MAYERS’ HISTORIC DEBUT
KYLE Mayers scored a stunning double hundred on his debut as West Indies shocked Bangladesh by three wickets in the first Test in Chittagong yesterday.
Mayers hit an unbeaten 210 from 310 balls - with 20 fours and seven sixes - to guide his side to 395-7 with just nine balls left on the final day.
West Indies, who are on tour without most of their first choice players because of the coronavirus pandemic, beat the best run chase in Asia, set by Sri Lanka who hit 388 to beat Zimbabwe
by four wickets in Colombo in 2017.
Mayers, the second West Indies player to get a double hundred on his debut after Laurence Rowe and sixth overall, was brilliantly aided by fellow debutant Nkrumah Bonner, who hit 86.
Resuming on 110-3, the pair put on 216 for the fourth wicket to frustrate Bangladesh’s bowlers until they were separated by leftarm spinner Taijul Islam.
Taijul trapped Bonner leg-before in the first over after tea to end the highest fourth wicket partnership for West Indies in the fourth innings of a Test.
They beat the record of Len Baichan and Clive Lloyd, who scored 164 against Pakistan at Lahore in 1975.
Jermaine Blackwood was stumped for nine by Nayeem Hasan as West Indies pressed for victory.
But Mayers put on exactly 100 runs with Joshua Da Silva to take the visitors close to the target.
By the time Taijul Islam bowled Da Silva, West Indies were only three runs from victory.
Mehidy Hasan, who took all three wickets on the previous day, got only the consolation wicket of Kemar Roach when the score was tied.
An eerie silence gripped the Bangladesh team tent as Mayers pushed Nayeem at long off for single to complete the win.
Mayers’ innings is the highest individual collection for West Indies in the fourth innings of a Test since Brian Lara stunned Australia with 153 runs in Bridgetown in 1999.
“I’m always positive and believed in my ability, and believed that we could get there. We never give up, and keep fighting,” Mayers said.
“It’s a great feeling to be playing Test cricket, and then going on to score 100, 200 and then to win the match,” he said.
Bonner pulled off-spinner Mehidy over square leg for a boundary with the first ball of the day to show West Indies’ intent.
Mayers brought up the century stand by hitting Mustafizur Rahman for a four and six off successive deliveries.
Mayers became the 15th West Indies batsman to get a debut century when he edged a Mustafizur ball to the boundary between slip and gully.
Bangladesh scored 430 and 223-8 declared. West Indies made 259 in their first innings.
Bangladesh captain Mominul Haque said Mayers had been the key.
“Mayers and Bonner played very well, we didn’t create chances and the bowlers didn’t bowl the right areas, but all credit goes to their batsmen,” he said.
The second and final Test will start in Dhaka on February 11. - SuperSport
Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson came under fire on Sunday after the normally-steady Brazilian made two costly mistakes against Manchester City at Anfield.
Sunday’s clash between the two most recent Premier League champions was widely seen as a title decider for Liver-pool, who fell 10 points behind their rivals with yesterday’s 4-1 defeat to Manchester City, who also have a game in hand.
After Ilkay Gundogan missed a penalty in the first half, the German midfielder made amends early in the second to open the scoring.
Liverpool fired back with a spot kick from Mohamed Salah, but Alisson was at the centre of the Reds’ collapse, with his first shocker coming in the 73rd minute. The Brazilian No1’s attempt to play out of the back quickly went wrong, as his pass found Phil Foden who teed up Gundogan for his second.
Moments later, Alisson’s passing ability let him down once again as he served Bernardo Silva before the Portuguese star’s cross to Raheem Sterling.
The two mistakes ensured that Alisson became the first Liverpool goalkeeper to make two errors leading directly to a goal in a single game since Loris
Karius vs Real Madrid in the infamous 2018 Champions League final. - Goal.
The Zimbabwe Women’s Cricket team will play their first international in two years, an ODI against visiting Pakistan, tomorrow.
The three ODI and two-match T-20 series will run until February 20 and will be held at Harare Sports Club with no spectators allowed due to Covid-19 restrictions.
Mary-Anne Musonda will captain the team which was announced on Saturday.
The other two 50-over matches are set for February 12 and 14.
The two-match T20 series will start on February 18 with the final match on February 20.
This will be the first time Zimbabwe and Pakistan play each other and they are both using this tour as part of their preparations for the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier 2021.
The 10-team tournament will be held in June and July and the top three teams from the qualifying event will progress to the 50-over ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022 in New Zealand.
Mary-Anne Musonda (captain), Ashley Ndiraya, Precious Marange, Pelajia
Mujaji, Chiedza Dhururu, Modester Mupachikwa, Kellies Ndlovu, Tasmeen
Granger, Esther Mbofana, Francesca Chipare, Loryn Phiri, Nomvelo
Sibanda, Josephine Nkomo, Audrey Mazvishaya, Christabel Chatonzwa
Zimbabwe Gems captain Felisitus Kwangwa is in line for a debut appearance against London Pulse in the England’s Vitality Netball Super League on February 13.
The 2021 VNSL is set to start on February 12 and due to COVID-19, the competition is going to be held across two centralised venues — Studio 001 in Wakefield and then the Copper Box Arena in London.
The league will run until June 27 where a grand final is expected to take place.
In an interview with H-Metro, Kwangwa said she is ready and hopes for a positive start.
“I am prepared now. I don’t know what exactly to expect on the day(debut) but I hope we are going to win our first game,” she said.
The 25-year-old star becomes the first local player to ply her trade in Europe’s elite league following a one-year con-tract deal with Surrey Storm.
Her club has also hinted on a potential debut for ‘Zim One’ as she is affectionately known in the netball circles.
Kwangwa left the country last year in October to join her new home in a historic move which came after her impressive 2019 Netball World Cup stint in Liverpool, England.