Barbados Franchise left to rue mistakes in one-run loss

BASSETERRE, St Kitts – Veteran all-rounder Deandra Dottin held her nerve to deliver a dramatic last over as Trinbago Knight Riders edged Barbados Royals by a single run in the opening game of the Women’s Caribbean Premier League today.

Beaten by Royals just four days ago in the final of the Women’s Sixty at the same venue, TKR exacted revenge by successfully defending 115 at Warner Park.

With Royals requiring 11 runs from the final over, captain Dottin removed Afy Fletcher for eight with the first delivery before holding Qiana Joseph (8 not out) scoreless from the next delivery.

However, Joseph cleared the ropes for six with the third ball to put the game in the balance but Dottin conceded just two runs from the next three deliveries to put TKR over the top. Joseph slipped on the fifth ball after playing a shot and missed out on a single which came back to haunt the Royals at the end.

“It’s very good to start off with a win,” said Dottin, who recently shocked her Caribbean fans when she retired from international cricket.

“We’ve been working really hard, staying positive and getting out there and playing cricket, and it’s good to cross the line for the opening game.”

Choosing to bat first, TKR rallied to 114 for seven off their 20 overs, Player-of-the-Match Lee-Ann Kirby top-scoring with a run-a-ball 30 and Dottin and New Zealander Hayley Jensen both chipping in with 20.

Kirby, who lashed three fours and two sixes, put on 33 for the first wicket with Natasha McLean (7) and when both fell, Dottin and South African Sune Luus (17) added another 29 for the third wicket.

Fast bowler Shakera Selman (2-16) and off-spinning all-rounder and captain Hayley Matthews (2-28) spearheaded Royals’ attack with two wickets apiece.

In reply, South African Chloe Tryon struck 38 from 26 deliveries with three fours and three sixes but no other batter managed to pass 20.

Openers Aaliyah Alleyne (19) and Matthews (18) put on 29 for the first wicket but thereafter, only Tryon’s 26-run, fifth-wicket stand with Chinelle Henry (3) put TKR under any real pressure. Matthews was caught off Jensen, and she was soon followed by Reniece Boyce at the hands of the Geetika Kodali, the hat-trick hero from the SKYEXCH 6IXTY.

“I think as a bowling group we did really well to go out there and restrict Trinidad to what we did,” Matthews said afterwards.

“Cricket is a game of such fine margins and I think at the end of the day we probably just didn’t get across the line.

“Probably a couple areas we could’ve looked at where those one or two runs could’ve definitely counted for us.”

Kirby, a 35-year-old who played the last of her 13 internationals for West Indies two years ago, picked up two for 32.

Both teams have one more game to play as they seek to qualify for Saturday’s final.

SUMMARISED SCORES: TKR WOMEN 114 for seven off 20 overs (Lee-Ann Kirby 30, Deandra Dottin 20, Hayley Jensen 20; Shakera Selman 2-16, Hayley Matthews 2-28) ROYALS WOMEN 113 for seven off 20 overs (Chloe Tryon 38; Lee-Ann Kirby 2-32) (CMC)