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 …
Read More »Early Bird: Monty who? Blackwood brings WI batting coach into sharp focus
It’s not cricket that is my editor’s forte; it’s football. So it’s mainly the beautiful game we’d discuss if, instead of walking by himself on evenings, he decided to walk on mornings with Bobby and me. But today he called about the game of glorious uncertainties. “I just sent you …
Read More »Brathwaite, Blackwood lead from front, make WI day with double centuries
When West Indies vice-captain Jermaine Blackwood walked to the middle of Kensington Oval in Barbados in the Second Apex Test match against England today, his team was on 101 for 3, still 407 runs shy of avoiding the follow-on. When he departed some 68 overs later, West Indies were on …
Read More »Grenada ends ‘vaccine differentiation policy’; unvaccinated cricket fans can attend Third Test
Grenada will allow unvaccinated cricket fans to attend the third and final Apex Test match between the West Indies and England, which starts next Thursday at the Grenada National Stadium. West Indies and England played to a draw in the First Test in Antigua while Day Three of the Second …
Read More »Apex Peek: West Indies make slow start in marathon chase; Campbell fishes and falls to Fisher early
On Thursday, when I arrived at Kensington Oval, the England team were already on the field doing their warm-ups. The English fans, piled in in their large numbers from just as early, had already draped their club flags on practically every available wall space. The West Indies, the home team, …
Read More »Brathwaite’s West Indies face uphill climb after England declare on 507 with Root and Stokes tons
After a battering by, above all, Ben Stokes in Bridgetown, Barbados today, Kraigg Brathwaite’s West Indies remained unbowed. And Brathwaite and Shamarh Brooks will resume the West Indian first innings in the Second Apex Test on Day Three tomorrow with one number uppermost in their minds: 308. That is the …
Read More »Apex Peek: Lawrence upstages centurion, Joe puts down roots, Brathwaite loses it and Alzarri poops
Day One of a Test match spawns an almost indescribable feeling. I was only one of probably 200 West Indians at the Kensington Oval in Barbados, the venue for the Second Apex Test; the other 25,000 or so packed in were unmistakably English. Near capacity! The Barmy Army announced their …
Read More »Slim pickings for WI bowlers; Lawrence misses out but Root gets Test ton number 25
Had gun-shy West Indies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite decided to risk a review off the last ball of the 20th over in the Second Apex Test at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados today, England might have found themselves—not for the first time—in a spot of bother before lunch. He did not …
Read More »Early Bird: Bonner sparks memory of Larry Gomes, as Haynes’ ‘Adaptables’ spread wings
With Roger Harper now history, adaptability is the new West Indies selection watchword. No more specialists, new lead selector Desmond Haynes has said. Show me your motion and I’ll find the right band for you. Already, Shamarh Brooks and Kyle Mayers have got a look-in in the white ball set-up. …
Read More »McWatt: WI Women shine again, WI men batted too slowly but credit to CWI for Academy plans
“[…] West Indies cricket fans all over the world should now be overjoyed with the most wonderful news of Cricket West Indies’ announced intentions to create an Antigua Coolidge Cricket Centre-based Emerging Players Annual Academy. “[…] Many will expect that legends such as Sir Andy Roberts, Sir Vivian Richards, Sir …
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