Strong Windies squad named for one-off T20I against England
ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) – West Indies will fly a power-packed, 13-member squad to England for their one-off Twenty20 International with the home team next month.Cricket West Indies announced yesterday that Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard and Sunil Narine, three of the most recognisable names on the Twenty20 franchise circuit, will be part of Carlos Brathwaite’s squad for the contest on September 16 at the Riverside Stadium in Durham.The sport’s regional governing body said that key leg-spinner Samuel Badree will however miss the trip, due to a prior commitment.“We have a good mix of experience and youth that should adapt to English conditions quickly,” said selection panel chairman Courtney Browne.“Coming off the win against India in July in the Caribbean, our expectations are to see the team play a highly competitive game and bring that T20 Caribbean atmosphere to England.”All of the players, except off-spinner Ashley Nurse, who takes Badree’s place, played in the one-off T20I against India on July 4 at Sabina Park in Jamaica which West Indies won handsomely by nine wickets, following an explosive second T20I hundred from left-hander opener Evin Lewis.Gayle, Walton, Fletcher and Lewis are among eight batsmen who have compiled more than 250 runs in the ongoing Caribbean Premier League in which Williams is the tournament-leading bowler with 15 wickets and the only member of the squad to crack 10 wickets.Squad:Carlos Brathwaite (captain), Ronsford Beaton, Chris Gayle, Evin Lewis, Jason Mohammed, Sunil Narine, Ashley Nurse, Kieron Pollard, Rovman Powell, Marlon Samuels, Jerome Taylor, Chadwick Walton, Kesrick Williams
… dumps defending champ Lauren Davis from ASB ClassicDEFENDING ASB Classic champion Lauren Davis has been dumped out of this year’s event, humiliated 6-1, 6-2 by the unheralded Sachia Vickery.Having muscled her way through the qualifying rounds, the 22-year-old Vickery made easy work of her American compatriot, winning in just over an hour.Davis, ranked 48 in the World as of January 2018, and who made a name for herself in Auckland last year with her tenacious style and grit, was merely going through the motions by the end of the match.She managed to win just 41 per cent of service points – including just 19 per cent of her second-serve points – and was visibly frustrated with herself. The 24-year-old lashed out in irritation on multiple occasions.Vickery, meanwhile, was far from perfect but nailed more than 60 per cent of her first serves and capitalised ruthlessly on Davis’s implosion.The Florida-based world No.122 will face Veronica Cepede Royg next, following the Paraguayan ace’s 6-3, 6-3 demolition of Spaniard Lara Arruabarrena. The victor is then likely to play Agnieszka Radwanska.“Honestly, me coming through qualifiers, maybe I had a slight advantage because I’d already played a few matches and this is her first,” Vickery said.She added, “Sometimes it’s not such a bad thing, to go through qualifiers. I’m just taking it match by match – I’ve been playing well, I like the courts here and the atmosphere, so I’m just going to keep on playing and fighting.”Vickery defeated Pole Magdalena Frech, Swiss player Conny Perrin and Italian Deborah Chiesa on the way to this week’s Classic main draw.Davis, meanwhile, has won just 10 matches since the start of April.Sachia Vickery, despite not being born in Guyana, would let the world know that her heart belongs to the homeland of her parents Rawle Vickery and Paula Liverpool, and she showed many that she belongs in tennis and isn’t going anywhere.
PRETORIA, South Africa (Reuters) – James Anderson’s return from injury could not be more timely for England, who are still unsure about the make-up of their bowling attack as they head into the first Test against South Africa.But while Jofra Archer and Stuart Broad are still not sure of playing in the match, which starts on Boxing Day, after being laid low with flu, Anderson will be back on the frontline for what will be his 150th Test.England are expected to field a five-man seam attack, foregoing spin, if all their pacemen are fully fit. However, that situation may need to be reassessed based on the availability of Ben Stokes. The all-rounder’s father was admitted to hospital in Johannesburg his condition was described as being “critical” yesterday in a statement from the England and Wales Cricket Board.The 37-year-old Anderson will be the ninth cricketer to reach the 150-Test milestone – joining the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Steve Waugh and Jacques Kallis – when he makes his return to the England attack for the first time since limping off with a calf injury at the start of the Ashes in August.“He’s looking as good as I’ve ever seen him,” said captain Joe Root. Anderson had arrived in the country ahead of the majority of the England squad to attend a fast bowlers’ camp, underlining his desire to get back into the team.“It feels like a long time since I’ve played a competitive game so to get some overs … was very pleasing,” he told reporters. “There was a bit of rust but that’s to be expected having not played for four or five months. I’m just happy to be back out there.”Anderson was only 20 when he made his debut, taking five wickets against Zimbabwe at Lord’s in 2003, and last month said he wanted to continue through to the next Ashes series, which will start at the end of 2021 in Australia. “I still want to do it, that’s part of the reason I worked so hard to get back,” added England’s record wicket-taker with 575 Test scalps.“It’s something I love and I still feel I’ve got something to offer, so that hunger and desire to get back is still very much there.”
USC received the world’s largest library collection concerning lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender research from the ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives this week.The archive is the largest of its kind in the nation, with 60,000 items including books, magazines, videos, drawings and 600 linear feet of archives.According to Greg Williams, vice president of ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archives, the collection consists of primary resources such as documents, organizational papers, diaries and personal papers. The university is well-equipped to handle the archives, he said.“We felt that an institute with a long-term presence would be able to make it more accessible to the USC community, the community at large and the LGBT community,” Williams said. “[It is] more advantageous to be associated with a larger institution.”The ONE organization has been associated with USC for almost 15 years, Williams said, and it moved into a USC-owned building in the early 2000s. Williams said ONE and USC had agreed that ONE would loan the archives but still own them.After many years in which the collection grew with the support of many grants, ONE realized that what they had was so overwhelming that the collection would benefit from being in the care of a larger institution, he said.The archives are full of publications that reflect gay culture in not only Los Angeles but also other parts of the world.According to Catherine Quinlan, dean of USC libraries, the archive contains almost everything pertaining to LGBT history and influence.“It’s a remarkable collection — the diversity of it is really amazing,” Quinlan said. “[It] ties together all the LGBT material worldwide.”There are more than 6,000 LGBT titles of magazines and periodicals dating back to the late ’50s and early ’70s, including archives from people who are prominent in the LGBT community and have had an impact, such as former member of the Board of Supervisors Harvey Milk. The archive contains campaign materials from his election and a collection of campaign buttons.The collection also includes art that USC will not take.Papers of Jim Kepner, one of the original founders of ONE, are also in the collection. There are about 150 to 200 archival collections with papers and original documents from important figures.“I think what’s really interesting is that we have an enormous reservoir of early periodicals,” Williams said. “We have a complete sets of [ONE] Magazine, and it was the first homosexual magazine.”There are also early photos from The Advocate, an LGBT magazine.By donating the collection to USC, the collection will be protected for a long time, he said. It will stay at its current location at 909 West Adams Blvd. and will still have the support of ONE.Quinlan also said that the organization was looking for a place that would use the collections. Various departments — including anthropology, gender studies and other programs — will utilize the collection for teaching and research purpose. “I encourage students to come down and see the collection and see how extensive it is,” Williams said. “We have everything from photographs in a scrapbook to the sheet music early cross-dressers used in the early 20th century.”Emily Allen, the president of the Queer and Ally Student Assembly, said the ONE institute was a great organization for LGBT resources.“The availability of the resources will encourage people to check it out,” Allen said. “I think it definitely shows that our school has an interest for this.”
University faculty and students came together on Wednesday to discuss the global challenges the United States’ next president will face in an event hosted by the Jesse M. Unruh Institute for Politics and the Political Student Assembly — part of a series called “It’s Our Election Too.”Panelists included senior correspondents for the student publication Glimpse from the Globe Luke Phillips and Kshitij Kumar; Robert English, associate professor of international relations; and Dan Schnur, director of the Unruh Institute.The discussion began with a commentary on how the role of foreign policy in this election cycle differs from previous years.“This year, the gulf between what’s being promised … and what [candidates] are really likely to do, what they will be able to do in the real world … seems to me wider than ever,” English said. “Some would say the level of irresponsibility and recklessness is greater than ever.”But Kumar expressed concern over campaign promises that would make for ill-advised foreign policy initiatives in reality, particularly those that focus on isolationism.“It worries me because that’s what the American people are going to come to expect,” Kumar said.Schnur agreed, additionally referring to the prominence of American isolationism that has been gaining momentum recently.“Outside of rooms like these, where smart young people know how important these international issues are, the wall-builders are winning,” Schnur said.The topic of discussion shifted to the idea of the war on terror and its role in presidential campaigns. Schnur talked about the importance of how candidates are portraying Islam and acts of terror in this election.“The distinction between condemning radical Islam, and Islam is of absolutely critical importance,” Schnur said. “An increasing number of our political leaders are making a point of drawing the distinction, but the loudest voices in the political debate are not.”Phillips responded by saying that the socioeconomic unrest in the Middle East is to blame for much of radical Islamism rather than the religion itself. He said that a good foreign policy should take that into consideration.“I’m not saying it’s not important to be fighting a moral war,” Phillips said. “But I think something that a true leader will have to tell [Americans] eventually is that because of events that are out of [anyone’s] control, there’s a tendency among members of the Muslim community to get radicalized because of forces that are happening to the Muslim community.”English said that with those forces and the efforts the United States has made so far, it’s not possible to transition quickly to an isolationist policy.“Since 2002, … we have spent $4 to 5 trillion with what some would say is remarkably little gain,” English said. “We have now crossed 1 million casualties. These guys are acting like isolationists, as if you can just throw bombs and stay home, but you can’t. It’s just fantasies.”
Other players expected to troop into camp last night include; Francis Uzoho, Ikechukwu Ezenwa, Daniel Akpeyi, Ola Aina, Abdullahi Shehu, William Troost Ekong, Kenneth Omeruo, Wilfred Ndidi, Ahmed Musa, Henry Onyekuru, Odion Ighalo, Alex Iwobi, Paul Onuachu, Kelechi Iheanacho and Samuel Chukwueze.Nigeria will confront Zimbabwe at the Stephen Keshi Stadium on Saturday, June 8 and tackle Senegal in their last friendly in Ismailia, Egypt on Sunday, June 16.The three-time Africa champions will train in Asaba for about one week before departing for Egypt aboard a chartered aircraft.Share this:FacebookRedditTwitterPrintPinterestEmailWhatsAppSkypeLinkedInTumblrPocketTelegram Eighteen Super Eagles players have reported for international duty in the Delta State capital, Asaba, as the national team begins preparations for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.The list of players in camp is headlined by former Chelsea stalwart John Mikel Obi, who is making a return to the squad after a self-imposed sabbatical that lasted for one year.According to allnigeriasoccer.com the first 10 of the 18 players in camp include: Leon Balogun, Jamilu Collins, Moses Simon, Chidozie Awaziem, Semi Ajayi, Samuel Kalu, Oghenekaro Etebo, John Ogu, Victor Osimhen.
It’s been another busy week in esports, with G2 attracting investment from the likes of FC Barcelona midfielder André Gomes grabbing many a headline. Elsewhere: Mercedes Benz and ESL have partnered ahead of ESL One Hamburg; Sliver.tv has raised over $9 million and Betway has become the official betting partner of the ESL Pro League. G2 attract investmentG2 Esports League of Legends team. Credit: RiotThe esports organisation’s funding round was concluded with a diverse group of investors on board, who bring with them a wealth of experience from the entertainment, financial, and traditional sport sectors. The most prominent of the investors is without a doubt FC Barcelona midfielder André Gomes. Others include Eric Mindich’s Everblue Management, MACRO Ventures, and Marc Lemann of Go4It, among others. This initial growth capital will be used ‘to enhance G2 Esports’ talent infrastructure as well strengthen their content and brand initiatives’.Portuguese midfielder André Gomes had this to say: “In this increasingly digital world, I see tremendous potential in esports. Carlos’s vast experience as a successful player, entertainer and successful team owner combined with G2’s impressive track record makes this investment a perfect fit. Esports is the next generation of sports and League of Legends is its cornerstone. I couldn’t be more thrilled to invest in and partner with G2 Esports.”Read the full article here.Sliver.tv raise $9.8 millionSLIVER.tv, a 360º virtual reality broadcasting technology company, has raised $9.8 million (£7.7m) in Series A funding in its bid to transform the esports spectator experience utilising VR. The round of funding was led by Danhua Capital, and Heuristic Capital Partners joined ZP Capital as fellow investors. Mitch Lui, CEO of Sliver.tv said he was “thrilled” to welcome the trio aboard. The haul brings funding up to a current total of $17.5m (£13.7m). Existing seed contributors DCM, Sierra Ventures, The VR Fund, Samsung Next Fund and Sony Innovation Fund also joined in for the round.The platform operates by submerging viewers in a fully immersive 360° in-world stream using virtual camera array technology. The company describes the arrangement as akin to ‘giving them courtside seats’, allowing fans to delve right into the action.Read the full article here.ESL and Mercedes Benz enter partnershipThis new partnership will ‘include tournament sponsorships across several global markets’. First up events wise is ESL One Hamburg 2017, the Dota 2 tournament and Major with with a prize pool of €1,000,000. Ralf Reichert, ESLRalf Reichert, CEO of ESL said: “We are thrilled to partner with Mercedes-Benz as the premiere automotive brand. This partnership represents an important step not only for us but for the whole esports industry – allowing us to explore exciting mobility solutions for the fans and players across the world, growing esports together, and getting it to the next level.”Read the full article here.Betway announce ESL Pro League Season 6 partnershipUndeterred by the Ninjas in Pyjamas sponsorship news last week, Betway and ESL have announced a partnership that will see the bookmaker become a sponsor for Season 6 of the ESL Pro League.The deal will see Betway enhance the ESL Pro League experience by adding live odds to the broadcast, much in the same way as they demonstrated at ESL One Cologne. The release also states that viewers will get an insight into the content that unique content Betway has produced. Anthony Werkman, Director of Marketing and Operations at Betway stated: “We are delighted to continue our market leading partnership with ESL. After the huge success of our ESL One Cologne sponsorship, supporting CS:GO’s most prestigious league was the logical next step.”Read the full article here.
eleven The stoppage due to the coronavirus pandemic continues and in the meantime, the teams continue to plan the touches to the next year’s staff. At Barcelona, the signing of Lautaro Martínez has long been a priority, whose termination clause will soon drop to 111 million euros. However, Barcelona will not have much liquidity after the coronavirus crisis and presented the Italian club with a list of footballers that could make the operation cheaper. A list that has been changing since then. 10 Of those offered, the one that convinces the most is Nelson Semedo, since it is urgent to reinforce both sides. On his agenda is also Junior Firpo, although it would be the third on the list, since ahead would have the Italian-Brazilian of the Chelsea, Emerson Palmieri.Looking for a substitute for Lautaro
But as published La Gazzetta dello Sport, Inter mainly wants money, and although it considers some feasible footballers in case the deal goes ahead, it will ask for at least 90 million euros to let the Argentine out, that is, that Barça would have to pay 90 million euros in addition to a footballer, provided that the chosen one is to the liking of Antonio Conte. At the same time, Inter shuffles a host of names as possible replacements for the player, among which would be the German of the RB Leipzig, Timo Werner, whose termination clause will be 65 million euros. The striker, on the other hand, has his own plans, and both Inter and Barcelona or Bayern Munich would be alternatives to what he really wants: to play for Liverpool.
Speaker Chambers said he refers the US dollars to be the single currency regime for the Liberian commerce and trade. The Speaker of the House of Representatives of the 54th Legislature Bhofal Chambers has suggested that the country should move towards a single currency regime, blaming the two currencies for “disastrous growth levels and stubbornly high and bad economy.”Dr. Chambers is recommending the removal of the Liberian dollar and the adaptation of the United States dollar as Liberia’s “single currency.”He informed journalists on Friday in his Capitol Building office on Capitol Hill, in Monrovia, of why he prefers the “permissibility of the US dollar to be the single currency regime for the Liberian commerce and trade amid the excruciating challenges the economy is faced with.”Chambers said monetary control in the Liberian economy is seriously challenged by the lose availability of the two Liberian currencies in multiple styles and values of denominations.He bitterly accused former President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf during the end of her tenure of creating “an economic gulag,” which is related to a soviet style economic and militarily fashioned scenario that compel compliance on economic activities.According to research, the word “Gulag” is an acronym for the Main Administration of Corrective Labor Camps and Colonies that the Soviet prison system started as a means of isolating “counter-revolutionary elements.” But with the beginning of the Five Year Plan it became a form of economic colonization… But Chambers said President Sirleaf Administration printed the Liberian dollar in huge quantities, which have now flooded the economy and are chasing the few United States dollars coming into the country’s commerce and trade corridors.He said members of the 53rd Legislature and other economic partners warned the President at the time not to print new bank notes, “but she did not listen, thus contributing seriously to the present condition of the Liberia’s economic woes.”Another indicator the Speaker proffered is the low security features on the new banknotes printed by Ellen’s regime, which have given rise to the “wanton counterfeiting of the Liberian dollar by unscrupulous individuals.”Dr. Chambers, however, said he is cognizant of Liberia’s balance of trade deficit, but said the country’s exports and imports imbalances cannot be singularly responsible for the current economic debacle.“It would be expedient if this government withdraw the multiple local currencies from circulation, adapts the United States dollars and subsequently introduce a highly sophisticated and secured feature prone currency,” Speaker Chambers said.“Until some radical decisions are made to curb the economic situation in the country, like adapting a single currency, the woes may deepen,” he added.He however assured Liberians that the economic issues the country is faced with will be overcome by the Weah Administration as government is now finding a lasting solution to the situation.“The state of the country is strong and secured, and I wish the Liberian people a happy and memorable observance of the 171st Independence Day come July 26,” he said.LIBAIt can be recalled that as part of propositions to amend the Constitution with the adaptation of US dollar as a single currency, the Liberia Business Association (LIBA) rejected the proposition for the eradication of dual currency in Liberia, arguing that the country does not have the productive capacity to institute a single currency regime.LIBA said the international financial system would not have confidence in the country’s single currency, owing to the country’s low economic output, coming from conflict and being characterized by mismanagement of its economy over the decades.The then secretary general of LIBA, Ms. Leelai M. Kpukuyou, recently gave her expert opinion to lawmakers in Ganta, Nimba County, during a five-day retreat on the Proposed Amendments to the 1986 Constitution of Liberia.Ms. Kpukuyou said though timing is important, LIBA believes that the House of Representatives should delay moving toward a single currency in the immediate future until productive capacities are greatly improved.“Until we add value to our own currency through Liberian businesses, we cannot have a single currency,” Ms. Kpukuyou said. “We need to take our economy from the hands of foreigners, formalize the informal business sector, then we are ready for a single currency,” she noted.She pointed out that recent statistics from the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) indicate that more than 70 percent of broad money (M1 and M2) is denominated in US dollars.“Accordingly, the use of the dual currency regime has been a blessing for Liberia’s economic recovery,” Ms. Kpukuyou said.“While Liberia has officially sanctioned the use of the United States dollar as legal tender, it is not the only country in the world with high dollarization. Other countries, such as Ecuador, El Salvador, Panama and Eastern Timor have higher proportions of foreign currency deposits to broad money,” she recalled.The strength of any country’s currency depends on productivity for local consumption and for export, which will allow the country to maintain a considerable balance, according to Kpukuyou.Liberian DollarIn August 2017, the House of Representatives passed a law ensuring that all monetary transactions in the country are done in Liberian dollar. This means all transactions, including purchases, sales and related business deals in the country will be done by use of the country’s local currency.Liberia is currently a dual currency country, with the US dollar being secondary. But the US dollar has dominated the market, being the most demanded currency for purchases and payments, even at government entities.Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
WHITTIER – A water company will be allowed to demolish three historic buildings – all of which date back more than 70 years. The City Council late Tuesday voted 3-2 to overrule a Historic Resources Commission ruling that California Domestic Water Co. be required to save its 1934 office, 1932 pump house and 1921 single-family residence from demolition. The company wants to build a restaurant and an office building on its site on the north side of Whittier Boulevard across from the Whittwood Town Center. “We need to have a balance between historic preservation and economic development,” said Councilman Joe Vinatieri, who was part of the majority. “This project will bring in substantial sales tax dollars as well as property tax dollars.” Vinatieri’s motion did require the company to make an effort to save the single-family residence by finding another place for it on the property or moving it to another location in East Whittier. He said he didn’t believe the office was historic because it had been changed and the pump house couldn’t be severed from the reservoir, which is being dismantled. Vinatieri was joined by Councilmen Greg Nordbak and Cathy Warner in the vote. They were opposed by Councilman Bob Henderson and Mayor Owen Newcomer, who wanted the three buildings to be preserved. Newcomer said he believes all three buildings meet the city code requiring them to be preserved. “They either have been representative of the period, have a unique architectural style or have had historic events tied to the properties,” he said. “The office building is key to me. It’s the most prominent.” Henderson asked for the issue to be postponed to give California Domestic more time to find a way to re-use these buildings as part of some kind of development. “California Domestic has been a very responsible member of this community,” he said. “I think if they would try to get together with a program that would provide them some measure of historical preservation in the long run it would serve them well.” Nordbak said he saw no problem with what California Domestic Water Co. wants to do. “If we get a quality restaurant, help balance our budget and put more police on the street, I’ll sleep very well tonight,” he said. But Henderson questioned how much money the city would get from another restaurant. “I’d feel a lot better about the economic worth of this restaurant coming in if it wasn’t necessary for the City Council to subsidize the project,” Henderson said. Henderson said the water company originally had wanted to lease the property to an In-N-Out Burger restaurant, but are now looking at an Italian restaurant should it get some kind of subsidy. mike.sprague@sgvn.com (562) 698-0955, Ext. 3022 160Want local news?Sign up for the Localist and stay informed Something went wrong. Please try again.subscribeCongratulations! You’re all set!