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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday September 23, 2014
Windies domination of NZ shows development, says Campbell KINGSTOWN, St Vincent (CMC) – West Indies Women’s performance in the just concluded four-match One-Day International series against New Zealand Women has come in for high praise from their head coach Sherwin Campbell. The hosts rolled out several commanding performances to sweep New Zealand 4-0 and Campbell said they were now beginning to show the type of development in character and talent he expected. “Most of the players have been around for a while and they are beginning to show their experience,” said the former West Indies vicecaptain. “The core of the team has been together for a
number of years and (this) is now bearing fruit. It shows they are playing well as a team and are now beginning to understand what it means to play at this level.” West Indies Women brushed aside the Kiwis by five wickets in the opening ODI, won by 65 runs in the second before securing the series with a convincing eight-wicket victory. However, the manner of their victory in the last game was particularly remarkable. Seemingly down and out with New Zealand Women on 176 for two in the 39th over chasing 215 for victory, the Windies Women roared back to grab eight wickets for just 34 runs, to pull off a sensational four-run win. Campbell said both batters and bowlers showed development in the series. “We showed consistency
with the bat in the series. It shows the main batters are taking responsibility, building an innings and seeing the games home so that was a positive for me from the series,” said the former Test opener. “We have some good bowlers. The two opening bowlers Tremayne Smartt and (Shekera) Selman showed that on their day they can be matchwinners.” He added: “Obviously the spinners were very consistent throughout the series. They were good performances from (offspinner) Anisa Mohammed who got Player-of-theTournament and showed that she can spin the ball in these conditions. “There was (leftarmer) Shanel Daley who just came back from
injury and showed that she can be consistent at this level. All the bowlers did a good job, the batting is coming on and we just have to continue and build from this.” West Indies Women face the New Zealanders in a three-match Twenty20 series starting at Arnos Vale here today, and Campbell said he was expecting his side’s good form to continue especially in a format in which they were already very comfortable. “We have been pretty consistent as far as T20s are concerned, it is one of our strengths,” he noted. “We play really well in Twenty20s and have been to two semi-finals in the T20 World Cups. We have to try and build on that as far as T20s are concerned.”
Off-spinner Anisa Mohammed - one of the bright sparks during the recent ODI series against New Zealand.
Bolt picks Warnie over Sachin GSCL Inc. extends congratulations to Chanderpaul IF you had to choose between Australian spin king Shane Warne or India’s little master Sachin Tendulkar in your ultimate XI, who would you pick? Well, Usain Bolt, the world’s fastest man, has made his choice, opting for Australia’s leading Test wicket-taker over Test cricket’s most prolific runscorer. Appearing as a special co-host on Channel 9’s Wide World of Sports Sunday, Bolt said his geographical location and Warne’s ability to bamboozle batsman made him choose the leg-spinner. “For me, I’m more of a bowler, so I’ll definitely have to go with Shane Warne, and it’s not because I’m here (in Australia),” Bolt said before whispering behind his hand “It’s because I’m here, though”. “When I saw Shane Warne the first time bowling, spinning the ball, I’ve seen him getting some guys out playing some defensive shots and the ball just turn right back (and bowl him). “How do you do that? How do you do that?” Throughout the 1970s and 80s, West Indies were blessed with some of the finest fast bowlers in the history of the game, but Bolt picked another rapid seamer as his favourite player as a child.
The six-time Olympic gold medallist displays his all-round strokeplay.
“For me, I was a big Pakistan fan,” Bolt said. “No-one believes that Waqar Younis and these guys are my favourite players growing up. “I’m an aggressive person so I watched (Adam) Gilchrist and all these guys so for me it was wonderful – Matthew Hayden (was another).” The six-time Olympic gold medallist displayed his all-round stroke play to co-hosts Michael Slater and Ken Sutcliffe and good friend John Steffensen, demonstrating a classic forward defensive, a Gordon
Greenidge style pull shot and an extravagant frontfoot leave to an outswinging half-volley. Despite breaking several world records and winning Olympic gold with millions of people watching, Bolt says dismissing West Indies opening batsman Chris Gayle is “the highlight of my career”. The 28-year-old was previously linked to the Melbourne Stars, but decided to focus on his sprinting career ahead of a stint in the KFC T20 Big Bash League. (CA)
AT 40 YEARS of age, dependable West Indies middle order batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s appetite to score has grown tremendously, that he has now passed the lat Sir Donald Bradman on the all time list of Test centuries, having chalked up his 30th Test ton against Bangladesh in the second and final Dhaka Bank Test match which was played in St. Kitts recently. While he possesses the crabbiest technique in world cricket, at age 40 he is still dominating the game and his most recent Test innings saw him become the first 40-year-old to score a Test century since Graham Gooch 20 years ago, and the first West Indian to do so since Clive Lloyd. More appropriate for Chanderpaul, is that he did it during the playing of the 500th Test match for the West Indies in which they capped their 300th player in
Chanderpaul’s Georgetown Cricket Club teammate, Leon Johnson. The phenomenal Guyanese has had an unbelievable run against Bangladesh, counting scores of 59 not out, 203 not out, 1, 150 not out, 85 not out, 84 not out and 101 not out, which gives him an average of 682 against them in the last two series. To this end, the Georgetown Softball Cricket League Inc. wishes to join with all the other entities in extending heartfelt congratulations to Chanderpaul on his recent feats in the Test arena, even as the GSCL Inc., their executives and affiliated teams wish Chanderpaul all the best for the future. “Chanderpaul’s feats against Bangladesh were certainly heroics in more ways than one, as it not only help the West Indies to win the match, but also give them a morale
boosting series victory over the Bangladeshis, ahead of their tough engagement against India, where he can attempt to surpass Brian Lara’s record” added the GSCL Inc. via a press release. To date, Chanderpaul has played 158 Test matches and scored 11,684 runs at an average of 53.10, with 30 centuries and 65 half centuries, which puts him above Australian greats Steve Waugh and Allan Border on the all-time runscorers list, and one ahead of Sir Donald Bradman in terms of hundreds scored. “Thanks Shiv, you truly are a ‘Tiger’ on the prowl for runs on the cricket field and while the world rejoice at your feats as you entertained them from series to series whilst playing for the West Indies, we at the GSCL Inc. feel pleased to call you our own, since you are a son of the soil.”