Category: CANA News

West Indies Women’s skipper Hayley Matthews turned in her best-ever bowling figures at a World Cup to set up her side’s comfortable five-wicket victory over Sri Lanka here on Sunday and remain unbeaten at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.

Opening the bowling, Matthews grabbed three wickets in her first two overs and Sri Lanka never recovered to be eventually bowled out for 98 in 19.4 overs after being sent in to bat at County Ground.

The Windies weren’t the most clinical in their run chase, but aided by some shoddy fielding by their opponents they romped to 99 for five with 23 balls remaining to register their third win in as many matches.

Matthews began her destructive spell of spin bowling in the first over of the match by stretching to hold on to a spectacular left-handed return catch to dismiss Vishmi Gunaratne with two runs on the board.

And in her next over, she bowled Sri Lanka’s captain Chamari Athapaththu for two and had Harshitha Samarawickrama caught at point in the space of three deliveries to see them slump to nine for three.

Imesha Dulani scored three boundaries in her knock of 17, but perished after picking out Jannillea Glasgow at mid-on as she tried to hit pacer Chinelle Henry over the infield to make the score 23 for four in the sixth over. Kavisha Dilhari and Nilakshika Silva briefly stemmed the flow of wickets during a 34-run partnership, but once pacer Aaliyah Alleyne held on to a return catch to dismiss Dilhari for 21, normalcy returned as two balls later Kaushini Nuthyangana was trapped lbw by Ashmini Munisar for a duck, as Sri Lanka slipped to 58 for six.

With the score 81 for six, Silva, who topscored with 30 off 26 balls, hit a delivery from Afy Fletcher straight down the throat of Deandra Dottin at deep backward square and Sri Lanka’s innings capitulated quickly thereafter, as they lost their last four wickets for 17 runs.

Player-of-the-Match Matthews finished with 3-15, while Karishma Ramharack took 2-15.

Faced with a straightforward run chase, Matthews and Dottin put on 28 runs in four overs, before the former was run out for 17 by a direct hit from Silva at mid-on attempting a run that was never on.

Dottin’s struggles with the bat at the World Cup continued when she was dismissed by Nimasha Meepage after scoring just 12 from 16 balls to make the score 36 for two.

Shemaine Campbelle was dropped by wicketkeeper Nimasha Meepage on a duck, but the missed chance didn’t prove costly as she was dismissed for four by Athapaththu.

However, veteran Stafanie Taylor anchored the innings in an unbeaten knock of 27 off 25 balls, and despite losing the wickets of Jahzara Claxton for six and Henry for a duck to be 70 for five, the West Indies Women were never in serious danger of losing the contest.

Taylor found a reliable partner in Glasgow, with the two sharing an unbroken partnership of 29 to see their side over the line.

They will face fellow unbeaten side England in a top-of-the-table clash at Lord’s on Wednesday.

Sri Lanka Women reached 98 in 19.4 overs against the West Indies in the 17th match of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup at County Ground here on Sunday.

SRI LANKA WOMEN 98 in 19.4 overs (Nilakshika Silva 30, Kavisha Dilhari 21, Imesha Dulani 17, Kawya Kavindi 17; Hayley Matthews 3-15, Karishma Ramharack 2-15).

Kieron Pollard is now the highest run scorer in T20 cricket after passing his former West Indies teammate Chris Gayle while competing in Major League Cricket (MLC) on Saturday.

The 39-year-old scored an unbeaten, even century for MI New York in a losing cause against the Washington Freedom at Grand Prairie Stadium.

Pollard reached the milestone in spectacular fashion by launching Asif Mehmood over long-off for six to go from 79 to 85 and carry his tally to 14,567 runs, overtaking Gayle’s 12-year record of 14, 562 runs in the process.

His unbeaten century – his second in T20s – carried him to 14, 582 runs in his 736th match at a strike rate of 151.12.

Only 22 of Pollard’s 653 T20 innings have come from higher than No. 4, while 286 innings have come while batting at 6 and 7 combined. Speaking on his achievement, Pollard said he was honoured to have broken the record as a middle-order batsman.

He said surpassing Gayle, widely known as the ‘Universe Boss’, was a special feeling.

‘Surpassing Chris Gayle, someone we looked up to in the West Indies over a period of time, is special. He has done great things in all formats of cricket, so again, sorry Universe Boss, but we are both at the top there.

‘Having said that, batting at No. 6 or 7 is very difficult. Somebody needs to do the dirty work, though, and while everyone rushes to bat at the top of the order, a cricket match involves 11 people, and everyone has a role to play,’ Pollard said.

‘I guess my role over time was to finish matches, and I embraced that. Once you embrace the challenge and practice for it, good things come.’

Pollard said while milestones had been far from his mind when he started, there was satisfaction in seeing how T20 had changed the sport after the likes of himself, Gayle and Dwayne Bravo faced ‘ridicule’ for opting to prioritise the format.

‘I’d be lying if I said that [scoring this number of runs was on my mind]. But what I’m proud of, individually and with all those other guys like Chris, is that we took a leap of faith and we got ridiculed a lot for it,’ Pollard said.

‘Now you live to see guys at a young age even retiring from international cricket to play franchise cricket because again cricket is not just a sport anymore; it’s a business.

‘One thing I’ve understood in life about human beings is that when you do something different, change is something we’re not really accustomed to. I’m happy that I’ve lived the day to see it, and I hope everyone who criticised us over the years can sit back and say, ‘Cheers’. We don’t need a sorry. Respect each and every format of the game, but understand that just like technology, everything is changing,’ he added.

Former police commissioner Gary Griffith on Saturday accused the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) of selectively enforcing the law and relying on ‘colonial-era’ legislation to justify the arrest of activist Alyssa Phillip and her mother during a Labour Day procession in Fyzabad on Friday.

Phillip, who has been leading a series of protests calling for justice in the January police-involved shooting death of Joshua Samaroo, and her mother, Camille Caresquero, were detained during the annual Labour Day march and subsequently charged by police.

The TTPS has defended the arrests, saying in a statement on Saturday that Phillip and a small group accompanying her were not part of the authorised procession and had attempted to participate in what police described as an unlawful march.

In a lengthy statement also released on Saturday, Griffith said the police service was relying on ‘the narrowest possible reading of the law’ while ignoring ‘common sense, decades of precedent, the nature of Labour Day, and the very purpose for which permission for public marches is required in the first place.’

‘The arrest of Alyssa Phillip and her mother on Labour Day is a slap in the face to the post-colonial struggle of every citizen,’ Griffith said.

He argued that the group had not created any additional burden for law enforcement since they joined the existing Labour Day march along the same route where police officers were already deployed and traffic arrangements were already in place.

‘So how exactly did this small group endanger public safety? How did they affect traffic? How did they threaten national security? How did they disrupt the march? How did they place the public at risk?

‘The answer is simple: they did not,’ Griffith said.

The former police commissioner questioned why Phillip’s group had been singled out, noting that Labour Day marches have traditionally included multiple organisations, activists and members of the public participating under a single umbrella.

‘So the real question is this: why Alyssa Phillip?’ he said.

‘That is why this incident appears to be selective enforcement. That is why it appears to be profiling. That is why it appears to be pettiness. That is why it appears to be an attempt by those in authority to show, ‘I am the big boy, and I will show you who is boss.”

Griffith said the police service’s claim that the arrests were necessary to protect the ‘sanctity’ of the Labour Day procession was inconsistent with the history of the event.

‘Labour Day was born out of struggle, protest, resistance, workers’ rights and the fight against oppression. To arrest citizens who sought to peacefully participate in a Labour Day march, and then claim that this was done to protect the sanctity of Labour Day, is to insult the very history of the event,’ he said.

Griffith also criticised what he described as the continued use of outdated public order laws, arguing that police officers should exercise discretion when dealing with peaceful demonstrations.

‘The TTPS cannot continue to use outdated, colonial-style laws as tools to suppress citizens,’ he said.

Drawing on his own experience as commissioner of police, Griffith recalled a Black Lives Matter protest outside the United States Embassy that proceeded without the required approval.

‘Instead, I walked among them. I listened to their concerns. I engaged them respectfully. I assured them that what had taken place in the United States would not be allowed to happen here. The matter was defused because people were treated with respect.

‘That is leadership,’ he said.

Griffith said the charges of resisting arrest and disorderly conduct would ultimately be matters for the courts, but maintained that the justification for treating Phillip’s participation in the Labour Day event as an unlawful march was ‘weak, selective and dangerous’.

He called on the TTPS to explain why Phillip’s group was targeted and whether every other organisation, union, political figure, non-governmental organisation and individual participating in the Labour Day procession had obtained separate permission from the Commissioner of Police.

‘If they did not, then this was selective enforcement.

‘And selective enforcement is injustice,’ Griffith said.

According to the TTPS, Phillip was charged with being a leader of a march and failing to call on it to disperse, disorderly behaviour and resisting arrest. Caresquero was charged with being present at a march and failing to disperse, obstructing a police officer and resisting arrest.

Police have maintained that officers acted lawfully under the Summary Offences Act after Phillip allegedly refused instructions to disperse from what the TTPS described as an unauthorised procession attached to the permitted Labour Day march.

President Irfaan Ali has announced plans for the creation of a national mining consortium that would allow miners and ordinary citizens to participate collectively in large-scale mining ventures through a locally owned company.

Ali outlined the proposal on Friday during the commissioning of a new Citizens Bank branch in Bartica, saying the initiative forms part of broader efforts to expand financial inclusion and increase public participation in key sectors of the economy.

Under the proposed model, small, medium and large-scale miners would join with members of the public to establish a national mining company capable of competing internationally. ‘We’re going to come together, create a consortium, buy the best technology, do all of the technical work, and move towards creating a world-class mining company owned by Guyanese, built by Guyanese, in which every citizen now broadens financial participation,’ Ali said.

The Guyanese leader said the initiative is aimed at ensuring citizens retain greater ownership of the country’s mineral resources and benefit more directly from opportunities in the sector.

‘Instead of having large miners from around the world taking up the large-scale opportunity, we are going to build this national mining company together,’ he said.

Ali linked the proposal to wider efforts by the government to transform the country’s financial architecture and create new avenues for investment and wealth creation.

He said several initiatives are being considered, including the establishment of a junior stock exchange, the creation of a Guyana Development Bank, investment opportunities tied to agriculture, infrastructure and industrial projects, and deeper collaboration between government and commercial banks.

According to the president, discussions have been ongoing with the banking sector over the past year to develop systems that support broader financial participation.

He also disclosed that talks are underway with Citizens Bank on the establishment of a Development Bank desk and an electronic identification support desk aimed at improving access to services for residents of Region Seven.

Ali said financial inclusion must extend beyond access to banking services and create opportunities for citizens to invest and build wealth.

‘Financial independence is not only financial access, it is the independence to invest in your own idea, support your own idea and embrace your own idea,’ he said.

The president said the long-term objective is to develop new investment vehicles that would enable Guyanese families to become shareholders in sectors that have traditionally been accessible only to larger investors, while broadening economic participation across the country.

Ailsa Lister of Scotland has been reprimanded after admitting to breaching Level 1 of the ICC Code of Conduct during their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup match against West Indies Women on Thursday.

Lister was found to have breached Article 2.2 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to ‘abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during an international match.’ The incident occurred in the 19th over of Scotland’s innings when, after being dismissed, Lister threw her bat and gloves on the ground as she left the field and then kicked and knocked over a bin next to the team dugout.

Lister admitted the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by GS Lakshmi of the Emirates ICC International Panel of Match Referees, so there was no need for a formal hearing.

Additionally, one demerit point has been added to her disciplinary record, for whom it was the first offence in a 24-month period.

On-field umpires Claire Polosak and Kerrin Klaaste, third umpire N. Janani and fourth umpire Nimali Perera levelled the charge.

Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand, a maximum penalty of 50 per cent of a player’s match fee, and one or two demerit points.

West Indians Jason Holder and Andre Fletcher scored crucial knocks as the Los Angeles Knight Riders began their 2026 Major League Cricket (MLC) campaign with a seven-wicket victory over the San Francisco Unicorns here on Friday.

In the rain-affected contest reduced to 14 overs a side, the Unicorns posted a competitive 150 for seven after being sent in to bat at Grand Prairie Stadium. They were led by Lhuan-dre-Pretorius’ 58 off 28 balls, which included five sixes and four fours, while captain Matthew Short made 30 off 20 balls.

Sunil Narine was the Knight Rider’s best bowler with 2-33.

Opener and Player-of-the-Match Colin Munro then struck an unbeaten 64 off 40 balls with six fours and four sixes to propel the Knight Riders to 154 for three with two balls remaining.

He shared an opening stand of 70 runs in six overs with Fletcher, who blasted 34 off 17 with three fours and two sixes and added 47 runs with Holder who bludgeoned 28 off 12 balls, in just three overs.

Jamaica’s Government has approved additional cement imports to address a shortage affecting the local construction sector, with Industry, Investment and Commerce Minister Senator Aubyn Hill saying the move is intended to ensure adequate supply as demand increases.

Caribbean Cement Company Limited (CCCL), Jamaica’s primary cement manufacturer, had reported production challenges linked to heavy rainfall affecting raw materials and operational adjustments associated with kiln expansion works.

The demand for cement also increased as persons began rebuilding following the passage of Hurricane Melissa.

Addressing a post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House, Hill said the Government gave importers the opportunity to supply the local market with additional cement.

‘We had to look at compounding average, annual growth rate and see how we project what cement demand will be,’ he said.

The minister said supply conditions have improved as Caribbean Cement has increased imports and new importers have begun establishing arrangements to meet demand.

‘We know that Caribbean Cement Company has imported a lot more [and] the new importers are out there setting up their arrangements. So, the shortage of cement has become much less of a subject. We know that the supply is here to meet that demand,’ Hill said.

He said the Government’s decision was based on projections of cement demand and the need to support continued activity in the construction sector.

Hill also noted that expected demand associated with construction projects under the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority (NARRA) is not included in the current import arrangements.

‘When NARRA comes in there is going to be a whole different calculation because big projects are going to need special amounts of cement, and after the projects [are completed] that demand will not be there. So, we have to put special arrangements in place… but it is not in this allocation of imports,’ he said.

The minister said separate arrangements would be required to address the needs of large-scale reconstruction projects once they begin.

Sri Lanka require 94 more runs with nine wickets remaining against a West Indies Select XI at the close of play on the third day of their four-day warmup match at the Coolidge Cricket Ground here on Saturday.

Scores

WEST INDIES SELECT XI 205 and 199 in 45.2 overs (Joshua Bishop 68, Ackeem Auguste 46, Keemo Paul 29, Kemol Savory 27; Asitha Fernando 3-27, Sonal Dinusha 3-42, Prabath Jayasuriya 3-70).

SRI LANKA 281 in 70.4 overs (Dinesh Chandimal 74, Nishan Madushka 46, Milan Rathnayake 41, Sonal Dinusha 36, Dhananjaya de Silva 34, Pasindu Sooriyabandara 14; Nial Smith 4-58, Keemo Paul 3-67, Alzarri Joseph 2-45) and 30-1 in eight overs (Nishan Madushka 24 not out).

Barbados has strengthened its role in regional public health with the formal designation of the Best-dos Santos Public Health Laboratory as a World Health Organization (WHO) and Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Collaborating Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Surveillance.

The designation was recognised during a ceremony at the laboratory’s Enmore Complex on Friday, where Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley described the achievement as a reflection of years of investment, technical excellence and regional cooperation. Mottley said collaboration among international organisations, local institutions and academic bodies would be critical in addressing the growing global threat posed by antimicrobial resistance.

‘I believe that the partnership between the international institutions, such as WHO and PAHO, with local institutions, with academic institutions, is at the core of our ability to be successful in this battle, and it is imperative that we use the language of our President: no retreat, no surrender,’ she said.

The Prime Minister said the designation recognised Barbados’ sustained commitment to strengthening public health capacity in the Caribbean and comes as countries seek to curb the growing impact of antimicrobial resistance.

‘We have committed, as a global community, at the United Nations General Assembly to be able to reduce the level of deaths from bacterial infection by 10 per cent,’ Mottley said.

‘We believe that it is through the actions that we are taking today that, in the good old tradition of the Barbadian proverb, one, one, blow is kill old cow, that we will achieve success globally.’

She added that Barbados was demonstrating its commitment through investment, training and policy reforms, saying the country was positioning itself as a model for small island developing states.

Director of the Best-dos Santos Public Health Laboratory, Dr Songee Beckles, said the designation affirmed the institution’s technical capabilities and international standards in antimicrobial resistance detection and surveillance.

‘In terms of our designation as a PAHO/WHO collaborative centre for AMR services and surveillance, it stamps our authority and shows the Caribbean, Barbados, and the wider international community that we are up to the quality standards that are required for AMR detection and surveillance,’ Beckles said.

PAHO/WHO Representative for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, Dr Amalia Del Riego, said the laboratory had for decades served as a regional hub for training, reference services and technical support.

She said health professionals from across the Caribbean had benefited from programmes hosted by the laboratory, returning to their countries with strengthened expertise in diagnostics, surveillance and public health response.

Del Riego noted that Barbados had consistently provided these services using its own resources, specialist expertise and laboratory facilities.

‘This is the true spirit of a PAHO Collaborating Centre,’ she said.

Minister of Health and Wellness Lisa Cummins said Barbados had long been at the forefront of efforts to address antimicrobial resistance and noted Mottley’s role as Chair of the Global Leaders Group on Antimicrobial Resistance.

Cummins said Barbados had contributed significantly to international efforts, including the adoption of the United Nations Political Declaration on AMR, initiatives to secure financing for national responses and the establishment of global targets for 2030.

‘Barbados has demonstrated both aspirational and inspirational leadership on antimicrobial resistance and many other public health issues,’ she said.

Mottley, Cummins, Beckles and Del Riego all congratulated the laboratory’s staff for their contribution to public health and their role in securing the designation.