The Deccan Gladiators opened the seventh season of the Abu Dhabi T10 League with a 22-run win over the New York Strikers at the Zayed Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.

The Gladiators, champions of the last two editions of the tournament, posted 118-8 from their ten overs after being put in to bat by the Strikers.

Englishman Tom Kohler-Cadmore led the way for the Gladiators with 68 off 33 balls including four fours and six sixes while Andre Russell hit 17 off nine balls in support. Captain Nicholas Pooran (1), Andre Fletcher (2) and Fabian Allen (0) all failed to make significant contributions with the bat.

Sri Lankan Chamika Karunaratne took 3-25 from his two overs.

The Strikers were then reduced to 96-6 from their ten overs in reply.

Muhammad Waseem (26) and Asif Ali (24) were the main scorers for New York as Zahoor Khan bowled beautifully to finish with 2-12 from his two overs.

The West Indies Academy completed an innings and 134-run victory over Emerging Ireland on day three of their first four-day match at Coolidge on Monday to go 1-0 up in the three-match series.

Emerging Ireland started day three 29-3 trailing the West Indies Academy by 167 runs.

They lost their final seven wickets for just 33 runs as the hosts secured victory by an innings and 134 runs.

Isai Thorne ripped through the Irish line-up on Monday with 4-8 from six overs and was well supported by man of the match Joshua Bishop who took 2-5 from 4.4 overs and captain Nyeem Young who grabbed 2-15 from two overs.

Full Scores:

Emerging Ireland 213 all out off 61.4 overs (Murray Commins 93, Cade Carmichael 59, Fionn Hand 25, Isai Thorne 4-33, Johann Layne 3-43, Nyeem Young 3-56) & 62 all out off 33.4 overs (Isai Thorne 4-8, Joshua Bishop 2-5, Nyeem Young 2-15)

West Indies Academy 409 all out off 96.4 overs (Joshua Bishop 102*, Teddy Bishop 90, Kevlon Anderson 79, Johann Layne 56, Mike Frost 4-89, Matthew Foster 3-81, Gavin Hoey 2-57)

Real City and Basement will contest the final of the 2023 SFP Pocket Rocket Foundation Six-A-Side competition after semi-final wins at the FESCO Field in Waterhouse over the weekend.

Sunday saw Real City secure their spot in the final with a 2-0 win over Lion Den thanks to goals from Nico McLeish and Hakeem Green.

Their opponents in the final will be Basement who beat Black Strikers 1-0 on Saturday thanks to a strike from Taywane Lynch.

The final takes place on Sunday, December 3 at 3:30pm.

Fifties from Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Kavem Hodge helped the West Indies “A” build a small 24-run lead over South Africa “A” at stumps on Wednesday’s day two of their first unofficial four-day “Test” match at Willowmoore Park in Benoni.

The West Indians made 314-9 declared from 93.2 overs after starting day two 46-0 with Tagenarine Chanderpaul on 28 and Zachary McCaskie on 17.

The pair put on a further 20 runs before McCaskie was the first man to fall for 31 in the 17^th over.

Kirk McKenzie then came and went quickly for a duck bringing Kavem Hodge to the crease to partner Chanderpaul.

The pair put on an excellent 110-run third wicket partnership before Chanderpaul fell for a top score of 78 off 150 balls in the 54^th over. Chanderpaul’s knock included 12 fours. Vice-captain Tevin Imlach was next to go for 16 to leave the West Indies 196-4 in the 60^th over.

Hodge was then joined by captain Joshua Da Silva and the pair added 17 before Hodge was the fifth man to fall, going for a well-played 73 off 151 balls including nine fours.

Da Silva (20), Kevin Sinclair (39) and Akeem Jordan (40) then all added crucial contributions as the innings eventually ended with the tourists leading by 27 runs.

The South African bowling was led by Tshepo Moreki with 3-56 from 19 overs while Dane Piedt took 2-60 from 23.2 overs and Hardus Viljoen took 2-91 from 21 overs.

South Africa “A” were 3-0 off three overs at stumps.

Full scores: South Africa “A” 287-9 dec. off 78.5 overs (Keegan Petersen 59, Tony De Zorzi 55, Clyde Fortuin 53, David Bedingham 47, Jayden Seales 3-23, Akeem Jordan 3-61, Kevin Sinclair 2-64) & 3-0 off 3 overs

West Indies “A” 314-9 dec. off 93.2 overs (Tagenarine Chanderpaul 78, Kavem Hodge 73, Akeem Jordan 40, Kevin Sinclair 39, Zachary McCaskie 31, Tshepo Moreki 3-56, Dane Piedt 2-60, Hardus Viljoen 2-91)

Reggae Boyz central defender Damion Lowe has described defeating Canada to advance to the 2024 Copa America and the Concacaf Nations League semi-finals as a top two moment of his national team career along with their 1-0 win over Mexico at the Rose Bowl in the 2017 Concacaf Gold Cup.

Lowe was instrumental in helping the Boyz defeat their rivals 3-2 at the BMO Field in Toronto on Tuesday to secure a spot in the semis as well as next year’s Copa America.

The final score over the two legs was 4-4 with Jamaica advancing based on the away goals rule.

“It’s up there. I think top two. I think beating Mexico 1-0 at the Rose Bowl is still the best moment of my national team career but this one is up there for sure especially with all the talking that has been going on from the Canadian team but the guys showed real heart today,” Lowe said in an interview after the game.

In what can only be described as a masterstroke by head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson, Lowe, who started the game at his preferred centre back position, was moved into the midfield in the second half, a move that completely changed the game in Jamaica’s favor.

The first of Shamar Nicholson’s two goals on the night came after an excellent assist from Lowe after winning the ball in the final third.

“Nothing too hard for me to think about because I’ve played there and have experience there,” said Lowe about the move to midfield.

“I just tried to analyze the spots that I should be in and just try to help the team as much as possible. I didn’t really think about it at all. Coach just told me I’m playing central midfield and I said okay then just went in and gave my all,” he added.

A national team member for over seven years, the 30-year-old hopes that this is the first step of Jamaica consistently getting over the line and qualifying for big tournaments.

“It’s big! As I said to the guys, it’s no more almost. Every year, every two years it’s almost getting to the finals; almost getting to the semi-final; almost getting to the world cup. Now it’s time to get over the line and we’ve achieved one goal in getting to the Copa America. We’re in the semi-finals of the Nations League so I’m grateful,” he said.

Lowe will now turn his attention to an MLS Cup Conference Semi-final for his Philadelphia Union as they are set to take on FC Cincinnati on Saturday.

“That’s the focus right now. We’re going back into camp tomorrow to prepare for that and get some recovery done and Saturday we have a big semi-final against Cincinnati,” he said.

Captain Nyeem Young and opener Matthew Nandu both hit unbeaten half-centuries as the West Indies Academy defeated Emerging Ireland by six wickets in the third One-Day match at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua to take a 2-1 series win.

The Academy first dismissed the Irish for 175 in 43.4 overs after winning the toss and choosing to bowl first.

Emerging Ireland captain Stephen Doheny top scored with 64 from 96 balls including six fours while Tom Mayes hit 27 and Morgan Topping 20 against excellent bowling from Joshua Bishop (3-32 from 10 overs), Ashmead Nedd (3-28 from nine overs) and Kevin Wickham (3-42 from 8.4 overs).

The hosts then needed only 40.3 overs to successfully reach 179-4 and seal the series win.

Young led the way with a 67-ball 75* including eight fours and three sixes while Nandu batted through the innings to finish 63* off 107 balls including three fours.

Matthew Humphreys took two of the three wickets for Emerging Ireland.

The teams will now turn their attention to a pair of four-day matches from November 25-28 and December 2-5 at Coolidge.

The West Indies “A” Team will enter day two of their first unofficial four-day “Test” match against South Africa “A” at Willowmoore Park in Benoni trailing by 241 runs after a decent day with bat and ball.

The hosts, who have six players in their 11 with Test experience, won the toss and chose to bat first on Tuesday, posting 287-9 before declaring.

They were led by half centuries from Keegan Petersen (59), Tony De Zorzi (55) and Clyde Fortuin (53) while David Bedingham also played well for his 47.

Jayden Seales bowled excellently up front with 3023 in 15.5 overs while Akeem Jordan took 3-61 from 18 overs. Kevin Sinclair also bowled 18 overs and took 2-64.

The West Indian opening pair of Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Zachary McCaskie were able to put on 46 in nine overs before stumps on day one.

Chanderpaul will enter day two 28* while McCaskie is on 17*.

Full scores: South Africa “A” 287-9 dec. off 78.5 overs (Keegan Petersen 59, Tony De Zorzi 55, Clyde Fortuin 53, David Bedingham 47, Jayden Seales 3-23, Akeem Jordan 3-61, Kevin Sinclair 2-64)

West Indies “A” 46-0 off nine overs (Tagenarine Chanderpaul 28*, Zachary McCaskie 17*)

Former West Indies captain Dwayne Bravo issued some scathing criticism towards lead selector for the West Indies Men’s Team, the hon. Desmond Haynes, as well as white ball head coach, Daren Sammy, after his younger brother Darren was overlooked for the upcoming three-match home series against England.

Darren Bravo, 34, recently led the Trinidad & Tobago Red Force to the CG United Super50 Cup title and finished the tournament as the leading run-scorer with 416 runs in eight innings at an average of 83.20 with one hundred and three fifties.

His production proved to be not enough in the eyes of the selectors, however, as they opted to go with younger players who they have invested in with an eye on the 2027 World Cup, according to Haynes in a press conference on Monday.

“SMH!!! When will the BS stop?!” I’m not surprised with my brother’s non-selection, but with the recent changes in WI cricket management, I held onto a bit of hope for the better,” Bravo said in a statement on Instagram on Monday.

“This is NOT acceptable, and I just can’t make sense of it! So here are my burning questions: What’s the criteria for West Indies team selection? Surely, it can’t be solely based on performance?” he added.

The former all-rounder then went into the aforementioned stats that Darren bravo put together in the Super50 Cup before asking more questions.

“I usually stay away from these discussions but the mistreatment, disrespect, and dishonesty towards players over the years demand a voice. When will it stop? When will this BS actually stop?”

He then directed his ire toward Haynes, Sammy, and newly appointed director of cricket Miles Bascombe.

“To Mr. Desmond Haynes, your statement didn’t surprise me. It feels like another former player singing for his supper. I hoped for trust in the system with figures like you, Sammy, and the new director of cricket, but the system failed again,” he said.

Bravo ended by offering encouragement to his brother and congratulating some of the new and returning members of the squad.

“To my brother, this too shall pass. Keep your head up, stay focused and trust in the Almighty. And, as always, I extend my best wishes to the team and selected players. It’s refreshing to see (Kjorn) Ottley, (Sherfane) Rutherford and (Shane) Dowrich back in the mix. Good luck guys,” he ended.

Chris Gayle’s Gujarat Giants suffered a narrow 10-run defeat at the hands of the Manipal Tigers in the second game of the 2023 Legends League Cricket season at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi on Monday.

The Tigers batted first and made 173-8 from their 20 overs after losing the toss. Hamilton Masakadza (37), Thisara Perera (32) and Robin Uthappa (23) were the main scorers. Chadwick Walton also contributed 17.

Rajat Bhatia took 3-31 from his four overs while Trent Johnstone was expensive in his three overs, going for 33 runs but picking up two wickets in the process.

Then, despite a top score of 56 from Jacques Kallis along with a rapid 38 from Gayle and 35 from captain and wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel, the Giants were restricted to 163-9 from their 20 overs.

Man of the match Parvinder Awana took 4-19 from three overs to lead the charge for the victors. Harbhajan Singh was also economical with 2-14 from his four overs. Perera also completed a good all-round performance with 2-6 from two overs.

Fastest 200m woman alive, Shericka Jackson, described Saturday as a “special and awesome day” after receiving an honorary Doctorate of Law from the University of Technology at their graduation ceremony.

“It was truly a special and awesome day yesterday (Saturday). I am grateful and happy to be conferred with an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from UTECH,” Jackson said in an Instagram post on Sunday.

“It is indeed a big moment. I sincerely want to thank all who were involved in the nominating process for making this moment possible. To my amazing family, friends, sponsors and supporters, thank you for the unconditional love and support. I appreciate it very much. Thank you, Dr. Shericka Jackson,” she added.

The 29-year-old successfully defended her 200m world title in Budapest in August with a 21.41 effort, the second fastest time in history.

“The rewards for working diligently, persevering and focused can come from unexpected sources,” Jackson explained before offering some encouraging words to her fans.

“Be encouraged. If your faith is strong, there is always hope for you. There are many ways for each of us to contribute towards building a better nation and encourage everyone to pursue their dreams no matter what the circumstance,” she added.

Jackson was named recently by World Athletics as one of five finalists for the 2023 Women’s World Athlete of the Year award.

The Bhilwara Kings opened the 2023 Legends League Cricket season with a brilliant three-wicket win over the India Capitals at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi on Saturday.

The Kings won the toss and chose to field first, quickly regretting that decision when the Capitals got off to a magnificent start with the bat.

After losing South African Hashim Amla early for 3, former India opener Gautam Gambhir and former West Indies batsman Kirk Edwards put on 107 for the second wicket before Gambhir fell for a 35-ball 63 in the 11^th over.

Edwards went on to make the next highest score in the innings with 59 off 31 balls while Ben Dunk (37) and Ashley Nurse (34) also made solid contributions as the Capitals got what they thought would be a match-winning total of 228-8 off their 20 overs.

Anureet Singh took 4-29 from his four overs for the Kings.

Bhilwara’s opening pair of Lendl Simmons and Solomon Mire then put on only 22 for the first wicket before Simmons was first to go for 11.

It was quickly 27-2 when Tillakaratne Dilshan went for just one.

Mire and new batsman Robin Bist then put on 67 for the third wicket before Bist went in the 11^th over for 30 leaving the Kings 94-3.

Mire was next to go, 40 runs and three overs later for a well-made top score of 70 from 40 balls including nine fours and three sixes.

Eventually, the Kings were 186-7 in the 18^th over before captain Irfan Pathan performed a miracle to help them get over the line at 229-7 in 19.2 overs.

Pathan made 65* off just 19 balls including one four and nine sixes.

Isuru Udana took 3-51 from his four overs for the Capitals.

Full Scores

India Capitals 228-8 off 20 overs (Gautam Gambhir 65, Kirk Edwards 59, Ben Funk 37, Ashley Nurse 34, Anureet Singh 4-29)

Bhilwara Kings 229-7 off 19.2 overs (Solomon Mire 70, Irfan Pathan 65*, Robin Bist 30, Christopher Barnwell 22, Isuru Udana 3-51, Rusty Theron 2-33)

The Emerging Ireland Team produced an excellent display with the ball to hand the West Indies Academy a 26-run loss in the opening game of their three-match 50-Over series at the Sir Viv Richards Stadium in Antigua on Friday.

The Irish were first bowled out for 245 in 49.1 overs after winning the toss and batting first.

Opener Murray Commins batted beautifully to finish 118* off 129 balls to lead Emerging Ireland. His knock included 14 fours and a six.

Most of the other established batsmen in the side didn’t manage to do much damage before Tom Mayes, batting at number 10, was able to hit a 46-ball 51 including a pair of fours and three sixes.

Joshua Bishop led the way with the ball for the West Indies Academy with 4-45 from his 10 overs of left-arm spin while Kevin Wickham and Johann Layne took two wickets, each.

The Academy chase started well, with them reaching 117-1 in 20 overs before a collapse followed.

The hosts went from 117-1 to 152-6 in the space of just seven overs before eventually being bowled out for 219 in 41.4 overs.

Openers Matthew Nandu (59) and Kadeem Alleyne (42) were the main scorers for the Academy while Junior Sinclair (35) and Leonardo Julien (28) also scored well.

Off-spinner Scott MacBeth and leg-spinner Gavin Hoey were the main wicket-takers for Emerging Ireland with 3-33 from nine overs and 3-43 from 10 overs, respectively.

The second 50-Over game is scheduled for Sunday at the Coolidge Cricket Ground.

Final Scores

Emerging Ireland 245 off 49.1 overs (Murray Commins 118*, Tom Mayes 51, Gavin Hoey 25, Joshua Bishop 4-45, Kevin Wickham 2-50, Johann Layne 2-52)

West Indies Academy 219 off 41.4 overs (Matthew Nandu 59, Kadeem Alleyne 42, Junior Sinclair 35, Leonardo Julien 28, Scott MacBeth 3-33, Gavin Hoey 3-43)

The Melbourne Renegades’ miserable eight-game losing streak in the 2023 Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) finally came to an end on Friday thanks to a dramatic two-run win over the Brisbane Heat at the Allan Border Field in Brisbane.

Captain Hayley Matthews hit her highest score of the season with 46 while Emma de Broughe hit 42 to help the Renegades post 169-7 from their 20 overs after the Heat won the toss and elected to field.

Nicola Hancock starred with the ball for Brisbane with 4-20 from her four overs while Grace Harris took 2-16 from two overs.

The Heat’s chase then fell agonizingly short of their target, reaching 167-9 from their 20 overs.

Grace Harris completed an excellent all-round performance with a top score of 65 but she was the only Brisbane batter to pass 20 with Jess Jonassen (17) and Nicol Hancock (17) both coming the closest.

Sarah Coyte took 3-26 from her four overs for the Renegades while Georgia Prestwidge was also among the wickets with 2-43 from four overs.

Matthews took 1-29 from her four overs, including taking the responsibility of bowling the last over and defending just six runs to seal the Renegades’ second win of the season.

Calabar High School alum and former track & field athlete Michael McIntosh is giving back to his alma mater through the formation of the new Winston Davis Academic Athletic Scholarship set to be awarded to a number of students annually.

McIntosh, former senior advisor to American Olympic gold medalist Harrison Dillard and co-author of “Bones: The Life and Times of Harrison Dillard,” made the announcement in a ceremony held at the school’s chapel on Thursday.

He told SportsMax.tv what it means to him to be able to give back to the school.

“It means the world to me because when you come from an institution that nurtured you with teachers who you have great and fond memories of and knowing that a lot of students need help, it means the world to me,” he said. “It’s something that I always learned from my parents; always give back. Thank the Lord that I have that opportunity,” he added.

Born in Kingston, Jamaica, McIntosh migrated to Toronto, Canada, in 1970.

His connection with Calabar High School runs deep, having competed in track and field under the mentorship of Jamaican Olympian Herb McKinley. His accomplishments in the sport span over five decades, making him a key figure in the global athletics community.

McIntosh’s achievements in track and field are illustrious. In August 1972, he clinched the gold medal as part of the record-breaking Canadian team in the 4x400m relay and secured the silver medal in the 800m at the Canadian National Junior Championships.

His commitment to the sport continued as he became a member of the Canadian National Junior team coaching staff in 1983, contributing to the development of athletes who represented Canada at the international level.

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, McIntosh played a pivotal role in assisting numerous US colleges in recruiting track-and-field athletes, showcasing his dedication to nurturing talent in the field. As a senior advisor and coauthor, he has maintained a friendship with Harrison Dillard for over 35 years prior to Dillard’s passing in November 2019.

The man who the scholarship is being named after, Winston Davis who taught McIntosh at Calabar, was also in attendance on Thursday and McIntosh spoke about the reason why he chose to dedicate the scholarship to him.

“Well, he taught me Spanish, History and was my form teacher so I looked up to him and being that we’ve formed a friendship over the last ten years, it rekindled some fond memories from years ago and for a man who has always given back to the school and to his country, I thought if was fitting to be named after him,” he told SportsMax.tv.

This was a total surprise to Davis as his family and friends kept quiet from him .

McIntosh says he has managed to raise JMD$640,000  so far with more funds coming in.

Former Wolmer’s Boyz and UWI goalkeeper, Amal Knight, is happy to rejoin the Reggae Boyz set up ahead of a crucial Concacaf Nations League quarterfinal tie against Canada.

Before appearing on the bench for a recent friendly against Guatemala, Knight was last called up to the squad for a Nations League fixture back in March where he watched from the bench as the teams played out a 2-2 draw.

“It feels good. It’s been probably seven or eight months since I’ve been called up so it feels really good. I’m happy to be here and a part of the squad again,” Knight said in a JFF Live interview on Monday.

The 29-year-old is currently playing for Lexington SC in USL League One and spoke glowingly of his time there so far.

“It has been wonderful. I really enjoyed the season that just ended recently. I look forward to going back in January for pre-season and hopefully I can put in some positive results like last season,” he said.

“In Lexington, the people are really friendly and they warmed up to me a lot. I have a lot of support there. There were rumors probably of me leaving but it seems like I’ll be going back so the fans are happy. There’s a new coaching staff coming in and everyone is looking forward to seeing me back soon,” Knight added.

Knight says in his time away from the squad, he liked what he saw from the Boyz in the group stage of the Nations League where they finished top of Group B with 10 points from four games to advance to the quarters.

“I think we’ve done tremendously well. We’ve progressed really nicely on the table too so it’s just for the guys to keep going,” he said.

They will now take on Canada in the quarter-finals of with the first leg set for Friday at the National Stadium and the second set for next week Tuesday at the BMO Field.

The winners will advance to the Nations League semi-finals as well as the 2024 Copa America in the USA.

“It’s a very important tie against Canada with berths in the Copa America and semi-finals of the Nations League at stake. These are two very important games so hopefully we can take both of them and qualify for both,” Knight said.