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GUYANA CHRONICLE, Thursday November 29, 2018
CPL keen to host women’s T20 tournament THERE could be a Women’s Caribbean Premier League on the cricket calendar in the near future with the tournament’s chief operating officer indicating it is not a question of “if” but “when”. Pete Russell was responding to questions raised by West Indies batsman Britney Cooper after her team was knocked out in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup. She claimed they could have done better if they could also play as many matches a year as some of the more fancied teams like Australia, England and India. “We need people in the CPL or corporate sponsors to back us and give us that push. We can’t do it all by ourselves. We need more. We need a mini-CPL,” she said. The 2018 edition was the first standalone Women’s T20 World Cup hosted by the ICC, attracting promising audience numbers across three venues in Guyana, St Lucia and Antigua. There is opportunity to ride on that and Russell is keen to do so. In fact, last year, he said the CPL and Cricket West Indies had held “informal” talks about holding a franchise T20 tournament for women. “We have already discussed the feasibility of a women’s tournament with CWI or a women’s exhibition match, after the 2017 tournament, and have been discussing how we
can make it work since then,” Russell told Newsday. “Any cricket tournament is a huge logistical challenge to arrange and there are a lot of questions that would need to be answered before we could commit to going ahead. But it is something that we are keen to have as part of the CPL programme. It is not a question of ‘if’ it is a question of ‘when’.” Currently the CPL has the rights only to host the men’s tournament. To organise a women’s version, a separate licence needs to be procured by CWI. That makes the board the final authority on this issue and it remains open to investing in women’s T20s, especially keeping in mind its popularity. West Indies women already have two domestic T20 tournaments in place - the CWI Regional Women’s Twenty20 Championship and a franchise league in Trinidad and Tobago, called the Courts T20 Women’s Grand Slam Tournament, which had more than 10 regular members of the national side in action this July. It is also understood that the CPL had invited West Indies women to play an exhibition T20 ahead of the men’s Eliminator in September. However, there were logistical issues considering they were playing a bilateral series against South Africa at the time. It is for the
CPL chief operating officer Pete Russell
same reason a mini Women’s CPL, alongside the men’s edition, is unlikely, at least in 2019. West Indies women will be involved in a bilateral series with Australia in August-September. In any case, it is learnt the CWI wants a standalone women’s T20 tournament along the lines of Big Bash League, which has provef to be a success in Australia. Russell is aware of the challenges but has no second thoughts about investing in women’s cricket. “We don’t see it as a risk, but we have shown over the last six years that we are willing to invest in cricket across the region. It is very early days in these discussions and we have a lot of hoops to jump through before this becomes a reality, but we have seen over the last few weeks just how fast the women’s game is growing and we would love to be a part of its ongoing success.” (ESPN Cricinfo)
Atletico ease into last 16 with win over hapless Monaco MADRID, Spain (Reuters) - Atletico Madrid clinched their place in the Champions League last 16 yesterday by beating AS Monaco 2-0 at home while also ensuring that Thierry Henry’s hapless visitors will now even miss out on qualification for the Europa League. Koke scored Atletico’s fastest-ever Champions League goal within two minutes and Antoine Griezmann added a second after 25 before any hopes of a late Monaco comeback were ended with Radamel Falcao’s 83rd minute missed penalty. The win meant that Atletico, who were knocked out of the group stage of Europe’s elite competition last season, advanced to the knockout stages, provisionally leading Group A with 12 points from five games. Second-placed Borussia Dortmund were in action against Club Bruges later yesterday but Monaco were left guaranteed to finish bottom of the group, having gleaned just one point. Atletico took their early lead when Spanish midfielder Koke let fly from outside the area and watched his shot float into the net with the help of a heavy deflection from a Monaco defender. France forward Griezmann doubled Atletico’s advantage midway the first half, delivering a neat finish with the outside of his left boot after being teed up by former Monaco winger Thomas Lemar who had coasted down the wing with ease. Monaco, second from bottom in Ligue 1 with only two wins in all competitions, improved somewhat in the second half as Atletico lost focus and carved out a number of chances. They were presented with a glorious chance of getting back into the game with eight minutes remaining when Atletico defender Stefan Savic handled in the area and was sent off for a second yellow card. But in a moment indicative of Monaco’s rotten form, Falcao, former darling of the Atletico faithful, completely missed the target from the spot at the Wanda Metropolitano stadium, which will host the competition’s final next June.
GFF to launch International More Messi magic seals Barcelona victory at PSV Futsal tourney today EINDHOVEN (Reuters) Lionel Messi scored an excellent individual goal and laid on another as Barcelona beat PSV Eindhoven 2-1 to secure top spot in Group B of the Champions League yesterday.
celona for much of the contest at the Philips Stadion, striking the woodwork three times in the first half alone and missing a number of other chances. In a bright start, PSV forward Gaston Pereiro latched onto a poor pass from Ivan
His hooked effort from 12 yards was cleared by Pablo Rosario before Angelino blocked the Chilean’s goalbound header from the resulting corner. It was Barcelona thanking their lucky stars just before halftime, though, when De Jong’s header from a free-kick came off the crossbar and the follow-up from close-range by Denzel Dumfries struck the post. The visitors took the lead just past the hour mark,
thanks to a typical piece of Messi magic as he picked up the ball on the edge of the box and, with four defenders around him, managed to drive forward and provide a thunderous finish. It was 2-0 with 20 minutes remaining when the Argentine’s free kick was guided into the PSV net by an unmarked Pique. De Jong set up a frenetic finish with his headed goal but Barcelona were able to hold on under heavy home pressure.
CRICKET QUIZ CORNER Gregory ‘Jackie Chan’ Richardson in action for Sparta Boss at a recent Futsal tournament
THE Guyana Football Federation (GFF) will today launch their International Futsal tournament, which will be played from December 27 to 30. According to the GFF, the tournament will feature eight teams and will have ExxonMobil and Ansa McAl under their STAG Beer brand as its sponsors. Today, at 12:00hrs in the Boardroom of the GFF, president Wayne Forde and tournament coordinator Aubrey ‘Shanghai’ Major will divulge all information with regard to the participating countries, prize money and venue for the event. The tournament will mark the first time International Futsal is being played in Guyana, outside of the one-off Inter-Guiana Games (IGG) U-19 championship between Guyana and Suriname in 2016.
(Thursday November 22, 2018)
Barcelona’s Lionel Messi scores team’s first goal. (REUTERS/Toussaint Kluiters)
Messi provided an assist for defender Gerard Pique to score the second for the Spanish side, who have 13 points from their five matches and an unassailable lead at the top of the pool. PSV will finish bottom. Captain Luuk de Jong scored a late consolation for the home side as they matched Bar-
Rakitic but his low drive came back off the post, and minutes later he shot over the crossbar from five yards. PSV had some good fortune, too, though, as Barca had two efforts cleared off the line within the space of a minute, with Arturo Vidal the unlucky player on both occasions.
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ANSWERS TO YESTERDAY’S QUIZ: AUST vs ENG, Melbourne, 1876-77 AUST vs ENG, Melbourne, 1970-71 TODAY’S QUIZ: Who scored the very first Test century? Who cracked the first ever ODI hundred? ANSWERS IN TOMORROW’S ISSUE