Florida stadium to host first ODIs on United States soil
U.S. bowler Muhammed Ghous pitches against Jamaica’s Dean Morgan as wicketkeeper Carlton
Baugh looks on during the Pearls Cup Twenty20 cricket match at Central Broward Regional Park in
Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Sunday, May 23, 2010. Associated Press / Jeffrey M. Boan, fi le
Caribbean L Q ife, Aug. 9-15, 2019 43
By George Alleyne
Following a disappointing
showing of the top three Caribbean
netball teams at World
Cup 2019, there is media speculation
that jobs of Barbados and
Jamaica head coaches are on
the chopping block, while Trinidad
is seeking more exposure
for its Calypso Girls.
Ranked world number three,
Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls led
the 10th placed Trinidadians
and the Bajan Gems at 12 into
the Netball World Cup 2019
in Liverpool, England, carrying
high hopes for the region, but
when the 10-day tournament
ended on July 21, none of them
had laid hands on the gold,
silver or bronze medal at stake
among the 16 teams.
Consistent with the leadership
position held as they
entered the tournament, the
Sunshine Girls exited as regional
leaders with fifth position.
The Calypso Girls were ninth
and the Gems brought up the
rear at 12th.
Since the International Netball
Federation World Cup had
got to its final stages and it
became obvious that the Caribbean
was not going to medal,
regional media houses began
speculating that heads will roll.
No more was this so than
in Jamaica, whose highest past
placing was 4th in 1971, and
recent outings had that island’s
fans expecting a medal this
year.
The Gleaner newspaper last
week made a strong claim to
inside knowledge that the head
coach will soon be history.
“Despite denials from Netball
Jamaica (NJ), The Gleaner
has been reliably informed that
national senior netball team
head coach Marvette Anderson
will be sacked from her post
this month, after the Sunshine
Girls’ poor performance at the
Netball World Cup in Liverpool,
England, last month,” the
newspaper contended, adding
that she will be replaced by her
assistant Winston Nevers.
During the latter stages of
the competition the newspaper
had reported NJ President, Dr.
Paula Daley-Morris stating that
her organisation will be making
several changes to the coaching
staff after the championships.
“We were equal to the task,
we fell asleep on the job and
the results are what they are …
Lots of changes will be made;
we cannot go forward with the
way things are.”
Discussion on head-rolling
for the Barbados top job
was more speculative with
the Nation newspaper stating
that the future of coach Sandra
Bruce-Small may be determined
this month.
Responding to queries on
what is in store for Bruce-
Small, the Barbados Netball
Association President, Nisha
Craigwell, reportedly told the
newspaper, “we have a board
meeting scheduled for later in
the month and those matters
will be discussed then.”
The Calypso Girls, the only
regional team to have won the
World Cup, 1979, received less
media recrimination for their
poor returns.
Newsday newspaper reported
coach Wesley Gomes hoping
that more of his players get
opportunities to play in competitive
leagues to improve as
a team. “Because of how our
structure is in the Caribbean,
the only way we could do it is
probably get the players in bigger
leagues and develop them
from there.”
Bajan Gems head coach, Sandra Bruce-Small (C), hugs national
captain Damisha Croney (L) and manager Lynette
Holder following a tournament. Photo by George Alleyne
Caribbean Netball faces backlash
By Nelson A. King
Central Broward
Regional Park in Lauderhill,
Fl is set to host the
first One-Day Internationals
on US soil.
USA’s first round of
ODIs against Namibia and
Papua New Guinea, as part
of the new Cricket World
Cup League Two structure,
are set to be hosted at the
venue, beginning from
Sept. 13, according to ESPNCricinfo.
It said these ODIs had
been originally designated
to be played in North Carolina.
A USA Cricket board
member corroborated the
match schedule outline
including the change of
venue to Lauderhill, ESPNCricinfo
said.
Last month, the sports
network reported that the
ODI matches wre pulled
from Church Street Park
in the Raleigh suburb of
Morrisville after the International
Cricket Council
(ICC) announced in May
that the venue would host
these games.
Woodley Park in Los
Angeles and an under-construction
venue at Morgan
Hill, California in the
Silicon Valley became the
frontrunners to land the
hosting gig for USA’s first
home ODIs, ESPNCricinfo
said.
But it said the new turf
venue at Morgan Hill —
which is being paid for by
American Cricket Enterprises
(ACE) — will not be
ready in time.
“Meanwhile, Woodley
Park’s recent investment
upgrades from ACE funding
were not enough to
have the venue receive ODI
ground accreditation from
the ICC in time to host
matches in September,”
ESPNCricinfo said.
“The result is that, in
spite of September being
the height of the south
Florida tropical storm season,
the Central Broward
Regional Park turned into
the default host option due
to its ODI ground status
listing, which it received
from the ICC upon opening
in 2008,” it added. “Despite
having had ODI status for
more than a decade, the
ground has never actually
hosted an official ODI.”
Last Sunday’s 2nd
Twenty20 International
between India and West
Indies was the ground’s
10th T20I match since the
inaugural T20I was played
between New Zealand and
Sri Lanka in May 2010.