Monthly Archives: January 2022

Moeen Ali admitted the batting depth of the West Indies is scary after England withstood a late blitz from lower-order pair Romario Shepherd and Akeal Hosein to win the second Twenty20 by just one run.

England looked to be cruising to a series-levelling victory when their opponents crumbled from 47 for two to 65 for seven in pursuit of 172, with Moeen taking format-best figures of three for 24 at Barbados Kensington Oval.

But some bruising blows from Shepherd kept a flickering hope alive and even though that was extinguished midway through the final over, Hosein closed the show with three successive sixes off Saqib Mahmood.

Shepherd and Hosein, who came in at seven and 10 respectively, each clubbed 44 not out, the latter doing so from only 16 deliveries, as the Windies made the final result so much closer than it arguably should have been.

Obviously the game was done with three balls to go but with Shepherd still in and the way it went down, it never quite felt like we were over the line till the last ball, Moeen said.

Even though they were six or seven down for not many runs, they were never quite out of the game, theyre such a dangerous team. Theyve got so much talent, so much power.

The fact they bat all the way down to number 10 makes them extremely dangerous. For them to lose by one run, its actually quite scary, their batting line-up is very scary.

Were glad to get the win but we could do a lot of things better. It is a lesson for the guys. We know we havent even played that well there and we still won the game.

Jason Roy had earlier top-scored for England, who lost the series opener 24 hours earlier by nine wickets when they were bowled out for 103, with 45 from 31 balls as the tourists posted 171 for eight after batting first again.

Reece Topley marked his first T20 international in six years with an early wicket and a run out and then after spin twins Moeen and Adil Rashid had put the squeeze on in the middle overs the left-arm seamer held his nerve in the penultimate over, yielding just eight runs to leave the Windies needing 30 from the last six balls.

Mahmoods first delivery was called a wide while Hosein was left unimpressed when the second one was not and took any frustration out on Englands fast bowler with two fours and three sixes in a final over that yielded 28 runs.

Youve got to go through this to get better and Im sure hell be taking this as a lesson, Moeen said of Mahmood. Hopefully he can learn from it but hes got so much ability.

Its good for a young batter to fail a little bit and a young bowler to get hit because you can only learn from that. Im sure hes going to do that. Every single one of us in this team has gone through the same thing.

While this five-match series is now all square with one win apiece, a gripping conclusion means the Windies can take more than shred of comfort despite their defeat.

Asked where the balance of power lay ahead of the next game on Wednesday, Moeen replied: If we were 2-0 down, they would certainly be taking all of the momentum. But I think both teams will be pretty happy.

We know we can play better and they know that they really put us under pressure here, particularly at the end. But for most of the game we dominated.

They can take a lot of positives and confidence from this but we did win the game so they will be very wary that we are going to try to perform better. I think its going to be a very tight series.

Link:

England in the Caribbean: Moeen Ali admits West Indies batting depth 'scary' - Cricket365.com

With the growing number of Omicron cases throughout the world, so too have cases increased on cruise ships across the industry.

In an effort to improve the care of those crew members completing quarantine, Royal Caribbean has designated the Serenade of the Seas as a hospital ship for those who have tested positive for covid-19.

What's it like onboard? News stories have sensationalized the poor conditions onboard cruise ships, however, this does not seem to be the case currently.

Martina, a Royal Caribbean crew member onboard the Serenade of the Seas has provided a glimpse into her day to day experience, showing us what it is really like to live and work on a quarantine ship.

Recording her experience during a week of sailing, crew member, Martina, who is from Argentina, gives her opinions and interviews crew members as the Serenade of the Seas sails from its current homeport of Tampa to Cozumel, Roatan and Belize.

The ship takes on fuel, food and mail in Tampa before it voyages out to pick up and transfer crew members. Serenade of the Seas takes on infected crew members who have tested positive for Covid-19 but are largely asymptomatic.

Once the crew completes their 10 day isolation period, they can leave. Some stay the night in a hotel before going back to a ship or others take an early vacation prior to their next assignment.

Talking about the transformation of Serenade of the Seas from a ship for leisure travel to caring for crew members, Martina explains the importance of their mandate, to relieve the pressure on the amount of Covid Cases around the fleet.

She also notes that there are a number of challenges in caring for quarantining crew along with cruise passengers. Onboard the hospital ship they get the care they need from medical staff and guest services, along with good food.

Normally crew live in compact quarters on cruise ships, so this gives them the opportunity to spread out, along with separating them from the healthy crew members.

Photo byThe Curious Lens of Martina from Argentina

Martina sat down with 4 crew members from the Adventure of the Seas who had finished their isolation period and were now enjoying a couple of days off before returning to work.

She prefaced the interview by acknowledging that on some occasions, quarantine conditions could have been improved and it was tough managing crew and passengers on an operational ship.

The process on Serenade of the Seas now seems to be running more smoothly, based on feedback.

During the informal discussion, the crew members had high praise for their treatment onboard the ship, adding that the food was amazing.

On a ship with no passengers, they have more cabins and access to more spacious rooms, including some with balconies. The staff chime in saying it was great to get fresh air, a significant improvement from windowless cabins, and they did not have to share rooms. One lucky crew member was quite pleased to have received a junior balcony cabin.

There was also more staff/resources to take care of them since there were no guests onboard. Frequent check-ins from guest services and the medical personnel made them feel well cared for.

Many have speculated as to the impact on crew jobs, due to the Serenades reassignment.

Martina spent some time explaining how the conversion to a quarantine ship has affected the crew since they were no longer serving guests. Going home doesn't meet losing your job," she said.

The Serenade of the Seas was scheduled to go into to dry-dock for refurbishment in a couple of months. So, for some, they were given the opportunity to take an early vacation.

For those with more time left on their contracts, they were given the option to reassign to other ships.

Although there have been some issues in the past, Martina says that we need to celebrate when the right decisions are made". And that the strategy of having a separate quarantine ship has improved the overall conditions for staff.

Although the media portrays these ships negatively, most of the crew Martina spoke with were asymptomatic and just needed to wait out their quarantine time. Being on the Serenade of the Seas made that process much easier and more comfortable.

Time on the ship also provides the opportunity to provide booster shots to crew members for enhanced immunity. Royal Caribbean already requires staff to be fully vaccinated.

You can see all of Martina's videos and enjoy her behind-the-scenes videos on her YouTube channel. Be sure to subscribe!

Original post:

'It was a pleasure being here for the quarantine': What it's like to be on a cruise ship quarantining crew members - Royal Caribbean Blog

Im onboard Harmony of the Seas this week for a 7-night Eastern Caribbean & Perfect Day cruise. As this is my first time on an Oasis-class ship, I wanted to try out all the free signature activities this ship has to offer.

From water slides to a zipline and rock climbing, there was no shortage of things to do during my time onboard and I found myself trying a new activity every day.

A unique activity only found on Oasis-class ships is the Ultimate Abyss. The Ultimate Abyss is a pair of two 70ft high slides (150 feet above sea level) located in the aft of Harmony of the Seas. The slide departs from the Sports Court on deck 15 and slides down to the Boardwalk neighborhood on deck 6.

The Ultimate Abyss is not a water slide, but is a dry slide in which you use a mat with a pocket for your feet and hold on to a handle. As there are two slides side by side, you can race to the bottom with a fellow passenger.

The slide starts by climbing through the mouth of an entrance designed like an anglerfish predator, with 35 teeth, two eyes, and a photophore (light source to attract prey). The entrance has a glass floor and views of the aft below, which gets your adrenaline pumping even before the slide starts.

This was probably my favorite new activity that I tried! The ride takes an average of 13 seconds from top to bottom as you twist and turn through a tunnel with sound effects, music, and lights. It was much more thrilling than I imagined it would be and I found myself wanting to do it again as soon as I reached the bottom!

I liked the fact that it wasnt a water slide, so I didnt have to wear a swimsuit in order to try it. Plus, the slide brings you to an entirely different neighborhood on the ship! Who needs elevators when you have the Ultimate Abyss?

The Ultimate Abyss has a minimum height of 44 inches and a maximum weight of 300 pounds.

Harmony of the Seas has three water slides which comprise what is called the Perfect Storm water slides. These are one of the most popular activities onboard Harmony of the Seas, and for good reason. They are thrilling, tall, and a fun activity for guests of all ages. I had actually never done the water slides on any Royal Caribbean ship, so I was excited to try them out.

The first slide I tried was the blue one on the Cyclone and Typhoon slides. These are the yellow and blue racing slides on Harmony of the Seas which twist and turn several times as you race to the bottom.

To be honest, this slide made me feel uneasy as it was mostly pitch black and I had no idea where I was going and for how long I would be sliding down. It made me pretty claustrophobic and panicky! Because of this, I decided to skip trying the yellow slide. Other guests and especially kids seemed to be enjoying the Cyclone and Typhoon slides, though!

Next up was the Supercell side, otherwise known as the toilet bowl. This yellow and green-colored slide takes you on a couple twists and turns before sliding you into a giant toilet bowl. Once in the bowl, you will slide around a few times before falling into the middle.

I much preferred the Supercell slide over the Cyclone and Typhoon slides. I liked how there were no pitch black sections of the slide, so it was not as disorienting. The slide has both clear and rainbow-colored sections before sliding you into the bowl, where you are in the open air again. It was actually a ton of fun so I did it three times in a row!

Who ever thought you would be able to zipline on a cruise ship? Oasis-class ships are the only Royal Caribbean ships to have a zipline. The zipline flies 9 decks above the Boardwalk neighborhood on Harmony of the Seas and spans 82 feet from start to end.

When you arrive at the zipline station, a staff member will put a harness on you and guide you to the launching area.

I felt confident in doing the zipline until it came to the point where the crew member clipped me in and told me to start. At this point, it really hit me that I was about to fly through the air! As you take your feet off the ground and start flying to the other side, though, you realize that its actually a lot more fun than it is scary.

I enjoyed the zipline overall, although it was a short experience so Im not sure I would wait in a huge line for it. The zipline itself only takes around 10 seconds, but I think it is still a fun activity to try at least once on your cruise. Be sure to wear laced shoes or bring socks to borrow shoes, as non-lace tennis shoes, such as sandals, are not allowed.

Passengers must be at least 52 tall to ride the zipline and weigh between 75-275 pounds.

The next activity I tried was rock climbing. I go to a rock climbing gym at home and climb a few times a week, so this is always my favorite sports activity to do onboard. Royal Caribbeans rock climbing walls have routes with varying levels of difficulty, making it a fun activity for any fitness level.

There are two rock walls on Harmony of the Seas which are located in the Boardwalk neighborhood, overlooking the Aquatheater and wonderful views of the aft.

Before you go to the rock climbing wall, make sure you have socks and are not wearing a bathing suit. My recommendation is to wear a t-shirt and shorts to ensure you have the proper attire on for climbing. The staff will give you rock climbing shoes and harness before clipping you into the wall!

I went up the wall twice in a row to get a quick workout in and was blown away by the 180 degree view of the ships wake from the top of the rock climbing wall.

My one complaint with the rock climbing wall is that the colorful holds on the wall are not properly tightened. When you grab many of the holds, they turn slightly. This is not ideal because you can unexpectedly fall when you grab something or when you put your foot on a hold.

The rock climbing wall is available for guests 6 and older and guests must be able to fit into the harness. Socks, dry clothes, shorts, or pants are required.

Located in the Boardwalk neighborhood on Harmony of the Seas is a colorful, intricately-designed carousel that seems to transport you back in time. Animals of all kinds line the carousel and it is an activity available during both the day and evening onboard.

I thought the carousel was fun, although it is geared toward small children so it wasnt the most thrilling activity I tried. For children, though, I think that the addition of a carousel on a cruise ship adds to the family-friendly environment created on Harmony of the Seas.

Guests must be at least 42 inches tall to ride the carousel without an adult. If under 42 inches, an adult must be standing next to the child and have their hands on the child at all times during the ride.

The Flowrider surf simulator is a common activity on Royal Caribbeans ships, but it is one that I had never tried before. Harmony of the Seas has two Flowriders in the aft of the ship.

I had never tried the Flowrider because I wasnt sure I would be very good at it. While I took surfing lessons several years ago, I was not exactly the most skilled surfer out there (and thats an understatement). However, I figured that after six Royal Caribbean cruises, it was finally time to give the Flowrider a chance.

As a beginner, I started off by boogie boarding. The staff give you a very brief introduction into how to hold the boogie board and how to launch into the water. As soon as I launched, I was nearly overtaken by the water rushing all around me and I kept getting sent all the way to the back of the Flowrider instead of boogie boarding around the middle.

To be honest, I was pretty bad at this and cannot imagine being able to surf standing up on the Flowrider! That being said, I did not wipe out and send the boogie board flying away, so I was pretty happy about that. It was fun, although it wasnt my favorite activity which was probably due to my lack of skill. I think I will have to try it again in the future, though!

Be sure to wear a swimsuit to the Flowrider and be aware that there is the slight possibility of a loose swimsuit falling off as the water rushes around you. I would recommend a one piece swimsuit to avoid any potential mishaps youve been warned!

Guests must be at least 52 inches tall to use the Flowrider.

Harmony of the Seas has an ice rink onboard in Studio B, where the ships figure skating cast perform impressive ice skating shows throughout the cruise. During the day, though, the ice rink is often open for free skate sessions where passengers can test out their skills on the ice.

Guests must sign up for an ice skating session by heading down to Studio B when sign ups are listed in the Cruise Compass. When you arrive at your scheduled time, the staff will give you skates and a helmet and you are free to skate in any way you like.

I really enjoyed my time ice skating onboard as it was something I definitely dont usually do at home. It is also a great indoor activity to do when the weather outside is not cooperating. There are rails on the side of the entire ice rink so if you are a beginner you can hold onto the side.

Parents must supervise minors at all times at the ice skating rink and must be on the ice with children under 6.

See more here:

Trying out the free activities on Harmony of the Seas - Royal Caribbean Blog

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Baseball fans are a couple of weeks away from the best tournament in all of professional baseball.

No, I havent gone crazy, I know when the World Series takes place. For my money, the best tournament takes place every single year in late January and early February and its known as Serie del Caribe. I write this column every single year for one site or another, but not enough of you have realized the absolute blast that is Serie del Caribe, so here I am yet again telling you to watch the best baseball tournament in the world.

Lets get the quick primer out of the way right now. Serie del Caribe is a tournament from the top winter leagues in Latin America, with the exception of Nicaraguas Liga de Bisbol Profesional Nacional and Cubas Serie Nacional de Bisbol (those two leagues are regularly denied entry for purely political, in the baseball sense, reasons). The tournament brings the champions from Bisbol Profesional de Panam, Liga Colombiana de Bisbol Profesional, Liga de Bisbol Profesional de la Repblica Dominicana, Puerto Ricos Liga de Bisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente, Liga Mexicana del Pacfico, and Liga Venezolana de Bisbol Profesional together for one week of action. That week consists of a five game round robin, and then a single elimination tournament between the four top teams from the round robin.

The games can sometimes be streamed through various methods. Check out The Guide as the games are happening for some possible options. I started streaming via Sling TV and their orange plus best of Spanish TV option. Its not the cheapest route, but every game is streamed and they are high-quality streams. Ultimately, choose whatever option works for you, I dont care, as long as youre getting to see the games.

In terms of overall stature, Serie del Caribe is a major league. It doesnt matter one iota that Major League Baseball doesnt recognize it as a major league. They dont get to decide the status of unaffiliated leagues; never have, never will. When it comes to talent level, popularity, host city population, global reach, the history of the tournament, and other factors Serie del Caribe is a major league. That doesnt, and shouldnt, affect ones enjoyment of the tournament. Its still something important to keep in mind when youre crying about there being no baseball to watch while you are ignoring a major league tournament taking place in the here and now.

Most of all, Serie del Caribe is a barrel full of fun. From beginning to end the fans, Coronavirus willing, are raucous and the players display a passion for winning the tournament that is infectious as a viewer. Serie del Caribe matters to the teams, players, leagues, and countries (Puerto Rico should be its own country, calm down) participating. Its hard as a viewer to not get swept up in the action taking place because of how into the proceedings all the people involved are.

The games are usually close, especially once the elimination round starts. However, these teams are the best of the best from high-level leagues (some of which would likely qualify for major league status themselves) and there is the occasional blowout when one team is severely overmatched. Be that as it may, from January 28th until February 3rd a good helping of some of the best baseball players in the world are all gathered in one place playing their hearts out and producing baseball that is entertaining, fun, and highly skilled. It doesnt get much better than that, which is why year after year I tell you, folks, to seek out Serie del Caribe action and watch the excitement unfold.

For some of you, I am aware that saying Serie del Caribe is better than the World Series may be a tough sell. No one, including myself, is denying that MLB has a higher talent level than Serie del Caribe. However, Serie del Caribe is a major league and their talent level isnt far behind that of MLB. Serie del Caribe is, simply put, a fun tournament with plenty of great action that is chock full of amazing players. Theres nothing to dislike about the actual action on the field, ask anyone who regularly watches the jewel of the Caribbean and then watch for yourself. You wont be disappointed.

Read more from the original source:

The Jewel of the Caribbean - Off The Bench - Off The Bench Baseball

As England begin their inquest into another abject Ashes campaign, one of the key issues is bound to be the captaincy, especially with the tour of the Caribbean beginning in March. Cricinfo identifies six of the front-runners, for want of a better word, starting with the man who may yet remain at the helm...

Joe Root

At least he still wants the role ... or claims to, at any rate. Joe Root has been England captain for five years and 61 Tests, more than any of his predecessors, and yet not even his second 4-0 Ashes thrashing can persuade him it's time to jack it in. Whether that makes him heroic, pig-headed, oblivious or a prisoner of conscience, only he can truly say. But given his deep-seated concerns about the quality of the young players being sent to join his ranks, he clearly sees it as his duty to hold the line in the manner that serves his team best.

The case against his retention is two-fold. Firstly, he has looked shattered after each of his Ashes beatings, and if he spends the next two years averaging in the low-30s, as he did in 2018 and 2019, then England's batting will be in an even deeper hole. Secondly, aside from the loyalty he engenders as a thoroughly good egg, there's nothing about Root's leadership that would be missed if he returned to the ranks. Tactically he's still a "craptain" - the self-deprecating nickname he resurrected for himself in 2017 - while more damningly, his crass handling of Jofra Archer (and latterly Ben Stokes, though doubtless Stokes was complicit in his own injury) is a serious black mark against his tenure.

Caveat Emptor, where England allrounders are concerned. Ian Botham and Andrew Flintoff have been there and done that, and both men crashed and burned after being asked to lead their country while remaining the team's brightest star. And yet, there are many reasons to believe that Stokes is cut from a different cloth to his predecessors. First and foremost, he is the ultimate team man - an unfailingly loyal deputy to his friend and captain Root, but ever-ready to answer the call when needed, most extraordinarily last summer, when he defied the pain of his as-yet unhealed broken finger and led a scratch ODI team to a 3-0 series win over Pakistan, in the wake of the main squad's Covid outbreak. Botham and Flintoff in their pomp were their respective teams' heartbeats. But that's not quite the same thing.

Secondly, the longer Stokes' career goes on, the more his pre-eminence as a batter comes to the fore. Pat Cummins has shown that fast bowlers are perfectly capable of leadership (more of which later...) but they are also more liable to suffer tenure-interrupting injuries. The fact that Stokes played on this winter in spite of his side strain suggests that he'll be better placed to resist the Botham/Flintoff folly of assuming they, and only they, can be the matchwinner in any adverse situation. He's unlikely to be as shy about bowling himself as Root, England's premier allrounder in 2021, but after a gruelling and confused Ashes performance, it's probably in England's wider interests that Stokes spends 2022 rediscovering his game, rather than worrying about taking on more responsibilities.

Rory Burns

A County Championship-winning captain with Surrey, and not only that, a man whose returns in that 2018 season were so far and away beyond any other batter - by runs scored and minutes batted - that no-one else on the circuit was remotely qualified to fill Alastair Cook's immense shoes after his retirement that same year. And though Burns' returns haven't been stellar in recent seasons, he's still been the best of the rest of England's batting. He was the only man bar Stokes to make an Ashes hundred in the 2019 series, and the only man bar Root (with six) to reach three figures in 2021, against the world champions New Zealand at Lord's.

However, Burns seems all of a sudden to be on borrowed time in the England set-up. His first-ball duck at Brisbane was an indignity to scar even the most resilient of characters, but his dropping for the Boxing Day Test, with the series on the line, was a dramatic indication of how his stock has fallen. His failure to communicate like a senior player appears to have told against him, which effectively means his captaincy card is marked too. His attitude towards the media has also been deeply frosty for months, ever since his Twitter spat with the former England women's player-turned-commentator Alex Hartley - the sort of PR gaffe that is unlikely to sit well with the ECB's all-inclusive vibe.

Sam Billings

It's a measure of how far England have fallen that a player who, a week ago, was 90 minutes away from boarding a flight back to the UK, has not only driven 500 miles and nine hours to make his Test debut, but has emerged from the Ashes rubble as a viable captaincy candidate. That prospect was stepped up a notch after his first-innings 29 at Hobart (yes, things are that desperate ...), then receded somewhat after his flaccid flick to mid-on in the final-day collapse. But in between whiles, Billings carried himself with composure, most particularly behind the stumps, where his sheer glee at being involved was radiated across England's fielding effort - a devastating counterpoint to Jos Buttler's self-absorbed misery of the first four games.

In terms of his actual credentials, Billings is a curious case. He's been around the England set-up for seven years now, having made his white-ball debut amid the post-World Cup reboot in 2015, but has played just 58 games out of a possible 185 - the sort of record that would be fittingly augmented by a one-off Test cap. Either way, that familiarity meant he was able to saunter into the dressing room as an old lag, and "add a bit of experience around the group" while placing his arm around a few battle-weary shoulders as well - including, you presume, his young team-mate Zak Crawley, whom he has skippered at Kent since 2018. In between injury, England and IPL call-ups - and despite some heat from one or two of the more county-militant members - Billings has a decent record in the role, having helped to keep the club in the Championship top flight, while taking them to the Blast title last summer too.

Stuart Broad

For 15 minutes at the end of the first day in Sydney, Stuart Broad demonstrated precisely why he will make such an outstanding pundit, as and when he trades the dressing-room for the Sky Sports commentary box. After delivering on the field with England's first five-for of the series, he delivered off it too in front of the assembled media, with nothing less than a manifesto for the reboot of England's Test fortunes: stop planning for tomorrow, start focussing on today. If a player performs, let him "own the shirt"; if he doesn't, expect him to work for it. And for God's sake, start scoring some runs...

Frankly his address was as inspirational as anything England had hitherto produced on the field, and it awakened a dormant truth about a Test team that is sleepwalking to oblivion despite containing four of its greatest players of all time: the solution to their current troubles may lie deeper within. At the age of 35, Broad is two years older than Bob Willis was in 1982, the last time England picked a fast bowler as captain. But he's still four years shy of his sidekick James Anderson, and besides, it's been 11 years already since Broad was considered worthy of the T20 leadership. With the Ashes now gone, there's a stark choice to be made about England's old boys. Use their unrivalled knowledge to the max, or lose it. There's certainly little point in preserving their energies for future engagements, which begs the question, why not let them leave their mark in the most indelible fashion possible?

Alex Lees

It's a thoroughly left-field notion, and it surely will not happen, but given how much value the ECB has placed in the England Lions set-up in recent times, is it out of the question that they might promote the current Lions skipper - a man who has already been tipped for a Caribbean call-up? Yes, it probably is - although England's Test cricket has arguably not been at such a low ebb since 1988-89, so it would be fully in keeping with the current 1980s vibe for the selectors to go the full Chris Cowdrey.

Lees enjoyed a passable season for Durham in 2021, averaging 39.06 with a solitary century against Warwickshire. However, he's not even his club captain (that honour belongs to another Ashes-disaster cast-off, Scott Borthwick, and what a story that would be!) At present, the most accomplished England-qualified county skipper is arguably Somerset's Tom Abell, but he's just suffered a knee ligament injury during the Big Bash, so bang goes that notion. In fact, it's probably best to pretend this paragraph never entered the public discourse. Cricinfo

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Ashes inquest: Who will captain England in the Caribbean? - The News International