Sports Minister, Roselyn Paul, has announced that the staging of the two T20 International matches played between West Indies and Bangladesh at the Windsor Park Sports Stadium on the weekend brought a sense of national pride to Dominica.
The first game was played on Saturday, July 2, and the second was played on Sunday, July 3.
“In Dominica, staging this game was really something which brought national pride, a sense of nationalism which was felt throughout the game, throughout Dominica, and it was well done, and by all reports cricket West Indies officials, players, the Bangladesh team were very pleased,” she said.
Paul continued, “The Bangladesh manager said he will be bringing back his family, some cricket West Indies members said that they wish they could have stayed for their third game on Tuesday.”
She added, “All-in-all it went very well” and thanked the Dominican public and “all the people who made it happen” for “such tremendous support.”
Pointing out that a significant amount of work had to be done to make the event happen, Paul made special mention of the manager of the stadium, the permanent secretary and staff of her ministry, and other partners including the Discover Dominica Authority (DDA) and the various contractors “who worked day and night for its success.”
“Because, as you know, we had to replace most of the amenities at the stadium, but Dominicans were happy and I am very happy as Minister of Sports, to have gotten such tremendous support and a successful cricket,” the minister stated.
After the first game was abandoned due to rain, West Indies defeated Bangladesh by 35 runs in the second T20 match played at Windsor Park Sports Stadium in front of thousands of Dominican spectators on Sunday.
The Windies won the toss and batted first. They posted a respectable total of 193 for 5 wickets. Rovman Powell top-scored with an unbeaten 61 from 28 balls with 6 sixes and 4 fours and was supported by Brendan King with 57 and Captain Nicholas Pooran, 35. Shoriful Islam took 2 for 31 for Bangladesh.
Looking for 194 for victory, Bangladesh lost wickets regularly and reached 158 for 6 wickets in their 20 overs.
Shakib Al Hasan scored 68 not out and Afif Hossain, 34. Bowling for the West Indies, Romario Shephard got 2 for 28 and Obed McCoy, 2 for 37.
Both teams traveled on Monday to Guyana for the third and final T-20 match. West Indies leads the series 1-0.
Government has invested over $8 million for the rehabilitation of the Windsor Park Sports Stadium since the passage of Hurricane Maria, according to Sports Minister Paul.
Roslyn, couldn’t find something better to do with your time, and life rather than talking this pile of trash about “matches brought a sense of national pride to Dominica.”
Where the hell have you been Cricket been played in Dominica for more than a hundred years, way back to the ear when Dominica, was classified as a a Leeward Island.
There has always been visiting cricket teem from other islands to Dominica, and more than half the time the Dominica players prevailed. You are not so young, that you can pretend that you have never heard of Windward island cricket, where the Dominica team usually trashed the other Windward island teams St. Lucia, St. Vincent, and Grenada.
Whenever there was a combined Windward island team to play the Leeward islands, there were no less than five Dominicans on the combine team at any one-time, that was the pride of our nation!
Continue:
Have you forgotten that the Late Grayson, Shillingford was the first Dominican selected to represent the West Indies; when he played his first test match in England, the game appeared to be in England’s favor, as the wicket was dead; when the captain, threw the ball to him, as if it was a joke!
In came Grayson Shillingford within his third over, broke through the wicket taking his first test wicket; that was in the 1970’s then Irvin Shillingford played, scored his first test century in Port-of -Spain Trinidad, and then we had Norbert Philips, and another Shillingford another pace bowler played less than five years ago.
What pride are you talking about; we had people like my cousin Darwin Telemaque out of Wesley played representing the West Indies in T20 cricket, and I believe contracted to play county cricket in England.
West Indies cricket authority at one time refused to select our players for no other reason they say ours is a small island!
Stop talking…
Just to correct you, Irvine Shillingford scored his first test hundred at Bourda in Guyana in his second test match against Pakistan. Grayson’s first test wicket was when he had Alan Knott lbw at Lords in 1969. Anything about cricket ask me first before you start writing.
ds, I could be wrong, however, I remember distinctly, that when Irvin was called to play his test it was at the Queen’s Park Oval!
Queen’s Park Oval is located in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. It was established in the year 1896 and has the capacity to seat 25,000, people.
This cricket ground is owned by the Queen’s Park Cricket Club. The End’s names are Media Centre End and the Pavilion End. The first test to be played on this ground was between West Indies and England on 1 February, 1930.
Now I am not clear in regards to him playing in Guyana; but I remember for sure, on that day when he struct his first hundred in test; Jefferson (Jeff) Charles was elated, and shouted “the whole of the Caribbean must be saying now I told you so!”
Will continue:
Just for information; the reason Jeff Charles made theses comments was because for years, Dominica produced some of the very best players in the West Indies.
No one can suggest that Irvin Shillingford wasn’t one of the best bat-men the Caribbean produced.
However, because of black-on- black discrimination, and island of birth prejudice; if one was not born in Jamaica, Trinidad Barbados, and Guyana, it matters not how good the so called “small island boys” were they were not called to play for the West Indies.
And so people such as Caleb Laurent of Grand Bay a great spin-bowler, one of the best in the West Indies then was ignored and never made the West Indies team.
Historically my friend Andy Roberts out of Antigua, was the first Small island boy to play WI cricket, then Willet of St. Kitts, then our late Grayson Shillingford; and ds, the rest become part of West Indies cricket history!
Go into West Indies cricket/Dominica archive; do some research!
His first test was in Trinidad replacing Maurice Foster of Jamaica after the first test in Jamaica. In Trinidad he scored 39 and 2. Then he went on to Guyana and scored 120. And by the way Jeff Charles had already left Dominica for England in 1973. Correction, Kaleb Laurent was from St. Joseph not Grandbay. I agree that Irvine Shillingford, Kaleb Laurent and Clem John should have made on the West Indies side long time ago but did not because back then they were considered small islanders.
International cricket in which no Dominican team participated has brought national pride? Pure foolishness, just another effort to blindfold the people into believing they are living the best possible life poverty can provide!
Nonsense! National pride is putting people to work so Dominicans do not have to flee their country to find work in other lands to be able to support their families.
@Bogoroy….. After five years they’re yet to replace/repair the flood lighting at the stadium. Track athletes now train in the parking lot across the bridge adjacent to the back road leading up to Goodwill and swim meets are held in the sea. No Joke. International Athletic Track and Swimming Pool? Wait still….!
Mediocrity is ever present in Dominica since this CM came to power. Dowasco, government, Invest Dominica, public services, DSS, CDPF, Court services, post office and so on and so on. Worst of all it is being rewarded by the man in charge in exchange for political support.
Rosealyn Paul, I wished that you elaborate on the vague phrase “sense of national pride”. Unfortunately, your administration has foreseen the demise of cricket in Dominica therefore enabling the Non presence of a Dominican (male and female) on the West-Indies team, (not even as a substitute for a match played on home ground) or further less at the IPL where millions go begging. It would be a plus if your administration renovates the wonderful cricket grounds that were once the joy and pride of Dominicans all year round when cricket leagues were played, villages compete against one another, and high and elementary schools competed against one another. Bring back the Thibaud grounds, Paille in Vielle-case, Calibishie, Londonderry and the many wonderful playing fields that you and the rest of the lumps of protoplasm have seen ruined before your eyes. Roselyn Paul must wake up or use make up to see clearly real national prides. Dominica has a tropical climate. No spring, summer etc.
The success of the T20 internationals was in a huge way dependent on the labor party buying a stand for it’s mendicant supporters to come out and have a good time at the expense of the party. This is the sort of thing which the CCJ is saying that taints the political process in Dominca. Even if this event is months away from the next election something like this never happened in the country and the West Indies cricket board needs to be cognizant that it’s playing with fire and encouraging and condoning the tainting of the political system in the country. Let the government create the environment for people to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps and pay for their participation at sporting events and not be slyly bought by the rulling political party. This dependency state of affairs is nothing to be proud of. Tanty Merle was not proud of the behind the scene shenanigans which just happened.
If the two missing lights are replaced and the bulbs on the existing two are also replaced/upgraded?….. I can see yearly day and night games with a sold-out venue each time (weather permitting). Dominicans love their cricket…..and we show it.
Roselyn, you may have been a good teacher and a champion of women’s affairs but you are not a sports minister. That ministerial job is a sinecure, inherited from a lame duck in that department, who’s name has all but disappeared from govt. records. But you have my sympathy because a civil servant’s pension is not as rewarding as a minister’s position with all its perks, is it?
Having said that when are we going to have an international Athletic track and an international swimming pool
@Bogoroy, you remind me that the shameless cabal did promise to build an Olympic size swimming pool in Stock Farm long ago. Just like the road from Ravin Cork to Canfield, the completion of the Good hope to Rosalie road this comedy show which passes for a government keeps tainting the electoral process in Dominca.