Latest news with #Barbadian-born
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First Post
13-07-2025
- Sport
- First Post
'Bazball level stupidity': Jaiswal slammed for shot-selection after perishing early during run chase at Lord's
Yashasvi Jaiswal was dismissed for a seven-ball duck, falling to Jofra Archer for the second in the third Test at Lord's, after getting a thick top-edge while attempting to pull a short delivery, resulting in a simple catch for Jamie Smith. read more Yashasvi Jaiswal walks back to the dressing room as Jofra Archer celebrates with teammates after dismissing the Indian opener on Day 4 of the third Test at Lord's. Reuters India were off to a shaky start in their chase of the 193-run target set by England on Day 4 of the third Test at Lord's, losing the wicket of Yashasvi Jaiswal in just the second over. And it was Jofra Archer, making a Test comeback after more than four years, who got rid of the southpaw in both innings at the 'Home of Cricket'. Jaiswal, however, copped a fair bit of criticism for the manner in which he was dismissed after India bowled England out for 192 after tea. Jaiswal, after all, got a thick top-edge while attempting to pull a short delivery in the Barbadian-born pacer's first over of the day. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Jaiswal faces barrage of criticism over shot-selection during run chase at Lord's Jaiswal was off to a rapid start on the second day, collecting three boundaries before getting caught-behind off Archer's bowling in the latter's first over in Test cricket since February 2021. Two days later, the southpaw perished early when India needed a strong start to their chase of the 193-run target – which appeared modest initially, but would soon to be a tricky one. Here's how social media reacted to Jaiswal's dismissal: Still pissed about that rubbish shot by Jaiswal. Totally dumb. — Gabbar (@GabbbarSingh) July 13, 2025 Jaiswal used to to be tempramentally strong character but since start of nz series he has thrown his wicket multiple times — Vishal (@Fanpointofviews) July 13, 2025 That shot requires questions and answers. There is daft cricket then there's kamikaze Bazball then there's unmentionable stuff and then there's that shot by Jaiswal. No excuses. — Nikhil Mehra (@TweetinderKaul) July 13, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Does Jaiswal have an understanding of terms like 'game-state' No pressure No rain predicted All the time in the world to bat without taking risks What is the need to play that garbage shot? Add that to him being the worst close-in fielder in my recollection in recent times… — atul kasbekar (@atulkasbekar) July 13, 2025 That is Bazball level stupidity from Yashasvi Jaiswal. — Zucker Doctor (@DoctorLFC) July 13, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Karun Nair had forged a steady partnership with Rahul after Jaiswal's dismissal, adding 36 runs for the second wicket and appearing set to see off the remaining overs when he was hit plumb on the pad by an inswinging delivery from Brydon Carse while shaping for what would prove to be a misjudged leave. India were in deep trouble thereafter as Carse would inflict an even bigger blow on India's hopes by dismissing the in-form Shubman Gill in his following over, also trapping him leg-before with the Indian captain burning a review on his way to the pavilion. England captain Ben Stokes would then castle nightwatchman Akash Deep at the stroke of stumps to reduce India to 58/4.
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First Post
06-07-2025
- Sport
- First Post
England include Gus Atkinson in squad for Lord's Test immediately getting outplayed by India at Edgbaston
Gus Atkinson, who has quickly established himself as a first-choice pacer in the Test format since making his debut at Lord's last year, has not played since the one-off Test against Zimbabwe in May, where he had suffered a hamstring injury. read more Gus Atkinson has not played any cricket since England's innings victory in the one-off Test against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge in May. Reuters England shored up their pace attack for the third Test against India at Lord's by adding Gus Atkinson to the squad. The announcement from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) came shortly after Ben Stokes' men suffered a 336-run thrashing at Edgbaston that helped the visitors level the five-match series with three matches to go. 'Welcome, Gus. We've made one addition to our Test squad for Lord's,' the ECB wrote in a post on X confirming the Surrey pacer's addition to the squad less than an hour after India collected their maiden victory at Edgbaston by bundling England out for 271 on the final day after setting them a mammoth 608 to win. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD NEWS: Gus Atkinson has been added to the England Test squad for this week's match at Lord's. 🙌 Great to see you back, Gussy. 🤎 | #SurreyCricket — Surrey Cricket (@surreycricket) July 6, 2025 Atkinson has not played since the one-off Test against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge, Nottingham in May – where he suffered a hamstring injury that ruled him out of the subsequent ODI series against West Indies. The 27-year-old has quickly established himself as a first-choice pacer for England since collecting 7/45 and 5/61 on debut against West Indies at Lord's last year, the match also marking James Anderson's 188th and final Test appearance. And captain Stokes as well as head coach Brendon McCullum will be delighted to have him back in action after getting smashed for more than a thousand runs at Edgbaston, where India captain Shubman Gill alone scored a combined 430 (269 and 161) across both innings. England had earlier included Jofra Archer in the squad days after going 1-0 up in the five-match series with a five-wicket victory at Headingley, but decided against drafting the Barbadian-born pacer into the XI right away. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Archer's appearance in the recent Sussex-Durham County game was his first in First-Class cricket since May 2021, which might have been the reason behind England sticking to their winning combination for the second Test. However, the team is more than likely to make changes after the sound thrashing in Birmingham and it remains to be seen if both Atkinson and Archer are included in the playing XI in order to stop Gill, who's in red-hot form at the moment, and the rest of the Indian batting order. England squad for the third Test at Lords': Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (c), Jamie Smith (wk), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Sam James Cook, Jamie Overton, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson
Irish Daily Mirror
02-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
I went to Barbados for cricket but fell in love with a sport I'd never heard of
Winding through rush-hour traffic in Bridgetown, our driver points to some markings scratched into the surface of a quiet side street. 'That's an old road tennis court,' he says of the faded lines, partially hidden under the wheels of a parked car. We are on our way from the Kensington Oval, where the West Indies have just posted a productive day's work against Australia, to the Garfield Sobers Gymnasium, a sprawling multi-sports complex located south of Barbados's capital city, to see a modern version of this indigenous sport. As we drive into the complex, named after the Barbadian-born cricket legend, we pass the Barbados Aquatic Centre, the Football Association and Olympic HQs. Eventually we arrive at a row of courts, all of similar dimensions to the one crudely scrawled into the Bridgetown tarmac - 21x10 feet. However, these are marked with straight lines, they are immaculately painted and maintained, and have a solid divider, a 'net', rising eight inches above the ground, bisecting each court. On one, a group of teens play volleyball. They're handy enough, but it's easy to spike the ball when the net is less than a foot tall. Next to them, two locals are deep into a game of road tennis and the shots are played with a mix of power and finesse. It's hard-court tennis meets table tennis, with most of the action at ankle height. There is a clear hierarchy here. Whenever the volleyball bounces onto the neighbouring court, one of the youngsters will race over apologetically to retrieve it. Whenever the de-fuzzed tennis ball lands between the teens, they stop their game to ensure its safe return. The sport has been passed down from generation to generation and is still played on most residential streets, on crudely drawn courts by folk of all ages and abilities. According to 'Road Tennis was born from the passion of impoverished communities to play a sport that mirrored lawn tennis or table tennis. In the early years, lawn tennis was not affordable for most Barbadians, and so resourceful Bajans created something of their own.' Back to the Gymnasium and one contestant steps out to allow the next in line a turn, in a winner-stays-on format. He is asked by Fitter Happier for a lowdown on the sport. It turns out that Kerry Harewood is the maintenance officer with the Barbados National Sports Council, and that one of his duties is to oversee a team that travels the island marking out and painting road tennis courts. He tells us: 'I grew up seeing the older gentlemen playing road tennis. Before it got to this stage, with the painted court, it was basically an outline on the road. I started on the road at home with rough markings. We used to use rocks to mark out the lines.' Serves, as in table tennis, must bounce on the server's side first, before clearing the net and bouncing in the opponent's half. 'It's like table-tennis, but on the ground,' Harewood continues. 'The points are the same too - you have five points to serve and then the opponent serves for five points, and you go to 21. 'The net is eight inches off the ground and the racket is roughly the same - eight inches in diameter. 'Before (the size) was regularised, guys used to come out with rackets maybe 12 inches wide and all different types of shapes. Now it doesn't have to be circular in shape, but it has to fit into a regulation square. If it fits, then it's legal.' Once a casual street game - its history draws parallels with road bowling in Ireland - there are now tournaments with decent cash prizes. 'It started as a little bit of fun, a Bajan sport, some exercise to get fit,' says Harewood. 'But now there is some money in it. You could win $5,000 (€2,100) or $10,000 (€4,200), or more. 'We have the BRTA, the Barbados Road Tennis Association. There was a tour to Dubai, a couple of tours where some of our veterans and young guys have gone to promote the sport.' The highlight of our trip to the Caribbean is supposed to be the day at the Windies-Australia test, but a late decision to make a detour and find some road tennis action turns that on its head as we are handed a wooden racket and given an opportunity to see for ourselves why this sport is so popular across Barbados. Our opponent, who had been showcasing an array of dizzying spin shots and fearsome smashes, takes it handy as we knock the ball back and forth. We are not the first travelling writer to fall in love with the sport of road tennis, as evidenced by this piece from 2019, profiling the country's top star Mark 'Venom' Griffith. It's well worth a few minutes of your day and captures the sport in its rawest form. And that's how Harewood began playing the game, on the road outside his childhood home. He recalls how the slope meant that for one competitor there would often be a long chase to retrieve a wayward shot or a well-struck smash. From those humble beginnings, he says: 'I would love the sport to grow internationally. 'You have got a lot of youngsters, both male and female, playing road tennis. There are a lot of tournaments taking place around Barbados. 'Sometimes you see tourists passing a game and coming over and asking, what's this called? 'Some of them take pictures, sit down and watch, or even get involved. They ask for a racket so they can try it themselves. 'I would love for road tennis to become an international sport, because it could give youngsters here opportunities, something to strive for, and it would put Barbados more on the map.' # Mark McCadden was invited to Barbados by the BTMI (Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc) to sample some of the country's cultural and sporting highlights.
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First Post
26-06-2025
- Sport
- First Post
Jofra Archer set for Test return after getting included in England's squad for Edgbaston showdown against India
Jofra Archer had last played Test cricket during England's tour of India in early 2021, and the injury-prone pacer had recently made his return to First-Class cricket after four years during a County game between Sussex and Durham. read more England pacer Jofra Archer has played a total of 13 Tests till date, collecting 42 wickets at an average of 31.04. Reuters There was more good news in store for England after their five-wicket victory over India at Headingley, with express pacer Jofra Archer getting added to their bowling lineup ahead of the second Test that gets underway at Edgbaston on 2 July. The 30-year-old pacer thus is set to make his first Test appearance since February 2021. Archer, in fact, had not played any form of red-ball cricket since May 2021, three months after England's tour of India in which they lost the series 1-3 despite winning the opening game. The Barbadian-born quick, who has 42 wickets from 13 Test appearances at an average of 31.04, had recently made his First-Class return for Sussex in their County Championship Division One match against Durham collecting 1/32 and scoring 31. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Archer's inclusion bolsters a pace department that had faced criticism for a lacklustre display on the opening day of the first Test against India, in which the visitors had reached a dominant 359/3 at close of play thanks to centuries from Yashasvi Jaiswal and skipper Shubman Gill. Skipper Ben Stokes as well as the pace trio of Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue and Chris Woakes, however, would trigger two Indian collapses in the next three days to give themselves a fighting chance of going 1-0 up in the five-match series. England opt against making any other changes Archer's inclusion in the only change made to the England squad for the series opener against India in Leeds, where Ben Duckett's sublime 149 in the second innings helped Stokes and Co chase down a challenging target of 371, registering their second-highest chase in the Test format. India, meanwhile, have opted to release Harshit Rana from the Test squad ahead of the second Test in Birmingham, where they will be eyeing a series-leveling victory after suffering a defeat in Leeds despite finding themselves in dominant positions at multiple points. England squad for the second Test against India: Ben Stokes (capt), Jofra Archer, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Sam Cook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue, Chris Woakes.
