Cricket

DELHI, India,  CMC – Chris Gayle hopes his explosive batting can lift West Indies in the World Cup, but he also wants to be crowned the top all-rounder in the tournament.

KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent, CMC – Windward Islands kept their composure to complete a four-wicket victory over Guyana, after Veerasammy Permaul and Davendra Bishoo threatened to derail them in the WICB Regional first-class championship yesterday.

Delhi, India – West Indies Team Manager Richie Richardson is full of confidence that the team will do very well at the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.

NORTH SOUND, Antigua, CMC – Combined Campuses & Colleges were within sight of a historic, maiden victory over Leeward Islands in the WICB Regional first-class championship yesterday.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Jamaica, leading by two on first innings, reached 114 for two in their second innings at the close on the third day of their third round match in the WICB Regional first-class championship against Barbados yesterday at Kensington Oval.

AHMEDABAD, (Reuters) – Kevin Pietersen will be ready  to unleash his destructive brand of cricket from the off when  England face the Netherlands in their opening World Cup Group B  match tomorrow.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Trinidad & Tobago failed to tame the England Lions and conceded first innings points to the invitational side in the WICB Regional first-class championship yesterday.

HAMBANTOTA, Sri Lanka, (Reuters) – Mahela Jayawardene  smashed an 80-ball century, the fastest by a Sri Lankan in the  World Cup, to set up a 210-run victory over Canada yesterday in  Group A.

CHENNAI, (Reuters) – New Zealand thumped Kenya by 10  wickets in a lop-sided Group A match of the World Cup yesterday  that appears to justify bids to trim the 2015 edition of the  showpiece event by leaving out the whipping boys.

DHAKA, (Reuters) – Bangladesh, battered in their  opening World Cup match by India, can bounce back by beating  either England or the West Indies in Group B, according to  former skipper Habibul Bashar.

DHAKA,  (Reuters) – Bangladeshis cast aside their  usual docile and reserved image yesterday and proudly  displayed their sporting passion at the gala opening ceremony of  the Cricket World Cup later in the capital.

MUMBAI,  (Reuters) – India’s startling first-round  exit at the last World Cup is still regarded as one of the  greatest shocks in cricket and a fired-up Virender Sehwag wants  to make Bangladesh pay for eliminating them four years ago.

KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent, CMC – It’s hard to pick a winner between Windward Islands and Guyana in their third round match of the WICB Regional first-class championship, starting today at the Arnos Vale Multi-Purpose Complex, because there are too many similarities.

(Barbados Nation) Effervescent fast bowler Tino Best has been recalled to the Barbados squad.The

Defending champion, Trophy Stall XI,  is slated to  defend its title in the GT&T 10/10 softball competition beginning tomorrow following a postponement on account of bad weather.

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – West Indies have applied to World Cup organisers for Kirk Edwards and Devon Thomas to replace the injured pair of Adrian Barath and Carlton Baugh Jr.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – West Indies have suffered two setbacks in their preparation for the World Cup.

Colombo, Sri Lanka – West Indies captain Darren Sammy shares the view that spin bowling will play a major role in the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup.

St John’s, Antigua – Two players were fined as a result of breaches following the first round of the ongoing WICB Regional 4 Day Tournament.

CHENNAI, (Reuters) – Indian batting, led by captain  Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s power hitting, forced New Zealand into  submission by piling on a massive total and earned the co-hosts  an easy 117-run win in the warm-up game yesterday.