Sports

JAI-BARI IS READY!

No batsman can score 495 runs made up in part with two innings of over 50 and three centuries, (100 not out vs UWI, 105 vs Pickwick and 104 vs Police) in a series without drawing attention to himself. So, few people should be surprised that Jai-Bari Yarde has the attention of selectors and has been called up for national trials.

Jai-Bari Yarde is the hard-hitting opening batsman for Empire Elite team. It is upon his shoulders that the team has had its winning way in this year’s touraments.

Who is Jai-Bari Yarde and where has he come from? He is no newcomer to cricket, having started playing the game as a fast bowler at the Charles F. Broome’s Primary School with intentions to emulate his bowling heroes, Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh, Jai-Bari has spent many hours practicing his fast-bowling skills. His interest and efforts were noticed by the school’s Physical Education (PE) teacher Mr. Harbin who soon enrolled him in Herman Griffith primary school cricket. He continued his fast-bowling ways into his secondary school years playing for the Foundation School.

A knee injury while playing for Barbados Cricket League (BCL) began the transition from bowling to batting. Jai-Bari always wanted to be a bowler but quickly adjusted to batting. He developed his naturally aggressive style of batting by playing lots of tape ball cricket. In this type of cricket, a batsman must develop super-fast hand and eye coordination for in many cases the surfaces and the length of the pitches are not standard. Cricket is very often about making the most out of an opportunity. Jai-Bari got an unexpected opportunity to open for the BCL team. He knew he was under pressure to perform well. In the game which was against St. Catherine, he made ninety runs. To prove that his maiden knock as an opener was not a fluke, he scored a half-century in both innings in the next game against Wanderers. From the BCL he went on to play for Wildey and it was there that he defined himself as an established batsman.

In 2017 Jai-Bari joined the Empire Club he found the going rough as it was difficult to maintain a play in the elite division team and he often found himself playing in lower divisions. He admitted that he went through a period of re-examining his batting style. After adjusting the approach to his batting, Jai-Bari noticed improvements and is now pleased to be getting bigger scores.

This year has seen the rewards for his persistence. His returns with the bat have placed him at the top of the heap and a selection for the national team trials. With Jai-Bari’s current form, they are few players who should earn a place as a batsman before him. He is aware that at 34 years his age can work against him, but he is confident that he can perform at the national level if given the chance to do so.

Making the most of an opportunity is in Jai-Bari Yarde’s cricket DNA and given the purple patch that he is in no one should be surprised to see him in a Barbados team. (Article & pics by C.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.