The St. Kitts-Nevis Observer :: The Federation's Poltically Independent News Source

Feb. 10 -- ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC – West Indies captain Darren Sammy will return to the Windward Islands squad for their second round Regional 4 Day clash with Guyana, starting here this weekend.

Sammy sat out the trip to Jamaica last weekend, with coach Ian Allen indicating that the West Indies Cricket Board had requested the St Lucian all-rounder be rested.

However, Sammy will take over the helm of the squad from Liam Sebastien who oversaw the Windwards’ 81-run defeat at the hands of Jamaica inside three days at Sabina Park last Sunday.

West Indies Under-19 all-rounder Kavem Hodge has been dropped to make way for Sammy.

SQUAD: Darren Sammy, Devon Smith, Dalton Polius, Johnson Charles, Lindon James, Keddy Lesporis, Nelon Pascal, Andre Fletcher, Kenroy Peters, Shane Shillingford, Delorn Johnson, Garey Mathurin, Liam Sebastien

Feb. 9 -- ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC – West Indies leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo says he is using the Regional Four-Day Championship to develop strategy for Australia’s tour of the Caribbean starting next month.

“This tournament will form part of the build-up to what we can all expect to be a tough series against Australia,” the 26-year-old said.

“I have not played against Australia, but I have been watching and paying close attention to what is happening so I have a few ideas and plans about how to bowl when I get the opportunity.”

Bishoo has emerged in recent times as a crucial member of the Windies attack and is expected to play a key role in the series which includes three Tests, five One-Day Internationals and two Twenty20s.

Last weekend, he warmed up nicely for that showdown with match figures of eight for 70 as Guyana demolished Leeward Islands by 234 runs at Windsor Park in Dominica.

Bishoo admitted he was not in top form during the game but was looking forward to moving into high gear in this weekend’s tussle with Windward Islands also scheduled for Windsor Park.

“I came into the four-day tournament after coming off the Caribbean T20 tournament, so I would say I was not at my best throughout the match,” said Bishoo, who was the ICC's Emerging Player of the Year for 2011.

“I was still happy with the way I bowled overall and I was very happy with the way we played as a team. In the T20 tournament I was bowling just four overs, so it’s good to get back into the long version of the game and be able to plan a bit more and get some overs under my belt.”

Guyana’s matches in the Regional 4 Day tournament had to be moved from the Guyana National Stadium as the WICB reiterated its support for the Guyana Cricket Board.

“We played some good cricket in the first match and got a good win, which was a big boost for the team,” said Bishoo, who has played 10 Tests and 13 ODIs.

“When we left Guyana there were a lot of things happening but we stayed focussed and we were not distracted. That win did a lot for the team. We are a young team and we are just taking everything in stages. We will look to make it two wins out of two when we come up against the Windwards.”

Feb. 8 -- Bridgetown, Barbados -- Legendary Leeward Islands and West Indies fast bowler Curtly Ambrose is to be part of the coaching staff of the Combined Campuses & Colleges (CCC) team.

He has been hired as Bowling Consultant for the ongoing WICB Regional 4 Day Tournament. Details on the role of the 48-year-old Antiguan are to be disclosed at a Media conference at the 3Ws Oval, the home base of CCC, on Wednesday, February 8.

In 98 Test matches, Ambrose took 405 wickets at 20.99 runs apiece. He played in 176 One-Day Internationals, hauling in 225 wickets (average 24.12) with an economy rate of 3.48. Last year he was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame during the annual awards ceremony in London.

In recent years, he has been working as a cricket analyst on radio with Line & Length Network and ESPN television during the WICB’s Caribbean T20 tournament.
CCC lost their opening match to Trinidad & Tobago last weekend. Their second match will be against the Leeward Islands, starting on Friday at the 3Ws Oval.

Feb. 7 -- KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Devon Smith’s 19th first class century was not enough to prevent Windward Islands from crashing to an 81-run, defeat inside three days as Jamaica emphatically started the defence of their Regional Four-Day Championship title here Sunday.

The left-handed Smith stroked 103 but the Windwards, set 320 for victory at Sabina Park, were dismissed for 238 with left-arm spinner Nikita Miller taking three for 65 and West Indies fast-bowling all-rounder Andre Russell claiming three for 16.

Earlier Jamaica, resuming the penultimate day on 262 for seven, were dismissed for 298 with Russell getting 29.

Resurgent West Indies off-spinner Shane Shillingford claimed six for 75 while pacer Nelon Pascal got three for 76.

The Windwards started their run chase poorly, losing batsmen steadily to be struggling at lunch at 49 for four.

Johnson Charles slashed fast bowler Andrew Richardson to captain Tamar Lambert at gully to perish for two at 10 for one and Keddy Lesporis followed soon after, lbw to Miller for eight at 24 for two.

Liam Sebastien (11) was caught and bowled by off-spinner Chris Gayle (2-51) before Dalton Polius was trapped in front by Miller, to leave the Windwards on 40 for four.

Smith, unbeaten on 23 at lunch, lost Garey Mathurin (2) to a catch at cover off Gayle as the Windwards plunged towards defeat at 49 for five.

However, the Windies batsman showed all his experience to stroke 12 fours and a six in an innings lasting 245 balls, to spare the Windwards embarrassment.

Surviving a chance to Miller at slip off Gayle when 30, he put on 39 for the sixth wicket with Andre Fletcher (21) and then mounted a valiant 85-run, seventh wicket stand with wicketkeeper Lyndon James who got 39.

James hit three fours and faced 87 balls before he was run out but Smith carried on, sweeping Miller for four to move into the 90s before bringing up his landmark with another boundary through cover point.

He eventually misjudged a full delivery from Russell (3-16) and was bowled, to set off Jamaica’s victory celebrations.
SCOREBOARD: Jamaica vs Windwards – 3rd day, 1st match

KINGSTON, Jamaica, Feb 5, CMC – Scoreboard on the third day of the first round match in the Regional Four-Day Championship match between Jamaica and Windward Islands at Sabina Park on Sunday:

JAMAICA 1st Innings 180

WINDWARDS 1st Innings 159

JAMAICA 2nd Innings

(overnight 262 for seven)

S Jackson c wkp James b Pascal 9

C Gayle c Smith b Shillingford 165

D Pagon c Shillingford b Pascal 2

B Nash c wkp Charles b Peters 14

*T Lambert c Smith b Shillingford 15

D Bernard lbw b Shillingford 2

+C Baugh c Polius b Shillingford 14

A Russell lbw b Shillingford 29

N Miller not out 10

O Brown c Fletcher b Richardson 13

A Richardson lbw b Pascal 4

Extras (b17, lb1, nb3) 21

TOTAL (all out, 63.5 overs) 298

Fall of wickets: 1-50, 2-56, 3-158, 4-201, 5-218, 6-228, 7-261, 8-269, 9-277, 10-298.

Bowling: Pascal 16-2-76-3, Peters 9-2-37-1, Shillingford 20.5-2-75-6, Mathurin 13-0-55-0, Sebastien 3-0-20-0, Polius 2-0-17-0.

WINDWARDS 2nd Innings (Target: 320)

D Smith b Russell 103

J Charles c Lambert b Richardson 2

A Fletcher lbw b Miller 21

K Peters c Pagon b Russell 0

K Lesporis lbw b Miller 8

*L Sebastien c and b Gayle 11

D Polius lbw b Miller 0

+L James run out 39

G Mathurin c Brown b Gayle 2

S Shillingford not out 19

N Pascal b Russell 14

Extras (b17, lb1, nb1) 19

TOTAL (all out, 84.1 overs) 238

Fall of wickets: 1-10, 2-24, 3-39, 4-40, 5-49, 6-88, 7-173, 8-216, 9-224, 10-238.

Bowling: Richardson 7-0-32-1 Russell 7.1-2-16-3 Bernard 4-0-14-0 Miller 36-6-65-3 Gayle 19-4-51-2 Brown 10-2-29-0 Lambert 1-0-13-0.

Result: Jamaica won by 81 runs.

Points: Jamaica 12, Windwards 0.

Umpires: Nigel Duguid, Norman Malcolm.

Feb. 6 -- KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Opener Chris Gayle sent perhaps his strongest message yet to the West Indies selectors ahead of the upcoming Australia series as he pummeled a brilliant hundred against Windward Islands to give Jamaica the upper hand here Saturday.

The left-hander smashed 165 from a mere 155 balls, uncorking yet another amazing innings to fire the home side up to 262 for seven in their second innings, on the second day of their opening round Regional Four-Championship match at Sabina Park.

Gayle, the former Jamaica and West Indies captain, shredded the Windwards bowling for eight fours and 14 giant sixes. His effort allowed Jamaica to rattle up an overall lead of 283 runs after the Windwards slumped from their overnight 49 for three to 159 all out.

Pacer Andrew Richardson engineered the rout, claiming five for 36 while leg-spinner Odean Brown (2-19) and seamer David Bernard Jr (2-38) finished with two wickets apiece.

It took Nelon Pascal’s entertaining run-a-ball, unbeaten 28 in a 47-run, last wicket stand with Shane Shillingford who stroked a cameo 19, to give the Windwards precious runs at the end.

Gayle then put the Windwards bowling to the sword in a devastating assault. He got off the mark with a boundary over point and followed up with another through extra cover to hint at what was to come.

He dominated a 50-run, opening stand with Simon Jackson (9) before putting on another 102 for the third wicket with Brendan Nash (14).

Gayle reached his half-century in style off just 48 balls, smashing Shillingford over square leg for six to move to 47 before finding another maximum over mid-wicket.

He celebrated by launching Shillingford onto the roof of the Kingston Cricket Club before hitting the same bowler over wide long on and he moved into overdrive.

Gayle eventually raised his century off 88 balls by lofting off-spinner Liam Sebastien onto the George Headley Stand and then motored to his150 off just another 42 balls.

With a double century at his mercy, he perished tamely, popping an easy catch to Devon Smith at mid-wicket off Shillingford at 228 for six.

The only other batsman to get past 20 was Andre Russell, who cracked three fours and a six over mid-wicket off Shillingford, in an unbeaten 23.

Shillingford has so far taken four for 66 while pacer Pascal has claimed two for 51

Feb. 3 -- St John’s, Antigua – West Indies Women’s team will have a 12-day pre-series camp in Antigua ahead of the eight-match series against India Women later this month. The camp will be held at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground and the girls will focus on fitness, match analysis and improving their skill levels ahead of the series. The Windies will also play two warm-up matches against the Antigua Under-17 boys team on Saturday, February 11 and Sunday February 12.

After the camp, the West Indies will host India in five T20 Internationals and three One-Day Internationals. Matches will be played at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground in Antigua; Windsor Park in Dominica; and Warner Park in St Kitts. The teams are using the series as part of their preparations for the ICC T20 World Championship to be played in Sri Lanka in September and October.

MATCH SCHEDULE

T20 Internationals

Saturday, February 18: 1st T20 International at Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground, Antigua - 6.30 pm

Sunday, February 19: 2nd T20 International at Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground, Antigua - 6.30 pm

Wednesday, February 22: 3rd T20 International at Windsor Park, Dominica - 2 pm

Thursday, February, 23: 4th T20 International at Windsor Park, Dominica - 2 pm

Monday, February 27: 5th T20 International at Warner Park, St Kitts - 2 pm

One-Day Internationals

Wednesday, February 29: 1st One-Day International at Warner Park, St Kitts - 10 am

Friday, March 2: 2nd One-Day International at Warner Park, St Kitts - 10 am

Sunday, March 4: 3rd One-Day International at Warner Park, St Kitts - 10 am

West Indies Squad: Merissa Aguillera (Captain/wicket-keeper), Stafanie Taylor (Vice Captain), Shemaine Campbelle (wicket-keeper), Britney Cooper, Shanel Daley, Deandra Dottin, Pearl Etienne, Stacy Ann King, Kycia Knight (wicket-keeper), Anisa Mohammed, Subrina Munroe, Juliana Nero, Shaquana Quintyne, Shakera Selman.