by David Harris

England cruised to a 37-run victory in a high scoring match against the West Indies, in the third and final T20I at the Rose Bowl in Southampton on Tuesday. 

England scored 248 runs for three wickets after losing the toss and being put sent in to bat, openers Ben Duckett (80) and Jamie Smith (60) raced to 120 runs off 53 balls; they pummeled the West Indies bowlers for 83 runs the first six overs with Duckett reaching his third T20I fifty off 20 balls, the fourth fastest in the format by an Englishman. 

Smith faced 26 balls and struck four fours and five sixes before he was caught by Shimron Hetmyer at deep square-leg off left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie. While Duckett hit 10 fours and two sixes off 46 balls. 

After the dismissal of Smith and Duckett, the onslaught on the West Indies bowlers was continued by Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook and Jos Buttler. 

Bethell and Brooks unbeaten on 36 and 35 respectively, and Buttler contributed 22; Bethell smashed Motie for three consecutive sixes in the 17^th over to take England past the 200-run mark in the 17^th over. 

Chasing 249 runs to win the match, and avoid a whitewash in the series, the West Indies scored 211 for eight wickets. Former captain Rovman Powell provided respectability with 79 not out, and the current Shai Hope got 45, while Hetmyer and Jason Holder contributed 26 and 25 respectively. Fast bowler Luke Wood took three wickets for 31 runs, and leg-spinner Adil Rashid picked up three wickets for 30 runs. 

The West Indies depart England without a victory across six white-ball matches; they travel to Ireland for a three-match T20I series beginning on Thursday. 

Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment, Charles Griffith, has reaffirmed Government’s commitment to clean sport and regional collaboration in the fight against doping during a recent courtesy call with representatives of the Caribbean Regional Anti-Doping Organization (RADO) and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

The delegation, which includes officials from 18 countries across the region, is in Barbados for a week-long programme of workshops, training sessions, and the Annual General Meeting of RADO.

The meetings, being hosted at the Barbados Beach Club, are focused on building capacity, enhancing compliance with the WADA Code, and preparing the region for the implementation of the 2027 anti-doping standards.

Mr. Griffith welcomed the international delegation and praised the leadership of the Barbados-based RADO Secretariat. He emphasised the island’s readiness to continue supporting the regional anti-doping movement and highlighted Government’s openness to institutional reforms, including enhanced autonomy, staffing, and funding for the National Anti-Doping Commission (NADC).

“Barbados is proud to be a regional leader in anti-doping education and enforcement, but leadership comes with responsibility. We are prepared to support the vision of a more autonomous and better-resourced NADC, and to ensure our athletes, coaches, and federations are fully equipped to meet global standards,” the Minister said.

During the meeting, Mr. Griffith proposed that a regional anti-doping testing laboratory be developed, noting the high costs and logistical burdens associated with sending samples to laboratories in Canada or the United States of America. 

He also called for the creation of a tailored education programme for coaches, particularly those working with national teams, to ensure that both athletes and mentors understand the consequences of prohibited substances.

Executive Director of RADO, Dr. Sasha Sutherland, applauded Barbados for hosting the high-level meetings and for its long-standing commitment to advancing the region’s anti-doping framework. She emphasised that as the 2027 Code approaches, the region must invest in training, public education, and infrastructure to avoid non-compliance.

“The requirements of the new Code are extensive – from education to intelligence gathering and data privacy. Barbados has consistently led from the front, but we must bring the rest of the region with us,” said Dr. Sutherland.

Chairman of RADO and representative from Aruba, Patrick Werleman, and WADA’s Raphael Rezende echoed the call for greater operational independence and permanent staffing in national anti-doping organisations, stating that “volunteerism, while noble, can no longer sustain the scale and complexity of compliance required”.

The need for a national media blitz on anti-doping was also highlighted, especially considering the changing attitudes towards substances like marijuana.

Mr. Griffith offered the services of the Ministry’s digital media support team to assist in the creation and distribution of public service announcements and educational content targeting athletes, coaches, and national sports federations.             

He added: “This is not just about Barbados; it’s about protecting Caribbean athletes as a whole. We stand ready to lead and to support our regional counterparts.” (PR/GIS)

Caption: Minister of Youth, Sports and Community Empowerment, Charles Griffith, greets Raphael Rezende of the World Anti-Doping Agency at the recent courtesy call. Looking on is Chairman of RADO and representative from Aruba, Patrick Werleman.

by David Harris

England defeated the West Indies by four wickets in the second T20I at Bristol on Sunday to win the three-match series. 

Chasing 197 runs for victory England scored 199 for six wickets; they started shaky losing the wicket of opener Jamie Smith who was caught at mid-off by Gudakesh Motie of Jason Holder in the third over. 

 Jos Buttler (47) and Ben Duckett (30) added 63 runs for the second to repair the damage, Duckett faced 18 balls and struck four fours and a six before he was dismissed in the eighth over.  

At the end of ten overs England had scored 87 for two wickets, Buttler; the former captain   top-scored and Harry Brook the current skipper took the score to 112 before Buttler was caught in the deep off left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein. 

At that stage the score was 112 for three wickets in the 13^th over, the West Indies were in the game in the next over when Brook was dismissed for 34.  With England requiring 71 runs off 39 balls, Tom Banton (30) and Jacob Bethell (26) pummelled the bowlers for 43 runs off a mere 15 balls to win the match and the series. Fast bowler Alzarri Joseph took two wickets for 45 runs. 

Earlier the West Indies scored 197 for six wickets after being sent in to bat, they endured a nightmare when opener Evin Lewis was trapped lbw by fast bowler Luke Wood off the first ball of the innings. 

Captain Shai Hope (49) and opener Johnson Charles (47) stabilized the innings with a second wicket partnership of 90 runs. While aggressive batting by Roman Powell (37), Jason Holder (29) and Romario Shepherd (19) took the West Indies to what appeared to be a formidable total. Wood was the most successful bowler with two wickets for 25 runs.    

 The West Indies must win the third T201 at Southampton on Tuesday to avoid being whitewashed in the series.