off in the same over in is 75-ball 50.

With the second and final Test between the West indies and South Africa scheduled to start on Wednesday in Johannesburg, West Indies Test Captain Kraigg Brathwaite is urging his team to build on positives he saw in the first Test last week.

The tourists lost the first Test by 87 runs but had some bright spots, including bowling out the hists in both innings.

“I think it was very good for us as a bowling group to get 20 wickets. That was very important. I think it shows we are not far off,” Brathwaite told reporters in a pre-match press conference on Tuesday.

“It gave us that belief that we could do it and just have to keep believing and it doesn’t matter which team we’re playing, we’ve always got to believe. We had a lot of positives in the first Test and we must just keep improving,” Brathwaite added.

With that being said, the Windies had another tough game with the bat, being dismissed for 212 and 159 in their two turns at the crease.

Brathwaite says this has to change if they are to tie the series.

“As a batting unit, we have got to improve. We have got to spend more time out there. South Africa will come hard, no matter the eleven they play, so we must be ready for it,” he said.

“South Africa is a tough team at home and with a little more application from the batsmen, myself included, we could do well here in these conditions,” he added.

West Indies Test Captain Kraigg Brathwaite wants his troops to put recent series against Australia and Zimbabwe in the past as they gear up to take on South Africa in the first of three Test matches beginning in Centurion on Tuesday.

The regional side lost 0-2 away to Australia in December last year before beating Zimbabwe 1-0 in January 2023.

"I think Australia is obviously history and the Test series in Zimbabwe, obviously a different calibre team, it was good to get a series with them. I think looking here at the South African team, they still have a lot of experience," Brathwaite said at the press conference before the first Test.

"They have got world class bowlers and some quality batsmen, so we have to play some very good Test cricket and it is important that we take control of every hour and we don't think about the big picture. If we take control of every hour, every session, I think we can do well," he added.

The West Indies had three good batting displays against the Zimbabweans, producing scores of 447-6 declared, 203-5 declared and 292.

Individually, Brathwaite’s opening partner Tagenarine Chanderpaul notched his maiden Test double ton while Raymon Reifer, Jermaine Blackwood and Roston Chase all hit fifties. Joshua Da Silva and Jason Holder both made half centuries in the warm-up match against a South Africa Invitational XI ahead of this series.

Brathwaite hopes this form can carry over into the first Test and beyond.

“It is important that we have a team effort in South Africa. So, it's good to see the top order getting some scores in Zimbabwe and the middle-order in the practice games before the first Test. It's great. It's important we put all the pieces together in this series," he said.

The 30-year-old also encouraged his bowlers ahead of the first Test.

"I think we look forward to bowling at any batting lineup in the world," Brathwaite said.

"We won't be focusing on what the teams have done in the past. It's important that we hit our straps and discipline is very important. We need to stick to our plans and the results will take care of themselves," he added.

South Africa are coming off a 0-2 defeat at the hands of the Aussies themselves and are in a transitional period with Temba Bavuma taking charge in his first series as Test Captain after taking the reins from Dean Elgar.

The first Test bowls off on Tuesday.

Alick Athanaze and Akeem Jordan are the only two newcomers in a 15-member squad named on Tuesday by the Cricket West Indies (CWI) Men’s Selection Panel for the upcoming two-Test Series against South Africa.

Athanaze, the left-handed batter, is the captain of Windward Islands Volcanoes while Jordan, the right-arm seam bowler, plays for Barbados Pride.

Both have demonstrated good form in the first two rounds of the current four-day West Indies Championship.

Athanaze had scores of 41 and 51 against Trinidad & Tobago Red Force in Round 1 and followed up with a career-best 141 against Guyana Harpy Eagles in Round 2. He is a product of the West Indies Under 19s Rising Stars where he was one of the stand-out players at the 2018 ICC Men’s U19 Cricket World Cup.

Jordan had match figures of 5-86 against Guyana and followed up with 7-113 against Jamaica Scorpions to be one of the leading wicket-takers in the West Indies Championship after two rounds of matches.

Athanaze and Jordan replace left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican and batter Nkrumah Bonner who are part of the squad for the just-concluded series in Zimbabwe.

Jayden Seales is unavailable for selection following a knee injury and subsequent surgery, while Anderson Philiip has returned to training but is not yet match-fit.

Lead Selector, The Most Hon. Dr Desmond Haynes said: “Athanaze is one of the young players who we have invested in, and he played well in the ‘A Team’ and CWI President’s XI. He showed great promise in the CG United Super50 last year and then got his first hundred in the West Indies Championship last week. We believe he should be given an opportunity at this level. He has also showed leadership, as captain of the Windwards at the start of this season.”

Haynes added: “Jordan has been very impressive from last year, he has continued to bowl well, and has been excellent in the first two matches so far this year. He is very skilful, can bowl the new ball, and looks to put the ball in the right areas. He is also a sharp fielder and good catcher close to the wicket. This will be a challenging tour. There is no easy away tour in Test cricket. South Africa have a good team, but I am sure we will be up for the task and will do well in these two Test matches.”

The upcoming Series is the final Test fixture for both teams in the ICC World Test Championship. West Indies are currently in sixth place and have the opportunity, with a Series win to move above South Africa, currently in fourth place, in the final table.

West Indies are due to arrive in South Africa on 17 February. They will face South Africa in two Test matches at SuperSport Park in Centurion (28 February to 4 March) and the Wanderers in Johannesburg (8 to 12 March). Following the Tests, West Indies will then play a white ball series. The squads for these will named at a later date.

FULL SQUAD

Kraigg Brathwaite (Captain)

Jermaine Blackwood (Vice Captain)

Alick Athanaze

Tagenarine Chanderpaul

Roston Chase

Joshua Da Silva

Shannon Gabriel

Jason Holder

Akeem Jordan

Alzarri Joseph

Kyle Mayers

Gudakesh Motie

Raymon Reifer

Kemar Roach

Devon Thomas

In a match seemingly headed for a draw, Raymon Reifer and Jermaine Blackwood each scored 50s as the West Indies declared their second innings on 203-5 on Wednesday’s final day of the first Test against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo.

A maiden Test double hundred from Tagenarine Chanderpaul and a 12^th Test century from captain Kraigg Brathwaite have put the West Indies in an excellent position after day three of the first Test against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo.

The day began with Chanderpaul and Brathwaite resuming from their overnight score of 221-0 with Brathwaite on 116 and Chanderpaul on 101.

The pair took their opening partnership to 336 before Brathwaite was trapped leg before wicket to Wellington Masakadza for 182. His knock lasted 312 balls and included eight fours.

With the Windies 336-1, Kyle Mayers was promoted to number three to provide quick runs and did that, contributing 20 off just 24 balls before he became the first of Brandon Mavuta’s five wickets.

The 25-year-old leg spinner then claimed the wickets of Raymon Reifer (2), Jermaine Blackwood (5), Roston Chase (7) and Jason Holder (11) to complete his maiden Test five-wicket haul.

During all that, Chanderpaul brought up his maiden Test double ton off 416 balls, finishing up not out on 207 off 467 balls as the West Indies declared on 447-6 after 143 overs.

Mavuta ended with figures of 5-140 off 41 overs.

The Zimbabwean reply started well as openers Innocent Kaia and Tanunurwa Makoni saw off the West Indian new ball pair of Kemar Roach and Alzarri Joseph in the process of bringing up their 50-run partnership in the 21^st over.

Makoni’s resistance ended in the 27^th over when he flashed at a wide one from Joseph, being easily caught by Kyle Mayers at slip with the partnership at 63.

Left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie then got in on the action in the 32^nd over when he produced a feint edge off Chamu Chibhabha which West Indies wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva safely held. Chibhabha made nine.

Kaia then brought up his maiden Test fifty off 98 balls.

With the Zimbabweans seemingly heading towards stumps with eight wickets in the shed, West Indies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite decided to try his hand at bowling the last over of the day.

The decision proved to be a genius one as Brathwaite removed opposite number Craig Ervine for 13 to leave the hosts 114-3 off 41.4 overs at stumps, trailing the Windies by 333 runs.

Scores: West Indies 447-6 declared off 143 overs (Tagenarine Chanderpaul 207*, Kraigg Brathwaite 182, Brandon Mavuta 5-140) Zimbabwe 114-3 off 41.4 overs (Innocent Kaia 59*, Tanunurwa Makoni 33, Kraigg Brathwaite 1-5, Gudakesh Motie 1-25, Alzarri Joseph 1-25)

West Indies openers Kraigg Brathwaite and Tagenarine Chanderpaul broke a long-standing record for Test opening partnerships on Monday’s third day of the first Test against Zimbabwe at Bulawayo as the West Indies went to lunch on 374-2.

Resuming from their overnight score of 221-0 with Brathwaite on 116 and Chanderpaul on 101, the pair took their opening partnership to 336 before Brathwaite was trapped leg before wicket to Wellington Masakadza for 182. The score broke the record for the best-ever West Indies opening partnership of 298 by the West Indies iconic opening pair of Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes that was made against England in 1990.

They also became the first opening pair to bat in excess of 100 overs in an innings in the 21st century only the second opening pair to face over 600 deliveries in a Test innings, falling just short of the record held by Sri Lanka’s Marvan Atapattu and Sanath Jayasuriya, who had played 114.2 overs against Pakistan.

It is also the ninth-highest opening partnership in Test cricket history and the first time that both West Indies openers have gone past 150 in the same innings.

Brathwaite’s marathon knock lasted 312 balls and included 18 fours.

In a bid to accelerate the scoring rate, Kyle Mayers, who replaced Brathwaite scored 20 from 24 balls in a partnership of 37 with Chanderpaul before was bowled by Brandon Mavuta with the score at 373.

Dropped at deep backward square leg on 150, Chanderpaul remains unbeaten on 161 with Raymon Reifer on one at the other end.

Masakadza has so far taken 1-53 from 22 overs while Mavuda has figures of 1-99 from the 32 overs he has bowled so far.

Tagenarine Chanderpaul scored his maiden Test century and Captain Kraigg Brathwaite scored his 12^th as the West Indies closed another rain shortened second day in the first Test against Zimbabwe on 221-0 at Bulawayo.

The West Indies had resumed from their overnight score of 112-0 with both batsmen on 55.

In the 48 overs possible on Sunday because of a wet outfield caused by heavy downpour on Saturday, the 26-year-old Chanderpaul, playing in only his third Test, progressed to score 101 not out.

His 100 came up off 296 balls and included 10 fours and a six. It was the first time since 2013 that a West Indies opener other than Brathwaite had scored a Test century.

Brathwaite, meanwhile, had scored yet another century to be unbeaten on 116. His ton that included only seven fours came from 226 balls.

The 221-run opening stand marked the first time West Indies has put on a double-century opening partnership since 2012 and was just the 10th double century opening partnership in West Indies history and the seventh pair to do so.

The partnership was also the highest ever opening stand against Zimbabwe.

The 150-run stand came up in 67.2 overs while the 200-run partnership was achieved in 83.2 overs.

Only 51 overs were possible as rain played a massive part on day one of the first Test between the West Indies and Zimbabwe at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo on Saturday.

On a flat pitch, Windies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite won the toss and chose to bat first.

Brathwaite and opening partner Tagenarine Chanderpaul then both played typical patient knocks to end the day 112-0 after 51 overs when the heavens opened.

In the process, Brathwaite brought up his 29^th Test fifty while Chanderpaul, playing in just his third match, brought up his second half century in Tests.

Both batsmen ended the day not out on 55, with Brathwaite’s knock coming off 138 balls and including two fours and Chanderpaul’s coming off 170 balls and including eight boundaries.