"Sticky Wicket" novel captures way of life of immigrants from many cricketing countries.

Every summer Sunday, Frederick A. Watkins dons white clothes, including a nice V-neck sweater, grabs his cricket gear and heads for the park in southern New Jersey to play the game of his youth. After 25 years of putting up with this ritual, Watkins’ wife, Gina, draws the line: Either he put down his bat and pick up the Bible and accompany her to church like a God-fearing Christian, or risk permanent damage to their marriage. The man-wife conflict, a universal theme, is established in the opening scene of Sticky Wicket, Vol. 1, Watkins At Bat, the first of a planned trilogy about the tens of thousands of immigrants from the West Indies, India, Pakistan, England and elsewhere who have brought their way of life to every corner of the United States. Written by Ewart Rouse, a Trinidad-born, prize-winning journalist who manages a cricket club in the United States, the novel was published by LMH Publishing in Kingston, Jamaica, to coincide with the recently completed Cricket World Cup in the West Indies.

TWINKILLAS – pushing sports in Guyana

Patrick Haynes	Paul Haynes

TWINKILLAS – that’s the name twin brothers Paul and Patrick Haynes were given by their peers and competitors when playing street ball and three-on-three basketball tournaments in New York City and in New Jersey for their tenacious and suffocating defense. The brothers, after visiting Guyana last April met with former team-mates of the Malta Pacesetter Bobby Cadogan, attended a basketball game at the Sports Hall in Guyana and observed that the standard and the venue had literally "gone to the dogs."

AUSTRALIA, THE WORLD’S LEADING CRICKETING NATION

By Gladstone Critchlow

Australia has again regained the role as the world’s leading cricketing nation in both aspects of the game, in Test cricket and in one-day internationals. England and Australia played in the first Test match ever played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in 1876-77 which Australia won but the two-match series ended in a draw. In fact, Australia won three of the first five Test series played between the two countries before the championship between England and Australia was named The Ashes.

Glamorgan in talks with Jerome Taylor

Jerome Taylor, the West Indies fast bowler, is in negotiations with Glamorgan for a stint following their Test and one-day tour of England which concludes in July. A spokesman from Glamorgan couldn't confirm to Cricinfo that the deal had been finalized, but a source at the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) said talks with the county were 'at an advanced stage'. Taylor is negotiating a sponsorship deal with Digicel which is, according to Caribbeancricket.com, reportedly worth $40,000. Should Taylor join Glamorgan, he would join a list of West Indian legends to have played for the county, including Viv Richards, Roy Fredericks and Winston Davis. And although only 22, Taylor is one of West Indies' brightest fast bowling hopes. He has 31 wickets from his ten Tests and has been an economical and incisive one-day bowler.

Star boxer Corrales dies in motorcycle accident

LAS VEGAS, Nevada, (CMC) - Former world boxing champion Diego Corrales, who holds a victory over Guyana’s ex-world champion Gairy St Clair, died in a motorcycle accident two Mondays ago. Corrales, who beat St Clair in a super-featherweight title eliminator in December 1998, went on to win world titles at super-featherweight and lightweight. He was killed near 10:00 pm Monday when he was traveling at high speed and collided with another vehicle. He was 29 years old. Reports are that he had recently bought the racing motorcycle. With a career ring record of 40 wins (33 knockouts) against five defeats, Corrales was involved in what many fans called the greatest fight ever, when he knocked out Jose Luis Castillo in May 2005 for the World Boxing Organization (WBO) and World Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight title.

Lloyd pushes for Fletcher to coach West Indies

Clive Lloyd, the former West Indies captain, has said that he will try and convince Duncan Fletcher to take over the position as coach of West Indies. Fletcher had a long stint as the England coach before quitting after the World Cup last month. West Indies, currently in England for a full Test tour, are without a permanent coach after Bennett King too joined the exodus of international coaches after the World Cup. David Moore, who assisted King during his tenure, is coaching the side, though only on a temporary basis. Lloyd credited Fletcher for England's rise as a Test team and was hopeful that he could reverse West Indies' sagging fortunes if appointed.

WICB takes firm position on discipline for England tour

The West Indies Cricket Board has taken a tough stance on player discipline for the upcoming tour of England. Bruce Aanensen, the West Indies Cricket Board chief executive, said the players would be issued documents before their departure from the Caribbean, fully apprising them of behavioral standards. He said the board had already met with newly elected captain Ramnaresh Sarwan and the tour management to outline the requirements. "We had this meeting with Sarwan and the selectors and with the management of the team and we made it abundantly clear," Aanensen said.

Findlay willing to help Ramdin with glove-work

Newly appointed West Indies manager Mike Findlay says he is willing to use his experience to help young wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin in any way possible on the England tour. Findlay, 63, is a former West Indies wicketkeeper having played 10 Tests between 1969 and 1973 and taking 19 catches and effecting two stumpings. "I’ve spoken to the coaches on that and if there is anyway I can help Denesh with his wicket-keeping I certainly will," Findlay told reporters. "The players need all that, the players need all that sort of assistance so if there is anyway on tour I can help him or any other player for that matter in terms of their mental strength and so on, I certainly will."

Windies warm-up cut short

West Indies were once again left cursing the English weather as the final day of their only warm-up match was washed out at Taunton. Although the rain relented, umpires Roy Palmer and Stephen Garratt felt the run-ups weren't safe and abandoned the match shortly after 1pm. It left West Indies severely short of practice ahead of Lord's on Thursday and the players had to be content with extra sessions in the indoor school. During the only player possible, 48 overs on the first day, Runako Morton hit 103 and Shivnarine Chanderpaul was left unbeaten on 82.