Hope’s 91 in vain as Charles blasts 107 to complete highest successful chase in BPL history

however, Matthews backed her side to turn around their form, pointing to her side’s bowling as their main asset, along with the infusion of new blood from the Under-19 set-up.

“At the moment, our squad comprises a mixture of experience and youth, providing balance to the charismatic aura of our team,” said Matthews.

into this tournament, our immediate preparation has been very strategic and calculated. It has given us the opportunity to acclimatise to the conditions in South Africa, an entire month early.

“This comes through our tri-nation series against India and the hosts themselves, who are both world class opponents going into a tournament like this.”

Since their 2016 triumph, West Indies have suffered several disappointments in T20 World Cup outings. In 2018, they were good enough to reach the semi-finals before being dumped out by Australia Women, while in 2020 they won just one of four games to miss out on the final four.

The Caribbean side has continued to struggle of recent, whitewashed 5-0 by England Women in the Caribbean last December and then losing all four games of their tri-series this month.

Heading into the February 10-26 tournament,

Cricket Quiz Corner

(Tuesday, January 31, 2023)

COMPLIMENTS OF CUMMINGS ELECTRICAL COMPANY LTD 83 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown (Tel: 225-6158)

Answers to yesterday’s quiz:

(1) vs IND, Bangalore, 1974-75

(2) vs AUST, Sydney, 1984-85

Today’s Quiz:

(1) Where and when did Basil Butcher make his Test debut?

(2) Who was leading the WI team at the time?

Answers in tomorrow’s issue

“Our bowling has proven to be our strength over the past year, which, when paired with our exciting fielding, can help us to rally close games.

“With dependable veterans like Shakera Selman, Afy Fletcher and Stafanie Taylor leading the way with the ball, there is always a shot at defending almost any total set.”

He continued: “With that being said, small totals have now become much harder to defend on a regular basis. Women’s T20Is have come a long way in recent years and the standard of play has improved significantly.

“The game has become more competitive, with more teams having the ability to beat any other on a given day, and the gap between the top and bottom has narrowed.”

Matthews also hailed the quality of the pitches in South Africa, pointing out that they offered advantages for both batters and bowlers.

“South Africa has a reputation for having good cricketing conditions and is known for producing fast, bouncy pitches that assist fast bowlers but can also have a bit in it for the spinners as well,” the 24-yearold noted.

“The ball tends to come on to the bat nicely, making it a good place for batters to score runs. The teams that are able to adapt to the conditions in South Africa and make the most of the pitches will have an advantage.

“I can tell the fans to expect some high-scoring matches, but also, don’t be surprised if there are some low scoring games, due to bowlers liking the conditions here.

WEST Indian batsman Johnson Charles produced a magnificent 107 not out to lead the Comilla Victorians to a seven-wicket win over the Khulna Tigers in the Bangladesh Premier League at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.

The Tigers took first strike after the Victorians won the toss and elected to field first, a decision that looked like the right one when Mahmudul Hasan Joy was dismissed by Pakistani pacer Naseem Shah in the third over with the score on 13.

That wicket brought Tigers skipper Shai Hope to the crease alongside Tamim Iqbal and the pair put on a T20 batting masterclass, blasting the Comilla bowling all over the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.

A 184-run second wicket partnership between them helped the Tigers reach 197 after 19 overs before Iqbal was finally dismissed five runs short of a magnificent hundred. Iqbal hit 11 fours and four sixes in 61 deliveries.

In the end, Khulna ended their 20 overs on 210-2 with

Hope ending not out on 91. His knock came off just 55 balls and included five fours and seven sixes.

The Victorians reply got off to the worst possible start when top batsman Litton Das was forced to retire hurt after being struck on the wrist with the second ball of the innings.

This brought Captain Imrul Kayes to the wicket and he and Mohammad Rizwan put on 22 before Kayes was dismissed for five in the third over.

Rizwan was then joined at the crease by Charles and the two put on a display like that of Hope and Iqbal in the Tigers’ innings.

The pair put on what turned into a match-winning 122-run partnership before Rizwan was dismissed for a 39-ball 73 in the 14th over.

Charles continued on his merry way and brought up a magnificent hundred with a six over cover in the 18th over. His knock came off 53 balls and included five fours and 10 sixes.He closed proceedings with a six in the 19th over to help the Victorians complete the highest chase in BPL history.

The Victorians now have 12 points from nine games and have secured their spot in the playoffs with a game to spare.

(Sportsmax)