GUYANA CHRONICLE Friday March 7, 2014
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ASIA CUP ...
Mathews leads Sri Lanka to three-wicket win
CHRIS GAYLE
Gayle returns to predictable squad ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) – Batting star Chris Gayle has returned to the West Indies squad for the three-match Twenty20 series against England starting Sunday. The left-hander had been ruled out with back problems since the first T20 of the Ireland series last month and also missed the recent three-match One-Day International series against England at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium. Injury forced him to miss the limited over phase of the tour of India last year, and the subsequent New Zealand tour and he is expected to add firepower to a West Indies top order that has recently struggled for fluency, and which was below par against minnows Ireland. T20 captain Darren Sammy assumes reins of the side for the series which continues next Tuesday and Thursday at Kensington Oval. The 15-man Windies squad will use the series as preparation for the defence of their title at the Twenty20 World Cup in Bangladesh later this month. The Windies squad reads: Darren Sammy (captain), Samuel Badree, Dwayne Bravo, Johnson Charles, Sheldon Cotterell, Andre Fletcher, Chris Gayle, Sunil Narine, Denesh Ramdin, Ravi Rampaul, Andre Russell, Marlon Samuels, Krishmar Santokie, Lendl Simmons and Dwayne Smith.
Australia send Johnson home to rest (REUTERS) - Australia have withdrawn fast bowler Mitchell Johnson from their Twenty20 squad in South Africa and sent him home to rest before the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh, Cricket Australia said yesterday. Johnson left Cape Town just 24 hours after making a major contribution to the Test series win over South Africa and will miss the three T20 matches against the Proteas starting on Sunday. Moises Henriques will stay on in South Africa as his replacement. “Mitch has had a very long summer and we think he will benefit from returning home for a few days of rest with his family where he can freshen up,” Australia coach Darren Lehmann said in a statement. “He will link back up with the squad in Bangladesh.” Australia’s first match of the World Twenty20 is against Pakistan in Dhaka on March 23.
MITCHELL JOHNSON
BANGLADESH’S miserable Asia Cup campaign finished without victory after Sri Lanka claimed a battling three-wicket win in Mirpur yesterday, with captain Angelo Mathews’ unbeaten 74 steering the Sri Lankans home after they had hit trouble in pursuit of 204 for nine. Sri Lanka crashed to 75 for five, but an 82-run stand between Mathews and Chaturanga de Silva (44) swung the match for the victors who had already booked their place in tomorrow’s final against Pakistan. Bangladesh reached the Asia Cup final two years ago, when the tournament was also held on home soil, but will now host the World Twenty20 low on confidence. Mushfiqur Rahim’s side most significantly lost to Afghanistan - the first time a Test-playing nation had done so - and will face them in the World Twenty20 opener in Mirpur on March 16. Anamul Haque top-scored yesterday, falling one run short of a half-century, with fellow opener Shamsur Rahman adding 39. Al-Amin Hossain then removed Kusal Perera and Kumar Sangakkara in his first two overs of Sri Lanka’s reply before Mahela Jayawardene was
run-out without scoring. With his two most experienced campaigners gone early,
Mathews stood up under pressure to ensure Sri Lanka won with an over to spare and that
they would go into the final with a perfect record from four games. (PA Sport)
Angelo Mathews steers Sri Lanka to victory in their final Asia Cup group game against Bangladesh. (Eurosport)
WICB REGIONAL 4DAY......
Second round of matches bowls off today ST JOHN’S, Antigua – This year’s West Indies Cricket Board’s (WICB) Regional 4-Day tournament is set to continue today with a full slate of matches in the second round. Windward Islands, one of three sides that won their first round match, will be looking to create a piece of history when they travel to Port of Spain to face Trinidad & Tobago at Queen’s Park Oval. The Windwards have had little success in the Twin Island Republic, winning just four matches in the history of the modern Regional 4-Day Tournament, dating back to 1966 with their previous victory coming eight years ago, when they claimed an 86-run victory at Shaw Park in Scarborough, Tobago, the other half of the republic. They have not won in Trinidad since prevailing by nine wickets 21 years ago at Guaracara Park in Pointe-A-Pierre and their previous and only victory at the Oval came 32 years ago by two wickets. Jamaica, with whom the Windwards share the lead on the points table, will be looking to continue their dominance over Leeward Islands, the other first round winning side – and mark the occasion of the first-ever floodlit, first-class match at Warner Park in St Kitts with their fourth straight victory there. Squads Trinidad & Tobago (from): Rayad Emrit (captain), Jonathan Augustus, Adrian Barath, Darren Bravo, Yannic Cariah, Shannon Gabriel, Akeal Hosein, Kavesh Kantasingh, Stephen Katwaroo, Imran Khan, Evin Lewis, Jason Mohammed, Marlon Richards. Windward Islands (from): Liam Sebastien (captain), Sunil Ambris, Alston Bobb, Romel Currency, Lindon James, Delorn Johnson, Keddy Lesporis, Mervin Matthew, Nelon Pascal, Kenroy Peters, Dalton Polius, Devon Smith, Tyrone Theophile. Leeward Islands (from): Kieran Powell (captain), Jahmar Hamilton, Montcin Hodge, Alzarri Joseph, Sylvester Joseph, Anthony Martin, Mali Richards, Akeem Saunders, Devon Thomas, Gavin Tonge, Hayden Walsh Jr, Kelbert Walters, Tonito Willett. Jamaica (from): Tamar Lambert (captain), Carlton Baugh Jr, David Bernard Jr, Jermaine Blackwood, Nkrumah Bonner, John Campbell, Damion Jacobs, Andre McCarthy, Jamie Merchant, Horace Miller, Nikita Miller, Andrew Richardson, Jerome Taylor. Points standings after Round 1 Teams 1. Windward Islands 1. Jamaica 3. Leeward Islands 4. Combined Campuses & Colleges 4. Barbados 6. Guyana
Pts 17 17 15 4 4 3
M 1 1 1 1 1 1
W 1 1 1 0 0 0
L 0 0 0 1 1 1
D 0 0 0 0 0 0
T 0 0 0 0 0 0
NR 0 0 0 0 0 0
Bat 2 2 0 1 1 0
Bowl 3 3 3 3 3 3