 on the sportsmax zone and I can't tell you that within the last 15 minutes the Caribbean has won its first medal at the World Indoor Track and Field Championship in Glasgow Scotland the Jamaican sprinter Akeem Blake getting bronze in the 60 meters one to finish for the USA the fast starting Christian Coleman winning ahead of the fast closing Noah Lyles so Coleman wins gold Lyles gets silver and Akeem Blake the Jamaican is in the bronze medal position this on day one of the three-day World Indoor Track and Field Championship in Glasgow Scotland we're gonna talk some cricket now because the region's best women's players well kind of because Hayley Matthews isn't there well they'll be back in action on Monday when cricket West Indies the CGU United Super 50 Cup bowls off the T20 blaze is set to start later this month on the 17th of March to be precise. St Kitts and Nevis will host the tournament across three venues Warner Park Connery Cricket Centre and St Paul Sports Complex today we'll be taking a closer look at the six teams and their chances of winning the title the Leewards cricket guru Vernon Springer-Schedule to join us shortly let's start by looking at some of the team rosters the defending champions in the CG Super 50 Barbados they'll be without as I just mentioned their inspirational leader and West Indies captain Hayley Matthews who is in India playing in the WPL and we'll look to at the beaten finalist last year Jamaica who will be led by the former West Indies captain Stefani Taylor. So here's the Barbados lineup Kaysia Knight who will captain the team Alia Alene, Shanika Bruce, Asavi Calender, Zalea Campbell, Jamila Connell, Naijani Khumberbatch, Erin Deem, Kylia Elliot, Ellison Gordon, Tiana Herbert-Meyers, Trisha and Holder, Kishona Knight and Alicia Scantlebury for the strong Barbados team bears we said they are the defending champions the Jamaican team is being led by Stefani Taylor, Rashada Williams, Janelle Henryn, Natasha McLean, all West Indies players Abigail Bryce, Vanessa Watts, Nisha and Waysum there's John L. Dears, Kate Wilmot, Nicole Campbell, Chadyn Nationals with West Indies player Jessica Garcia, Selina White and Kanisha Ferron, the Jamaica lineup there for the CG United Super 50 Club and the T20 Blaze tournaments that are coming up in this month and being played in St. Kitts and Neves. So I know you get excited about women's cricket Mariah partly because your sister Karishma is involved and a top player for TNT and a top player for the West Indies as well. We just went through the Barbados and Jamaica lineups two of the stronger teams that are expected to do well in the tournament. Yeah and Barbados will be without Haley Matthews as you said but Lance I still think despite being without their regular captain Kaysia Knight steps in and I think she will do a great job they have a very strong squadron paper and I think you know Barbados will put up a really good defense even without their skipper so nothing for the Barbados fans to be too worried about. I know the Red Force Divas they got to St. Kitts and Neves earlier today. They're already there you know they're settled and everything and they're just looking forward to see if they can snatch a title as well. I think it's a very very open competition Lance and what I want to zone in on is the Red Force Divas bringing in two youngsters. I had Brianna Harichur on in case you missed it. She's 15 years old but when you speak to her Lance you know she's very very mature. She's very level headed and she's looking forward to make a mark in this tournament. They will be under the leadership of Brittany Cooper saying that they'll be no Anissa Muhammad this year so I think a lot of the teams will be looking a bit different but for me it makes the competition even more exciting because youngsters a different skipper a lot to look forward to. Yeah all right we know how Vernon Springer as we said the Leeward Islands cricket guru. We just went through Vernon as you join us on the show. The rosters for the defending champions Barbados and Jamaica being led by the experienced Afane Taylor with quite a few West Indies players on her roster and the Barbados lineup also looks pretty strong based on the international experience of many of those those players involved. Vernon do you consider Jamaica and the Barbados teams to be among the tournament favorites. Well I think all teams are favorites. I mean this competition Barbados without their captain Haley Matthews that is going to be she's going to be surely missed because you're talking about batting and if you've looked over the years of the cricket West Indies women's tournament the Super 50 or the T20 the bowling for most of the teams have been able to hold their own. What has been the major concern is the batting. So when you look at the Barbados team they're going to be led by a new captain Tysian Knight who is at age 32 wiki keeper. I'm still looking to try and prove something at this level and she would have to really step up now and fill the shoes now of her captain Haley Matthews. Garner you can't count out Garner. You are showing Campbell who is the captain. The most experienced player some 108 ODIs for the West Indies 125 T20s. So they'll be looking for a Sherwin Fraser in the fastballing lineup. I'm looking forward to see how well she will be able to shape shape up Jamaica on paper. You're talking about under the most experienced women's cricketers in the world. Stephanie Taylor 154 ODIs 117 T20s over 5,000 runs for the West Indies seven centuries. She is no mean feat but and Chanel Henry who I thought was the fastest emerging all around the coming in. So you've got to keep your eye on Jamaica Natasha McLean. You know she's a veteran. She can be able to upstage the apocat. Trinidad and Tobago know Anisa Mohammed. They experienced their leadership but you got Britney Cooper who's been around for some time. So their batting will be led by a couple of youngsters there. So they'll be under some pressure. Winwood Islands and Leeward Islands when you match up. In fact the Winwood Islands went to think it's a new this early and participated in some warm up games against the Leeward Islands. They played and they'll come in a willow park in Nevis and a water park under the lights. So when was the fast emerging. They have their captain Afifletcher. You know Afifletcher is known for taking wickets. But I want to see she's she's beginning some runs in some warm up matches as well Vernon because she's I think she's batting in the middle order or maybe in the top. I think she's batted four or five a couple of matches I've seen from the scorecards from the from the from the winwords. Let's let's quickly look at the Ghana and Leeward Islands squads and let's assess them. You just referenced a couple of things about those two teams. But let's look at the rosters there and get some more in depth comments from you on Ghana and the Leewards. Well I did mention about Ghana. I said you can't talk to me and come back to captain. I'm looking forward to see Sherry and Fraser. Young fastballer and even down to Sineta Griman. But the Leewards. The exciting news is that Tanisha Bickney Hector has returned to the lineup after missing the tournament last year. You have a new captain Amanda Edwards who in the tournament last year scored 189 runs with a high score of 74. One of the first players to score half century for the Leeward Islands women's team. She replaced Sunelah Willett was really not come to the party as yet. But the emerging Jen Jazeera Clarkston the young 17 year old she turned 18 in the Stampern ship on the 12th of March is an exciting time for joined by some young players in Kimberley Anthony and Sherry and Moses. Now Tanya Martin is a little medium baseballer who had a stint in England a couple of seasons ago. So she should be looking exciting. But the news here is that Renice Boyce from Chilling Island Tobago will also be part of the Leeward Islands set up this year. Yeah. I see that along with a US based player Shibani Bhaskar. Can you talk to us a little bit about that. Well Shibani has played when she was the US captain played a couple of seasons. Missed the last two seasons. So she's in. We also have a Canadian international also being part of the Leeward Islands lineup. So plenty plenty to look for at home. All everything set matches at Warner Park Connery and St. Paul's complex. As you heard the teams are going to be staying at the Marriott hotel so everybody is really excited and ready to go. And it could be a chance for us now to see some new stars because there's no danger that in. I don't know if Stephanie Taylor will be going on maybe after this World Cup. So there's a chance now to be able for some young players to put their hand up and say well hey listen we want to be able to carry this flag for women's cricket. Yeah. All right. You just referenced the warm up matches that the windwards have been playing against the Leewards because they arrived there a full week ahead the windwards. And from what I've seen I think they've played well in almost all of the matches that they have played. We're going to look now at the Trinidad and Tobago and Windward Allen squads and just talk a little bit a little bit more about them because we've already touched on on on what they may have to offer. But the Trinidad and Tobago team will be led by Brittany Cooper. She's she's captain of the team. Yeah. Karishma Ramirak that's Mariah sister is the vice captain. Chanel saw Samara Ramna. Janabi Joseph. Leon Kirby very experienced player. Corbina Alexander also experienced Kanisha Isaac Brianna Haricharan and Katie Jazz Mitchell. Selina Neil, Shanice Pascal, Shalini Samaru and Steffi Sugrim and Mariah you spoke with Haricharan earlier on your in case you missed it show and you're very impressed with how articulate and how business like she appears to be going into the tournament. Yeah. And what stood out for me is one she attends a very prestigious school in Trinidad and Tobago which is St. Augustine Girls High School. When you know like a young girl is attending one of those schools you know she's brilliant. Second thing is she plays national tennis as well land. So I think you know just those two things that I say speaks for itself. It speaks volume. Yeah. Then you know if you listen to the interview which will be aired this weekend she has plans already like you know she really wants to represent the West Indies senior team. So she goes into this Super 50 and T20 with that in the back of her mind knowing that she's gotten this opportunity to of course leave her mark. So I was speaking to my sister about her you know pre interview and she was also telling me she can bat a bit. So she's a good bowler. She's very agile on the field. She can give you some runs. I think she is forced to be reckoned with. Yeah. And Vernon I reckon that Anisa Mohammed's retirement has left a bit of a hole for TNT based on how long she's been there. But the TNT squad looks solid and there are some young talented players in there. Well you will always Anisa Mohammed will be surely missed in terms of leadership. It's like a Leon Johnson out of a guy and a happy eagle squad because Anisa Mohammed came in crucial tournaments for Trinidad and Tobago and even picking up wickets and came and batted well just like Afri Fletcher who will come into this tournament with some experience. But my major concern very quickly lands is in terms of preparation and how the franchises how regional boards are treating women's cricket. And if we go back to even Guyana. Guyana had like about maybe three four county games before they selected their team. It's not everybody sounds like they're organized like a Trinidad and Tobago. The Winwood Islands had a competition in terms of the Leeward Islands. They didn't have a competition so they had to muster up like 26 girls to camp in Nevis. So in terms of how we are preparing women's cricketers. We have a lot of young players coming through. But I think there needs to be more focus on women's cricket. We have to really find some some coaches who are going to dedicate themselves to the women's game. So even the West Indies are organizing West Indies team tours. When the girls go back to their territories. I don't think they have organized coaches who are willing to take them to that next level. And that is a problem which we have to deal with. Yeah. Before we look at the Winwoods team I just want to point out that I saw the departure function for the Jamaica team leaving for the tournament. And the Jamaica Cricket Association actually held a send off function for them which was never done before. And the general narrative coming from the Jamaica Cricket Association was that they were trying to establish some more equity with the cricket and ensure that the women get as much attention as the men. So that certainly was a good sign. The Winwoods squad as you mentioned Vernon will be led by Affi Fletcher. And their squad has been reasonably well prepared. They actually had a Winwood Islands tournament in I think it was Grenada before they selected their team. So they should be match sharp. Affi Fletcher captains this team. Tracey Byron, Nerissa Crafton, Malika Edward, Pearl Etienne, Ornisha Fontaine, Amia Gilbert, Janelia Glasgow, Kimon Homer, Zeta James, Keanna Joseph, Namia Marsala. There is Karina Noel and Selena Ross as well. So a couple of West Indies players or players with West Indies experience in this setup, including the 41-year-old Pearl Etienne, who you would know well, Vernon. And the Winwoods team, I think from a preparation standpoint, appears to me to be one of the teams that had the kind of practice and not only match practice but camping experience. That should put them in good stead for this tournament. Well, you can take your eyes off of the Winwood Islands cricket board. They have really invested in women's cricket. In fact, they have a psychologist as part of the team and they build up for this camp coming to think it's a Nevis pretty early was an indication. In fact, it might have been even more interesting because Trinidad and Tobago, just because of flights, they were also due to get in early. So you'd have had a triangular tournament with Trinidad and Tobago, the Winwoods and the Leeward Islands. So in terms of preparation, Lance, you hit the nail on the head. I think out of all of the teams, the Winwood Islands will be the most maybe prepared team coming out of a competition at the preseason camp just before and then they got to think it's a Nevis a week more earlier. But you know, Lance and all of us, the game is played on the day and the ball is round. So we're looking forward for some exciting, it's 15 games in the Fiji United Super 50 and 15 more games in the T20 players. And let's hope that we can be able to have some great weather and some great cricket. Yeah. Oh, Verna, we'll be talking to you during the week as the tournament starts off on Monday with the opening games. And that runs through, I think onto the 13th of March and then the T20 play starts on the 17th. But we'll be paying a lot of attention to this women's tournament, both the 50 over and the T20. So, Verna, and thanks for linking with us and we'll be in touch again next week, I'm sure. Yeah. All right, God bless you. Yeah, looking forward to you guys. Looking forward to this tournament, Mariah. Yeah. Hope it's going to be good and the competition will be great. And some new players, as the West Indus tries to rebuild its international team, get some new promising players performing in this in this tournament. We go to break. We'll be back with more on the Sports Mag Zone after.