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GUYANA CHRONICLE Monday October 26, 2015
Windies Women hammer Pakistan to join Australia at the top
GROS ISLET, St Lucia, (CMC) – West Indies Women trounced Pakistan Women by six wickets in the final One-Day International on Saturday night to clinch the four-match series, 3-1, and join Australia at the top of the ICC Women’s Championship. Chasing a modest 183 for victory at the Beausejour Cricket Stadium, the hosts cantered home in the 43rd over with their inspirational captain Stafanie Taylor stroking an attractive unbeaten 87 from 107 deliveries, to pick up the Player-of-the-Match ward. The win was the Windies Women’s third on the trot after losing the opening game two Fridays ago and more importantly, saw them sweep the contests designated as ICC Championship games and grab the six vital points required to move to the top of
the points table alongside the Aussies on 16 points. A qualifying tournament for the 2017 Women’s World Cup, the top four sides from the Championship will gain automatic qualification for the event scheduled for England. “We executed really well throughout the series. We recognised the importance of trying to dominate this game and again, we did that really well,” head coach Vasbert Drakes said. “Our objective was to move up the number one spot and it was a great series to do that, and certainly that was one of the biggest motivating factors.” Sent in, Pakistan Women were restricted to 182 for five off their 50 overs, thanks to superb bowling from pacer Shamilia Connell who snared three for 32 from her ten overs. Off-spinner Anisa Moham-
med picked up two for 30 while Hayley Matthews strangled the visitors with her off-breaks in a ten-over spell that went for just 20 runs. Asmavia Iqbal top-scored with 44 not out off 43 balls batting at number seven while Bismah Maroof chipped in with 41, Javeria Khan, 25 and captain Sana Mir, an unbeaten 24. The Pakistanis’ start was a sluggish one, as Javeria Khan and debutant Ayesha Zafar (20) put on 32 from 62 balls before both fell to Mohammed. Bismah Maroof, who faced 88 balls and struck four fours, put on 35 for the second wicket with Javeria Khan, before adding a further 24 for the third wicket with Nain Abidi (14), to lift the visitors to 91 for two in the 31st over. However, Bismah was one of three wickets to fall for 16 runs in the space of 34 deliver-
Windies Women celebrate their series victory after beating Pakistan in the fourth ODI on Saturday at the Beausejour Cricket Stadium (Photo by WICB Media/Randy Brooks of Brooks Latouche Photography) ies as Connell ripped through Iqbal who struck seven fours the 23rd over to a catch at the the middle order in an incisive and Sana Mir who faced 48 wicket off leg-spinner Bismah, spell. balls without a boundary. Taylor found an ally in former Languishing at 107 for In reply, West Indies lost captain Merissa Aguilleira who five in the 37th over, Pakistan Matthews without scoring stroked an important 37 off 62 Women were then bolstered with six runs on the board in deliveries with two fours. by an unbroken 75-run, sixth the fourth over, and were furTaylor played with assurwicket stand between Asmavia ther set back when they also ance, gathering ten boundlost the other opener Kycia aries to dominate the inKnight for 19 at 32 for two in nings, and record her second in the ninth. straight unbeaten half-centuHowever, any fears of a ry of the tournament. West Indies Women collapse Overall, she finished with were quickly dashed as Taylor 261 runs at an average of 130, took control in two telling to also cop the Player-of-thepartnerships. Series award. First, the right-hander put The two teams will now Virgin Islands. The TD disclosed that Guyana’s on 54 for the third wicket with turn their attention to the Spanish speaking neighbour will be Deandra Dottin who struck 25 three-match Twenty20 series sending a team following recent dis- from 43 balls with a four and which bowls off in Grenada cussions with GBA president Steve a six. When she departed in on Thursday. Ninvalle and his Venezuelan counterpart Frank Lopez in Doha, Qatar just over a week ago. “Mr. Lopez would have indicated to our president that a team of two boxers ‘Big’ John Douglas collected a rare victory on October would be making the trip to Guyana. 26, 2005. On that day Douglas won a six-round UnanHowever, we have not received Vene- imous Decision over Jamal McKay at the Hilton Hotel zuela’s registration form as yet. Until in New York. It was the second time that he defeated the such time we cannot pronounce of the American. category of fighters,” Poole pointed out. In November of the previous year Douglas walked away Meanwhile, Team Guyana would with a Split Decision at the end of six rounds. Douglas repbe known following this weekend’s resented Guyana at the 1996 Olympic in Atlanta and joined National Open scheduled for the the professional ranks soon after. East Ruimveldt Community Centre He was roughed up by compatriot Wayne `Big Truck’ ground (California Square). “Follow- Braithwaite in 1997 and later moved to the USA. His caing the conclusion of this tournament reer never gained solid footing and was punctuated with a team of fighters would be named for several defeats. In a rare instance Douglas, fighting in encampment,” Poole said. the cruiserweight division was able to three consecutive victories. He had his last fight in May 2010. Undefeated 25-year-old Egyptian Ahmed Samir made sure that the 39-year-old Guyanese went out on a losing note by winning the six-rounder by Unanimous Decision. Judge Waleska Roldan scored the fight 60-54 while since Jackie Stewart in 1973 to win Frank Lombardi and Carlos Ortiz had Samir winning three titles. But for much of the race, on a 59-55. drying track after torrential rain forced qualifying to be postponed from Saturday to Sunday morning, it had looked as if Hamilton would be kept waiting to realise his dream. He had seized the lead at the start, banging wheels with Rosberg at the first corner and forcing his team mate wide COMPLIMENTS OF THE TROPHY STALL-Bourda Market & The City Mall (Tel: 225-9230) &AUDREY’S and down to fourth place. Hamilton could not pull away TASTY SNACKETTE-176 Charlotte Street, Georgetown from the chasing Red Bulls however, (Tel: 226-4512) with Australian Daniel Ricciardo taking the lead with 15 laps gone. The Briton then dropped down to SL vs IND, Colombo (PSS), 1985 fourth place, with Rosberg back in SL vs WI, Galle, 2001 the lead after 22 laps following the Today’s Quiz: pitstops, but the first of two safety car deployments brought everything back When and where did WI win a Test match for the first into play. time? Rosberg was heading for victory When and where did WI win a Test match against SL for when, seven laps from the end, he the first time? made an unforced error, ran wide, and Hamilton seized his opportunity. Answers in tomorrow’s issue
Barbados registers largest contingent For International Goodwill Boxing BARBADOS is set to invade Guyana next month with a team of 27 boxers and officials that will participate in the International Goodwill tournament. Late last week Barbados registered 21 boxers and six officials with the Guyana Boxing Association(GBA). The contingent is the largest so far registered to take part in the upcoming event that is scheduled to run from November 26 to 29 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall. The team includes four juniors, four novices, six youths and seven elites. The Bajan team would be headed by manager Richard Atwell and includes the mother of Caribbean Amateur Boxing Kathy Harper-Hall, who will act as Assistant Manager. Last week’s registration has brought the total number of overseas boxers scheduled to fight in Guyana
to 41 with the final figure set to be around 70. French Guiana has registered 10 boxers and St. Lucia six. Both St. Maarten and St. Vincent and the Grenadines have registered two boxers each. GBA Technical Director Terrence Poole yesterday disclosed that Trinidad and Tobago is also expected to send a large team. He confirmed that Jamaica held a box off over the last weekend specifically to name a team for the tournament. Poole noted that Jamaica was one of four countries in the inaugural Goodwill tournament that was held here in February last year. The others were Trinidad, St. Lucia and Guyana. According to the Technical Director the Jamaican team is expected in before the end of this week along with that of Trinidad and Tobago, Bahamas, Grenada, Dominica and the US
Notable Dates
Hamilton takes third F1 title after U.S. thriller By Alan Baldwin AUSTIN, Texas, (Reuters)-Lewis Hamilton joined the elite group of triple Formula One world champions yesterday after winning a thrilling U.S. Grand Prix that kept the crowd on tenterhooks right to the very end. “That’s the greatest moment of my life,” he gasped over the team radio, choking back the tears, after crossing the line 2.8 seconds ahead of German team mate Nico Rosberg who had led before a late mistake. The first British driver to win back-to-back titles, Hamilton realised a lifelong ambition to equal the tally of his boyhood idol Ayrton Senna, the Brazilian triple champion who died in 1994. Ferrari’s four-times champion Sebastian Vettel finished third, after starting 13th and fighting back to chase Rosberg nose-to-tail over the final lap with the crowd on the edge of their seats. Had Vettel passed Rosberg, the
celebrations for the ‘double double’ -- with Mercedes retaining their constructors’ title two weeks ago in Russia -- would have remained on hold. “I’m just overwhelmed,” said Hamilton, who had needed to beat Vettel by nine points and Rosberg by two to take the crown with three races to spare. “There were so many times when I thought I had lost the race.” Interviewed on the podium by pop’s very own ‘rocket man’, British pop singer Elton John, Hamilton sprayed the champagne with abandon while Rosberg looked shellshocked and barely reacted. Before the podium ceremony, Hamilton tossed his team mate a cap to wear. The German threw it back in disgust. No words were necessary. The victory on a rollercoaster afternoon was also Hamilton’s third in four grands prix held in Austin and made the 30-year-old the first driver to win 10 or more races in successive seasons. He was also only the second Briton
CRICKET QUIZ CORNER (Monday October 26, 2015) Answers to yesterday’s quiz: