Caribbean Sports Roundup

By NAN Sports Editor

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. Dec. 20, 2019: Here are the top headlines making news on the Caribbean sports scene this week.

Patriots Starting To Trust St. Vincent-Roots Player?

Looks like the trust is starting to build between the New England Patriots, Tom Brady, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines-roots N’Keal Harry.

Harry has had a strong debut so far for the Patriots. He now has two touchdowns in five games this season.

Remembering Basil Butcher

The West Indies Cricket fraternity is in mourning following the passing of Guyana-born, former West Indies cricketer, Basil Fitzherbert Butcher.

Butcher, who played for the West Indies from 1958 to 1969, died in Florida on Monday, Dec. 16, 2019, after a long illness. He was 86.

He made his debut on November 28, 1958 v India. In 1963, Butcher scored a second-innings knock of 133 in a drawn Test at Lords against a potent England attack led by Fred Truman. In a match that pundits hail as one of the greatest Test matches, the right-handed Butcher scored those runs after learning of his wife’s miscarriage moments before he walked out to bat.

Described as a wristy, resolute number-four batsman, the Port Mourant-born Butcher played 44 Test matches for the West Indies he scored 3104 runs at an average of 43.11. He scored seven centuries including an unbeaten top score of 209 against England in 1966, that helped the West Indies turn the match around and pull off a 139-run win.

He also had success with his occasional leg-spin, Butcher took 5 for 34 against England in Port of Spain during the 1967/68 series. Four of those wickets came in just three overs.

Jamaican Olympian Eyes 22 In 2020

Two-time Olympic 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce says she is targeting dipping under 22 seconds for the 200m next season as she eyes the sprint double at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.

The last time she attempted the sprint double at the Olympic Games was in London 2012 when she won gold in the 100m and silver in the half-lap sprint. She said she plans to have another go at it in what will be her last Olympic campaign.

“I will be doubling up, definitely,” she said revealing her Olympic ambitions according to Digicel Sports Max. “Last year, I really wanted to attempt the double but coach had other plans, so I just worked with that plan. He knows best so I just worked with his plan.”

Trinidad Soccer Coach Fired

The Trinidad and Tobago Football Association has fired it head coach, Dennis Lawrence.

The 45-year-old coach had been in charge of the national team since January 2017. Under Lawrence, Trinidad played 31 matches. They won five, drew seven and lost 19 for a win percentage of 16.13 per cent. In those matches, TT scored 36 goals while conceding 53.