The Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) fixtures, venues and start times have been confirmed for the 2018 season which gets underway on the 8 August when defending champions Trinbago Knight Riders take on St Lucia Stars in Trinidad. The tournament will then visit Guyana, St Lucia, Jamaica, St Kitts, Barbados and the USA before returning to Trindiad for the final at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba on 16 September.

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – A trio of half-centuries from Rovman Powell, Chris Gayle and Shai Hope failed to top Tamim Iqbal’s 11th career hundred that set up Bangladesh for an 18-run victory over WINDIES in the decisive third iPay One-day International powered by Minister co-sponsored by Marcel on Saturday here.

Powell hit five fours and four sixes in the top score of an unbeaten 74 off 41 balls, Gayle supported with 73 off 66 balls that included six fours and five sixes, and Shai Hope gathered five fours in 64 from 94 balls, but WINDIES, chasing 302 for victory, finished on 283 for six in 50 overs on a typically slow Warner Park pitch.

The result meant that WINDIES lost the three-match series 1-2, following a 48-run defeat in the first ODI last Sunday at the Guyana National Stadium, where they bounced back to clinch a series-levelling win by three runs three days later – and Jason Holder is still looking for his first series win in 15 tries as WINDIES captain.

WINDIES lost Evin Lewis caught behind by wicketkeeper Mushfiqur Rahim off Bangladesh captain Mashrafe Mortaza for 13, edging a delivery that exploded from the surface of the pitch (53-1, 10.1 overs)

Gayle was caught at long-on by Mehidy Hasan off Rubel Hossain from a miscued lofted drive (105-2, 21.5 overs)

Shimron Hetmyer was bowled by Mehidy Hasan for 30, swinging loosely at a well-pitched delivery (172-3, 35.4 overs)

Kieran Powell was run out for four by a throw from cover fielder Mortaza to the bowler Mehidy, following a mix-up with Hope (179-4, 37.5 overs)

Hope was caught at deep mid-wicket by Shakib off Mortaza, swinging at a well-pitched delivery (224-5, 43.1 overs)

And, Holder was caught at long-off by Rubel Hossain off Mustafizur Rahman for nine, skying the ball to long-off (262-6, 47.1 overs)

Ashley Nurse was not out on five alongside Rovman Powell.

Bowling:Mortaza 10-0-63-2 (w1); Mehidy Hasan 10-0-45-1 (w4); Mustafizur Rahman 10-0-63-1 (w1); Mosaddek Hossain 1-0-10-0; Mahmudullah 2-0-20-0; Rubel Hossain 7-0-34-1; Shakib-Al-Hasan 10-0-45-0 (w1)

Earlier, no WINDIES bowler distinguished himself, but Tamim covered himself in personal glory with seven fours and two sixes in 103 from 124 balls and Mahmudullah struck five fours and three sixes in 67 not out off 49 balls to be the rocks upon which the Bangladeshis built a total of 301 for six in 50 overs, after they chose to bat.

Off-spinner Nurse and Holder took two wickets apiece, but left-handed opener Tamim batted freely from the start, sharing 81 for the second wicket with Shakib, and later drove Nurse to long-off for a single to reach his landmark from 120 balls in the 38th over. He later earned the Player-of-the-Match and Player-of-the-Series awards.

The WINDIES bowlers however, failed to put a cap on the visitors’ batting in the closing stages with Mahmudullah leading the charge, sharing a 53-run stand with Mortaza, as 97 came in the last 10 overs.

Bangladesh lost Anamul Haque caught at mid-on by Kieran Powell off Holder for 10 from a miscued hook (35-1, 9.3 overs)

Shakib-Al-Hasan was caught at deep square leg by Keemo Paul off Nurse for 37, top-edging a slog/sweep (116-2, 25.3 overs)

Mushfiqur Rahim was bowled by Nurse for 12, essaying a scoop to fine leg (152-3, 31.1 overs)

Tamim was caught at square leg by Kieran Powell off leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo, played a whip off the legs (200-4, 38.5 overs)

Mortaza was caught at short third man by Gayle off Holder for 43, guiding a short, rising delivery (253-5, 45.5 overs)

Sabbir Rahman was caught at backward point by Lewis off Sheldon Cottrell for 12, slicing a drive (279-6, 48.4 overs)

Mosaddek Hossain was not out on 11 alongside Mahmudullah.

Bowling: Cottrell 9-0-59-1 (nb1, w2); Holder 10-0-55-2 (w2); Bishoo 10-1-42-1 (w2); Paul 9-0-77-0 (w1); Nurse 10-1-53-2 (w2); Gayle 2-0-14-0 (w2)

Source:  Adriel Richards – WestIndiesCricket.org

The Barbados Tridents have announced that Australian batsman Steve Smith will join their squad for the 2018 Hero Caribbean Premier League which will run from 8 August to 16 September. Smith will replace Shakib al Hasan who is no longer available for the tournament.

Smith has played 64 Tests, 108 ODIs and 30 T20 Internationals for Australia and is currently the number one ranked Test batsman in the world. With more than 3000 T20 runs, including a century and 11 fifties, Smith brings a huge amount of experience to the Tridents squad.

The Tridents get their season underway with an away trip to the Guyana Amazon Warriors on 12 August before a match against St Lucia Stars on 17 August. The Tridents will then play Jamaica Tallawahs in Lauderhill, USA before playing five matches at Kensington Oval, Barbados between 25 August and 2 September.

Speaking of the signing of Smith, Tridents coach Robin Singh said: “It is a huge blow to lose Shakib for the tournament but in Steve Smith we have a truly world-class replacement who can help to bring power to our batting lineup. As a man who has played cricket at the highest level all over the world we are very confident that Smith will be a big success with the Tridents.”

Source :  LoopNewsBarbados.com

West Indies will have a full tour of Bangladesh since 2012 as the Caribbean side is scheduled to visit the country in November and December of this year for a series of games.

The tour features two Tests, three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and three Twenty20. Before the series starts there will be a two-day practice match.

The last match West Indies played in Bangladesh was during the 2014 World T20. Their last bilateral tour of the country was in 2012-13. West Indies had blanked Bangladesh 2-0 in the Test series then, but the home side fought back to take the ODI series 3-2. West Indies ended the tour with victory in the lone T20I.

The two sides are currently playing each other in the West Indies, where the Caribbean side won the two-match Test series 2-0. However, Bangladesh came back to win the first ODI of the ongoing three-match series. The teams will also play three T20Is.

West Indies, Bangladesh tour itinerary
1st Test, Nov 22-26, Chittagong
2nd Test, Nov 30-Dec 4, Mirpur
1st ODI, Dec 9, Mirpur
2nd ODI, Dec 11, Mirpur
3rd ODI, Dec 14, Sylhet
1st T20I, Dec 17, Sylhet
2nd T20I, Dec 20, Mirpur
3rd T20I, Dec 22, Mirpur

Source: LoopNewsBarbados.com

Source: Ryan Bacchoo – CricketWestindies.com

Source: Ryan Bacchoo – CricketWestindies.com

Skipper Jason Holder destroyed Bangladesh with his maiden 10-wicket haul in Tests and the best figures by a West Indies captain on Caribbean soil, as the hosts marched to an emphatic 166-run victory inside three days in the second Test, to record their first home series win in four years here Saturday.

Despite being rolled over for their lowest-ever total against Bangladesh when they were dismissed for 129 in their second innings, West Indies quickly hit back with vengeance, crushing the tourists for a meagre 168 to complete a 2-0 series win and climb back above their opponents to eighth in the ICC Test rankings.

The 26-year-old Holder was at the forefront of the Windies success, claiming six for 59 – his third five-wicket haul in the last six innings – to finish with career-best match figures of 11 for 103 and 16 wickets in the series.

For his superb efforts, Holder picked up the Man-of-the-Match and Man-of-the-Series awards, to leave his stamp on on the series.

“[For me it’s] just heart, just fight,” Holder said afterwards in reference to his performance.

“I always ask the guys for one last push, I always ask the guys to give everything and I just feel as if I do it from the front, the guys would be able to follow.

“That’s my mantra basically, to go out there and just put everything in. I expect tough days in cricket and tough days in life so it’s just about coping with it and getting through.”

Set an improbable 335 for victory, Bangladesh never came to grips with the Windies attack as Shakib top-scored with 54, opener Liton Das struck a run-a-ball 33 while former skipper Mushfiqur Rahim chipped in with 31.

They stumbled at the start of their run chase when experienced opener Tamim Iqbal fell without scoring in the third over with the score on two, lbw to Holder defending.

Liton Das played positively, however, cracking six fours in a 38-run, second wicket stand with Mominul Haque (15).

Ten minutes before tea, however, Das sliced a tentative drive at debutant pacer Keemo Paul and was caught at gully by Shai Hope, and with the last ball before the interval, Mominul missed a forward defensive prod at one from off-spinner Roston Chase (2-20) which went on with the arm, and perished lbw.

Wobbling on 52 for three at tea, Bangladesh lost their fourth wicket 20 minutes after the resumption, Mahmudullah (4) playing an atrocious heave at Chase and gifting his wicket to a catch at mid-wicket.

Shakib, however, found an ally in Mushfiqur and together they put on 54 for the fifth wicket, to temporarily avert danger for Bangladesh.

The left-handed Shakib stroked 10 fours in a flowing 81-ball knock in nearly 2-1/4 hours hours while Mushfiqur lasted 36 balls and struck six fours.

Holder returned to gain the breakthrough, bowling Mushfiqur off the inside edge, 45 minutes before the scheduled close, and then hitting Nurul Hasan in front off the next ball.

Speedster Shannon Gabriel had Mehidy Hasan (10) caught at second slip by Devon Smith at 138 for seven before Holder claimed the prized wicket of Shakib, beating a defensive push and up-rooting the left-hander’s leg stump.

Holder wasted little time in wrapping up the innings as he claimed the last two wickets in his next over.

Earlier, Windies had been anything but stellar as their batting flopped spectacularly, undermined by the superb Shakib who claimed six for 33 with his quality left-arm spin.

Chase top-scored with 32 but was the only one to pass 20 as the Windies lost their last nine wickets for 110 runs after resuming the morning on 19 for one.

Shakib struck in the fourth over of the morning when he drew opener Smith from his crease, for Nurul to complete a well-timed stumping, and send the left-hander on his way for 16 with the score on 28.

Nightwatchman Paul scored 13 but was bowled by Shakib attempting a second successive six and left-hander Kieran Powell once again played freely for his 18 which included a four and a six before falling on the stroke of the hour, trapped lbw on the crease by the same bowler.

Hope, still searching for form and confidence, played down the wrong line in the next over to left-arm spinner Taijul Islam and perished lbw for four, leaving the Windies on 64 for five.

Chase then settled the innings down in a 33-run stand with left-hander Shimron Hetmyer who again looked in fine touch in his 18 from 31 balls.

But with lunch beckoning, Hetmyer played back to seamer Abu Jayed and was adjudged lbw, as the hosts stumbled to 108 for six at the interval.

Chase could only add a further nine to his lunch time 23 before he was bowled round his legs by off-spinner Mehidy Hasan, missing a sweep, in the fourth over after the resumption.

His dismissal triggered the slide which saw the last four wickets tumble for a mere 21 runs, with off-spinner Mehidy Hasan chipping in with two for 45.

Source: Ryan Bacchoo – CricketWestindies.com

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Jamaica Cricket Association’s (JCA) chief executive officer Courtney Francis has given the assurance that the Sabina Park’s pitch and outfield will be in top condition for Thursday’s second and final Test match between West Indies and Bangladesh.

West Indies, who ended 1-1 with Sri Lanka in their recent three-Test series, have a one-nil lead against Bangladesh after sweeping to an innings and 219-run victory in the opening match in Antigua.
The Windies, ranked ninth in the ICC Test team rankings — a place below Bangladesh, can leapfrog their Asian opponents if they can secure a series win.

“The preparation has been excellent, and we are confident that we have done all that we can under the circumstances,” Francis told the Jamaica Observer.

“There are some standards set out and we have met all the standards. We met with the [Cricket] West Indies representatives this morning and they were impressed with where we are,” he said while insisting that all operational personnel are aware of their roles.

Francis said proper security measures will be in place and urged West Indies cricket supporters to throw their weight behind their team.

“We want people to come out and lend some support, seeing that West Indies are showing some consistency and winning some matches.

“While we curse them when they are not doing well, when they are doing well we need to lend the support to ensure we give them that morale boost and hope they can climb the rankings,” Francis said.

Source: Ryan Bacchoo – CricketWestindies.com

So you didn’t watch Sri Lanka’s Test tour of the Caribbean. Perhaps the matches were played at inconvenient times. Or maybe the sight of all those empty stands may have made you nauseous. But the series, which fittingly finished 1-1, was compelling throughout, swinging one way and then the other. Here are five things that made it brilliant.

Shannon Gabriel: broad-shouldered sledgehammer

Almost without question the visual delight of this series, Gabriel was West Indies’ muscled menace, taking 20 wickets at an average of 14.95 and striking roughly every 27 deliveries. So total was Gabriel’s dominance, that in some spells, his deliveries not only leapt off a good length, many seemed to do mocking circles around batsmen, before seeking out the shoulder of the bat, and a pair of hands in the slips. Frequently breaching 145 kph, he was never short of effort, even in his last few overs of the day.

In general, Gabriel is one of the least proficient movers of the ball, relying on pace rather than seam or swing for his wickets – but in this series, he frequently got the ball to jag off the pitch in both directions. It is possible Gabriel enjoys bowling with the Dukes ball, which stays harder and has a more pronounced seam than the widely used Kookaburra. This means bowlers were able to move the ball for longer in the innings, in this series. Whatever the cause of his newfound potency, it does appear as if West Indies now have a strike bowler in their ranks. Since the start of 2017, Gabriel has 54 wickets at 23.63. Thirteen of those wickets came in the St. Lucia Test, where he collected the best figures ever in the Caribbean.

Wait… Sri Lanka have a seam attack?

Could it be, that after the likes of Dushmantha Chameera, Nuwan Pradeep and Shehan Madushanka were ruled out through injury, Sri Lanka have chanced upon a future-proof seam attack in Suranga Lakmal, Lahiru Kumara and Kasun Rajitha?

Not since the England tour of 2014, have Sri Lanka’s seam bowlers hunted so effectively in a pack, as they did in St. Lucia and Barbados. Lakmal provided control and the wiles, Rajitha moved the ball more than almost any bowler in the series, and 21-year-old Kumara was the wrecking ball, hurling 145kph+ deliveries at batsmen’s ribs, having them spasm in self-preservation as he claimed an outstanding 17 wickets at 19.88. All up, these three bowlers took 40 wickets at an average of 19 – the second-highest number of wickets claimed by Sri Lanka in a series, only one fewer than in a tour to New Zealand in 1990-91.

As Lakmal is 31, and Rajitha and Kumara are much younger, it is possible that this could become Sri Lanka’s pace-bowling battery in overseas tours. But the concern with Sri Lanka’s fast bowlers – as always – is injury. They may all tear their hamstrings and fall in a heap in the Tests against South Africa next month. They might tweak their groins getting off the plane in Colombo upon return. It is even possible that someone has dislocated a shoulder already, turning on the shower in the dressing room after the Barbados match finished. Such are the perils of being a Sri Lankan quick.

Shane Dowrich leaps to celebrate his second Test hundred

West Indies’ lower-order spunk

Sri Lanka had the hosts reeling at 147 for 5 on the very first day of the series, before Shane Dowrich and Jason Holder combined for a defiant 90-run stand, establishing what would become a feature of the series. That partnership with Holder was followed up by Dowrich’s 102-run stand with Devendra Bishoo, and later his 75-run association with Kemar Roach. On the back of those vital runs, West Indies reached 414 for 8, which in turn became the foundation for their Trinidad win.

All through the series, Sri Lanka bowlers scythed through the top order, only to be frequently frustrated by the plucky folks lower down. Dowrich was often the kingpin in this resistance, unfussily defusing the opposition quicks that had blown past the top four. Jason Holder generally contributed a useful innings in support, with Kemar Roach putting together some half-decent hands as well.

In the first innings in Bridgetown, West Indies had been 54 for 5 before Dowrich and Holder put on 113 in each other’s company, helping push West Indies over 200 – the highest total of the game. In the second innings, West Indies were 41 for 6, and in danger of being dismissed for their lowest ever Test total, before the lower order cobbled valuable runs together. Had they made another 25, West Indies could have won the match and with it the series.

Sri Lanka’s sudden slip-catching skill

In 2017, Sri Lanka fielded and caught like they had wet noodles for arms and papadam for fingers, but under Chandika Hathurusingha, fielding standards are once more on the rise, and this series was ample proof. Where West Indies frequently blew wicket chances in the slips, Sri Lanka were routinely clinical – Kusal Mendis in particular, making predatory dives in front of other fielders, to snatch low, fast chances.

With Sri Lanka having given up sizeable first-innings leads in all three matches, it was crucial that the early chances their quicks created in the second innings were grasped, and the standard of Sri Lanka’s catching ensured pressure was relentlessly built through those new-ball overs. Even off the spinners, Sri Lanka were sharp – Dhananjaya de Silva’s excellent overhead grab to dismiss Miguel Cummins off the bowling of Dilruwan Perera, a prime example. It also helped that Sri Lanka did not have wickets discounted due to no-balls, as West Indies did at least twice.

Source: Andrew Fidel Fernando – ESPNCricinfo

Sri Lanka 154 (Dickwella 42, Holder 4-19) and 144 for 6 (Kusal Perera 28*, Dilruwan Perera 23*, Holder 5-41) beat West Indies 204 (Holder 74, Dowrich 71, Kumara 4-58) and 93 (Rajitha 3-20, Lakmal 3-25) by four wickets

The Pereras – Kusal and Dilruwan – put on a luck-filled but plucky 63-run partnership to haul Sri Lanka to victory on the fourth afternoon of the third Test. There were heart-stopping moments for Sri Lanka in this session, particularly when their best batsman Kusal Mendis was hit in front of the stumps before the team could get off the mark on the day.

Although Jason Holder completed an outstanding five-wicket haul at his home venue, and despite the relentless pressure created by the West Indies quicks, Sri Lanka’s seventh-wicket stand held firm. Kusal Perera, having returned from his brief stint in hospital the previous night, made a measured 28 not out off 43 balls – by far his most consequential innings of the series. Dilruwan showcased the fight for which he keeps getting picked, surviving 68 balls as he staggered to an unbeaten 23. Between them, this pair only hit four intentional boundaries. One of those was Dilruwan’s slap over mid-off, to reach the target.

Sri Lanka will take particular satisfaction from this victory, it having come in such trying circumstances. Three of their senior-most batsmen were missing from the XI – opener Dimuth Karunaratne was injured, Angelo Mathews was at home attending the birth of a child, and Dinesh Chandimal was suspended. The absence of this experience almost told in this chase as batsmen threw wickets away in the final sessions of day three, but large helpings of good fortune helped ease Sri Lanka’s path to victory the following afternoon. Dilruwan could have been out several times, edging a ball through the slips, sending a leading edge just wide of cover, and almost playing Kemar Roach on to his stumps. Kusal Perera played and missed plenty himself, and was hit painfully on the hand by Miguel Cummins, to add to the discomfort from his nasty collision.

But somehow, while the Pereras were at the crease, most of the dangerous deliveries missed the edges of their bats or passed by the stumps, and Sri Lanka inched home. There were leg byes, byes, glances just past the keeper, and nervy singles into the infield. The runs were not pretty, but they were important.

There was little the West Indies did wrong on day four. The quicks continued to create chances; no catches were dropped. Occasionally the seamers were guilty of bowling too straight, allowing the batsmen to score easy runs to fine leg. But as the morning progressed, and the ball became softer, there was less seam movement on offer. They seemed by a distance the likelier side to win, when Holder’s sixth delivery of the day, stayed a tad low and struck Mendis in front of off stump. But even though Shannon Gabriel was as quick in this session as he has been through the series, and Kemar Roach was just as intense, the Pereras squeaked out runs, while their anxious dressing room – in which Chandimal was present – looked on.

Only after the target was whittled down to less than 20 did the mood lighten in the Sri Lanka camp; it was around that stage that West Indies’ shoulders dropped. Kusal and Dilruwan clinched the victory and secured a drawn series for Sri Lanka. But it was the seamers’ outstanding work on day three when they dismissed the hosts for 93 in the second innings, that was most instrumental to this victory. Though it did help that Sri Lanka batted deep in this match, and that Dilruwan – rather than either of the other spinners, who are less capable with the bat – was their No. 8.

With this victory, Sri Lanka complete a sequence of four overseas Test tours, each of which they have performed creditably in. They had won against Pakistan last year, drawn two Tests in India (though they lost the series 1-0), won in Bangladesh, and now drawn a difficult seam-dominated series in the West Indies. They also became the first Asian team to win a Test in Barbados. Had they not wasted two hours protesting the ball-tampering charge in St Lucia, they might even have returned with the trophy.

Source: Andrew Fidel Fernando – ESPNCricinfo