The Guyana Amazon Warriors claimed their first victory in the 2024 Massy Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) with a commanding eight-wicket win over the Trinbago Knight Riders at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba, Trinidad. A stunning 78 off 48 balls from Erin Burns was the cornerstone of their successful chase, helping the Warriors overcome a shaky start to secure the win with 16 balls to spare.

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.

West Indies captain Hayley Matthews produced another all-round masterclass to fire Welsh Fire into the knockout stages of The Hundred women’s tournament following a comprehensive nine-wicket win over cellar dwellers Southern Brave at the Utilita Bowl on Wednesday.

Matthews, who has been enjoying superb form for the Welsh Fire, was again on song, as she captured 4-14 in 20 balls to restrict Southern Brave to 103 before hammering an unbeaten 26-ball 35 to get her franchise across the line at 106-1 with 26 balls to spare. Captain Tammy Beaumont was also left unbeaten as she topscored with 59 off 40 deliveries.

With the win, Welsh Fire are now in a strong position, due to their superior net run rate, to finish in top spot and qualify automatically for the Hundred final at Lord's on Sunday. Oval Invincibles require a convincing win over Trent Rockets on Wednesday afternoon to leapfrog them.

Scores: Southern Brave 103 all out (100 balls); Welsh Fire 106-1 (74 balls)

“I think we've been really good. When you look at our line-up, we've got a lot of experience, and we've played on that really well,” Matthews said in a post-game interview.

“The bowlers have done a really good job at making sure we don't have to chase too big of a total. I think it's been a complete team performance, and that's where we've performed really well; everyone's been chipping in and playing their role,” she added.

After Beaumont inserted Southern Brave at the toss, Matthews dismissed the in-form Danni Wyatt (two), caught at deep midwicket, before Smriti Mandhana (one) departed four balls later to the pace of Shabnim Ismail to leave the Brave 15 for 2 at the end of the PowerPlay.

Whatever hopes Southern Brave had of repairing the damage were dashed when Jess Jonassen had Georgia Adams (six) stumped. Maia Bouchier (10) was Matthews’ second scalp, brilliantly caught by Phoebe Franklin in the deep, before Freya Kemp (two) knicked one behind to give Jonassen her second wicket.

Matthews got her third when she bowled Naomi Dattani (two) and then completed her allotment with the scalp of Kalea Moore (zero), as Southern Brave were in totters at 47 for 7.

Chloe Tyron was the only bright spark of the innings, as she posted an aggressive 38-ball 55, including seven fours and a solitary six at the backend, as she dominated a 52-run eight-wicket stand with wicketkeeper Rhianna Southby (15).

Matthews’ haul was supported by Jess Jonassen (3-21) and Freya Davies (2-14).

Despite losing Sophia Dunkley (seven) to Lauren Bell early, the result was never in doubt for Welsh Fire, as Beaumont was especially strong on anything loose, working the field with sweeps and cuts, while Matthews picked the gaps behind square in a 72-run stand off a mere 54 balls.

Beaumont raised her half-century in just 31 balls in a knock that had 10 boundaries, while the Barbadian, Matthews, struck five boundaries in her knock as Welsh Fire continue to blaze heading into the business end of the tournament.