A bludgeoning innings from Kieron Pollard and career-best figures from Samuel Badree spearheaded the West Indies’ 41-run win over Zimbabwe in the second and final Twenty20 international on Sunday.
Responding to the hosts’ total of 158-7, the visitors were restricted to 117-6, with only Hamilton Masakadza offering any sort of resistance with an unbeaten 53 off 51 deliveries.
However, the damage was already done, with Badree dismissing the top three in the Zimbabwe order to finish with 3-17.
With their second consecutive comprehensive win — after Saturday’s eight-wicket triumph — the world champions took the series 2-0 following a 3-0 whitewash of Zimbabwe in the one-day matches in Grenada. Both sides now turn their attention to the Test matches, the first of two beginning next Tuesday in Barbados.
Pollard crashed three sixes and three fours in an unbeaten 46 off just 24 deliveries to lift the West Indies to a competitive total, dominating a 56-run fifth-wicket partnership with Darren Sammy, the captain contributing 19.
All the Zimbabwe bowlers had shown discipline in limiting the home team’s early progress. Tendai Chatara accounted for Johnson Charles, who lost his middle stump in missing an ugly swipe
The spinners then came to the fore, with leggie Natsai Mushangwe removing Dwayne Bravo and man of the series Simmons, who perished for 41.
Experienced off-spinner Prosper Utseya disposed of Christopher Barnwell, the all-rounder attempting one cut shot too many to be bowled for just 7. It was the former captain’s only wicket, but his four-over spell, which cost 22 runs, was the most economical.
Shaquille O’Neal is staying with TNT Sports on a new contract worth more than US$15 million per year, Front Office Sports reported on Friday. The news means the cast of Inside the NBA is staying together even as TNT is set to license out the show to ESPN starting next season. TNT was the odd network out in the NBA’s recent TV rights negotiations, as NBC and Amazon joined previous rightsholder ESPN in inking deals for basketball games. That left TNT without a need for pregame and postgame NBA shows. In a trade with ESPN, TNT is licensing Inside the NBA to the
Eugenie Bouchard already has her own signature pickleball paddle. She is No. 17 in the pickleball rankings and constantly appears on the main court at events because she is always a big draw. However, just to be absolutely clear, she is not retired from tennis. The 2014 Wimbledon finalist still practices on the tennis court, still competes at tennis events and still has a Women’s Tennis Association ranking (No. 1,288). The Canadian standout just has a new sport that has caught her attention. Bouchard is one of several familiar tennis names — like Jack Sock and Donald Young — crossing over to
Juventus on Sunday stopped Inter from replacing SSC Napoli at the top of Serie A by beating their fierce rivals 1-0 and moving into the UEFA Champions League positions. Francisco Conceicao made sure that Napoli would stay two points ahead of reigning champions Inter by classily tucking home the winning goal 16 minutes before the end of an entertaining contest in Turin. Portugal attacker Conceicao netted his fourth goal of the season in all competitions after brilliant work from Randal Kolo Muani to give Juve a third straight league win. Juve are in fourth place on 46 points, ahead on goal-difference from SS
Starting with three fights in the first nine seconds and ending with a celebration and a spot in the 4 Nations Face-Off final, the US on Saturday delivered exactly what Matthew Tkachuk hoped for by beating Canada. “We needed to send a message,” Tkachuk said. “The message we wanted to send is ‘It’s our time.’” Tkachuk fought Brandon Hagel off the opening faceoff, brother Brady tussled with Sam Bennett the next time the puck dropped, J.T. Miller dropped the gloves with Colton Parayko next and the Americans followed those fisticuffs with a 3-1 victory over their biggest rival. “That was one of the