Cricket

When he chaired the West Indies selection panel a dozen or so years ago, Wes Hall spoke of the “mental discomfiture” that comes with the post.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Rookie West Indies fast bowler Kemar Roach says he is looking forward to the challenge of bowling on the wickets in Sri Lanka, especially after having brushed up his skill during the recent training camp at 3Ws Oval.

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – West Indies A snatched a thrilling super-over victory over Pakistan A late Friday night, as they launched their two-match Twenty20 series in dramatic style at the Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Crowd favourite Carl Hooper scored a one-ball “duck” but opener Stuart Williams lashed an unbeaten 86 to fire West Indies Masters to a four-wicket win over England, with a ball to spare on the opening night of the CLOBI Cup Twenty20 Championship here Friday.

AHMEDABAD, India, (Reuters) – Jesse Ryder and debutant  Kane Williamson defied India with a fifth-wicket partnership of  194 to take New Zealand past the follow-on mark on the third day  of the first test yesterday.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – With the tough tour of Sri Lanka looming, West Indies resumed training with a full-day workout here yesterday, just 24 hours after the country was battered by powerful Tropical Storm Tomas.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad,  CMC – Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board president Azim Bassarath has written the Barbados Cricket Association to offer the TTCB’s condolences on the death of Prime Minister David Thompson.

DUBAI, (Reuters) – Pakistan players Salman Butt and Mohammad Amir had their provisional suspensions over allegations of spot-fixing upheld by the International Cricket Council (ICC) yesterday.

ABU DHABI, (Reuters) – Abdul Razzaq gave Pakistan  welcome on-field respite with a stunning century to set up a dramatic one-wicket victory over South Africa in the second one-day international yesterday.

-says Ramnarine PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – West Indies Players Association (WIPA) chief, Dinanath Ramnarine has defended out-of-favour West Indies batsman Lendl Simmons against claims he arbitrarily failed to attend a scheduled meeting with chairman of selectors Clyde Butts.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Barbados coach Emmerson Trotman says he believes fast bowler Tino Best and batsman Ryan Hinds still have a role to play in West Indies cricket.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – West Indies have assembled here for a preparation camp ahead of the tour of Sri Lanka and are expected to launch their training in earnest today.

Action in the Georgetown Cricket Association’s (GCA) Carib Beer/Friends of Cricket First Division two-day tournament bowls off today with two matches at the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC)  and Eve Leary grounds.

CASTRIES, St Lucia,  CMC – Windward Islands batsman Johnson Charles is eyeing a full senior West Indies team selection after being named in a West Indies A squad to play against Pakistan A in two Twenty20 fixtures in Antigua early next month.

For the third weekend in a row, softball cricketer Hakim Majeed stroked a century, but this still could not lead the Success Masters Softball Cricket team to a win last Sunday when they played in a series of the General Marine Female and Male Over-40 Softball Competition.

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – West Indies Cricket Board director Joel Garner will continue as manager of the West Indies team on their tour to Sri Lanka next month.

LONDON, (Reuters) – England captain Andrew Strauss  laughed off Australian pre-Ashes taunts yesterday and assured  the hosts that his men would hit the ground running for the  series starting in Brisbane next month.

—WICB President Hunte St John’s Antigua – Predicting ‘clear favourites’ in regional cricket is becoming increasingly perilous said President of the West Indies Cricket Board, Dr.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Lendl Simmons and the West Indies Players’ Association have both failed to meet with officials of the West Indies Cricket Board over outstanding issues.

ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC – Some may quibble about its adequacy, but Shane Shillingford felt the WICB Regional One-day competition offered him valuable match practice ahead of the West Indies’ tour of Sri Lanka next month.