Jamaica’s Kemarrio Bygrave and USVI’s Michelle Smith produced excellent performances to claim the respective Boys and Girls Under-20 800m titles on day three of the 51^st Carifta Games at the Kirani James Stadium in Grenada on Monday.

Bygrave led from start to finish to win the Boys final in 1:51.43 and complete the 800m, 1500m double.

Grenada's Deangelo Brown was second in 1:52.81 while Trinidad & Tobago's Keeran Sriskandarajah was third in 1:52.91.

In the Girls final, Smith bided her time before producing a spirited final lap to take the title in 2:06.18, just outside of the record 2:05.90 set back in 2008 by Natoya Goule.

This gold medal also completes a double for Smith as she took gold in the 400m hurdles on Sunday.

Haiti’s Victoria Guerrier ran 2:07.45 for silver while Jamaica’s Monique Stewart took bronze in 2:07.56.

The Under-17 Boys final saw Jamaica’s Keandre Kelly produce a mature performance to win in 1:56.31.

Guyana’s Kaidon Persaud ran 1:56.53 for silver and Kelly’s teammate Alejandro Palmer ran 1:58.05 to take bronze.

Jamaica secured gold and silver in the Under-17 Girls final through Kevongaye Fowler and Alikay Reynolds.

Fowler took gold in 2:16.97 while Reynolds, as she did in the 1500m, had to settle for silver in 2:17.02.

Grenada’s Annalisa Brown ran 2:18.75 for bronze.

Bahamians Antoine Andrews and Denisha Cartwright won the respective sprint hurdles titles at the 2024 Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays held at the Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin, Texas from March 27-30.

Andrews, a sophomore at Texas Tech University and 2022 World Under-20 champion, produced 13.37 to win the 110m hurdles with a 2.4 m/s wind behind him.

Howard University’s Samuel Bennett was second in 13.39 while UTEP’s Jordani Woodley, formerly of Rusea’s High in Jamaica, was third in 13.44.

Cartwright, a 24-year-old Minnesota State senior, produced 12.81 to win the 100m hurdles ahead of UTEP’s Marissa Simpson (12.92) and Cal’s Jada Hicks (12.99).

That race was run with a 2.7 m/s trailing wind.

In the field, Jamaican Arizona State junior Brandon Lloyd threw 61.54m for second in the men’s discus. South Alabama senior Francois Prinsloo threw 64.41m to take the win while Texas Tech senior Devin Roberson was third with 60.98m.

The Bahamas had an excellent start to Monday's day three of the 51^st Carifta Games at the Kirani James Stadium in Grenada thanks to a dominant showing in the Under-17 Girls javelin throw.

Dior-Rae Scott, who won gold in Kingston in 2022 and silver last year in Nassau, returned to the top of the podium with an excellent new personal best and Carifta record 52.53m with her third-round effort.

Her teammate, Kamera Strachan, had a best throw of 47.61m for silver while Jamaica’s Zoelle Jamel was third with 45.00m.

The Girls Under-20 high jump also saw a quinella, with Jamaica enjoying their own 1-2 finish this time around.

Rasheda Samuels secured gold with a third-time clearance of 1.78m while her teammate Dejanea Bruce took silver with a best clearance of 1.76m.

Trinidad & Tobago’s Keneisha Shelbourne was third with 1.70m.

In the Under-20 Girls long jump, Trinidad & Tobago’s reigning NACAC U-18 champion Janae De Gannes produced one of the performances of the meet with a massive personal best 6.50m to win gold.

De Gannes only produced two legal jumps throughout her series, 6.50m in the first round and 6.40m in the second round.

Her mark also broke the Carifta U-20 record of 6.48m done in 2016 by Guadeloupe’s Yanis David.

Jamaica’s Rohanna Sudlow was second with 6.30m while Bahamian Lanaisha Lubin was third with 5.90m.

The Lucknow Super Giants recorded their first win of the 2024 Tata Indian Premier League (IPL) season with a 21-run victory over the Punjab Kings in Lucknow on Saturday.

The hosts first posted 199-8 from their 20 overs after winning the toss and batting first.

Quinton de Kock was the main scorer for the Super Giants with a 38-ball 54 at the top of the innings.

Nicholas Pooran, who captained the team in this game, hit three fours and three sixes on his way to 42 off just 21 balls while Krunal Pandya finished 43* off 22 balls including four fours and two sixes.

Sam Curran took 3-28 from his four overs for the Kings.

Punjab were then restricted to 178-5 from 20 overs in their reply despite a 50-ball 70 from Shikhar Dhawan and 42 from his opening partner, Jonny Bairstow.

Liam Livingstone also made 28* for the Kings as debutant Mayank Yadav ripped through the batting order with his impressive quick bowling on the way to figures of 3-27 from his four overs.

Mohsin Khan provided good support for Yadav with 2-34 from his four overs.

Full Scores: Lucknow Super Giants 199-8 from 20 overs (Quinton de Kock 54, Krunal Pandya 43*, Nicholas Pooran 42, Sam Curran 3-28, Arshdeep Singh 2-30)

Punjab Kings 178-5 from 20 overs (Shikhar Dhawan 70, Jonny Bairstow 42, Liam Livingstone 28*, Mayank Yadav 3-27, Mohsin Khan 2-34)

Sunil Narine produced a man of the match performance in his 500^th T20 game to lead the Kolkata Knight Riders to a seven-wicket win over the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in the Tata Indian Premier League at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Friday.

The hosts won the toss and posted a formidable 182-6 from their 20 overs thanks to 83* from Virat Kohli and 33 from Cameron Green.

Andre Russell was the pick of the KKR bowlers with 2-29 from his four overs while Harshit Rana took 2-39 and Narine took 1-40.

The Knight Riders then sprinted to their target, reaching 186-3 with 19 balls to spare.

Venkatesh Iyer led the way with a 30-ball 50 including three fours and four sixes while Narine, who opened the batting, set the tone for the innings with 47 off just 22 balls including two fours and five sixes.

Kolkata Knight Riders 186 for 3 (Venkatesh Iyer 50, Sunil Narine 47) beat Royal Challengers Bengaluru 182 for 6 (Virat Kohli 83*, Andre Russell 2-29, Rana 2-39) by seven wickets

Two-time double Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah says training is going well ahead of her bid to defend her titles in Paris later this year.

The 31-year-old has switched camps this season and is now training under Reynaldo Walcott, who also coaches 3-time Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.

“It has been great. My schedule has changed with a different system and different coach so I’m just trying to get accustomed to that and I think I’m in a good place right now and I’m happy about that,” Thompson-Herah said in an interview with Citius Mag.

The early part of Thompson-Herah’s 2023 season was hampered with injury.

In an interview with SportsMax.tv after her 100m season opener at the JAAA All Comers Meet at Jamaica College on June 24 last year, Thompson-Herah explained how her training had been hampered so much because of constant pain, going as far as to say her persistent injuries almost caused her to quit the sport entirely.

“Honestly, I’m feeling good despite the fact that I’ve been out so long. It has been a challenging one but, I still hang on. I almost gave up but I have faith and I came out here to just test my body to see where I’m at. My training has not been how I wanted it to but, the fact that I missed so much and came out here and ran 11.23 today, I’m just grateful,” she said after the race.

“People see us on the track all the time but they don’t know what comes behind that. I cried most mornings when I was driving home in my car because I see that I’m working hard and I’m not getting the results I want. I was on the verge of giving up, honestly, but God spoke to me and said ‘you cannot give up right now because I took you this far,” she added.

Nine months later, Thompson-Herah says she feels good heading into the season and is focused on remaining healthy before anything else.

“I feel good. It’s like if you have a car and have to service the car. My duty is to make sure that my body is fine-tuned and always ready for the goal. The key focus is to always stay healthy. The time doesn’t matter right now. What matters is getting through each race fit and healthy. Once I have that, the time will come after. The aim is always to break a world record and defend my title,” she said.

“For me the mindset is I have to be strong and have to be positive. Push out those negative thoughts and replace them with positive ones. It’s all about getting my workout done each day. Once that is done, I pray to Christ and I’m happy. The key that I walk with every day is believing in myself,” she added.

Having won the sprint double at the last two Olympics in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2021, Thompson-Herah was asked if she feels any pressure to complete the three-peat in Paris this year.

“Only time I ever feel pressure is if I have an injury. The pressure is trying to wonder how can I fix this injury fast to make to the Olympics and to make it to the Olympics, we have to go to national trials and once I have that ready I think I’m good. For now, just stay focused and healthy,” she said.

U.S. Elite International and National Education Trust have come together to recognize Kingston College, Edwin Allen High and Muschett High for their outstanding performances at the recently concluded ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls Championships held at the National Stadium in Kingston.

The three schools were selected as recipients of the 2024 Honorary Legacy Scholarships during a ceremony held at the Ministry of Education on Wednesday.

U.S. Elite International is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in the United States, whose mission is to support low-income and at-risk students through the college matriculation process, provide mentorship through their collegiate studies and help them graduate college debt-free.

The 2024 Honorary Legacy Scholarships recognize the winners of the 2024 ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys' and Girls' Athletics Championships, also known as "CHAMPS," and will be awarded as follows:

The Hubert Lawrence Legacy Scholarship for Champion Boys' School valued at J$309,000.

Hubert Lawrence was a renowned journalist, veteran, and world-class track and field analyst, whose monumental contribution to the sport is evidenced through his coverage of major track and field championships locally and internationally.

The John Messam Legacy Scholarship for Champion Girls' School also valued at J$309,000.

John Messam was an information technology professional but was most renowned for his valuable contribution to track and field, laying the foundations for hurdles in the country.

The Vilma Charlton Legacy Scholarship for Top Emerging School valued at J$154,500.

Vilma Charlton is a retired university lecturer and renowned track and field Olympian. She was the first woman to receive an athletic scholarship to Pepperdine University, USA, where she was inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Each selected institution will receive an award banner that must be displayed in the institution for at least one year after receiving the scholarship.

 “It is with these scholarship awards that we help to carry on the legacies of the lives of these people into the next generation,” said Keishia Thorpe, Vice President and Liaison Programme Director at U.S. Elite International at the handover ceremony.

“The students we serve are students whose stories represent our own and we are honored to work alongside the National Education Trust (NET) to make sure that schools in Jamaica that are working with these students have an opportunity to advance in wither the athletic or academic field,” she added.

National Education Trust Limited (NET) is a Registered Charitable Organization and a Government of Jamaica agency that mobilizes financial and quality resource investments for the education sector.

NET also implements infrastructure development projects for educational institutions in Jamaica to achieve greater levels of access to education and learning.

The relationship between U.S. Elite International and the National Education Trust (NET) began a year ago when the leaders of the organization, Dr. Treisha Thorpe and Keishia Thorpe, adopted both Excelsior High and Primary Schools to provide funds to help advance their technology and infrastructure projects.

The sponsorship, which is US$10,000 per annum for 2 years, is shared equally between the two schools and is facilitated by NET.

This year, U.S. Elite International, through its "Making Champions Project" Initiative, embarks on providing Legacy Scholarships, a single monetary allotment that will be awarded to selected institutions each year.

This initiative aims to empower schools to more efficiently support their students and prepare them for college by giving them the resources to enhance the quality of the academic and sports programmes they offer.

The group believes that by doing so, it will in turn, make it easier for students and, by extension, athletes to use their gifts and talents as a passport to higher education.

U.S. Elite and its partnering agencies will determine the criteria for these awards each year, but the stipulation that the products and funds be used to advance the academic and sports programmes offered by these institutions will main resolute.

Notwithstanding, the scholarship shall not be used for infrastructure or non-related sports equipment and will be administered through the National Education Trust (NET).

Two-time world 200m champion, Shericka Jackson, is keeping a positive and grounded mindset heading into the Olympic season.

Jackson, the fastest woman alive over 200m and second-fastest all time, will open her 2024 season at the Miramar Invitational in Florida on April 6.

“My mindset is really positive, grounded and it’s happy. That’s one of the pluses for me right now. Once you have a positive mindset approaching training each day, I think it’s something we as athletes look forward to every day,” she said in an interview with Citius Mag on Monday.

A simple but powerful tool that has helped Jackson’s rise to track and field superstardom is her ritual of writing her goals for a season down.

“I think it’s very important because it allows you to know that whenever you feel like giving up, you have goals to achieve. Me just writing down my goals is something that I look forward to and I just want to achieve all that I wrote down and if I don’t achieve them, I go back to the drawing board and I write new goals,” she said.

“Once I write my goals and I achieve them I tick them off because it’s something I look forward to. I remember growing up learning if you save $20 every day you’ll finish the week with a lot of money so it’s something that helps me to work super hard,” she added.

The reigning National Sportswoman of the Year also mentioned that while she hasn’t written down her goals for the 2024 season just yet, a maiden Olympic gold medal will certainly be on the list.

“Funny enough I haven’t even written them yet. Usually at the beginning of January, I write them but because of not going to World Indoors I put them on pause a bit but I definitely know they’re in my head. I just have to put them on paper. I’ve yet to achieve an Olympic gold medal so that’s definitely something I want to achieve,” she said.

Last season, Jackson inched even closer to Florence Griffith-Joyner’s 34-year-old 200m world record of 21.34 when she ran 21.41 to defend her world title in Budapest.

The 29-year-old says that the world record is on her mind but it isn’t something that she will go into every race thinking about.

“Honestly I remember when I was afraid to say I wanted to break the world record and coach and I had a conversation and he enlightened me about something. Whether I speak about it or not and I don’t achieve it, it’s not the end of the world. I think it’s something that we really look forward to,” she said.

“It would’ve definitely been a plus last year but it didn’t happen. I was still super happy. To be able to run two 21.4s and so much fast 21.5s in one season, I definitely think it’s something I look forward to. As I said, the World Record is on our mind but it’s not something we’re going to dwell on every race we go into. Once I’m healthy and in peak form, anything is possible,” she added.

It was a celebratory atmosphere at 2A North Street on Monday morning as Kingston College celebrated their 35^th hold on the highly coveted Mortimer Geddes trophy.

KC produced another dominant display throughout the five days of the globe’s biggest high school track & field showcase on their way to 335 points, 57 more than their nearest rivals, Jamaica College. Calabar High (194 points), Excelsior High (122 points) and St. Jago High (111.5 points) rounded out the top five schools.

This year’s crown also secured KC’s first three-peat since they won the title for six years in a row from 2001-2006.

Head Coach Leaford Grant summed up what this year’s triumph means to the school.

“This one is right up there. It was a hard-fought title. In previous interviews I said the 2019 one was always the best one because that year we brought the trophy back to KC after many years absent. This was a hard-fought one and it’s always good to win a trophy,” he told SportsMax.tv.

One thing that made it hard-fought, according to Grant, was the presence of injury concerns for some of their athletes that hampered their preparation for the championships.

“We had some injury concerns throughout the course of the season but we prevailed and managed to overcome them,” he said.

One notable absence from the championships was the 2023 Class Two 200m and 400m champion, Tahj-Marques White.

White, a first year Class One athlete, pulled up with an injury while competing earlier in the season and, while Grant said he’s fully recovered, the decision was made to hold him out of the championships as a precaution.

“He’s practically recovered but we thought that, because it’s his first year in class one, we’d give him some time to properly recover to serve us next year,” he said.

“He’s a talented youngster so we didn’t want to stress him too much. He’ll be fine next year,” he added.

Next year will mark KC’s 100^th anniversary and Green says a fourth consecutive title would be fitting for such an occasion.

“There’s no special plan. We just have to plan as usual and work hard as usual. At the end of the day, God’s willing, we will bring back the trophy to Kingston College,” he said.

Perhaps KC’s most productive discipline over the five days was the hurdles where they racked up 56 points in total across five finals.

KC’s hurdles coach Kirk King, who is also the head coach of Convent of Mercy Academy, was ecstatic about the performance of his troops.

“My hurdlers stuck to the task and they stepped up their game for the championships. Nobody was expecting a quinella in the Class Two sprint hurdles, nobody was expecting Daniel Clarke to come second in Class One,” he said.

King mentioned that a number of his hurdlers were disappointed after their performances at the Carifta Trials but they recovered well mentally ahead of the championships.

“We had a talk especially after a lot of them were devastated after Carifta Trials because they didn’t make the team and they were demotivated and some of them even said they’re not coming back,” he said.

“I had to motivate them to come back and they came out and delivered. We only had one mishap in our entire hurdles crew,” he added.

KC’s Co-Captains for the championships, Antwon Walkin and Yourie Lawrence-Clarke, also reacted to the team’s 35^th title.

“To win anything 35 times is a lot and so we always talk about the greatness of Kingston College, I think this number specifically signifies just how great our institution is,” said Walkin who, despite nursing a groin injury, finished fifth in the Class One discus.

“It feels great. Finishing off the trifecta feels great. There’s no better feeling in the world than to have done all this hard work for a year and come out with a championship,” Walkin added.

Lawrence-Clarke competed in both the 100m and the 4x100m relay. He produced a spirited effort to claim bronze in the 100m final.

“A lot of people didn’t expect me to even make the final so to go out there and get a bronze medal means a lot to me,” he said.

“I really went out there for the team and the supporters because in the 100m, they always expect somebody from KC to be in the mix. It was a great experience for me,” he added.

Jamaica moved four points clear at the top of the 2024 CWI T20 Blaze points table thanks to a six-wicket win over Barbados at Warner Park on Thursday.

NaiJanni Cumberbatch (25) and Aaliyah Alleyne (16) were the only two Bajan batters to reach double-figures as they were reduced to 63 all out off 17.3 overs after winning the toss and batting first.

Chinelle Henry did the bulk of the damage with the ball for the Jamaicans with 4-9 from 3.3 overs while captain Stafanie Taylor took 2-9 from three overs.

Jamaica then needed only 11.4 overs to reach 69-4 and secure their third win in as many games.

Rashada Williams top scored with 21 while Taylor made 15.

In Thursday’s other games, T&T Women secured a narrow two-wicket win over the Windward Islands and the Leeward Islands Women successfully defended 104 to defeat Guyana Women by four runs.

Full Scores: Windward Islands Women 81 all out off 20 overs (Jannilea Glasgow 36, Shalini Samaroo 3-14, Karishma Ramharack 2-14)

Trinidad & Tobago Women 84-8 off 18.2 overs (Djenaba Joseph 43, Zaida James 3-10)

Leeward Islands Women 104-9 off 20 overs (Divya Saxena 42, Nyia Latchman 2-10, Sheneta Grimmond 2-19, Ashmini Munisar 2-23)

Guyana Women 100-9 off 20 overs (Shabika Gajnabi 44, Jahzara Claxton 3-13, Reniece Boyce 2-15)

After three rounds, CG United Super50 Cup champions Jamaica are top of the table with 13 points followed by Trinidad & Tobago (9), Leeward Islands (9), Guyana (4), Barbados (4) and Windward Islands (0).

Aston Villa and Reggae Boyz attacker Leon Bailey has confirmed that he’s taking a break from international football after being suspended by the Reggae Boyz for their upcoming Concacaf Nations League semi-final against the USA in Dallas.

Bailey’s suspension came due to him reportedly breaking curfew and not staying at the team hotel during the Reggae Boyz last camp in November.

As a result of this as well as a number of other factors he brought up during the latest episode of the Let’s Be Honest Podcast hosted by social media star Jaiifrais on Wednesday, Bailey has decided to take a break from representing the Reggae Boyz, essentially saying it’s not worth it.

“Jamaica’s national team is not doing anything for me. Jamaica’s national team is not going to give me exposure. Playing for Jamaica is not going to make Real Madrid call me. I am shining light on the national team by playing overseas and representing as a Jamaican all the time. People know Leon Bailey everywhere in the world,” he added before going further.

“It’s two things I’ve always asked them for and every time, I can’t get it. You have people booking flights for me and sending me from England to Jamaica with three different stops. All I ask for is a proper flight and a room by myself and I can’t get that. If I don’t go the national team I can go on my vacation and I can live good,” he said.

“I am Jamaican and I love my country and hopefully one day my kids can come up and grow up in a better environment than I did but sometimes I think about it and realize that these things were happening before I was born so, can I be the change? There’s only so much a person can endure because I can’t be putting my best foot forward every time and all I get is disrespect and people not showing up for me at all,” he added.

Bailey then quickly clarified his two main motivations for playing for the national team.

“I’ve dealt with it all these years because I want to stay grounded but really and truly I don’t have to deal with it. I’m not here for money or exposure. I’m here to help the team get to the next World Cup and try to change the environment for kids growing up,” he said.

Specifically, regarding the suspension, the Aston Villa star says he wasn’t surprised and that he was considering a break from the National Team even before the suspension was handed out.

“I did break curfew but that’s normal. Every player does that. After your last game for your country, you’re going to travel the next day. Nobody is staying at a hotel. It’s just the way how it was presented that I didn’t like. He did say to me that he wasn’t going to invite me to the next camp but, way before this happened, I always had it in my head that this is too much on my plate when it comes to the National Team and I was really going to take a break from it and then that just tipped off everything,” he said.

“When he mentioned that to me now I said to myself that I really couldn’t understand because the coach comes to me about everything. Me and him have video calls about any little thing at all. So, for him to look on me and tell me he’s not inviting me to the next camp, I felt that was really harsh and it just said to me that me being in the National Team right now, it really drains my energy a lot,” Bailey added.

Bailey said the relationship between himself and Hallgrimsson is still good but he hoped things would have been handled differently.

“Me and him have a good relationship. We’ve always had a good relationship. I can see where he’s coming from in terms of the style he wants to implement in the National Team but I feel like there has to be more understanding,” he said

The 26-year-old then, once again, turned his attention to the running of the team itself by the higher-ups, blasting the lack of professionalism surrounding it relating to things such as travel and equipment.

“A lot of people don’t know that most of the time, I book my own flights to come and represent Jamaica because they are very unprofessional. You’re getting your flight details 11pm to travel the next day. Jamaica National Team doesn’t pay us. I can’t remember the last time I received a dollar from the National Team. It’s very unprofessional in ways you can’t even imagine,” he said.

He went on to give more examples.

“You’re turning up and they don’t have equipment for you. You’ll go and they’ll only have a one shirt for you and you have to find shorts. Players turn up to games and it’s a women’s shirt they print out for them to wear. It’s ridiculous and they don’t know how to operate. When we go places I feel exposed,” he said.

“No, never,” was Bailey’s response to the question of whether or not he’s ever voiced these concerns to the JFF.

“I try to mesh with everybody and I never want to give any of my teammates the feeling that I’m more than them. I am not that person and If I want the team to do well, I can’t make anybody feel like I’m better than them,” he said.

 As for the length of his break, Bailey refrained from giving a specific time.

A four-wicket haul from Jason Holder put the Barbados Pride in a strong position over the Trinidad & Tobago Red Force at stumps on day one of their fifth round 2024 West Indies Championship fixture at the Queen’s Park Oval on Wednesday.

Holder starred with 4-47 from 17 overs as the Pride restricted the Red Force to 172 all out from just 53.5 overs after the Red Force won the toss.

Amidst the carnage, Amir Jangoo played brilliantly to finish 93* off 159 balls including 14 fours.

Chemar Holder and Shaquille Cumberbatch provided good support for Holder with 3-28 off 10.5 overs and 3-50 off 11 overs, respectively.

At stumps, the Pride reached 99-4 off 35.4 overs. Zachary McCaskie top scored with 46 while captain Kraigg Brathwaite made 30.

Khary Pierre has so far taken 2-18 from 12 overs.

Full Scores: Trinidad & Tobago Red Force 172 off 53.5 overs (Amir Jangoo 93*, Jason Holder 4-47, Chemar Holder 3-28, Shaquille Cumberbatch 3-50)

Barbados Pride 99-4 off 35.4 overs (Zachary McCaskie 46, Kraigg Brathwaite 30, Khary Pierre 2-18)

At Coolidge, leaders Windward Islands Volcanoes trail the Guyana Harpy Eagles by 296 runs at stumps on day one.

Full Scores: Guyana Harpy Eagles 308 off 80.5 overs (Kevin Sinclair 74, Kevlon Anderson 48, Gudakesh Motie 46, Veerasammy Permaul 30, Darel Cyrus 5-67)

Windward Islands Volcanoes 12-0 off four overs

At Sabina Park, the Jamaica Scorpions were 173-6 off 51.4 overs at stumps.

Full Scores: Jamaica Scorpions 173-6 off 51.4 overs (Carlos Brown 68*, Romaine Morris 42, Jeremiah Louis 3-34, Collin Archibald 2-23)

At the Sir Frank Worrell Memorial Ground, Combined Campuses and Colleges trail West Indies Academy by 289 runs at stumps.

Full Scores: West Indies Academy 300 all out off 78.3 overs (Carlon Bowen-Tuckett 76*, Johan Layne 63, Joshua Dorne 36, Joshua Bishop 32, Yannic Ottley 5-47, Jediah Blades 3-59)

Combined Campuses and Colleges 11-1 off five overs

Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago all secured wins in the second round of the 2024 CWI Women’s T20 Blaze at Warner Park in St. Kitts on Tuesday.

In the day’s early game, Barbados secured a 19-run win over the Windward Islands.

The defending champions first scored 123-5 from their 20 overs after winning the toss and deciding to bat.

Opener Trishan Holder led the way with a 54-ball 68 including eight fours and a six while Aaliyah Alleyne provided good support with 28 off 27 balls including three fours.

Zaida James was the best bowler on the day for the Windwards with 2-28 from her four overs.

Erin Deane (2-12 off four overs) and Alleyne (2-17 off three overs) then starred with the ball for Barbados to restrict the Windwards to 104-8 from their 20 overs.

Captain Afy Fletcher tried her best with a top score of 28 while Namiah Marcellin hit 19.

In the day’s second game, Trinidad & Tobago dominated the Leeward Islands on the way to a comfortable nine-wicket win.

The Leewards, after winning the toss, were restricted to a paltry 78-6 from their 20 overs.

Jahzara Claxton, Divya Saxena and Shebani Bhaskar were the only batters to reach double figures with 25, 17 and 13, respectively, against 1-6 off four overs from Steffi Soogrim and 1-13, each, from Karishma Ramharack and Samara Ramnath.

T&T then needed only 11.4 overs to reach 79-1 and secure the win. Shunelle Sawh and Djenaba Joseph were the not out batters with 20* and 22*, respectively. Captain Britney Cooper also contributed 21.

The day’s final game saw Jamaica get their second win in as many games with a five-wicket win over Guyana.

After winning the toss, Guyana were only able to muster up 107-7 from their 20 overs.

Mandy Mangru and Captain Shemaine Campbelle led the Guyanese batting with 36 and 33, respectively.

Jamaica Captain Stafanie Taylor was excellent with the ball on her way to 2-12 from her four overs while Chinelle Henry also bowled well for her 2-22 from four overs.

Rashada Williams then followed up her 52 from the first game with 42 to help Jamaica reach 108-5 with eleven balls to spare.

Taylor provided good support with 33 as Nyia Latchman took 2-15 from 3.1 overs for Guyana.

The competition with continue with round three on Thursday with Trinidad & Tobago facing the Windward Islands, Jamaica facing Barbados and Guyana facing the Leeward Islands.

The Windward Islands Volcanoes hold a narrow 3.2-point lead over the Leeward Islands Volcanoes entering the final three rounds of the 2024 West Indies Championship.

The Windwards suffered their first loss of the season in round four last week, going down by six wickets against the Trinidad & Tobago Red Force at the Queen’s Park Oval.

They will enter their fifth-round tussle with the Guyana Harpy eagles at Coolidge in Antigua beginning on Wednesday on 67.4 points.

The Hurricanes beat the Combined Campuses & College’s by three wickets in round four at the Sir Frank Worrell Memorial Ground to move to 64.2 points in second.

The Jamaica Scorpions, who finished at the foot of the table last season with 25.6 points, are currently third with 50.2 points on the back of their second win of the season, a two-wicket win over the West Indies Academy at Sabina Park.

The Scorpions will face the Hurricanes at Sabina Park in round five.

The Barbados Pride, on the back of a 33-run defeat at the hands of defending champions Guyana Harpy Eagles at Coolidge, are fourth with 48.2 points, one point ahead of the Trinidad & Tobago Red Force in fifth.

Both teams will do battle at the Queen’s Park Oval in round five.

The standings are rounded out by the Harpy Eagles (46.2), the West Indies Academy (30.8) and the Combined Campuses & Colleges (19.8).

The Academy and CCC will face off at the Sir Frank Worrell Memorial Ground in round five.

All round five matches will begin on Wednesday.

Newly crowned CG United Women’s Super50 Cup champions Jamaica opened their account in the CWI T20 Blaze with a comfortable seven-wicket win over Windward Islands Women at Warner Park on Sunday.

The Windwards, after winning the toss and batting first, posted 117-5 from their 20 overs.

Openers Qiana Joseph and Jannilea Glasgow were the chief scorers with 56 and 37, respectively, while Chedean Nation led the Jamaica bowling with 3-19 from her three overs.

Jamaica then needed only 16 overs to reach 118-3 thanks to a 35-ball 52 from Rashada Williams. Her opening partner Natasha McLean contributed 19 while Captain Stafanie Taylor and Chinelle Henry were the not out batters with 16 and 13, respectively.

Zaida James took 2-16 from her four overs for the Windwards.