Hetmyer knows form critical to Jaguars chances
ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Lefthander Shimron Hetmyer believes his half-century on Monday in the Super50 Cup match against Barbados Pride has signalled he is returning to his best.
The 24-year-old had not played a competitive match in early 2-½ months but unveiled a magical 80 off just 53 balls as Guyana Pride rallied to 235 all out batting first at Coolidge Cricket Ground here.
“For me basically it was close to my best. I just tried to knock around the ball as much as possible and if the ball was in my area just try to stroke it off,” Hetmyer said afterwards.
“I am trying to put back-to-back scores in to be consistent and score hundreds and win games for my team.”
Hetmyer entered the contest at the fall of the first wicket, after Chandrapaul Hemraj (35) and Assad Fudadin (5) had put on 48 off 49 balls for the first wicket.
However, he then watched as Jaguars’ top order folded with five wickets going down for 40 runs in the space of 46 deliveries.
Hetmyer counter-attacked, striking eight fours and four sixes in an exhilarating knock to put Pride back under pressure.
“[My plan] was to keep knocking the ball around and take it as deep as possible because I think we had a decent partnership, so it was just to capitalise on that and continue, and then to pick off the bad balls and keep going,” Hetmyer said.
“[The pitch] was lovely [for batting].
As you went on, it just got a little slower as the ball gets older but other than that it was lovely for batting.”
Hetmyer, with 16 Tests, 45 OneDay Internationals and 27 T20 Internationals, is the only player with extensive international experience in the Jaguars side.
And he is acutely aware his contributions will be critical in the campaign as Jaguars seek an end to a barren run which has stretched for 16
years.
“It is [on our agenda] and for me as well,” he stressed.
“Playing in the West Indies team they have some of the guys saying we haven’t won this and that, so I’m just trying to put that to bed and come here and do our best and make sure that we win the tournament this year.”
Jaguars defeated Pride by 56 runs under Duckworth-Lewis-Stern.
LONDON, CMC – Kyle Mayers has vaulted into the top 100 of the International Cricket Council’s players rankings following his historic unbeaten double century in the opening Test against Bangladesh.
The 28-year-old has entered the batting rankings at 70th with 448 ratings points, which represents the best ever rankings debut by a West Indies player and the second best by any player in more than 100 years.
Mayers struck 40 in the first innings and then followed up an amazing 210 not out as West Indies chased down 395 on the final day in Chattogram to stun the hosts by three wickets and take a 1-0 lead in the two-Test series.
Opener Kraigg Brathwaite, leading the side in the absence of regular captain Jason Holder who declined selection for the tour, also found himself on the rise in the rankings, moving up eight places o 53rd.
The right-hander top-scored with a fluent 76 off 111 balls in the Windies first innings of 259.
Another first Test debutant, Nkrumah Bonner, has entered the rankings at 88th following his 86 in the second innings, in a 216-run fourth wicket stand with Mayers. Jermaine Blackwood, meanwhile, is the highest ranked West Indies batsman at 29, jumping two places following his 68 in the first innings in Chattogram.
He is one of only two West Indies players in the top 50, with Holder in at 43rd despite missing the first Test.
New Zealander Kane Williamson has retained his place at the top of the charts with Australian Steve Smith still lying second.
In the bowling, spinners Jomel Warrican and Rahkeem Cornwall enjoyed a bump to move into the top 60 of the rankings.
Warrican, a left-arm spinner, rose 14 places to 62nd after claiming seven wickets in the first Test while offspinner Cornwall jumped six spots to 65 after picking up five wickets.
Holder remains the only West Indies bowler in the top 10 at tenth while seamer Kemar Roach remains 15th and speedster Shannon Gabriel, 18th, after taking one and three wickets respectively in Chattogram.
Australian fast bowler Pat Cummins tops the bowling rankings with the veteran England seam bowling pair of Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson rounding out the top three. In the all-rounders rankings, Holder lies second on 414 ratings points, 14 adrift of leader Ben Stokes of England.