Sports

HAYLEY PREPARES ENGLAND TOUR

Preparation for international matches that will take place in England later this month

By David Harris

Captain of the West Indies’ Women’s team Hayley Matthews began preparing for the regional side tour to England by making an unexpected appearance for her local club ESAF Pickwick against the SigniaGlobe Financial BCA Youth team in the third series of the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) Elite Division over the weekend.

The West Indies are schedule to three T20 International matches (T20Is) and three One Day International matches (ODIs) when they tour England from May 18 to June 7.

It is rare for female cricketers to play with their male counterparts in the top-tier of the BCA’ s competitions. Matthews is the first woman to play in the Elite Division; the first occasion a female took part in the top-tier of a BCA’s competition was in 2013 when Shaquana Quintyne represented YMPC against Banks and the Barbados Defense Force Program.

On the first day of the match (Saturday) Matthews was bowled by left-arm pacer Jakeem Pollard for two runs as Pickwick were dismissed for a meager 62 runs in their first innings. When the BCA Youth batted Matthews bowled four overs for 10 runs and picked up the wicket of Damani Roach, the number 10 batsman with her off-spin.

Yesterday, Pickwick were in dire straits at 12 runs for two wickets in their second innings in reply to BCA Youth’s total of 177 when Matthews came to crease and scored 60 magnificent runs. Her 50 came from 59 balls in 89 minutes and contained nine delightful fours.

She shared a third wicket partnership of 122 with Pickwick’s captain Rohan Ryan (67), at the tea break Matthews was 60, and the sprinkling of spectators at the Lester Vaughan School Ground, Cane Garden, St Thomas were hoping that her gem on an innings would continue after the interval.

But that was not to be Matthews was trapped lbw by Pollard with the first ball after tea, she faced 71 balls and struck 11 fours to help Pickwick score 256 in their second innings.

Chasing 141 runs to win the match, BCA Youth were 25 runs for two wickets. The match continues next Saturday.

Several persons were questioning on social media over the weekend why Matthews was playing for Pickwick instead of representing Barbados in the regional T20 Blaze which is taking place in St Vincent.

Speaking to journalists on Sunday evening, Matthews explained that she is taking a break from regional cricket and took the opportunity to use the match to prepare for the West Indies’ trip to England.

“I am taking a break from regional cricket ahead of the West Indies tour to England to give any niggling injuries I have a chance to heal, but at the same time I still preparing for the West Indies tour to England which start in a couple of weeks by participating in this match against Barbados Youth”, Matthews explained.

Sports

BARBADIAN GOLFER EMILY ODWIN IN US WOMEN’S OPEN TODAY

Article by David Harris

Barbadian golfer Emily Odwin will create history today, Thursday when she tees off in the US Women’s Open at Erin Hills Golf Course in Washington County, Wisconsin.

Odwin, 21, a junior at Southern Methodist University (SMU) will become the first Barbadian to play in a US Open golf tournament.

Odwin will play at the tournament as an amateur, she qualifies for the tournament after an outstanding performance at the prestigious Olympic Club Lake Course in San Franciso earlier this month; after delivering a composed and consistent showing across two 18-hole rounds to finish at three-under-par tying for first place with American Sarah Lim.

Spaniard Paula Martin Sampedro who finished one behind Odwin and Lim also qualified for the Open.

Odwin, a former student of St Winfred’s School and Queen’s College grew up on the West Coast in St James, she loved to swim at the age of four. Odwin enjoyed all kind of sports and even got a brown belt in karate.

She became interested in golf after watching Tiger Woods and Jordan Spieth on television with her father.

At the age of 11 Odwin began to focus her attention on golf, the competitive scene for sport was limited with few official tournaments, and even fewer competitions for girls to participate in. Odwin needed to find alternatives to push herself:

“As I got older and as I got better, it was tougher for me to find competition and I had to travel outwards. I started to come to the United States, or I had to go to Europe. When I was at home, I started having to play with boys a lot. I would have to play in their division off their tees. There are not a lot of girls playing golf in Barbados and there weren’t a lot of competitive opportunities back home”, Odwin told journalists in the United States.

Odwin is proud of her culture and plans to wear an embroidered flag of Barbados on her polo shirt at the US Open.

“I just want to inspire kids back home that golf is possible. You never know how far you can go until you try”, Odwin said.

Sports

RUN/WALK/CYCLE SUNDAY JUNE 1ST

National Senior Games 2025 Road Races this Sunday beginning at 6 am, Mighty Grynner Highway.

Sports

HAYLEY SHINES BUT WI WOMEN LOST 3RD INT’L SERIES

By David Harris

An outstanding performance with the bat and ball by captain Hayley Matthews was not enough to prevent the West Indies Women from losing the third T20I in the International series against England by 17 runs at the County Ground, Chelmsford on Monday; and being whitewashed in the series.

Chasing 145 runs to win the match, the West Indies were restricted to 127 runs for eight wickets. Matthews scored 71 runs including 11 fours and a six while Realeanna Grimmond and Shabika Gajnabi contributed 15 and 14 runs respectively.

Fast bowler Laureen Bell picked up two wickets for 11 runs from four parsimonious overs, medium pacer Emily Arlott, off-spinner Charlottle Dean and left-arm spinner Linsey Smith also took two wickets.

England scored 144 for five wickets after the West Indies won the toss and decided to field, Heather Knight made 67 not out and newly appointed captain Nat Sciver-Brunt contributed 37. Matthew captured three wickets for 32 runs with her off-spin.

The West Indies badly beaten by their host in the three-match series, they slumped to eight-and nine -wickets losses in the first two T20Is. The regional team appear to be a one –woman team at the moment, Matthews the player of series scored 177, more than all her teammates put together.

In the first T20I Matthews scored an unbeaten century out of the West Indies score of 146, in addition to her outstanding batting, Matthew captured four wickets in the series.

The two teams will now play a three-match One Day International series which will begin on May 30^th.