Cricket

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados,  CMC – Points standings in the WICB Regional first-class championship after the second round of matches ended yesterday.

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, CMC – West Indies suffered a dent to their preparations for the World Cup, when Kumar Sangakkara, Tillakaratne Dilshan, and Thilan Samaraweera struck half-centuries to lead Sri Lanka to a four-wicket victory in their final “official” warm-up match yesterday.

BANGALORE, (Reuters) – Half centuries by the South  African openers set up a surprisingly easy seven-wicket victory  over Australia yesterday in a World Cup warm-up match giving  the holders’ skipper Ricky Ponting much food for thought.

DHAKA, (Reuters) – Ahmed Shehzad and Misbah-ul-Haq  hit centuries as they steered Pakistan to a morale-boosting  89-run victory over co-hosts Bangladesh in a World Cup warm up   match  yesterday.

The Trinidad and Tobago national selectors have made one change to squad for the third round match against the English Lions in the West Indies Four-Day tournament starting on Friday, at the Queen’s Park Oval.

LONDON, (Reuters) – Kevin Pietersen must go back in  time and start constructing his innings as he did at the start  of his international career in order to ignite England’s World  Cup challenge, according to former team mate Geraint Jones.

Trinidad and Tobago and West Indies wicketkeeper/batsman Denesh Ramdin says he is very proud of his wicketkeeping record achieved in the last match against the Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) at UWI, SPEC in St.

DHAKA, (Reuters) – England have asked cricket’s  governing body for special permission to play Chris Tremlett in today’s warm-up match against Canada because many of their  bowlers are injured or ill in the lead-up to the World Cup.

CHENNAI, (Reuters) – India captain Mahendra Singh  Dhoni yesterday backtracked on his comments that the Indian  team are “not ready” in the lead-up to the World Cup due to the  jam-packed calendar.

The Linden/Georgetown bus park was a  hive of activity last weekend when  the Young Achievers 20/20 Sports Bar kicked off its Stag Beer Inter-Ward street football tournament.

CHENNAI, (Reuters) – New Zealand cannot rely on their  coach John Wright’s insider knowledge of Indian playing conditions to win matches at the World Cup.

Guyana Softball League (GSL) president Halim Khan paid a courtesy call on Guyana’s ambassador in Cuba to promote and facilitate the beginning of a softball league on the island.

Colombo, Sri Lanka – West Indies batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan believes that partnerships will be a key factor in winning the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup.

Colombo, Sri Lanka – Dwayne Bravo has been appointed Vice Captain of the West Indies team for the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup and the world-rated all rounder is looking to make a significant contribution to the side’s success.

The court matter between the two feuding factions of the Demerara Cricket Board (DCB) will be further prolonged after an adjournment in the High Court yesterday until February 28.

Colombo, Sri Lanka – West Indies fast bowler Andre Russell enjoyed his first day in the maroon West Indies shirt as he took four wickets in the ICC Cricket World Cup warm-up match against Kenya at the R Premadasa Stadium.  

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Barbados suffered another setback in the WICB Regional first-class championship yesterday, when James Taylor stroked his seventh first-class hundred to lead England Lions to first innings points in their drawn match.

ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC – Jamaica had to settle for a draw against Windward Islands in the WICB Regional first-class championship yesterday.

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, CMC – Guyana and Leeward Islands had to settle for a no-result, when rain and a soaked outfield forced play to be abandoned without a ball being bowled for the fourth straight day in their second round match of the WICB

The Stag Beer and El Dorado Rum Softball competition resumes tomorrow at various venues.