Bowlers learning from Ambrose, says Taylor

Fast bowler Jerome Taylor has credited the West Indies' positive bowling effort on tour of India thus far to input made by fast-bowling legend Sir Curtly Ambrose.

"SirCurtly is a very close friend of ours, and the fast-bowling unit in the side is gaining a lot from his wealth of experience," said Taylor, who claimed three for 54 to lead his West Indian counterparts in the second one-dayer last weekend.

"We are improving and are finding better ways to bowl on slow and low wickets," he added.

later resulted

West Indies, currently tied at one a piece with the hosts in their five-match one-day international series, bowled out the home team for 197 in the first game in Kochi, resulting in the regional side winning by 124 runs, after earlier making 321 for six in their innings.

The second game in New Dehli then followed with the West Indies restricting India to 263 for seven after earlier projections based on the home team's scoring rate had predicted a total closer to 300.

West Indies were subsequently bowled out to hand India a 48-run win.

The third match-up slated for Visakhapatnam on Tuesday was cancelled without a ball being bowled due to a cyclone.

"We have our task cut out," said Taylor in reference to the remaining two games of the series, the first of which will be played tomorrow.

"He (Ambrose) continues to work very hard with us, and we are looking forward to the games."

file photos

Jerome Taylor

Curtly Ambrose

SHAYNE FAIRMAN

STAR Writer

Jamaica College (JC) remained on course to lift the 2014-15 Walker Cup title after clipping Hydel 2-1 yesterday in the first game of a double header at the Constant Spring football field yesterday.

In the day's second game, St George's clipped Hydel1-0 to book their spot in the final against JC.

Jamaica College went ahead, after a defender handled the ball inside the penalty box in the 38th minute.

Captain Junior Flemming stepped up and struck his spot kick low and wide of the goalkeeper's outstretched arms for JC'S first goal.

"We performed well by following instructions," Flemming toldStar Sports.

"We followed instructions and executed well in this tactically defensive game," he added. Flemmings has scored 12 goals for his team so far in all competitions. "I hope to continue the trend of scoring and leading from the front, so JC can continue winning," underlined Flemming.

JC began the second half by lobbing balls into Hydel's penalty box. The move yielded fruit in the 78th minute, when Akeem Shackleford caught goalkeeper Nicholas Clarke off his line.

Shackleford controlled delicately, and struck his shot powerfully into the back of Hydel's net for their second and decisive goal of the game. Stephen Barnett gave Hydel hope in the 80th minute when he pulled a goal back.

JC coach Miguel Coley lauded his team's effort.

"It is a good win going forward," he said.

"Credit to Hydel, they came out and played hard, so we are pleased with the final result. My boys played with passion and that decided the game," Coley added.

Donovan Hayles, coach of Hydel, believes his team missed too many chances.

"We could have had a better result, but my boys just didn't take the chances today, he said. They made too many mistakes," added Hayles.

JC, George's claim spots in Walker Cup final

Sunshine Girls in race against time after chik-V setbacks

André Lowe

Senior Staff Reporter

With all but three members of the squad affected at one point or the other by the chikungunya virus, several of the island's netballers are now in a race against time to prove their fitness ahead of next month's Fast5 Netball World Series.

With players missing weeks of training in some cases, head coach Minnett Reynolds is left more than a little concerned with the team's preparation heading into the November 8-9 tournament, which takes place in Auckland, New Zealand.

best player

Only veterans Paula Thompson and Simone Forbes as well as young defender Staciann Facey have escaped the effects of the virus that has swept across the island, with the likes of last year's MVP Thristina Harwood andShanice Beckford,who was voted by her teammates as Jamaica's best player at the recent Commonwealth Games among those affected.

"One of our shooters has been out for over two weeks ... . She only came back on Monday and has been training twice per day, but that has been taking a toll on her body," Reynolds said. "It (virus) has affected us tremendously. We have at least three to four girls who are not able to train much ... . When they return they are not fully recovered because they are a little weak and still feeling a little pain in the joints and so on."

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Flemming