Ronsford Beaton, the Guyana Harpy Eagles fast bowler, was reported for a suspect bowling action during the ongoing West Indies Championship four-day first-class competition. Beaton’s action was cited by match officials during the first-round match between Guyana Harpy Eagles and Trinidad and Tobago Red Force at the Conaree Cricket Centre in St. Kitts, which ended last Saturday.
As part of the process, once a player is reported for a suspect bowling action, video footage from the match in which the player was reported is provided to CWI. The video footage along with the written report is then sent to the CWI Bowling Review Group (BRG) and Loughborough University for analysis using an Opinion Report.
On Sunday, Cricket West Indies (CWI) confirmed that the Opinion Report by the Independent Assessor at Loughborough University, has found Beaton’s bowling action to be illegal and, as such, he has been suspended from bowling in all West Indies international and regional matches with immediate effect.
The assessment revealed that Beaton’s deliveries exceeded the level of tolerance for extension of the elbow permitted under playing regulations. As per the International Cricket Council (ICC) regulations the suspension will also apply to all other domestic leagues worldwide.
Beaton will remain suspended until such time as his action is found to be legal, either by an Opinion Report from Loughborough University or by an independent analysis from an accredited ICC testing centre, in accordance with the CWI Regulations for Dealing with Suspected Illegal Bowling Actions.
Isai Thorne who returned from competing with the West Indies Men’s Under 19 team at the recently concluded ICC Men’s Under-19 World Cup in South Africa, will replace Beaton in the Guyana Harpy Eagles squad.
The Round 2 of matches in the West Indies Championship start on Wednesday 14 February. Guyana’s first-round match against Trinidad and Tobago was abandoned with no result due to seepage of water onto the pitch from 24 hours of persistent rainfall.
Barbados Pride opened their West Indies Championship account in a dazzling manner, as they wrapped up a comprehensive nine-wicket win over Combined Campuses and Colleges Marooners in a lopsided contest at Chedwin Park, in Jamaica, on Saturday.
Despite a well-played 72 by Shamarh Brooks and 47 from Demario Richards, the Marooners, resuming their second innings at 96-2, crumbled for 193, as they again failed to contend with the Holder, who took 5-69 and Warrican, who took 3-16, to end with match figures of 8-140 and 7-45 respectively.
Requiring a mere 34 for victory, Zachary McCaskie, unbeaten on 28, and Shayne Moseley, unbeaten on seven, easily surpassed the target in just under five overs.
The win which came inside four days –after the first day was lost to a wet outfield caused by a ruptured water main –was also spurred by Kevin Wickham’s 139 and Jonathan Drakes’ 84, which laid the foundation for the massive target, that was well defended by the bowlers.
Scores: Barbados Pride 344-8 dec & 35-1; Combined Campuses and Colleges Marooners 185 & 193
Brooks and Shatrughan Rambaran resumed the Marooners second innings on 44 and 15 respectively, with the latter only adding eight to his overnight score before being bowled by Chaim Holder.
Captain Jonathan Carter’s stay in the middle was short-lived as he was removed by Chemar Holder for one. However, Brooks and Richards, formed a tidy fifth-wicket partnership that briefly threatened to make things interesting, as they kept the Pride bowlers at bay with solid defensive strokes, while also pouncing on the loose deliveries to erase the deficit and gift Marooners a slender lead.
When Chaim Holder accounted for both, they would have hoped that the remaining batsmen would have added to the tally and possibly give their bowlers something to work with in the Pride’s second turn at bat. But it was not to be, as Chaim Holder completed his second First Class five-wicket haul when he had Romario Greaves (two) trapped in front, while Warrican snared the last three wickets.
Though they lost captain Kraigg Brathwaite for naught three balls into the innings, the Pride were never in any danger and McCaskie quickly wrapped things up with five boundaries in his 14-ball 28, while Moseley held the other end.
Meanwhile, the contest between Trinidad and Tobago Red Force and reigning champions Guyana Harpy Eagles was abandoned after no play was again possible for a third straight day at Conaree Cricket Centre, in St Kitts.
Scores: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force 215 for four (Jason Mohammed 100 not out, Tion Webster 50, Amir Jangoo 27, Vikash Mohan 20 not out; Ronsford Beaton 2-39, Veerasammy Permaul 2-42) vs Guyana Harpy Eagles.
Barbados Pride followed up their batting performance with a decent all-round bowling effort, as they tightened their grip on the West Indies Championship contest against Combined Campuses and Colleges Marooners at Chedwin Park, in Jamaica.
The Marooners closed Friday’s third day on 96-2 in their second innings, still 63 runs behind with eight wickets intact, as they were forced to follow-on after their first innings folded at 185. Shamarh Brooks, on 44, and Shatrughan Rambaran, on 15, will resume batting on Saturday’s final day.
Scores: Barbados Pride 344-8 dec (72.2 overs); Combined Campuses and Colleges Marooners 185 & 96-2 (37 overs)
Resuming on their overnight score of 10-1 in response to Pride’s massive total, the Marooners struggled to contend with the bowling of Jomel Warrican, Akeem Jordan and Chaim Holder, as their first innings crumbled early in the day.
Captain Jonathan Carter with a patient 131-ball 59, and Shaqkere Parris with a 108-ball 44, were the only batsmen to offer minimal resistance, with Demario Richards (28) the next best score.
Warrican grabbed 4-29 in 22.3 overs, while Holder and Jordan had 3-71 and 2-30 respectively.
Still 159 runs at that point, the Marooners would have hoped for a more compact batting display on the second occasion. But those hopes were dampened when Jordan and Holder again combined to remove the opening pair of Parris (five) and Kirstan Kallicharan (24) respectively.
However, Brooks and Rambaran remained composed to not only limit the damage, but also offer the Marooners another glimmer of hope of possibly seeing out the final day for a draw.
Elsewhere at Conaree Cricket Centre, in St Kitts, no play was again possible for a second straight day between Trinidad and Tobago Red Force and reigning champions Guyana Harpy Eagles. This was due to a waterlogged field following heavy rains on Thursday.
Scores: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force 215 for four (Jason Mohammed 100 not out, Tion Webster 50, Amir Jangoo 27, Vikash Mohan 20 not out; Ronsford Beaton 2-39, Veerasammy Permaul 2-42) vs Guyana Harpy Eagles.
The Windward Islands Volcanoes needed only three days to complete a nine-wicket victory over the Jamaica Scorpions in their 2024 West Indies Championship opening round fixture at Sabina Park in Kingston.
The Scorpions started Friday’s day three 76-4 off 18 overs, trailing by 106 runs with Nkrumah Bonner and Gordon Bryan at the crease on 36 and one, respectively.
Eleven overs into the day’s play, Bonner was trapped in front by Shamar Springer for 45 to leave the Scorpions 109-5 needing a further 73 runs to make the Windwards have to bat again.
New batsman Abhijai Mansingh joined Bryan at the crease and the pair looked to be safely guiding the Scorpions into the lunch break without any further damage.
However, this proved not to be the case as Mansingh was caught brilliantly at short mid-wicket by Sunil Ambris off the bowling of Shadrack Descarte for 11 to leave the hosts 131-6 off 47 overs at lunch.
The first over after lunch saw Bryan’s resistance finally ended by Kenneth Dember for 31 with the score on 133.
Peat Salmon and Romaine Morris then did their best to get the scoring rate up but their partnership ended when Salmon went back to a full delivery off Dember and was bowled for 15.
Despite the fall off wickets around him, Morris maintained his positive play, eventually bringing up a maiden first-class fifty.
He was eventually the last man dismissed for 68 off 76 balls including seven fours and two sixes as the Scorpions were dismissed for 234 in 73.4 overs, leaving the Volcanoes needing just 53 for victory.
Darius Martin finished with 4-85 from 16 overs while Shamar Springer and Kenneth Dember took 2-30 from 16.4 overs and 2-53 from 22 overs, respectively.
The Volcanoes then needed only 16 overs to reach 55-1 and secure the win. Jeremy Solozano ended 29* while Johann Jeremiah made 22*.
Full Scores: Jamaica Scorpions 159 all out off 41 overs (Romaine Morris 35, Peat Salmon 26, Ryan John 5-43, Shamar Springer 3-53) & 234 all out off 73.4 overs (Romaine Morris 68, Nkrumah Bonner 45, Gordon Bryan 31, Darius Martin 4-85, Shamar Springer 2-30, Kenneth Dember 2-53)
Windward Islands Volcanoes 341 all out 105.2 overs (Johann Jeremiah 80, Shamar Springer 71, Ryan John 57, Sunil Ambris 45, Gordon Bryan 4-64, Peat Salmon 3-78, Marquino Mindley 2-60) & 55-1 off 16 overs (Jeremy Solozano 29*, Johann Jeremiah 22*)
Combined Campuses and Colleges Marooners are faced with an uphill task, after Kevin Wickham’s 139 piloted Barbados Pride to a massive 344-8 declared on Thursday’s second day of their West Indies Championship encounter at Chedwin Park, in Jamaica.
The 20-year-old Wickham smashed nine sixes and eight fours on his way to a third First Class century in a 135-ball innings. He was well supported by Jonathan Drakes, whose 84 off 99 balls, included 12 boundaries.
Marooners in their reply, ended the day on 10-1, still 334 runs behind Barbados Pride heading into Friday’s third day.
Scores: Barbados Pride 344-8 (72.2 overs); Combined Campuses and Colleges Marooners 10-1 (18 overs)
After losing Wednesday’s first day due to a wet outfield caused by a ruptured water main, Barbados Pride wasted little time to establish a solid footing in their innings, as they declared intentions of securing a result in the contest.
Despite losing captain Kraigg Brathwaite (seven) and Shayne Moseley (10) cheaply, Zachary McCaskie (30) gradually steadied things, before Drakes and Wickham took the Marooners bowlers to task with a healthy fourth-wicket stand.
The foundation left by both was so healthy that it mattered little that Roshan Primus (five) and Akeem Jordan (14) failed to contribute meaningfully to the innings. However, wicketkeeper/batsman Shane Dorwich added a 50-ball 41, including five fours and a solitary six, with the declaration coming shortly after his dismissal.
Romario Greaves (2-54), Jediah Blades (2-64), Zishan Motara (2-68), led the Marooners bowling.
Meanwhile, Jordan removed Kirstan Kallicharan (seven) to put the Marooners under early pressure in their turn at bat.
The Windward Islands Volcanoes are firmly in the drivers’ seat at the halfway stage of their 2024 West Indies Championship opening round fixture against the Jamaica Scorpions at Sabina Park in Kingston.
The Volcanoes started day two 157-2 off 41 overs trailing the Scorpions by just two runs and looking to build a substantial first innings lead on Thursday.
The pair at the crease for the Windwards, Johann Jeremiah and Sunil Ambris, carried the score up to 180 in the 52nd over before Ambris was dismissed by Peat Salmon for a 75-ball 45.
The Scorpions then built some much-needed momentum going into the lunch break with the wickets of Jeremiah, Shadrack Descarte and Tevyn Walcott leaving the Volcanoes 219-6 at lunch, leading by 60 runs.
Jeremiah, who entered day two unbeaten on 66, eventually made 80 off 115 balls including 11 fours and a six while Descarte and Walcott made one and 20, respectively.
The post-lunch session, however, was anything but fruitful for the Scorpions as Shamar Springer and Ryan John, the pair who did most of the damage with the ball in the Scorpions first innings, repeated their exploits with the bat.
The pair batted excellently on their way to a 118-run seventh-wicket partnership that killed all the momentum the Scorpions may have built before lunch.
The partnership was finally ended when John went caught off the bowling of Gordon Bryan for 57 to leave the Windwards 328-7 off 97 overs at tea.
His knock lasted 85 balls and included five fours and three sixes.
Shortly after the resumption, Springer was next to fall for a well-compiled 131-ball 71 including seven fours.
Shermon Lewis and Darius Martin fell soon after as the Volcanoes were bowled out for 341 off 105.2 overs, a lead of 182 runs on first innings.
Pacer Gordon Bryan led the way with the ball for the hosts with 4-64 from 23 overs while Peat Salmon took 3-78 from 31 overs with his off-spin. Marquino Mindley also chipped in with 2-60 from 22.2 overs.
The Scorpions reply then got off to a less than ideal start as, for the second time in the contest, their top three failed to significantly contribute.
Carlos Brown and Kirk McKenzie both fell to Darius Martin in the second over of the innings without troubling the scorers before, seven overs later, the Scorpions were three down with just 34 runs on the board after Chadwick Walton was bowled by Martin for 20.
Nkrumah Bonner and Captain Jermaine Blackwood then tried to lead the Scorpions recovery with a 36-run fourth-wicket partnership before Blackwood went for 16 with just 15 minutes left in the day’s play.
In the end, the Scorpions were 76-4 at stumps, trailing by 106 runs with Nkrumah Bonner on 36 and Gordon Bryan on one.
Darius Martin has taken 3-29 off seven overs for the Volcanoes.
Full Scores: Jamaica Scorpions 159 all out off 41 overs (Romaine Morris 35, Peat Salmon 26, Ryan John 5-43, Shamar Springer 3-53) & 76-4 off 18 overs (Nkrumah Bonner 36*, Chadwick Walton 20, Darius Martin 3-29)
Windward Islands Volcanoes 341 all out off 105.2 overs (Johann Jeremiah 80, Shamar Springer 71, Ryan John 57, Sunil Ambris 45, Gordon Bryan 4-64, Peat Salmon 3-78, Marquino Mindley 2-60)
Jason Mohammed has so far posted the first century of the 2024 West Indies Championship, as Trinidad and Tobago Red Force closed day one in a good position at 215-4 in their opening contest against reigning champions Guyana Harpy Eagles at Conaree Cricket Centre in St Kitts.
Mohammed, who came to the middle with Red Force in a spot of bother, after Ronsford Beaton removed Cephas Cooper (eight) and Jyd Goolie (three), ended Wednesday’s first day unbeaten on 101.
The 37-year-old will resume his innings, which so far includes 11 fours, on Thursday with Vikash Mohan, who was also unbeaten on 20.
Beaton and Veerasammy Permaul, shared the four wickets, as the latter accounted for Amir Jangoo (27) and Tion Webster (49). Beaton so far has 2-39, while Permaul has 2-49.
Scores: Trinidad and Tobago Red Force 215-4 (81.2 overs); Guyana Harpy Eagles (Yet to bat)
Elsewhere, Windward Islands Volcanoes are on course to secure first innings honours over Jamaica Scorpions, as they closed day one on 157-2, after restricting their hosts to 159, at Sabina Park.
Johann Jeremiah, on 66, and Sunil Ambris, on 30, will resume batting for the Volcanoes on Thursday’s second day.
After asking the Scorpions to take first strike, Hurricanes seamers Ryan John and Shamar Springer produced clinical bowling efforts to rip through the opponents’ batting line up. John bagged 5-43 in 13 overs, while Springer had 3-53 in 10 overs, including two maidens.
Only Peat Salmon, with a 30-ball 26, including three fours and a six, and Romaine Morris’s 29-ball 35, including four fours and two sixes, had notable scores in the Scorpions’ sub-par effort.
The Volcanoes response started positively, with Kimani Melius (31) and Jeremy Solozano (26), both getting starts, but were unable to push on. Melius, who had six boundaries in his 32-ball knock, was removed by Abhijai Mansingh, while Salmon accounted for Solozano, who had five boundaries in his knock.
However, that was all the success the Scorpions would taste, as Jeremiah and Ambris took the bowlers to task and saw out the day.
Scores: Jamaica Scorpions 159 all out (41 overs); Windward Islands Volcanoes 157-2 (41 overs)
Meanwhile, no play was possible in the contest between Combined Campuses & Colleges Marooners and Barbados Pride at Chedwin Park, in Jamaica, due to a wet outfield caused by a ruptured water main.
A superb bowling performance by the West Indies Academy has put them in control against the Leeward Islands Hurricanes at Warner Park in St Kitts on the opening day of the 2024 West Indies Championship.
At stumps, West Indies Academy were 60-2, just 77 runs behind the Hurricanes, who were bundled out for a mere 137 thanks to the brilliant bowling efforts of the Academy’s bowlers.
Jeremiah Louis’ late-innings knock of 45 was the only thing that stood between the Hurricanes and complete humiliation as they were blown away by the bowling of allrounder Joshua James, who took 3-11 and Ashmead Nedd, who two wickets came at a cost of only three runs. Johan Layne weighed in with 2-18.
Nyeem Young was the least efficient of the bowlers conceding 52 runs from his 10 overs during which he took two wickets.
Terance Ward score of 28 and Jahmar Hamilton contribution of 22 were the only other noteworthy efforts in an otherwise woeful batting display from the Hurricanes.
Mbeki Joseph will resume on 30 and Ackeem Auguste 15 when play begins on Thursday.
The West Indies Championship 2024 is the region’s first-class four-day red ball tournament bowls off in Jamaica and St. Kitts and Nevis from 7-10 February, with four simultaneously contested matches.
The tournament will open with defending champions Guyana Harpy Eagles in a bid for a second successive title, taking on Trinidad and Tobago Red Force at Conaree Cricket Centre in St. Kitts, with the Leeward Islands Hurricanes hosting the West Indies Academy at Warner Park.
In Jamaica, the Scorpions will start their campaign when they face the Windward Islands Volcanoes in the feature match at Sabina Park. At the same time, the Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC)will take on the Barbados Pride at Chedwin Park.
The second round will be played from 14 to 17 February when Jamaica will meet the CCC at Sabina Park; Barbados will take on Windward Islands at Kensington Cricket Club; while over in St. Kitts, the Leeward Islands will face Guyana at Warner Park and Trinidad and Tobago will face the West Indies Academy at Conaree Cricket Centre.
The third round of the West Indies Championship will be played from 21-24 February after which there will be a break before the resumption of Rounds 4-5 from March 13-23 to be played in Trinidad and Antigua and Rounds 6-7 from April 10-20 to be played in Jamaica, Trinidad and Antigua. Every West Indies Championship match will be streamed live on the Windies Cricket YouTube channel.
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Round 1
7 to 10 February:
Jamaica Scorpions vs Windward Islands Volcanoes - Sabina Park, Jamaica
CCC vs Barbados Pride - Chedwin Park, Jamaica
Leeward Islands Hurricanes vs West Indies Academy - Warner Park, St. Kitts
Guyana Harpy Eagles vs Trinidad & Tobago Red Force - Conaree Cricket Centre, St. Kitts
Round 2
14 to 17 February:
Jamaica Scorpions vs CCC - Sabina Park, Jamaica
Barbados Pride vs Windward Islands Volcanoes - Kensington Cricket Club, Jamaica
Leeward Islands Hurricanes vs Guyana Harpy Eagles - Warner Park, St. Kitts
Trinidad &Tobago Red Force vs West Indies Academy - Conaree Cricket Centre, St. Kitts
Round 3
21 to 24 February:
Jamaica Scorpions vs Barbados Pride - Sabina Park, Jamaica
Windward Islands Volcanoes vs CCC - Chedwin Park, Jamaica
Leeward Islands Hurricanes vs Trinidad &Tobago Red Force - Warner Park, St. Kitts
West Indies Academy vs Guyana Harpy Eagles - Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG), Antigua
Round 4
13 to 16 March:
Trinidad &Tobago Red Force vs Windward Islands Volcanoes - Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad
CCC vs Leeward Islands Hurricanes - Diego Martin Regional Complex, Trinidad
Guyana Harpy Eagles vs Barbados Pride - Sir Frank Worrell Cricket Ground at UWI Spec (UWI SPEC), Trinidad
West Indies Academy vs Jamaica Scorpions - CCG, Antigua
Round 5
20 March to 23 March:
Trinidad &Tobago Red Force vs Barbados Pride - Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad
Leeward Islands Hurricanes vs Jamaica Scorpions - Diego Martin Regional Complex, Trinidad
Guyana Harpy Eagles vs Windward Islands Volcanoes - UWI SPEC, Trinidad
West Indies Academy vs CCC - CCG, Antigua
Round 6
10 to 13 April:
Jamaica Scorpions vs Guyana Harpy Eagles - Sabina Park, Jamaica
CCC vs Trinidad &Tobago Red Force - Chedwin Park, Jamaica
Leeward Hurricanes vs Barbados Pride - UWI SPEC, Trinidad
West Indies Academy vs Windward Islands Volcanoes - CCG, Antigua
Round 7
17 to 20 April:
Jamaica Scorpions vs Trinidad &Tobago Red Force - Sabina Park, Jamaica
CCC vs Guyana Harpy Eagles - Kensington Cricket Club, Jamaica
Leeward Islands Hurricanes vs Windward Islands Volcanoes - UWI SPEC, Trinidad
West Indies Academy vs Barbados Pride - CCG, Antigua
SQUADS LISTING
BARBADOS PRIDE -Kraigg Brathwaite, Shaquille Cumberbatch, Shane Dowrich, Jonathan Drakes, Chaim-Alexis Holder, Chemar Holder, Akeem Jordan, Jair McAllister, Zachary McCaskie, Shayne Moseley, Roshon Primus, Jomel Warrican, Kevin Wickham.
COMBINED CAMPUSES AND COLLEGES -Kirstan Kallicharan, Shatrughan Rambaran, Jonathan Carter, Shamarh Brooks, Demario Richards, Shaqkere Parris, Romario Greaves, Sion Hackett, Sadique Henry, Jediah Blades, Damel Evelyn, Zishan Motara.
GUYANA HARPY EAGLES -Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Raymond Perez, Matthew Nandu, Ronsford Beaton, Richie Looknauth, Veerasammy Permaul, Neiland Cadogan, Kevin Sinclair, Kemol Savory, Kevlon Anderson, Antony Adams, Ronaldo Alimohamed, Steven Sankar.
JAMAICA SCORPIONS -Jermaine Blackwood, Chadwick Walton, Carlos Brown, Romaine Morris, Marquino Mindley, Abhijai Mansingh, Derval Green, Nkrumah Bonner, Peat Salmon, Jeavor Royal, Ramaal Lewis, Gordon Bryan, Kirk McKenzie.
LEEWARD ISLANDS HURRICANES -Jahmar Hamilton, Rahkeem Cornwall, Mikyle Louis, Daniel Doram, Colin Archibald, Terence Warde, Jeremiah Louis, Joshau Grant, Ross Powell, Kofi James, Javier Spencer, Sheno Berridge, Karima Gore.
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO RED FORCE -Joshua DaSilva, Amir Jangoo, Imran Khan, Terrance Hinds, Jason Mohammed, Jyd Goolie, Jayden Seales, Anderson Phillip, Bryan Charles, Vikash Mohan, Cephas Cooper, Tion Webster, Khary Pierre.
WEST INDIES ACADEMY -Ashmead Nedd, Ackeem Auguste, Nyeem Young, Johann Layne, Carlon Bowen-Tuckett, Joshua Bishop, Mbeki Joseph, Kelvin Pitman, Rivaldo Clarke, Joshua James, Rashawn Worrell, Ramon Simmonds, Kadeem Alleyne.
WINDWARD ISLANDS VOLCANOES -Kimani Melius, Ryan John, Tevyn Walcott, Johann Jeremiah, Sunil Ambris, Shamar Springer, Shermon Lewis, Jeremy Solozano, Daurius Martin, Shadrack Descarte, Darel Cyrus, Kenneth Dember, Keron Cottoy.
West Indies Test players Jermaine Blackwood, Nkrumah Bonner and Kirk McKenzie headline a strong 13-member Jamaica Scorpions Squad for the opening rounds of the 2024 West Indies Championship.
Blackwood, 32, will captain the team and is looking to earn a recall to the West Indies Test outfit after he was dropped prior to their recent tour of Australia. Blackwood, who averages 30.18 in 56 Tests, played two games for the Scorpions in last season’s West Indies Championship, scoring 159 runs with two fifties in four innings.
Bonner, who averages 38 in 15 Tests with his last coming against Australia in December 2022, will be looking to bounce back from a rough season last year where he only scored 43 runs in four innings at 10.75.
McKenzie is coming off a promising tour of Australia that saw him produce scores of 50, 26, 21 and 41 against a superb Australia bowling attack and will be looking to score big runs for the Scorpions.
Leg-spinning all-rounder Abhijai Mansingh, whose performances with bat and ball last season saw him earn a call-up to the West Indies “A” team for their tour of South Africa, is also in the squad.
38-year-old Chadwick Walton, who last played first-class cricket in 2019, has also been named in the Scorpions squad as has former West Indies Under-19 Captain, Ramaal Lewis.
The Scorpions will open their campaign against the Windward Islands from February 7-10 at Sabina Park. They were last in last year's points table with 25.6 points.
Full Squad: Jermaine Blackwood (C), Nkrumah Bonner, Derval Green, Abhijai Mansingh, Peat Salmon, Jeavor Royal, Kirk McKenzie, Marquino Mindley, Gordon Bryan, Romaine Morris, Carlos Brown, Chadwick Walton, Ramaal Lewis
West Indies wicketkeeper Joshua Da Silva has taken the reins from Darren Bravo and will captain the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force for the upcoming West Indies Championship.
Having led the West Indies ‘A’ team on their tour to South Africa late last year, Da Silva isn’t new to the captaincy. However, he will have to also step up with the bat in the absence of Bravo, who was the leading batter for the Red Force last year.
Meanwhile, Bryan Charles was named vice-captain of the squad which includes fit-again pacers Jayden Seales and Terrance Hinds as well as veterans Imran Khan and Jason Mohammed.
T&T will open their campaign against defending champions Guyana Harpy Eagles at Conaree Cricket Ground in St Kitts from February 7-10 before facing the West Indies Academy at the same venue from February 14-17.
T&T will complete their St Kitts leg of the tournament on February 21-24 against the Leeward Islands Hurricanes at Warner Park before returning to Trinidad for two matches in March at Queen’s Park Oval.
On March 13-16, T&T will face the Windward Islands Volcanoes at the Oval before facing Barbados Pride at the same venue later that month.
The Red Force will then travel to Jamaica to face CCC from April 10-13 at Chedwin Park before ending their campaign against hosts Jamaica Scorpions from April 17-20 at Sabina Park.
The Red Force will leave for St Kitts on Sunday where they will play three matches starting next Wednesday.
RED FORCE SQUAD:
Joshua Da Silva (captain), Bryan Charles (vice-captain), Amir Jangoo, Imran Khan, Terrance Hinds, Jason Mohammed, Jyd Goolie, Jayden Seales, Anderson Phillip, Vikash Mohan, Cephas Cooper, Tion Webster, Khary Pierre.
Sebastien Edwards (manager), David Furlonge (coach), Rayad Emrit (assistant coach), Ruel Rigsby (physio), Shane Burnett (S&C coach).
Batsman Kevlon Anderson will captain the Guyana Harpy Eagles at the upcoming West Indies Championship.
The 23-year-old has scored 529 runs in seven First Class games at an average of 44.08.
On Saturday, the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) named a strong unit led by the former West Indies Under-19 batsman, consisting of a few familiar faces and a new crop of players.
Leg-pinner Steven Sankar is among the new faces in the squad, following a breakthrough year with the ball at the domestic level.
Opener Raymond Perez, following his immaculate batting form, which rolled over from 2023, will get his chance to play at the senior level.
All-rounder Ronaldo Alimohamed, returns to the squad after being an injury replacement in 2020 and having played 50-over cricket for Guyana at the senior level.
According to a release from the Guyana Cricket Board, Alimohamed, Perez and Sankar will likely make their debut.
Additionally, middle-order batsman Akshaya Persaud makes a return to the Harpy Eagles unit.
Matthew Nandu will be Anderson’s deputy as “they lead a well-balanced side featuring a few veterans among the new faces.”
Lead spinner Veerasammy Permaul, Anthony Adams, and West Indies’ latest Test player, Kevin Sinclair, will form a quality spin department.
Fast bowlers Ronsford Beaton, Nial Smith, and Alimohamed will make up the front-line seam unit, adding to their star-studded spin bowler batch.
Test opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Nandu, Sinclair, Perez, Anderson, and Persaud will look to carry the Eagle’s batting unit.
Kemol Savory will be the wicket-keeper for the first two rounds until Tevin Imlach returns from West Indies duties.
Savory is also expected to play a vital role in the batting department.
The Harpy Eagles Head Coach is Ryan Hercules with the Assistant Coach being Garvin Nedd. Ryerson Bhagoo is the Analyst, and Albert Clements is the Manager.
Meanwhile, this year’s Four-Day Championship will significantly increase prize money as the winning team will pocket US$250,000, while the runner-up will receive US$100,000.
Harpy Eagles open their campaign against Trinidad and Tobago Red Force when the Championship bowls off in St. Kitts on February 7.
SQUAD: Kevlon Anderson (C), Matthew Nandu (VC), Nial Smith, Veerasammy Permaul, Antony Adams, Kevin Sinclair, Ronsford Beaton, Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Akshaya Persaud, Raymond Perez, Ronaldo Alimohamed, Steven Sankar and Kemol Savory.
Following his break over Christmas, Darren Bravo is back with the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force unit.
The Red Force players will get the first of just two opportunities to play competitively before the start of the West Indies Four-Day Championship when they play a three-day practice match in Preysal. Bravo is expected to be part of the action.
This was confirmed by Red Force coach and selection chairman David Furlonge on January 2.
He also told the Trinidad Express that Bravo would also play in next week’s North/South Classic, as well as the Four-Day Championship.
The confirmation comes after Bravo announced in November that he planned to “step away just for a bit” following being overlooked by the West Indies selectors for last month’s One-Day International series against England.
In an emotional post on social media platform Instagram, he said he had “taken some time to ponder and wonder” about his future in West Indies cricket, and while he was not “giving up”, believed a break would be the best move for his career.
He gave no clear indication of the length of the break, but said it was proving difficult to continue finding motivation amid the ongoing selection disappointments.
“At this point in my career it’s not easy or should I say it takes a lot to continue to find the energy, the passion, commitment and discipline to be able to perform to the best of my ability and put myself in a position to make my return to international cricket.”
Bravo, who last played for the West Indies in January 2022 in a T20 International against England, led the Red Force to victory in last November’s Super50 Cup, in which he was the leading run-scorer. Earlier in the year, Bravo also had the second-highest aggregate in the four-day competition.
Subsequent to his snub for the England ODI series, Bravo was contacted by director of cricket for Cricket West Indies (CWI) Miles Bascombe about going on the Test tour of Australia, but according to CWI, he declined the offer.
Speaking on the Mason and Guest cricket radio show in Barbados last Tuesday, Furlonge admitted he was “surprised” that Bravo had turned down the chance to tour, but added that, “I know he’s disappointed at not being selected in the 50 overs against England but we have to move on. Hopefully he gets back himself. He has made himself available for Trinidad. We’ll see how that goes from there.”
Furlonge also said: “I respect his decision, I know what he is going through...I believe he will have to start over and have another good year before he’s considered for (West Indies) selection again.”
Trinidad and Tobago Red Force fast bowler Jayden Seales seems set to miss the first three matches of the West Indies Championship, as he continues to nurse a shoulder injury.
With the championship scheduled to begin next month, Red Force coach David Furlonge confirmed the news, as he revealed that Shannon Gabriel is also on the mend.
Seales, who sustained a knee injury in December 2022, overcame that setback after a successful surgery, but was again placed on the sidelines by his current injury, which he sustained during the West Indies A team tour of South Africa late last year.
The injury ruled the 22-year-old out of selection for the current West Indies tour of Australia, and he will be out of action a little bit longer.
“They are coming along. Jayden will most likely be out for the first three games. They have been training every day while the three-day game was going on, so they are coming along, but we don’t think Jayden will be ready for the first three games of the season,” Furlonge shared in an interview with Trinidad Express.
Neither Gabriel nor Seales featured in the trial match at Preysal, but both were at the venue going through their paces and rehab work.
“We have a fitness test on Monday and then they will get ready for the North/South,” Furlonge noted.
On that noted, Furlonge pointed to the positives, as he highlighted a few players that shone during the three-day trial encounter and is anticipating similar efforts in the four-day North/South Classic which bowls off on Thursday at the National Cricket Centre.
“I think the contracted players did well and it shows that they have been putting in the work. We are coming together well.
“The top order batters [Kamil Pooran and Kjorn Ottley] got some runs but one or two other players didn’t get off. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks we can see everybody getting runs and big scores as we go into the tournament,” Furlonge said.
“The contracted bowlers did well but we also saw Aamir Ali getting some wickets as well, and Jacen Agard bowling well although he didn’t get wickets. So, it was good to see these young bowlers playing hard and defending a small total in the second innings.
“We want to see the game last four days and we want to see some good performances and consistency from the players. We also want to see the guys putting out the effort and playing with passion,” he added.
Trinidad & Tobago Red Force leg-spinner Imran Khan has hinted that the 2024 West Indies Championship could be his last.
A stalwart in regional cricket, the 39-year-old Khan has played 113 first-class matches, taking 450 wickets, a milestone he achieved in the final game of the 2023 West Indies Championship against Jamaica Scorpions at Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba.
Khan also had 71 wickets in 53 List A games. With the bat, Khan has 3,622 runs with a lone century of 125. He also has a half-century in List A cricket.
Asked if he was thinking about the time he has left in the game, “I haven’t set a time frame to step away,” was his response in an interview with the Trinidad Express recently.
“I’m still fit and wanting to play. I’ve always put Trinidad and Tobago cricket first for many decades however, I know the time will come soon for me to step down to make way for younger players, but I’ll still like to be around to share my experience and knowledge,” he said.
Khan made his first-class debut as an opening batsman in 2005 and was part of the 2006 T&T squad that won the regional first-class competition, the last time the country has done so to date.
“In 2024, I am looking forward to the four-day and possibly another Super50 tournament, maybe my last, and of course maintaining my fitness and ensuring that I continue to pass each fitness test will be key,” he said.
Despite his regional success, Khan never represented the West Indies at the highest level and accepts that, at 39, that dream is likely over.
“I guess the dream playing for West Indies is over, safe to say...but I’ll like to be around to share my knowledge. Now I’ll like to explore more franchise cricket. Clearly, I have what it takes to perform,” he said.
“Yes, I have achieved being one of the best all-rounders regionally; I have several accolades to prove that, but it always will hurt that I never got the opportunity to play for West Indies. I did everything required of me, but God has a better plan,” he added.
He most recently represented the Manipal Tigers in the Legends League T20 in India from November-December last year, taking nine wickets in five matches for the eventual champions.
Khan didn’t feature in the Super50 for the Red Force towards the end of 2024 and played four out of five matches for the franchise in the West Indies Championship at the start of the year, grabbing 13 wickets with a best of four for 47.
Off-spinner Bryan Charles was the top bowler for T&T in the four-day competition, taking 21 wickets in five matches.
“I wasn’t selected in the playing 11 for the first four-day game, but I used that to get mentally stronger, which showed in my performance with the bat and ball,” Khan explained.
Having missed the season opener, Khan scored 92, his 15th first-class half-century, against the Leeward Islands Hurricanes.
“I really wanted to score runs this year and I definitely did. Of course, not being selected for the squad for 50 overs was disappointing but I’m happy the team won,” said Khan.
“However, not being selected for that tournament, other doors opened...I had a great Legends League tournament finishing with most wickets and the title. I’ll say 2023 has been good to me,” he added.
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