The powerful West Indian’s innings came off just 17 balls and included five fours and one six and helped her Supernovas post a formidable 163 all out from their 20 overs.
India's Harmanpreet Kaur (37) and Harleen Deol (35) were the top scorers for the Supernovas.
Matthews led the Trailblazers' bowling effort with 3-29 from her four overs while Bangladesh’s Salma Khatun took 2-30 from her four overs.
The Trailblazers' reply was top-heavy as only Captain Smriti Mandhana (34), Matthews (18) and Jemimah Rodrigues (24) managed to make significant contributions as they were restricted to just 114-9 off their 20 overs.
India’s Pooja Vastrakar was the star of the bowling with 4-12 from her four overs and she was very well supported by England’s Sophie Ecclestone (2-19 from four overs) and Australia’s Alana King (2-30 from four overs).
Chasing a target of 131 in favorable batting conditions, the Warriors found themselves in early trouble at 15-2 after losing Natasha McLean and Stafanie Taylor within the first few overs. The pressure mounted as Jonassen and seamer Shikha Pandey applied the brakes, making run-scoring difficult in the powerplay.
However, Burns, alongside captain Lauren Winfield-Hill, who scored a solid 46 off 47 balls, steadied the ship with an unbroken 119-run partnership, the highest ever in the competition. The duo expertly navigated the tricky period, combining aggressive stroke play with calculated risk-taking, which paid off handsomely.
Burns, who was dropped twice during her innings, capitalized on those chances to anchor the chase. She reached her half-century off just 32 balls and continued to find the boundary with ease, particularly down the ground and through the leg side. Winfield-Hill played the perfect supporting role, rotating the strike and allowing Burns to dominate the innings.
Earlier, the Knight Riders posted a total of 130-6, a score that seemed competitive at the halfway mark. The team’s captain, Deandra Dottin, and Harshitha Samarawickrama laid a strong foundation with a half-century opening partnership. Samarawickrama, replacing the injured Meg Lanning, was particularly impressive, displaying elegant strokes and punishing anything short as she guided the team to 37-0 after the powerplay.
Despite the solid start, the Knight Riders' momentum stalled once spinner Chloe Tryon was introduced into the attack. Tryon, who finished with figures of 4-21, struck with her very first delivery, dismissing Dottin with a brilliant catch by Ashmini Munisar at gully. She then bowled Samarawickrama, who attempted a reverse sweep, and stifled the Knight Riders in the middle overs.
Jemimah Rodrigues and Jess Jonassen provided a late surge with a quick 44-run partnership, but Tryon once again swung the momentum in the Warriors' favor by removing Jonassen for 28 and then dismissing Kycia Knight in the penultimate over.
The Knight Riders' final total ultimately fell short, and the Warriors, despite the early hiccups in their chase, displayed their depth and resilience to record their first points of the tournament.
This victory will serve as a significant confidence boost for the Warriors as they look to build momentum in the competition. Both teams had entered this match desperate for a win after losing to the Barbados Royals in their opening fixtures, but it was the Warriors who emerged triumphant, thanks to Burns' heroics and Tryon's pivotal bowling performance.
Jemimah Rodrigues lifted Trinbago Knight Riders into the 2024 Massy Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) final after a nerve-jangling four-wicket victory over Barbados Royals at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba, Trinidad. Chasing 131 for a place in Thursday's final, Knight Riders were in big trouble at 43-3 before Rodrigues stepped up with an unbeaten 59 off 50 balls.
The Knight Riders needed six runs off the final over, but a calm Rodrigues hit Hayley Matthews for a boundary on the third delivery before a single on the next ball ensured their title dreams remained alive. In what turned out to be a dress rehearsal for the final, Knight Riders were 43-3 but capitalized on sloppy fielding from Royals. Rodrigues received a life on 43 when Djenaba Joseph fumbled at short fine leg.
The Knight Riders' attack had struggled in the tournament, but bowled superbly in the PowerPlay to tear into the Royals' top-order. Opener Chamari Athapaththu spearheaded a recovery with 70 off 63 to lift Royals to 130-7 but it ultimately wasn't enough.
Royals had already clinched a place in the final after winning their opening three matches. But it was high stakes for Knight Riders, who entered the match sitting behind Guyana Amazon Warriors on net run rate. Play was slightly delayed due to rain and the Knight Riders were desperate to make the most of the favourable bowling conditions after winning the toss.
Seamer Shikha Pandey enjoyed the perfect start after nicking off Matthews in the first over with a full delivery that moved late.
Qiana Joseph lived dangerously and rode her luck after being dropped by Jess Jonassen at mid-off. But Joseph's risky innings soon ended when she bottom edged a wild slash off Shamilia Connell, whose spectacular debut for Knight Riders continued when she clean bowled Aaliyah Alleyne for a duck.
Athapaththu held the innings together, but could not getting going as Royals fell into a lull. The frustrations led to Rashada Williams being dismissed by spinner Samara Ramnath in the 12th over as Royals turned to big-hitter Laura Harris for a spark. But she holed out first ball leaving the burden on Athapaththu, who accelerated late as Royals finished with momentum.
Knight Riders started their chase disastrously with the early wickets of Harshitha Samarawickrama and captain Deandra Dottin. Jonassen attempted a rally, but she was run out on the last ball of the powerplay. Rodrigues and Kycia Knight cleverly worked into gaps, but struggled to hit boundaries. Knight unleashed only for Naijanni Cumberbatch to take a brilliant catch running in from the boundary.
But Rodrigues hit a boundary in the penultimate over and kept her composure as the Knight Riders celebrated their place in the final with gusto.
West Indies Women will have to play catch up in their three-match T20 International series against India as they fell to a 49-run defeat in the first encounter at the Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy, Navi Mumbai, on Sunday.
The match, which featured a record aggregate of 341 runs between the two teams, saw the visitors unable to chase down India’s imposing total of 195-4, as they only mustered 146-7 in their 20 overs.
