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GUYANA CHRONICLE Saturday May 16, 2015
Windies Women crumble to spin as Sri Lanka level series COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (CMC) - West Indies Women suffered a six-wicket defeat against Sri Lanka Women in the second One Day International (ODI) of a fourmatch series at the R Premadasa Stadium here yesterday. The Windies women crumbled under spin attack to be all out for 124 in 42.3 overs leaving the Sri Lankans to recover from a poor start before cruising to victory in 39.2 overs. Stafanie Taylor played a brilliant innings to resurrect her side but was unlucky while captain Merissa Aguilleira ran out of partners. Shashikala Siriwardene with an outstanding all-round performance and spin partner Maduri Samuddika wrecked the Windies innings - both players taking six
Stafanie Taylor plays a brilliant innings to resurrect her side. wickets between them.
Gayle signs with Renegades for Big Bash MELBOURNE, Australia (CMC) Twenty20 superstar Chris Gayle has signed with the Melbourne Renegades for the 2015-16 Big Bash League in Australia. The West Indies power-hitter has signed a deal with Renegades which will
T20 superstar Chris Gayle will turn out for Melbourne Renegades in the 2015-16 Big Bash League. make him available for the entire BBL season. Gayle last played in the BBL during the 2012-13 season when he turned out for the Sydney Thunder, and he had previously been part of Western Australia’s side in the previous version of the tournament. “It’s exciting to be coming to the Melbourne Renegades in the sporting capital of Australia,” Gayle said. “I’m looking forward to seeing the fans, getting to know the city a little more
and helping the team into the finals in BBL 5.” Gayle will join his West Indian team mate Dwayne Bravo who is returning to Renegades after playing only four games last season before he was replaced by Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib-al-Hasan. Gayle holds the record for the world’s highest T20 score – an astonishing 175 not out from just 66 deliveries made for RCB in April 2013. Also, he is averaging 43 for RCB this season, with a strike rate of 155.42 Gayle will open the batting with Australia T20 captain Aaron Fincher as Renegades boast the world’s most destructive opening combination. “It’s huge to sign Chris Gayle. He’s someone who has dominated this format over a long period of time. “Along with AB (de Villiers), there are not many of them in the same bracket. He’s the world’s best I think, “said Finch. “He dominates a game; he can win a game by himself in very limited time. To have signed someone like him to open the batting with is going to be a huge bonus for the Renegades but also the fans who are going to get to see cricket’s biggest hitter at Etihad stadium.” Last week Gayle demonstrated his hitting power when he blazed 12 sixes in an innings of 117 from 57 balls for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League. “Chris’s abilities and experience goes without saying. He has tremendous skills both as an explosive T20 batsman but also as that genuine all-rounder you need,” said new Renegades coach David Saker. “He’s someone who can inspire the squad, particularly among our batsmen, with his confidence and his ability to back himself and flick the switch when the time is right.”
Taylor fell seven runs shy of a half-century while leading efforts at rebuilding an innings which slipped to 75 for two after the visitors chose to bat first. In fact West Indies slipped from 95 for 2 to 110 for 7 in five overs and were eventually bowled out for 124. Taylor had smashed five fours and faced 70 balls when she was run-out on 43, after sharing an important 48-run partnership with Kycia Knight. Knight hit two fours in her knock of 28 and featured in an opening stand of 27 with Hayley Matthews who chipped in with 11. Taylor also received support from Shemaine Campbelle in a 20-run stand for the third wicket. Captain Merissa Aguilleira tried to carry on from where Taylor left off scor-
ing a fighting 13 not out but was unable to build another meaningful partnership as the last four wickets fell for an additional fifteen runs. Off break bowlers Siriwardene and Samuddika finished with 4-30 and 2-16 respectively. Sri Lanka suffered an early setback after losing their openers by the 14th over and slumping to 46 for two. Taylor took the catches to dismiss openers Lasanthi Madushani for 16 and Pradasani Weerakkody for 15 off deliveries from Afy Fletcher and Anisa Mohammed. But victory was always in sight as Siriwardene backed up her 4 for 30 with an unbeaten 42 that steered Sri Lanka home with 64 balls to spare, helping them to level the series one-all.
Bangladesh plans to revive scandal-hit T20 league DHAKA, Bangladesh (Reuters)- The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) is planning to revive a controversial Twenty20 league which was shut down two years ago following a match-fixing scandal. Former Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful was slapped with an eight-year ban in the wake of the scandal that led to the postponement of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) after its second edition in early 2013. The troubled tournament faced further scrutiny from the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA) last year, the organisation advising players to avoid future editions over claims of unpaid salaries. “We are looking at a window in December to hold the third edition of the BPL if everything goes to plan and the international schedule is sorted out,” Ismail Haider Mallick, the BPL’s governing council member-secretary, was quoted as saying by www.
espncricinfo.com. Though modelled on the Indian Premier League, the new-look league would be a much more modest tournament, he said. “The financial structure of the next tournament will have big
changes, so that we can hold the tournament every year. We are trying to keep it reasonable and realistic.” Mallick added that 90 percent of player payments had been made and the BCB would welcome new franchises after all seven teams defaulted, leading to their termination.
NOTABLE DATES ON May 16, 1999, Guyanese Pascal David lost to undefeated American Eric Harding. The fight was held at the Eastwood Theater in Connecticut and David failed to come out at the start of the sixth round. The bout was the fourth in a six-fight losing streak that ended in September 1999 when the Guyanese lost by TKO in the fifth round to Rich LA Montagne. David started his professional career in December of 1989 and lost to Brian Koulen on his debut. He would have back-to-back victories over the late Andrew Murray, before being stopped in round nine by Anthony `The Pearl’ Andrews. The biggest win of his 10-year career occurred in October of 1993. David shocked Guyana by stopping the tenacious Michael Benjamin in the ninth round of a fight scheduled for 12. The win earned him the welterweight title of Guyana. Three fights later he made an attempt at the national middleweight title but was again roughed up by Anthony `The Pearl’ Andrews and the contest ended in the eighth round. David ended with a balanced record having won nine fights (five KOs ) and lost nine with five of the defeats being by KOs. The 46-year-old David currently resides in the USA.