March 2022. The Apex Second Test in Barbados. Garfield St Aubrun Sobers sat, as he has long sat, beside his queen atop the Kensington pavilion, monarch of all he surveyed. But frail-, fragile-, feeble-looking even. I felt for him. I feared for him. Through my mind flashed an image of …
Read More »McWatt: Brathwaite, Da Silva, Mayers, Seales… heroes everywhere in wonderful weekend for West Indies cricket
What a wonderful weekend it has been for West Indies cricket! First, the women secured their qualification for the 2022 World Cup. Then, to double the enjoyment, the men created history by securing a 1-0 series victory against England to become the first-ever holders of the newly minted Richards–Botham Trophy. …
Read More »WI back to winning ways; Player-of-the-Series Brathwaite warns against complacency
One brilliant one-handed catch from former captain Jason Holder. Some 60-odd deliveries with the ball, eight of them from lead pacer Kemar Roach that yielded two wickets. Just about 30 deliveries with the bat, 21 of them yielding 20 runs for skipper Kraigg Brathwaite. That was all the West Indies …
Read More »Da Silva goes all the way for WI, then ‘Midas’ Mayers leaves England on the brink
At the Masters in Georgia, they call Saturday ‘moving day’. At the National Stadium in Grenada today, a masterly maiden Test century by wicketkeeper/batsman Joshua Da Silva first moved Kraigg Brathwaite’s West Indies into the saddle of the Third Apex Test. Then, with the first innings lead 93, allrounder Kyle …
Read More »Determined Da Silva’s fighting half-century gives WI slim first innings lead
Joshua Da Silva had a steely glint in his eye as he acknowledged the plaudits of the crowd on Day Two of the Third Apex Test at the National Stadium in Grenada today. The wicketkeeper scored a critical, unbeaten, rear-guard 54 to push Kraigg Brathwaite’s West Indies past the 204 …
Read More »Mayers rocks England top order but WI fail to skittle tail on Day One of Third Test
For a session and a half on the opening day of the Third Apex Test at the National Stadium in Grenada today, Kraigg Brathwaite’s West Indies were firmly in the driver’s seat. But by the end of the day, with numbers 10 and 11 their top scorers, Joe Root’s side …
Read More »Apex Peek: Fresh England ready to fire; are resilient West Indies ready to resist?
The message on arrival and departure couldn’t be clearer. At the airport, large Virgin Atlantic, British Airways, Air Canada jets and more lined the runways. As I boarded Caribbean Airlines on departure after the Test match, busloads of visitors were still being shuttled in. Yesterday, on the ocean front, I …
Read More »Early Bird: Caribbean cricket’s reality check; today’s WI can’t afford to change a team that didn’t lose
Its impact on the Third Apex Test against England starting on Thursday in Grenada isn’t guaranteed to be significant. Nor is its impact guaranteed to be obvious when the West Indies next take the field in the Netherlands in May. But there appears to be a shift in selectoral policy …
Read More »We ‘had a moral and/or social duty to publish’; Wired868 denies Mason’s legal claim over ‘Reds’ Perreira letter
“Attorney for Andrew Mason: ‘[…] These statements [from Joseph ‘Reds’ Perreira] are misleading as they portray the impression to the ordinary, reasonable reader that our client is refusing to pay the commentators who worked the Jamaica matches and/or that our client is trying to defraud those commentators’…” “Attorney for Wired868: …
Read More »Marathon man Brathwaite holds off England again, winner-take-all in Grenada finale
Led by another immense feat of endurance and concentration from skipper Kraigg Brathwaite, the West Indies earned a second honourable draw in the Second Test of the three-match Apex Series at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados today All three protagonists played their part to ensure that the predictable outcome was …
Read More »McWatt: ‘Very special’ Hayley Matthews comes of age for West Indies at W/Cup in N/Zealand
“She’s a very special person!” That was the Facebook description of one adoring fan immediately after Hayley Matthews posted her career-best bowling figures of 4/15 off 10 overs to help the West Indies to yet another nail-biting win in their 2022 ICC Women’s World Cup campaign. Matthews’ outstanding performance deservingly …
Read More »Brathwaite’s 489-ball century keeps England close, as WI head into Day Five
When bad light ended play at the end of Day Four of the Second Apex Test at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados, West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite’s led all scorers with a 710-minute, 489-ball 160. But all the other numbers seemed to say a draw. There were three sessions …
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