Tag Caribbean

BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS: Darren Bravo could play his first Test for the West Indies in over two years after the experienced top-order batsman was recalled Tuesday for next week´s series opener against England in Barbados.

Bravo hasn´t featured in a Test since a tour of the UAE in October 2016, but the 29-year-old returned to the international fold late last year as part of the one-day squad.

Fast bowler Alzarri Joseph also earned a recall ahead of the three-match series, although fellow quick Oshane Thomas was named as cover as the former continues his recovery from a stress fracture in his back.

John Campbell, a 26-year-old left-handed opener from Jamaica, received his first call-up along with the 30-year-old Shamarh Brooks, who captained the West Indies at the Under-19 World Cup in 2008.

“After a difficult Test Series in Bangladesh late last year the opportunity presents itself for our team to pick itself up,” chairman of selectors Courtney Browne said.

“Although a tough series against England is anticipated, home turf has always been a place where our team has made strides.”

England have won just one Test series in the Caribbean in the past 50 years, in 2004, although the West Indies were beaten 2-0 in Bangladesh at the end of last year.

“With the return of Darren Bravo, who will add value to a batting department, we expect to see marked improvement,” Browne added.

“Young, exciting, fast bowler Alzarri Joseph, who was sidelined by injury, returns to the squad and Shamarh Brooks has been elevated for his solid first-class performances over the last three years.

“John Campbell the incumbent ´A´ team opener, who has played first class cricket for a number of years will open the batting after a good first-class season in 2018.”

Squad: Jason Holder (capt), Kraigg Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Shamarh Brooks, John Campbell, Roston Chase, Shane Dowrich, Shannon Gabriel, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Alzarri Joseph, Kemar Roach, Jomel Warrican, Oshane Thomas (cover for Joseph)

Schedule
1st Test: Jan 23-27 at Bridgetown

2nd Test: Jan 31-Feb 4 at North Sound

3rd Test: Feb 9-13 at Gros Islet

Hurricane Michael, which tore into Florida on Wednesday, went in just two days from tropical storm status to a Category 4 hurricane, on a scale with a maximum of five.

Here are some figures which illustrate the power of Michael on the continental United States and which “took forecasters by surprise,” according to Phil Klotzbach, a research scientist in the Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University.

“This came out of nowhere, developed on a weekend so it didn´t really get much attention at all until basically yesterday,” he said.
Wind speed

Michael hit Florida with wind speeds of 155 miles per hour (250 kilometers per hour), placing it almost into Category 5 scale, which starts at 157 mph.

Never in recorded weather history has a hurricane hit the mainland United States at such a speed in October, the month marking the end of the June to November hurricane season.

Looking at the entire hurricane season, Michael had the strongest winds since 1992 and Hurricane Andrew.

Only two other storms in recorded American weather history — that is, since 1851 — had stronger winds. They were in 1969 and 1935.
Pressure, a better measure

Meteorologists use another measure to evaluate hurricane intensity: central pressure.

This is preferred by Klotzbach, who explains that it is more precise for historical comparisons because it is measured precisely by an airplane flying in the middle of the storm´s eye, whereas “wind is going to be different everywhere along the hurricane.”

“The pressure gives an idea of the size of the storm,” he said.

Measured in this way — the lower the pressure the stronger the hurricane — Michael was the most powerful since Hurricane Camille in 1969.
How much damage?

In any case, no matter how you measure it, Michael is among the most powerful hurricanes in recent memory along with Camille in 1969, Andrew in 1992 and Katrina in 2005.

The calculation changes if you take into account Puerto Rico, the US island territory in the Caribbean that was devastated by Hurricane Maria last year. The death toll was revised to 2,975 fatalities, either in the storm itself or later as the health care and utilities grids failed.

In terms of damage the most costly year was 2017, when besides the Caribbean several US coastal states were hit by powerful hurricanes that moved slowly and dumped record rainful for days.

Major cities such as Houston were flooded, causing as much as $300 billion in damage, according to estimates.

The bill for 2018 is not yet known. It was a relatively calm year except for hurricanes Michael and Florence last month.

In the case of Michael the damage will be mainly from wind rather than rain.

The all-format two-month visit by England which begins in January will see them face West Indies in three Tests, five ODI’s and two T20 internationals. Photo: AFP

BARBADOS: Cricket West Indies announced Friday the dates for what they said was the “biggest” England tour in a decade.

The all-format two-month visit by England, which begins in January, will see them face the West Indies in three Tests, five one-day internationals and two T20 internationals.

A CWI statement said it would be “the biggest international home series between the two teams since 2009”.

All the fixtures will take place in the eastern Caribbean, with Barbados, Antigua and St Lucia staging the Test matches.

Meanwhile Barbados, Grenada and St Kitts will share the ODIs with the Twenty20s split between St Lucia and St Kitts.

The last Test series between the two sides in the West Indies ended in a 1-1 draw in 2014/15, with England retaining the Wisden Trophy on home soil thanks to a 2-1 success last year.

That was despite an impressive West Indies five-wicket win in the second Test at Headingley where Shai Hope (147 and 118 not out) became the first batsman to score hundreds in both innings of a first-class match at Yorkshire’s headquarters.

The one-dayers will act as warm-ups for next year’s World Cup in England, with the West Indies looking to underline their status as World T20 champions in the shortest format fixtures.

“England coming to the region is always a special occasion for cricket fans and we are pulling out all the stops for a successful series on and off the field,” said Johnny Grave, the English chief executive of CWI.

“West Indies fans create a unique spectator atmosphere and not only do England fans add to this, they bring in a significant tourism boost to the region as thousands will travel here to enjoy the cricket and experience the unique Caribbean culture and hospitality,” he added.
West Indies v England fixtures, 2019

Jan 23-27: 1st Test, Kensington Oval, Barbados

Jan 31-Feb 04: 2nd Test, Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, Antigua

Feb 09-13: 3rd Test, Darren Sammy Stadium, St Lucia

Feb 20: 1st ODI, Kensington Oval, Barbados

Feb 22: 2nd ODI, Kensington Oval, Barbados

Feb 25: 3rd ODI, National Cricket Stadium, Grenada

Feb 27: 4th ODI, National Cricket Stadium, Grenada

Mar 02: 5th ODI, Darren Sammy Stadium, St Lucia

Mar 05: 1st T20, Darren Sammy Stadium, St Lucia

Mar 08: 2nd T20, Warner Park, St Kitts

Mar 10: 3rd T20, Warner Park, St Kitts