Sports

NATHAN SEALING HIS FUTURE

At just 17 years of age, Nathan Sealy appears to be well on his way to a bright future in the sport of cricket. His start in cricket was no different from most Barbadian boys. He recalls playing cricket when he was age 6. Whenever there was time, a bat and a ball Nathan would do what felt natural to him; he would play cricket. He liked cricket as much as any other boy his age and never thought of himself as gifted with any abilities above the norm.

While at Luther Thorne Primary School one of his teachers took note of Nathan’s cricket abilities and encouraged him to join the Empire Youth Cricket Program at the famous Empire Club in Bank Hall. The teacher who spotted Nathan was well qualified to recognize cricket talent having played the game at all levels for most of his life, that teacher was Jason Haynes. At Empire, the young and excited cricketer came under the tutelage of Mr. Haynes and another experienced cricketer, Ian Perryman Jr. After long periods of training sessions on Wednesdays and Saturdays Nathan started to develop his skills and most of all his love for the game of cricket.

Sealy is a natural right-hander, but he bowls with his left hand. This ambidextrous feature is limited to cricket and came about almost by accident. When he was asked to bowl, he just picked up the ball with his left hand and bowled. Both Haynes and Perryman knew this type of dexterity was common in cricket and left Nathan where he was comfortable, batting right-handed and bowling left-handed.

Nathan represented Luther Thorne Primary School at cricket and got the feel of competitiveness, he loved it. Doing his best and winning was addictive. He also recognized the importance of teamwork and leadership. His first five-wicket haul was for his primary school, but little did he know then that five-wicket hauls would become a regular feature of his game.

In the Barbados Cricket Supplies Under 13 Tournament in 2017, Nathan Sealy made an outstanding knock of 140 from 89 balls playing from Empire Juniors against the Franklyn Stephenson Academy. In 2018 Nathan as the captain of the Empire Juniors- a group of talented young players- would lead them to an epic final against Passage Road Juniors. Passage Road won that final, but it was a graduation of sorts for an Empire team that had never reached a final.

Nathan playing for Barbados Youth against Police

At 17 Nathan’s cricket career has only just started but a look at his performances easily indicates the direction this Christ Church Foundation Schoolboy is headed.

In an Under -15 game vs St. George Secondary School, he got to his highest score of 154 not out, he has taken 10 wickets for 30 runs against Alleyne School and outstanding match figures of 15 for 48 runs against Lester Vaughn, where he took 7 wickets in the first innings and returned to take 8 in the second innings.

Nathan is currently playing in various BCA cricket tournaments both for his Foundation School as well as his Empire Club.

In the recently concluded T20 tournament Nathan bagged 10 wickets. In the BCA Super 50 Cup, the left-handed spinner had the most wickets (26) which includes a 7-wicket haul vs Carlton (a hat-trick) and a 6-wicket haul vs Police. When you add 125 runs to Nathan’s credit it is easy to accept that he had outstanding performances in the Super 50 Cup series.

The left hand spinner bowling for Empire against Wildey in the 50 Cup semis

Nathan Sealy has represented Barbados at under -15, under-17, and under-19 levels and was the co-captain of the West Indies Under-15 team which toured England in 2019. This was affected by rain and very little cricket was played much to the disappointment of Nathan and his teammates.

Nathan is honing his bowling skills under the mentorship of West Indies left-hand spinner Jomel Warrican. He also looks towards another West Indies player Justin Greaves as someone to emulate as a well-rounded cricketer. It is interesting to note that he has been sufficiently influenced by the professional players from his Empire Club. Apart from these players, he has high regard for Bangladeshi Shakib Al Hassan as an ideal cricket role model and he is his favorite cricketer. His favorite bowler is Trinidadian Akeal Hosein.

The performances and achievements of Nathan Sealy at such a young age are clear evidence that he can develop into an international cricketer. From a typical little Bajan boy who liked to play bat and ball Nathan is now a good student of the game, he is learning and maturing into his potential. He acknowledges that getting to the top of cricket is no easy task, but he is committed to giving cricket his best shot. (article & pics by Chris Williams)

Sports

FINAL T20I WASHED OUT

Article by David Harris

Rain washed out the fifth and final T20I match between the West Indies and England at the Darren Sammy Cricket Stadium in St Lucia on Sunday evening.

Only five overs were possible before the heavens opened up forcing the players to leave the field, and eventually play was called off a few hours later.

During the five overs, the West Indies raced to 44 for no wickets as openers Evin Lewis (29) and Shai Hope (17) continued from where they had left in the fourth T20 I on Saturday night.

Chasing 219 for victory, the West Indies scored 221 for five wickets in 19 overs, Lewis (68) and Hope (54) shared an opening stand of 136 runs in 9.1 overs that laid the foundation for the Caribbean side consolation win in the series.

England had already won the series after defeating their hosts by three wickets in the third T20 I at the same venue.

The West Indies international season continue with two Tests, three One Day Internationals, and two T20Is against Bangladesh.

The Test series starts at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua on November 22.

Sports

A CLOSE WIN FOR ENGLAND AGAINST THE WEST INDIES

Article by David Harris

England won the T20I against the West Indies after defeating the regional team by three wickets in a close match at the Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in St Lucia on Thursday night.

Set a target of 146 for victory England scored 149 runs in 19.2 overs. The visitors losing the wickets of Phil Salt, Jos Buttler and Jacob Bethell for 43 runs at the end of the Power Play.

Opener Will Jacks (32) and Sam Curran (41) steadied the innings with a fourth wicket partnership of 38 runs. Jacks faced 33 balls and counted three fours, after Jacks’ dismissal, Curran and Liam Livingstone (39) added 39 vital runs for the fifth wicket.

Livingstone received three chances during his stay at the crease. Wicketkeeper Nicholas Pooran dropped him on six, off fast bowler Alzarri Joseph returning from his two-match suspension.

His second chance came when he was dropped by Pooran off left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie on eight, and Shimron Hetmeyer failed to clasp a low chance at midwicket off Motie when Livington had scored 21.

Livingstone made the most of his reprieves, he struck Joseph for 16 runs in the 18^th over before being caught at long-off by Ramario Sheperd off Motie, by then England was within sight of victory. Motie was the most successful bowler for the West Indies with four wickets for 27 runs.

Earlier England won the toss for the third consecutive time and opted to field; the West Indies innings began disastrously losing five wickets for 37 runs in the sixth over, Rovman Powell (50) and Shepherd repaired the damage with 73 runs for the sixth wicket that took the score to 110 runs in the 16^th over.

The West Indies looked set to make a big score when fast bowler Jamie Overton trapped Shepherd lbw and picked up the wickets of Powell and Motie.

Joseph 21 not out and Akeal Hosein who was unbeaten on eight added 23 runs in the final two overs to take the score to 145 for eight wickets.

Man of the Match pacer Saqib Mahmood who took the early wickets at the start of the West Indies innings captured for 17 runs, and Overton picked up three wickets for 20 runs.

Sports

ENGLAND LEADS WEST INDIES 2-0

Article by David Harris

England took a 2-0 lead over the West Indies with an emphatic seven wicket victory at Kensington Oval on Sunday night.

Chasing 159 runs for victory captain Jos Buttler smashed a 45-ball 83 which included eight fours and six sixes to guide England to victory in 14.5 overs; Will Jacks contributed 38, and Liam Livingstone made an unbeaten 23 runs.

England had an early setback in the chase when opener Phil Salt who made a century in the first match was dismissed by left –arm spinner Akeal Hosein for a golden duck; but Buttler and Jacks shared a massive second partnership of 129 runs that placed the visitors on the road to victory.

Buttler and Jacks were dismissed by medium pacer Romario Shepherd in the 13^th over with the score on 130 by then England needed 29 runs to win the match, and Livingstone blasted three fours and a six to take the Englishmen over the line in the 15^th over. Shepherd took two wickets for 42 runs from 3. 5 expensive overs.

Earlier, the West Indies scored 158 for eight wickets after England won the toss and decided to field. Even though England bowlers were wayward with their lines they picked up the early wickets of Brandon King, Evin Lewis and Roston Chase to leave the West Indies wobbling at 35 for three wickets in the fourth over.

Captain Rovman Powell made 43 and Shepherd got 22 but their score 158 was insufficient to prevent the West Indies suffering a second consecutive defeat by England in two days.

Pacer Saqib Mahmood took two wickets 20 runs, Liam Livingstone captured two wickets for 16 runs with a mixture of off-breaks and leg-breaks, and off-spinner Dan Mousley picked two wickets for 29 runs.