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Kaieteur News
Tuesday April 05, 2016
STAG / EBFA Senior League Sammy and Windies receive Herstelling beat Agricola apology from Nicholas to continue dream run
Darren Sammy and Andre Fletcher pray, England v West Indies, World T20, final, Kolkata, April 3, 2016 ©AFP O m n i s p o r t ( Ya h o o ) J o u r n alis t an d f o r mer batsman Mark Nicholas has apologised to West Indies for his criticism following their World Twenty20 triumph. Nicholas irked the Windies by claiming they are “short of brains” when assessing their chances of recapturing the World Twenty20 trophy ahead of the tournament in India. Captain Darren Sammy revealed the comments were used as inspiration by the Caribbean side, who claimed a thrilling four-wicket victory over England in the final on Sunday. The journalist and broadcaster accepted he was wrong to use the phrase, issuing an unreserved apology to Sammy and his Windies team after their triumphant finish. “The first thing is to
loudly applaud West Indies cricket on a golden day,” Nicholas wrote in his ESPNcricinfo column. “The women were magnificent. The men more than matched them. The finish was a miracle: a thing of devastating power, of a certain beauty, and of destiny. “The second thing is to say that the West Indies cricketers who beat England in Kolkata and triumphantly lifted the World T20 play smart cricket that is both entertaining and hard to resist. “The third is to offer an unreserved apology to Darren Sammy, a man I hold in the highest regard, to his team and to the coaches around them for the throwaway phrase I used in a recent column on these pages.
BCCI gives us more support than WICB: Dwayne Bravo after WT20 title win Hindustan Times - PTI, Kolkata - After skipper Darren Sammy, it was the turn of premier all-rounder Dwayne Bravo to launch a tirade on his country’s cricket board stating that “even BCCI does more” for them than their country’s cricket board. “The country’s cricket is not in right hands. We have not got a telephone call from any of the WICB officials or directors. That’s not a good thing. We know that they did not want or believe that we could win this tournament. It was basically us against them. Even the BCCI does more for us,” Bravo told ‘Star Sports’ in a post-final interview. He also questioned as to how players like him, Gayle and Russell are being kept out of the West Indies ODI side. “If we look at the calender, we don’t have anymore T20 matches this year. We are not picked for the ODIs. There’s a series that’s going to happen with South Africa but we will be playing in England (Natwest Blast) whereas we should have been playing for the West Indies. Look at the love we get over here. Even the BCCI does more for us than our board,” said Bravo. “But it’s nice that the CARICOM people are coming together. Cricket is a way that unites people in the Caribbean,” concluded Bravo.
“I would have made the same apology whatever the results of the day but I do so now in the knowledge that the people of the Caribbean will be celebrating long into the night. “Clearly, the West Indies team is not ‘short of brains’. I wrote this in a piece that was mainly about India and MS Dhoni and, partly tongue in cheek, exaggerated a likely ‘triumph’ - as in the ancient history of the Roman Empire. In picking a winner, I could see no further than the hosts. “I did not say West Indies were “brainless” or had “no brains”, as has been misquoted elsewhere, but I did say something unworthy of the game and disrespectful to a great cricketing legacy. “I regret it and apologise for it.”
Herstelling Raiders have continued their dream run in the STAG / East Bank Football Association Senior League when they recorded yet another upset win when play continued on Sunday last at the Grove Playfield. The Herstelling boys upstaged Agricola Red Triangle 2-1 to move into second place in the points table, a position they have never experienced before. Ijaz Cave, who netted the winning goal in Herstelling’s 2-1 win over Soesdyke one week earlier, set the tone for the win this time around when he netted in the 28th minute.
Damien Bacchus (left) and Ijaz Cave - Herstelling Raiders. But Agricola which finished second to Grove Hi Tech in the previous league and reeling from the two red cards issued to two key players in back to back matches prior to Sunday’s match, fought back to draw even in the 39th minute when Kacy ‘Boombie’ John fired past goalkeeper, Quazim Yussuf. With such an entertaining first half, the final 45 minutes served even more excitement
but it was not in favour of the more experienced Agricola side, it was the Herstelling Raiders that raided Agricola’s barn. Full points were secured in the 55th minute when Damian Bacchus breached Agricola’s defence to nail his shot into the back of the nets past the hapless Shemroy Kendall much to the delight of his fellow players and the dismay of their (Continued on page 25)
Pele holds coaching clinic
From left Ivor “Brazilian” Jones and the recipients of awards. On Sunday last, Pele Masters & founding member Ivor “Brazilian” Jones held a coaching clinic for the less
Privileged in Lodge. The event formed part of their 45th anniversary programme of activities.
Brian Clarke & Mr. Charles Graves of the GFA were very instrumental in this education and sports
project. The initiative was applauded and supported by the parents in the community.