Gayle pleased with return to form in Windies victory

West Indies captain Chris Gayle said he was pleased with his return to form following his belligerent century in the final of the Tri-Nation Series last Sunday. The left-handed Gayle, who had gone without a One-day International century for almost two years, crashed a sensational, unbeaten 110 off just 77 balls, as the regional side beat Canada by seven wickets at the Maple Leaf North West Ground. "It was good to get among the runs again and make a contribution to the victory. I got a good start and decided I would capitalize and make the most of it . . . ," said Gayle, who has been hindered in recent months by a troublesome hamstring. "Some people may want to say ‘just Canada no big thing’ but it is always good to get a ton. I’m truly happy." West Indies, chasing down Canada’s 179 off 46.5 overs after they were sent in, sped to 181 for three with Gayle leading the way.

Twenty20 clash in limbo as Digicel files injunction

The future of the lucrative Stanford Twenty20 For 20 clash between the Stan-ford Superstars and England carded for November 1, in Antigua has been thrown into limbo, after Digicel filed an injunction against the Stanford Super Series. The injunction, filed in London last Friday, relates solely to the proposed match between England and the Stanford Superstars, part of the five-year, US$100 million series. However, Digicel is seeking to have the West Indies Cricket Board withdraw all approvals for the Stanford Super Series, which if successful, could disrupt the annual US$20 million match.

ICC hails Bradman as a ` byword for brilliance’

The International Cricket Council (ICC) hailed Don Bradman as "a byword for brilliance" Wednesday, the centenary of the cricketer's birth. "No name in cricket conjures up such widespread awe and respect as that of Sir Donald Bradman," ICC president David Morgan said in a statement from the organization's headquarters in Dubai. "Even people with just a passing knowledge of the game or in countries where he never played will invariably recognize the name Bradman as a byword for brilliance.

Olympic cricket is 'inevitable' – Ponting

Australia's cricket captain, Ricky Ponting, believes it is only a matter of time before Twenty20 is part of the Olympics. Just days after the completion of the Beijing Games, Ponting said it was "inevitable" that the new form would become an Olympic event, given its popularity in the subcontinent. Ponting, who also called for a portion of the international calendar to be kept free for Twenty20 tournaments, was speaking at a dinner in Sydney to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Don Bradman.

Northe captures Man-of-Match Trophy

Sandhills Restaurant and Bar of Church Avenue in Brooklyn brought off its annual Fun Day and Cavalcade of Sports last Sunday at the 57th Street ground. There were lots of races, catering for the kids and parents. Male and Female tug-of-war contests closed off the action.

But the feature event was the 15-over softball cricket match between Georgetown and Linden. Here, visiting G/T all-rounder, Estwick Northe, stole the spotlight with a spectacular performance, hitting an undefeated 71 and grabbing one wicket for 10 runs. The city team made 130 and bundled out the mining town opponents for 70. In picture at right, Northe gets a hug and the Man-of-the-Match trophy from a winsome presenter.

Marshall hits record 12 sixes in West Indies win against Canada

Xavier Marshall hammered a record 12 sixes in an unbeaten 157 to lead West Indies to a 49-run victory over the host nation in the Canada Cup Tri-Series in King City, Ontario on Friday. Batting first at the Maple Leaf Cricket Club, tournament favourites West Indies piled up 303 for four in 50 overs before bowling out Canada for 254. Man of the match Marshall, 22, also struck 11 fours in 118 balls of explosive batting as he surpassed the previous best total for one-day international sixes. Sri Lankan Sanath Jayasuriya struck 11 sixes when he hit 134 against Pakistan in Singapore in April 1996. Six months later Pakistan's Shahid Afridi followed suit in an innings of 102 against Sri Lanka in Nairobi.

Bolt tells Rogge, ‘I just want to have fun’

Jamaican sprint superstar Usain Bolt replied to criticism directed at him by IOC President Jacques Rogge on Friday by saying that he was not disrespectful to his rivals, he was just out to have fun and entertain. The 22-year-old Jamaican - who had just added a third Olympic title in Beijing and a third world record in the 4x100 metres relay - said that he wasn’t just someone who turned up to race but also to entertain the crowd. Rogge, himself a three-time Olympic yachtsman, had told AFP on Thursday that while Bolt was obviously an extraordinary talent he still had things to learn. "He is a young man but he should show more respect for his rivals. That would be more in the spirit of the Olympic ideal.