BASSETERRE – Defending double crown champions Barbados Women rebounded from a first-round humiliation with nerve-jangling, five-run win against T&TWomen at the St Paul’s Sports Complex in the West Indies Women’s Super50 Cup in St Kitts, Wednesday.
Left-handed batting stalwart Kycia Knight defied destructive bowling from West Indies Women’s off-spinner Karishma Ramharack and fellow tweaker Samara Ramnath to hit the day’s top score of 90 off 134 balls that included seven fours and one six and lead the Barbadians to a respectable 185 all out in 48.4 overs.
Ramharack ended with four for 20 from 9.4 overs, and Ramnath bagged three for 38 from nine overs after Barbados Women won the toss and chose to bat.
Consistent batting from the top order led by West Indies Women’s batsman Britney Cooper with 34 and Ramnath with 32 appeared to put T&T Women on course to hand their arch-rivals another defeat in the tournament.
But West Indies Women’s pacer Aaliyah Alleyne and long-serving leg-spinner Keila Elliott grabbed two wickets apiece, and the run outs of stalwarts Lee Ann Kirby and Kirbyina Alexander late in the chase further undermined the Divas.
At the Conaree Cricket Centre, their bowlers set it up, and their batting, led by Chedean Nation, carried Jamaica Women to a nine-win win against Leeward Islands Women in a low-scoring Super50 Cup match.
The 37-year-old discarded West Indies Women’s batsman struck 14 fours in an unbeaten 61 off 29 balls, and the Jamaicans successfully chased 99 to win their second-round match in the 50 overs-a-side tournament.
Jamaica Women were set back early in the chase when Amanda Edwards bowled Keneshia Ferron for a duck in the second over, but Nation came to the crease and drew on her vast experience to dominate the rest of the proceedings.
She shared an unbroken 93-run stand for the second wicket with West Indies Women’s opener Rashada Williams, not out on 29, and the Jamaicans cruised to their target in 11.2 overs to claim their second successive win in the tournament.
Earlier, Vanessa Watts grabbed three for 15 from 7.1 overs, and former West Indies Women’s captain Stafanie Taylor supported with three for 16 from seven overs, and Jamaica Women dismissed the hosts for 98 in 35.1 overs after they chose to bat.
Former West Indies Women’s wicketkeeper-batsman Reniece Boyce hit the top score of 37 for Leeward Islands Women, but no other batsman reached 20, and the home team sunk to their second successive loss.
Elsewhere, Guyana Women beat Windward Islands Women by 45 runs at Warner Park.
Shabika Gajnabi led the Guyanese batting with 62 off 105 balls that included only five fours, and fellow West Indies Women’s international Shemaine Campbelle, her captain, supported with 42 to be the cornerstones for their side’s total of 208 for eight off 50 overs after they were put in to bat.
Steady bowling, led by Plaffianna Millington, Ashmini Munisar, and Nyia Latchman, then stifled the Windwards Women, and they were dismissed for 163 in 40.2 overs – Nerissa Crafton leading their batting with 47.
CMC
Scores:
At St Paul’s Complex: Barbados Women won by five runs.
BARBADOS WOMEN 185 all out off 48.4 overs (Kycia Knight 90; Karishma Ramharack 4-20, Samara Ramnath 3-38) vs T&T WOMEN 180 for eight off 50 overs (Britney Cooper 34, Samara Ramnath 32, Lee Ann Kirby 26, Djenaba Joseph 21; Aaliyah A Alleyne 2-33, Keila Elliott 2-33).
At the Conaree Cricket Centre: Jamaica Women won by nine wickets.
LEEWARD ISLANDS WOMEN 98 all out off 35.1 overs (Reniece Boyce 37; Vanessa Watts 3-15, Stafanie Taylor 3-16) vs JAMAICA WOMEN 99 for one off 11.2 overs (Chedean Nation 61 not out, Rashada Williams 29 not out).
At Warner Park: Guyana Women won by 45 runs.
GUYANA WOMEN 208 for eight off 50 overs (Shabika Gajnabi 62, Shemaine Campbelle 42, Ashmini Munisar 29 not out, Sheneta Grimmond 21; Carena Noel 3-47) vs WINDWARD ISLANDS WOMEN 163 all out off 40.2 overs (Nerissa Crafton 47, Zaida James 21; Plaffianna Millington 2-23, Ashmini Munisar 2-31, Nyia Latchman 2-38).