Category: CANA News

In a gut-wrenching finish that left the Kensington Oval crowd stunned, the West Indies crashed to a one-wicket defeat against New Zealand in the fourth ODI on Sunday, surrendering the series 3-1 with just one match left to play.

Chasing a modest target of 189, the Black Caps were pushed to the absolute limit, eventually scrambling to 189-9 in 44.1 overs.

While the result was a bitter pill to swallow, it was West Indies left-hander Amir Jangoo who provided the lone bright spot with the bat, crafting a gritty 51 in a total that ultimately proved insufficient.

Speaking to the media after the match, Jangoo’s voice carried the weight of a man who knows what might have been. While personally satisfied with his contribution, the pain of defeat was evident.

“Yeah, I think I’m pretty pleased with my performance. But having said that, I would have liked for it to be in a winning cause,” Jangoo reflected. “Very difficult result. Tough pill to swallow. But yeah, it just wasn’t good enough on the day. So just have to keep going.”

The defeat carries significant ramifications for the West Indies’ long-term ambitions. With the World Cup qualifiers looming, the loss in Barbados represents a missed opportunity to level the series and build crucial momentum. Jangoo acknowledged the high stakes, but insisted the dressing room is not lacking in quality.

“We know how much was at stake here for this game,” he admitted. “It’s all about understanding where we went wrong and knowing the quality that we have in our team. So, I think going forward, we know what we have to work on, and for the qualifiers, we’ll be ready.”

If there was one department where the West Indies could hold their heads high, it was with the ball. Left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie produced a sensational spell, claiming 5-47 to drag his side back into the contest when victory seemed assured for New Zealand.

Jangoo was effusive in his praise for the bowling unit, which almost defended what appeared to be a below-par total.

“Yeah, I think we can never question our bowlers at all. They gave heart and soul for the team,” Jangoo stated. “So good to see Gudakesh get those five wickets. [Alzarri] Joseph bowled some serious pace today. And the kind of quality that this team has, I think we don’t deserve to be going to the qualifiers. It’s just that that’s the position that we’re in.”

With one game remaining in the series, the immediate future is about pride. Despite the series defeat, Jangoo called on his teammates to channel the energy of the passionate Bajan supporters and finish the tour on a winning note.

“Yeah, we have one more game of cricket to play. We got some amazing support from the Bajan supporters today, so I think we have to come out, play with pride, and even get a win just to end the series on a high,” he concluded.

The fifth and final ODI will be played on Tuesday, where the West Indies will look to salvage some respectability against a New Zealand side that has shown superior composure in the tight moments.

The death toll from last weekend’s boating tragedy has risen to 10, after eight bodies were discovered on Monday as teams continue the grim task of searching and retrieving bodies.

A statement issued by the Guyana government said that the ongoing search-and-rescue operation involving the MV Barima is ongoing and that “by 12:35 pm (local time), eight bodies had been recovered during today’s operation, bringing the total number of confirmed bodies recovered since the incident to 10.

“The identification process includes the involvement of relatives and will be done at the Suddie Hospital. The Government remains fully committed to the operation and continues to deploy all available resources to locate and account for every person who was aboard the MV Barima at the time of the tragic incident,” the brief statement added.

Tragedy struck on Saturday night when the MV Barima with more than 133 people on board capsized after after apparently being hit by a big wave as it made its way from Georgetown to Port Kaituma, a small village within the Barima-Waini administrative region of the country. The authorities said 67 people have so far been rescued.

The passenger and cargo ferry capsized approximately seven miles offshore near the mouth of the Pomeroon River while en route to the North West District.

The vessel’s captain and first engineer have been arrested after both tested positive for narcotics.

The search operations continue for at least 70 other people still missing and feared dead with the authorities confirming that a number of individuals who were rescued were not listed on the vessel’s official manifest.

President Irfaan Ali, who cut short a visit to Canada on Sunday night, said he met on Monday with “our brothers and sisters who were rescued, as well as the families of those affected by the MV Barima tragedy.

“I also visited survivors receiving medical care at the Mabaruma Hospital. We will continue to work closely with every affected family, providing the necessary support and assistance during this difficult period,” he said in a post on his official Facebook page.

The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre said that it deployed 13 assets from first light on Monday and has wince released the names of those rescued.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Public Works Bishop Juan Edghill has dismissed claims that the MV Barima was unseaworthy, saying that the vessel was operating within its routine maintenance schedule and was due for planned dry docking later this year.

Edghill said the ferry was last dry docked in 2024 and was scheduled to undergo its next dry docking during the latter half of 2026, alongside the MV Malali and MV Hercules, dismissing reports circulating publicly suggesting the vessel had been declared unfit for service.

Edghill has told distressed families that vessels with scanners and divers have been deployed and would enable the rescue teams to search for any life in the water instead of solely depending on eyesight or listening for calls. These vessels have been borrowed from private operators. Divers are also part of the search.

“Because we know how emotional this is, we’ve deployed a number of divers who have gone to the site of the vessel to actually go into the vessel because in our rescue efforts we must leave no stone unturned,” Edghill said.

The vessel’s captain and first engineer have been arrested after both tested positive for narcotics.

Meanwhile, the authorities say they are investigating a report made by a fisherman regarding the possible location of the sunken MV Barima. The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre said based on that information it “immediately directed all assets engaged in the search and rescue/ recovery operation to the identified location to verify the reported sighting.

“Further information will be provided once the sighting has been confirmed and the responding teams have completed their initial assessment,” it added.

A 15-member team from the French Armed Forces in French Guiana has since arrived in Essequibo to assist with ongoing search, rescue, and recovery operations. Led by Lieutenant Commander Alexis Touboul, the team includes 12 specialist divers, two medics, and one mechanic.

West Indies Select XI, replying to Pakistan’s 455-5 declared, reached 268 for eight at the close of play on the third day of their four-day warm-up match at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy here on Monday.

PAKISTAN 455-4 dec in 136.5 overs (Azan Awais 100 retired hurt, Babar Azam 100 retired hurt, Shan Masood 70, Abdullah Fazal 50 retired hurt, Salman Ali Agha 46, Muhammad Rizwan 44 not out, Aamir Jamal 22, Imam-ul-Haq 10; Ryan Bandoo 2-86).

WEST INDIES XI 268-8 in 84 overs (Kavem Hodge 92, Tagenarine Chanderpaul 51, Jyd Goolie 44 not out; Mohammad Ali 3-36, Aamir Jamal 2-33, Ali Usman 2-62)

A Jamaican woman is to be handed over to the Department of Immigration after completing her court ordered fine and or sentencing after she was found guilty of injuring her ex-boyfriend by hitting him in the head with a hammer during a fight in which she claimed he stabbed her.

Deputy Chief Magistrate Shaka Serville, said that while the offence carried a maximum sentence of one year in prison, he fined 18-year-old Melissa Coke, US$500 or three months’ imprisonment.

The court heard that Coke reportedly injured Keano Rolle during a fight at their residence on July 8. She said Coke took his phone during an argument before the dispute escalated and even though she pleaded guilty to causing harm, she claimed she acted in self-defence.

Coke alleged that Rolle stabbed and struck her during the same altercation.

Magistrate Serville noted that Rolle is also before the court in connection with the incident and referred to the extreme provocation Coke endured. However, he said he wanted the sentence to deter similar incidents.

The court also riulerd that after paying the fine or completing the prison term, Coke will be handed over to the Department of Immigration.

The Guyana government Monday confirmed that the location of the MV Barima, which sunk after capsizing on Saturday night with more than 133 people on board.

“The potential location was identified at 13:31 hours (local time) today by fisherman Haresh Singh, who had earlier assisted in rescue efforts yesterday,” the brief government statement said, adding that “support from local fisherfolk, along with the privately owned vessel, Gilligan Island, has been of great assistance in confirming the location of the vessel”.

The statement said that “full recovery mode is being pursued” and that the French government has provided support in the form of 15 divers, who have since joined the local team of divers at the site.

“Bodies recovered will be taken to Charity for processing by health and police authorities. Relatives will be invited to identify the bodies at the Suddie Hospital,” the statement said.

Earlier, the government announced that the death toll from last weekend’s boating tragedy had risen to 10, after eight bodies were discovered on Monday.

“The identification process includes the involvement of relatives and will be done at the Suddie Hospital. The Government remains fully committed to the operation and continues to deploy all available resources to locate and account for every person who was aboard the MV Barima at the time of the tragic incident,” the brief statement added.

Tragedy struck on Saturday night when the MV Barima capsized after apparently being hit by a big wave as it made its way from Georgetown to Port Kaituma, a small village within the Barima-Waini administrative region of the country. The authorities said 67 people have so far been rescued.

The vessel’s captain and first engineer have been arrested after both tested positive for narcotics. The search operations continue for at least 70 other people still missing and feared dead with the authorities confirming that a number of individuals who were rescued were not listed on the vessel’s official manifest.

President Irfaan Ali,who cut short a visit to Canada on Sunday night, said he met on Monday with “our brothers and sisters who were rescued, as well as the families of those affected by the MV Barima tragedy.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Public Works Bishop Juan Edghill has dismissed claims that the MV Barima was unseaworthy, saying that the vessel was operating within its routine maintenance schedule and was due for planned dry docking later this year.

Six Jamaican resorts have been named among the Caribbean’s top 25 resorts in the 2026 Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards, with Tensing Pen in the western tourist resort town of Negril earning the No. 2 spot overall.

The annual readers’ choice awards recognised resorts across the resort towns of Negril, Ocho Rios, Montego Bay and Treasure Beach, with Jamaica accounting for nearly a quarter of the region’s top-ranked properties.

The Jamaican resorts featured on the list are Tensing Pen (No. 2), Jamaica Inn (No. 8), Rockhouse Hotel and Spa (No. 12), Round Hill Hotel and Villas (No. 15), Jakes Hotel, Villas and Spa (No. 18) and Skylark Negril Beach Resort (No. 20).

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett welcomed the recognition, describing it as a reflection of the quality of Jamaica’s tourism product and the dedication of the country’s hospitality sector.

He said having six resorts ranked among the Caribbean’s best highlights the exceptional service and experiences that continue to attract visitors to the island.

Director of Tourism Donovan White said the rankings reinforce Jamaica’s strong appeal among international travellers.

The Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards are based on readers’ surveys evaluating hotels and resorts on criteria including accommodation, facilities, location, service, dining and overall value.

West Indies captain Shai Hope is hoping that the death of the legendary Sir Garfield Sobers inspires his troops to victory in their One Day International series against New Zealand.

Sir Garry, one of Barbados’ National Heroes and widely regarded as the best cricketer the world has ever seen, passed away on Friday at the age of 89.

In 93 Test matches for the West Indies between 1954 and 1974, Sir Garry scored 8032 runs at an average of 57.78 and also took 235 wickets.

With the West Indies needing to win the final two matches of the series at Kensington Oval to overturn a 2-1 deficit into a series victory, Hope said while Sir Garry’s death had created a sombre mood in the camp, he was counting on it to serve as a motivator for the regional side.

“It is a sad one. He has shown what West Indies cricket really means. He’s one of the first legends of the game and really set and paved the way for us all, so I think tomorrow should be a big inspiration for us, a big confidence booster for us.

“I’m not saying that we’re looking at the death to only rise us, but we need to play this one for the great man and hopefully we can get the results that we really want in his honour as well,” Hope said during a pre-match interview on Saturday.

He said winning the remaining two games was also crucial in their bid to secure automatic qualification for the 2027 World Cup

“It’s very important and something we’ve been mentioning for the last few series now is that every single game is very important, especially for what’s at stake. We’ve got a big qualification period, I think these games hold a bit more weight, probably a bit more than the others.

“But we’ve still got to play each game as it comes, we have to ensure that we’re following all of our processes and executing when the time comes,” Hope said.

Unlike the previous three matches in Guyana, the captain said he expected a pitch which would be much easier to bat on.

However, he emphasised that regardless of the conditions, the West Indies needed to adapt quickly and be at its best.

“It [the pitch] doesn’t look as though it’s going to be as slow and low, but again, the adaptation needs to happen when the toss flips and when the first ball is bowled.

“We still have to see what’s going to happen. We have a better understanding of the surface here in Barbados, but regardless of how we think it’s going to play, we still have to assess on the day and be ready for whatever challenges we face from an opposition standpoint and from a condition standpoint as well,” Hope said.

Two Haitian nationals are in custody after they were picked up hours after arriving by boat in the central parish of St. Catherine on Thursday.

According to Senior Superintendent Leighton Grey, of the St Catherine police, the men were found hiding in bushes and the authorities have been contacted as investigations continue into reports that the men were part of a larger group of Haitians, including women and children, that was spotted in a boat.

The Haitian men told the police that Jamaica was not their destination.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that the small vessel had left Haiti, destined to the United States of America, but as they go along, they develop difficulties along the way. The fact that the police was quick on the scene as they approached, it was only two males that disembarked the vessel, as they had left to seek food for the other persons,” Grey noted.

It is unclear whether the other Haitian nationals disembarked the vessel.

Grey said neither the Haitians nor the boat was seen during a further search of along the coastline.

Julien Alfred beat Olympic 200m champion Gabby Thomas for the second time in a week on her way to setting a new meet record at the London Diamond League here on Friday.

The reigning Saint Lucian Olympic 100m champ blazed across the finish line in 21.66 seconds, relegating the American to second in 21.81 seconds, while Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas claimed the third spot in 22.24.

Alfred’s time broke her own meet record of 21.71 seconds, which she set at the event last year.

“I am happy I won one [a race] again. I am healthy, so I couldn’t be happier. Right now, I am in a good place mentally and physically,” Alfred said after the race.

“I’m not going to lie, I didn’t want to run today, but my coach was like, ‘It is our last race for a while, we can go home and get to Saint Lucia, too’. I am here, I did it and I won, so I am very happy with how it went today.”

Results of the fourth round of matches in the CWI Rising Stars Under-19 Men’s 50-over Championship here on Saturday.

At Pigotts Sports Ground: Barbados defeated Trinidad and Tobago by six wickets.

T and T 141 in 37.1 overs (Christian Lall 54, Levi Ghanny 25, Brendan Boodoo 22; Rajeev Parsooram 5-35, Justin Parris 2-9, Raphael Lovell 2-21).

BARBADOS 142-4 in 31.1 overs (Seth Smith 40 not out, Jordan Graham 37, Justin Parris 27 not out, Kemar Dixon 23; Renaldo Fournillier 2-20).

At Bethesda Sports Ground: Jamaica defeated Windward Islands by 113 runs.

JAMAICA 252-3 in 50 overs (Tyson Gordon Jr 102 not out, Odane Binns 55, Demarco Scott 52 not out, Pajay Nelson 16).

WINDWARD ISLANDS 139 in 25.3 overs (Cody Fontinelle 47, Aiden Burton 38, Johnathan Daniel 18, Earsinho Fontaine 12; Perico Henry 4-28, Joel Williams 2-25).

At Liberta Sports Club: Guyana defeated Leeward Islands by 121 runs.

GUYANA 272 in 47.1 overs (Parmeshwar Ram 79, Adrian Hetmyer 76, Emmanuel Lewis 42, Dhanesh Persaud 10; Matthew Miller 4-45, Kerique Mentore 2-51).

LEEWARD ISLANDS 151 in 37.4 overs (Kunal Tilokani 37, Lawshorn Bergan 31 not out, J’Quan Athanaze 22, Jathan Edward 17, Rondre Daniel 11; Dhanesh Persaud 4-31, Gilbert Griffith 3-29, Parmeshwar Ram 2-32).