The Barbados Royals Women made sure their long-awaited homecoming was a victorious one.
On a day where records fell like flies, the home side withstood a century from Guyana Amazon Warriors’ Sophie Devine to complete the highest-ever run chase in the Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) to complete a dramatic six-wicket win with two balls to spare at Kensington Oval.
Led by Devine’s unbeaten 103 – the first-ever century by a female in the tournament – the Amazon Warriors posted a formidable 166-2 from their 20 overs, which was also the highest-ever total.
But late cameos from the Royals’ duo of Laura Harris and Erin Burns propelled the Royals to 169-4 from 19.4 overs in a nerve-wracking finish, to establish a new record.
The Royals’ opening pair of Hayley Matthews and Gaby Lewis struggled to gain any momentum in the opening phase as they limped to 24-0 after five overs.
They carried the score to 40 before Matthews struck Karishma Ramharack straight to Shabnim Ismail at long off to be out for 23 from 21 balls.
Rashada Williams joined Lewis at the crease, but the Amazon Warriors maintained a grip on the match as they limited the Royals to 68-1 at the halfway stage, as the required run rate skyrocketed to almost 10 runs an over.
The contest seemed all but over when the Royals found themselves at 93-2 in the 13th over, well behind the required run rate.
Lewis then tried to up the ante, hitting Cherry-Ann Fraser for a couple of boundaries before she was bowled by the same bowler for 47 from 35 balls, including eight boundaries, to leave the score 93-2 in the 13th over.
The very next ball, Williams skied Suzie Bates to Ismail who took a good catch running in from long-on, as the Royals fell further into trouble at 93-3.
However, the turning point in the match came when Harris smashed Fraser for 24 runs in the 15th over.
A six over midwicket was followed by an uppercut over short third man for four. Fraser then bowled a wide delivery down the leg side that went for four byes, before Harris smashed her past mid-off and executed a reverse sweep for consecutive boundaries, to take the score to 124-3.
Erin
Burns (right) and Chinelle Henry celebrate Barbados Royals Women’s victory over the Guyana Amazon Warriors. (AP)
Harris then clobbered Devine over long off for six but was out the very next ball for 30 from just 12 balls to make it 131-4 in the 16th over. Her innings was littered with three fours and three sixes.
Harris’ dismissal didn’t stem the flow of runs for the Royals, though, as Burns continued where she left off.
Ramharack was hit straight back over her head for six and Chinelle Henry joined in on the fun, slapping her down the ground for a boundary as the Royals motored along to 147-4 after 17 overs.
Fast bowler Ismail set up a nervy ending when she conceded just three runs off the penultimate over to leave the Royals requiring nine from the final six balls.
And Burns finished it in spectacular fashion, by clobbering Bates for two boundaries to complete an improbable victory.
She finished on 29 not out from 15 balls, with three boundaries and one six, while Henry was unbeaten on 10.
Earlier, Player-of-the-match Devine almost single-handedly guided the Amazon Warriors to their challenging total.
Devine’s 103 from just 64 balls, was laced with 10 boundaries and four sixes and easily overhauled the previous highest individual score of 59 made by Deandra Dottin last year.
Together with fellow opener Bates, who made a pedestrian 23 from 22 balls, they posted 69 for the first wicket and then she added 62 with Stafanie Taylor, who needed 26 balls for her 22 runs, for the second.
Devine brought up her century in scintillating fashion, hitting Qiana Joseph for two huge sixes in the 20th over, including one off the last ball that brought up her century.Â
randybennett@barbadostoday.bbÂ
