Joe Issa Hails Stunning Defeate, Urges Repeate

Like all cricket lovers around the Caribbean, Joe Issa is thrilled with the latest stunning defeat of England by the West Indies, urging a repeat to stardom, after many years in the doldrums.

“I must admit that after the catastrophic performance in the first test, the last thing on my mind was a victory in the second match, but West Indies has surprised us in the past and they have done it again.

“They’re a young team and we need to encourage them to maintain their composure and put their best foot forward in order to bat long and give us a much-awaited series victory, let alone one against England.

“We also need to move up the ranks; we’ve been uncharacteristically at the bottom for too long while people lose interest in cricket.

“A series win over England will push us up the value chain and our players will earn more and increase the contribution of cricket to social and economic growth in the region,” said Issa, whose charities contribute towards, among others, the organisation of sporting activities like football, cricket and tennis.

Issa was reacting to reports of a West Indies victory over England in the second test match at Heading, Leeds, in the United Kingdom.

According to AFP, Shai Hope led the West Indies to a remarkable five-wicket victory over England in the second Test as he became the first batsman to score two hundreds in a first-class match at Heading.

Set a seemingly imposing 322 for victory, the West Indies finished on 322 for five with 28 balls to spare. Hope was 118 not out following his first-innings 147. 

“Victory saw West Indies level the three-match series, 1-1 as they recorded their first Test win in England since 2000.

“It was all the more impressive given that just over a week earlier they’d suffered an innings and 209-run defeat inside three days in the first Test at Edgbaston,” AFP said.