Batsmen dominate opening matches of BCA 40-over

Five centuries and eight half-centuries were recorded after four matches in the Bahamas Cricket Association (BCA) 40-over league in Nassau. Some of the usual suspects: Jonathan Barry (148), Julio Jamieson (128), Ryan Tappin (103), and Marc Taylor (101) took advantage of perfect batting conditions over the three weekends to pass triple figures, and they were joined for the first time by Jagnauth Jagroo (103). Half-centuries also came from the bats of Kevin McInniss (95), Kevin Surujlall (65), Turan Brown (62), Albert Peters (61 not out, 56 not out), Heskett Dean (59), Earl Thomas (57) and G. Ganpat (56).

While the batsmen feasted the bowlers struggled, with only Andre Dos Ramos (six for 55) recording a five-wicket haul, although Gregory Taylor Jnr. and John Dolphin had four-wicket returns. 

Barry’s and Tappin’s exploits ensured Pacesetters a perfect 2-0 start to the league, while Jamieson and Marc Taylor also set up victories for St. Alban’s and Police Royals. Jagroo’s ton, for St. Agnes, was in a losing effort to Pacesetters. 

Jonathan Barry and Ryan Tappin

In the latest game (March 23), Pacesetters beat St. Agnes by 76 runs. The winners amassed 318 for nine in their 40 overs with Tappin hitting 103, Peters 61 not out, Kevin Surujlall 43 and Donovan Matthews 40. Dolphin claimed four wickets for 40 runs, including three in four deliveries. St. Agnes replied with 242 for nine in their quota of overs. Jagroo struck 103 and Brown 62 while Peters claimed three for 17. 

On March 16^th, St. Alban beat St. Agnes by 45 runs. St. Alban reached 335 for eight in 40, with Jamieson 128, Ganpat 59, and Sheridan McCoy 41 not out leading the way. St. Agnes’ reply ended at a spirited 290 in 39.3 overs with Heskett Dean making 59, Earl Thomas 57 and D. Cadogan 33. Dos Ramos claimed wickets consistently to end with six for 55 while McCoy took two for 38. 

On March 15^th, Pacesetters crushed Police Royals by 200 runs after amassing 370 for five in 35 overs. Barry’s 148, Surujlall’s 65 and Peters’ unbeaten 56 were the main scores against the two wickets each picked up by Greg Taylor Jnr. and R. Charles. Police’s reply ended at 170 for nine. McInniss made 95 and Mark Levy claimed three for 35. 

The first game of the league, on March 9, saw Police whipping St. George by eight wickets. St. George were dismissed for 188 in 23.4 overs with Jermaine Adderley making 30, and Greg Taylor Jnr. and Marc Taylor claiming four for 36 and three for 44 respectively. Police raced to 189 for two in 12.4 overs thanks to Marc Taylor who blasted 101. McInniss also contributed an unbeaten 49. 

Two more matches are scheduled for this weekend, at the same venue, the Haynes Oval on Bay Street.

MP Pacesetters win BCA T20

Despite the heroics of Wycliff Atkinson the Medical Pavilion Pacesetters emerged winners of the Bahamas Cricket Association’s T2 with a 27-run victory over Western’s in the final at the Haynes Oval on Bay Street.

Medical Pavilion Pacesetters

The margin of victory does not reflect the tension prevalent during most of Western’s innings as Atkinson led his team towards what seemed inevitable victory. Chasing the formidable 190 for five in 20 overs made by Pacesetters, Western were cruising at 149 for four in the 15th over with the rampaging Atkinson on 86 when it happened. The unorthodox right hander, who struck six sixes, an equal number of fours, and a five, had already taken 16 from Kevin Surujlal’s final over when he top edged a sweep for Narendra Ekanakaye to pouch, running to his left at short third-man. To say the floodgates were opened and Pacesetters swept through them would be an understatement. Three more wickets fell without addition to the score and the new champions duly wrapped up the victory in the final over.

Atkinson was supported in his efforts by Liston who hit 33 in a fourth wicket stand of 83 after Western were reduced to 46 for three. Pacesetters’ captain Albert Peters was the most successful bowler with three for 41 while Lee Melville had two for 29, and there was a wicket each for Ekanayake and Mark Levi who was most economical, conceding 18 runs from his four overs.  Surujlal, whose four overs cost a whopping 54 runs, took consolation in the fact that he removed both Liston and Atkinson.

Earlier, Pacesetters were indebted to half-centuries from openers Renford Davson (54 with 8 fours and 2 sixes) and Ryan Tappin (64 with 10 fours and a six) for their impressive total. The pair posted 123 for the first wicket before Jonathon Barry (36) provided the late flourish.

Taylor slams century; Police, P'setters win in BCA 20/20

Marc Taylor slammed a century and four other batsmen passed 50 as the Bahamas Cricket Association (BCA) T20 league continued with two matches over the weekend at the Haynes Oval in Nassau.

Renford Davson and Ryan Tappin after their unbroken stand

Playing for Police, the left-handed Taylor blasted an unbeaten 124 to lead his team to a 45-run victory over Westerns on Saturday. His knock and 24 each from his brother Gregory Taylor Jnr and R. Thomas ensured Police amassed 204 for four after a late start necessitated a reduction in the overs to 15. For Westerns, Gregory Irving and Cliff Atkinson picked up two wickets each.

Westerns were spirited in their reply, reaching 159 for six when their 15 overs expired. Atkinson and Irving where once again to the fore, hitting 73 and 46 respectively while R. Charles claimed three wickets for nine runs.

On Sunday, St. Alban’s posted a challenging 166 for six in their 20 overs but were helpless in the face of a brutal assault by Pacesetters’ openers who carried their team to a 10-wicket victory in 15.5 overs. Andre Dos Ramos 64, Brent Fullerton 36 and R. Coakley 34 were the main contributors for St. Alban’s against Mark Levi’s two for 41. Ryan Tapping and Renford Davson then slammed 87 and 71 respectively in an unbroken opening stand of 167 to lead their team to an easy win.

The competition continues next weekend with two more matches at the same venue.

My new year wishes for the West Indies team

As is customary when a new year approaches almost everyone is making resolutions and wishes for the coming 365 days. If the old year has not been very kind to you your resolutions tend to be more drastic. In the case of the West Indies cricket team the resolutions should be top-of-the-line drastic. In my mind I can hear Bob Marley singing about total destruction being the only solution and though it appears mighty tempting I must reluctantly admit it is not realistic. So I will settle for a wish-list that can be described as a sane one.

One of the first things Dwayne Bravo did when he arrived in New Zealand to take over leadership of the West Indies team for the limited-over matches was tell the world that there was disunity in the ranks. I do not believe it was his place to announce it but then again he has not proven to be very savvy when dealing with the media.

Anyway, there have been suspicions for some time now after the manner and margin of defeats in India and the Tests in New Zealand that all was not well in the camp. Darren Bravo’s sudden withdrawal from the tour for ‘personal reasons’ only adds to the feeling that this West Indies team is in shambles. Former captain, now manager, Richie Richardson admitted there is indiscipline in the camp, and blamed it on the system.

If there is disunity and indiscipline in the team it goes without saying that management is not doing its job. When Darren Sammy was installed as captain it was primarily to provide stability for a team in disarray after coach Ottis Gibson’s ‘purging’. His many critics were never shy of pointing out that his skills were not sufficient to guarantee him a spot and though I’m one of his supporters I must admit his production has been seriously lacking of late. Thus if he is not producing and cannot provide leadership he has to be relieved of the captaincy.

Richardson should also be shown the door. It is not surprising that disciplinary issues have surfaced under his management. When the reports of indiscipline first became public in the early 1990s guess who was in charge? That period also coincided with the start of the great decline. He’s too much ‘one of the guys’ to be tasked with maintaining discipline.

Also getting the axe on my wish-list would be the selectors. I’ve been known to defend these gentlemen (after all the players they choose are the same ones who keep dominating the regional tournaments year after year), but I cannot forgive them for rubberstamping the team that was thrashed so soundly in India and sending it to New Zealand. It won’t hurt to have some fresh eyes too.

On to Chris Gayle! I’m still not convinced he is committed to West Indies cricket and thus should be allowed to play his 100^th Test (not my idea but I like it) and then be set free to roam the world adding to his considerable fortune in the various T20 leagues.

Like with the selectors coach Gibson can only work with what is before him, and that is the same set of people who keep performing regionally year after year and yet cannot make the transition to the next level. However, his job is to help them make that transition. If he cannot then he has failed. My wish is to keep him until the World T20. If WI defends their title successfully then he stays until the World Cup in 2015. If not, he joins the others in walking through the door.

Now that I’ve completed my list of those who should be on their way out let me wish for some other potentially pleasant things.

I wish the young fast bowler Miguel Cummins would get a look in at the senior level. I also wish that Jerome Taylor would prove his return to full fitness and reclaim his spot in the team. I see Taylor, Cummins and Roach forming a formidable attack going forward.

I wish the Board would publish the list of contracted players which should have been out since last September (maybe we’ll learn then the reason for the recent upsurge in ill-will). And last but certainly not least I wish the WICB would put a gag on Dwayne Bravo.

Manage Pooran carefully!

"It's a heck of a challenge. The modern cricketer is challenged more than any other generation before with the different formats and the adaptability required to go across the formats. I think it will be very hard for most cricketers to play all three formats. It is a real challenge for young cricketers to try to develop their game to be chopping and changing so much and playing so much T20 cricket early on. What it requires to be a good hitter is very different to what it requires to be a good batter." The above are the words of former Australian captain Greg Chappell who, as Cricket Australia’s talent manager, is tasked with ensuring the future of the game ‘is in good hands’.  

Nicolas Pooran

I came across this article a few hours after I finally decided to comment on an issue that has been on my mind for a long time and which became foremost in my thoughts during the second game of the Caribbean Premier League on July 31. Back then I asked some colleagues why was 17-year-old Nicolas Pooran turning out for the Red Steel instead of representing Trinidad and Tobago in the Under-19 tournament taking place simultaneously in St. Kitts. One response was that the CPL would be good exposure for the youngster.  Pooran proceeded to unleash a barrage of breathtaking strokes on his way to a 24-ball 54 that belied his years. Thanks to television I, and viewers around the globe, caught a glimpse of the left-hander’s undoubted talent, a talent which needs to be channeled very carefully.

The regional selectors obviously think highly of Pooran, enough to reserve a place for him on the West Indies Under-19 against their Bangladeshi counterparts even though he missed the St. Kitts tournament. They should be mindful though that he is still learning his craft and adjusting his game across all three formats is not going to be easy. More experienced players have struggled to adapt, resulting in quite a few being pigeon-holed as specialists. Pooran’s countryman Kieron Pollard, who is yet to play a Test, is one such who is making a decent living as a globetrotting T20 professional. Another countryman was not so fortunate. Adrian Barath had quite a promising start to his Test career but lost his place when it became painfully obvious he had no idea whether he was playing in whites or colours. The glitz and glamour, and lucre, of the shortest version of the game would no doubt prove attractive to youngsters but for this writer Test cricket is still the ‘real thing’ and emerging regional players should be nurtured with this in mind. 

Pooran’s scores since that innings at Providence read 0, 20 not out, 3, 1, 10, 14 (in the CPL), 8, 6, 11, 15 (Champions’ League), 0, 23, 4 and 10 (WI Under-19). Not very flattering statistics! And what the statistics do not show is his cavalier approach to batting in the 50-over Under-19 matches, which can be interpreted as the youngster being unable to adapt to the change of format. His ultimate goal may very well be to make his living on the T20 circuit but it would be a shame to not see such a talent brought to its full potential.  

There are and will be many more like Pooran and there will be issues handling them. Another Australian great Rodney Marsh has suggested T20 be reserved for players over 30; this writer believes they should be kept away until they are over 19 at least.

Matthews leads Dynasty plunder of St. Agnes

Dynasty's batting card

Opening batsman Donovan Matthews saved his best performance for the final match of the competition, plundering a magnificent 195 to lead Dynasty Stars to a mammoth 285-run victory over St. Agnes as the Bahamas Cricket Association's 40-over tournament came to an end on June 23rd at the Haynes Oval on Bay Street.

Matthews stroked 25 fours and six sixes as Dynasty amassed 368 for five in the allotted overs. St. Agnes, without the services of guest player Earl Henry who scored 100 in the semi-finals a week earlier, could only muster 83 in reply from 23.4 overs.

Matthews was well supported by Jonathan Barry (36), Ryan Tappin (24), Howard Roye (18) and Rohan Parks (14). He posted 87 for the first wicket with Roye, 85 for the second with Tappin, and 99 for the fourth with Barry. The total
Dynasty Stars crushed St. Agnes by 285 runs to claim the Bahamas Cricket Association's 40-over league on Sunday, June 23rd, at the Haynes Oval on Bay Street.

Led by a superb 195 by opening batsman Donovan Matthews, the Stars amassed 368 for five in their 40 overs after winning the toss and batting first. Narendra Ekanayake then claimed five wickets for 28 runs as St. Agnes folded for 83 in 23.4 overs.

Matthews, who struck six sixes and 25 fours, was well supported by Jonathan Barry (36), Ryan Tappin (24), Howard Roye (18) and Rohan Parks (14). He added 87 for the first wicket with Roye, 85 for the second with Tappin, and 99 for the fourth with Barry. Skipper Albert Peters and Brian Bascom finished not out on 10 and six respectively.

In St. Agnes' innings John Dolphin topscored with 29 in the face of Ekanayake's assault. Roye also lent support with three wickets for 31 runs while Bascom had one for 16.

The final brought the curtains down on the tournament which began in 2012. The team now takes a well deserved rest before regrouping in September for more action.

Henry's century leads St. Agnes to final

St. Agnes were indebted to visiting guest player Earl Henry for their place in the final of the Bahamas Cricket Association's (BCA) 40-over competition after beating Police by 71 runs in the second semi-final. Henry, a resident of the Turks and Caicos Islands, was in Nassau on business when he was invited to represent the team of his former TCI colleague John Dolphin.

Earl Henry

Henry responded with an exact hundred as St. Agnes accumulated 212 in 36.2 of their allotted overs. He received minimal support however, with Omar James 29 being the next best contribution. Police's captain Gregory Taylor Jnr was the most successful bowler, claiming three wickets for 29 runs with his lively left-arm medium-pacers. His brother Marc picked up three for 41 with his off-breaks while Rudolph Fox, Jamal Rolle and Leonard Dorsaint each took a wicket. Police could only muster 141 in 25.5 overs when they replied. Marc Taylor and Rolle both made 34 while Gregory Taylor Jnr contributed 20. For St. Agnes, Orville Wright took three for 23 and Henry two for 45. There was a wicket each for James, Dolphin and Earl Thomas, the third.

Police's Derek Gittens is bowled

The win meant St. Agnes qualified to play Dynasty Stars in the final on June 23 at the Haynes Oval on Bay Street. Dynasty booked their place in the final after winning by default over St. Alban's on June 15, the day before St. Agnes beat Police. St. Alban's failed to show up in sufficient numbers for the semi-final.