Cricket

CHENNAI, India, CMC – West Indies will not be having a restless nights of the threat posed by England marquee spinner Graeme Swann.

There  are as many permutations to settle the qualifiers for next week’s  knockout, quarter-finals stage of the World Cup as to baffle a football pools  addict but the West Indies know just what they must do to claim their place.

The West Indies selectors made a bold move to draft in Devendra Bishoo.

CHITTAGONG, Bangladesh, (Reuters) – Bangladesh made  short work of their Dutch opponents in a Group B match to keep  their World Cup quarter-final hopes very much alive yesterday  but England will not be amused.

CHENNAI, (Reuters) – England can still win the  World Cup and there is no need to dwell on the upsets against  Ireland and Bangladesh, spinner Graeme Swann said yesterday.

KANDY, Sri Lanka, (Reuters) – Asad Shafiq shone on  his World Cup debut with a cultured unbeaten 78 yesterday as  Pakistan stormed into the quarter-finals with a comprehensive  seven-wicket victory against Zimbabwe in a rain-truncated match.

PROVIDENCE, Guyana, CMC – Johnny Bairstow made the most of a small window of opportunity to usher England Lions to first innings points over Guyana in the WICB Regional first-class championship yesterday.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Leeward Islands needed just an hour and 20 minutes to snatch the last four Trinidad and Tobago wickets and secure a thrilling 29-run victory in their fifth round Regional First Class Championship match here yesterday.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Former West Indies middle order batsman Runako Morton remains in police custody despite having bail set at TT$100 000 (US$16 600) after he appeared in a magistrate’s court here yesterday on drug related charges.

SPANISH TOWN, Jamaica, CMC – Half-centuries from Wavell Hinds and Chadwick Walton were not enough as Combined Campuses and Colleges grabbed first innings points over Jamaica on the final day of their fifth round match in the Regional First Class Championship here yesterday.

Guyana’s cricket team endured a miserable first innings against the England Lions who made mincemeat of them on day two of their WICB Regional Four Day match at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.

Captain Ricky Deonarin led from the front with a brilliant half century but the knock was in vain as Guyana’s Floodlight `A’ team was beaten once again in the final of the Florida Cup in the United States of America last week-end.

NAGPUR, India (Reuters) – Tail-ender Robin Peterson broke Indian hearts by blasting 16 runs off the final over to hand South Africa a thrilling three-wicket win over the co-hosts in the World Cup yesterday.

NEW DELHI (Reuters) – Spinner Graeme Swann has been fined 10 percent match fee for using offensive language during England’s two-wicket defeat by Bangladesh in Chittagong, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said yesterday.

By Tony Cozier At the ICC World Cup In CHANDIGARH As satisfying as Friday’s comfortable, if hard-fought, victory over the feisty Irish, was West Indies head coach Ottis Gibson would have been just as delighted with those who contributed most.

MOHALI, India, Mar 12, CMC – Opener Devon Smith says scoring his maiden One-Day International century has given him added confidence for West Indies’ clash with England next Thursday in Chennai.

Regional cricketers Runako Morton and Tonito Willett were both charged for possession of marijuana on Friday night by Morvant police.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Andre Fletcher continued his rich vein of form for Windward Islands, after career-best bowling from Liam Sebastien against Barbados in the WICB Regional first-class championship yesterday.

SPANISH TOWN, Jamaica, CMC – An attacking half-century from Kyle Corbin helped Combined Campuses and Colleges survive a slump and keep leaders Jamaica at bay on the shortened second day of their fifth round Regional First Class Championship match here yesterday.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Trinidad and Tobago narrowly grabbed first innings points over Leeward Islands and tightened their grip on the match with two late strikes on the second day of their fifth round match of the Regional First Class Championship yesterday.