The West Indies defeated the United States of America by five runs on Wednesday at the Sir Frank Worrell Memorial Ground, University of the West Indies St Augustine, Trinidad & Tobago. The home team eked out a victory, and took the advantage in their five-match women’s Under-19 series.
After losing the first game, the West Indies came into their own to level the playing field on Monday. Two days later, they earned a second triumph in a low-scoring thriller.
Originally intended to be a 20-over match, the fixture was reduced as a result of heavy overnight rains, which persisted into Wednesday morning. Both teams, it was decided, would play 11 overs.
The tourists called the coin toss correctly and put the home team in to bat. West Indies did well to get to 72-5, due in no small part to the contributions of Asabi Callender and NaiJanni Cumberbatch.
The Bajan duo, both of whom have played previously for West Indies, combined for a partnership of 40 off 26 legal deliveries, after the early dismissal of captain Samara Ramnath for duck in the second over.
Callender hit 33 from 23 balls with four fours and a six. Cumberbatch got 26 off 20 with one six, but she scored on 16 of the 2o balls she faced. By the time Callender was run out in the seventh over, the hosts were well set on 48-2.
Brianna Harricharan and Abigail Bryce added just two before heading back to the dugout. Cumberbatch followed thereafter, bowled by Aditi Chudasama in the penultimate over.
Given 73 runs to win in 11 overs, the USA started strongly. By the fourth over, Chetna Pagydyala and Dishi Dhingra had amassed, but then captain Ramnath struck. She go Pagydyala leg before wicket for 17 runs off 13 balls.
Dhingra followed soon thereafter, dismissed in the fifth over by the Bajan combo of bowler Cumberbatch and wicketkeeper Dicoreya Collymore, the latter effecting the stumping for 11 runs off 12 balls, with no addition to the score.
Ramnath got Isani Vaghela with her third ball of the sixth over, LBW for duck. Ritu Singh and captain Anika Kolan managed a mini revival for the visitors, however, battling back to add 26. Singh made 12 and Kolan 14, but Brianna Harricharan snaked one of her leg breaks into the Singh’s stumps in the next to last over, giving the USA 12 to win in eight balls.
Ramnath returned, and the new batter, Sasha Vallabhaneni, was promptly run out for one by Collymore. Still there, Kolan and Pooja Shah contrived four runs in four balls, leaving them six to win with one ball remaining.
Shah hit it hard and high, but only far enough to find the hands of Abigail Bryce on the boundary to give Ramnath her third wicket.
The West Indies can win the series with a win in the next matchup, on Thursday, July 25.
WEST INDIES: 72/5 from 11 overs (Asabi Callender 33, Naijanni Cumberbatch 26; Aditi Chudasama 2/5, Ritu Singh 1/11) vs USA: 67/6 from 11 overs (Chetna Pagydyala 17, Anika Kolan 14 not out, Ritu Singh 12; Samara Ramnath 3/12, N Cumberbatch 1/8).
West Indies won by 5 runs.
(TF)
