Barbados on track for double titles

GEORGETOWN, Guyana – Windies Women’s all-rounder Hayley Matthews kept Barbados on track for the West Indies Women’s Twenty20 Blaze title and the championship double when she led her team to a seven-wicket victory over the Windward Islands at the Guyana National Stadium yesterday.
Matthews, the Barbados captain, took three for 18 from four overs with her off-spin, as the Windwards, deciding to bat, reached 131 for four from their 20 overs with former Windies Women’s opener Juliana Nero ending on 26 not out, Windwards captain and Windies Women’s leg-spinner Afy Fletcher made 26 and opener Nerissa Crafton added 23.

Playing in the second match of the day’s triple-header, Matthews returned to lead the way with the bat for the newly-minted West Indies Women’s Super50 champions with 45 from 27 balls that included nine fours and one six, but she was one of three wickets that fell for 11 in the space of 15 balls to leave Barbados on 67 for three in the 11th over.

A stand of 66 – unbroken – for the fourth wicket between the Windies Women’s pair of all-rounder Deandra Dottin, not out on 42 that included four fours and two sixes from 29 balls, and left-hander Kyshona Knight, not out on 20, carried the Barbadians over the finish line with seven balls to spare.

In the first match of the day, pacers Erva Giddings and Akaze Thompson shared six wickets to top a gritty 48 from West Indies Women’s captain Stafanie Taylor to lead hosts Guyana Women to a stunning, 20-run victory over Jamaica Women in their third round match.

Giddings, a discarded Windies Women left-arm medium-fast bowler, took three for 13 from her allotted four overs and Thompson bagged three for 16 from 3.4 overs, as the Jamaicans, chasing 115 for victory, were bowled out for 94 in 18.4 overs.

Taylor struck six fours and one six in the top score of 48 from 57 balls and shared 49 for the fifth wicket with fellow Windies Women’s player Chinelle Henry to lead a recovery for the Jamaicans after they slid to 19 for four in the sixth over.

No other Jamaican batter reached 20 and the visitors lost their last six wickets for 26 in the space of 28 balls, as off-spinner Sheneta Grimmond took two for 18 from four overs to hasten the decline.

The Guyanese, sent in to bat, reached 114 for eight from their 20 overs built on an opening stand of 61 between Tremayne Smartt and Grimmond.

Smartt, a discarded Windies Women’s fast-medium bowler, led the way with 44 and Grimmond made 25, but no other batter reached 20, as Windies Women’s all-rounder Chedean Nation grabbed three for 14 from four overs and Vanessa Watts took three for 17 from her allotted four overs.

In the nightcap, discarded Windies Women’s all-rounder Stacy-Ann King led a successful run chase with 43 not out, as Trinidad & Tobago logged a convincing nine-wicket victory over the Leeward Islands.

Chasing 67 for victory, King slammed eight fours from 25 balls, as T&T reached their target with 75 balls remaining.

Earlier, Leandra Ramdeen and Felicia Walters both pocketed two wickets, as the Leewards were dismissed for 66 in 18 overs, with no batter reaching 20.

Currently, Barbados top the standings with nine points and a superior net run rate; T&T are second also with nine points, but an inferior net run rate, Guyana are third on six points, Jamaica are fourth on three points, and both Windwards and Leewards are without a point. (CMC)