The Massy Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) trophy will once again reside in Barbados as the Royals won their second consecutive title with a four-wicket win over the Trinbago Knight Riders in the final at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba on Thursday.
After winning the toss and choosing to bowl first, the Royals bowlers made use of some good conditions with the early wickets of TKR captain Deandra Dottin for six and ace Indian batter Jemimah Rodrigues for two.
With the loss of their two premier batters, the Knight Riders never recovered, eventually crawling to 93-8 from their 20 overs.
Shikha Pandey (28) and Jannilea Glasgow (24) were the main contributors with the bat as Aaliyah Alleyne bowled beautifully on her way to 4-21 from her four overs.
Captain Hayley Matthews took 2-13 from her four overs in support.
The Royals then made tough work of what should’ve been an easy chase, eventually reaching 94-6 with five overs to spare.
Chamari Athapaththu led the way with a patient 39* off 47 balls including seven fours.
The Royals were, at one point, cruising at 66-1 in the 11th over before losing five wickets for just 19 runs before Athapaththu and Afy Fletcher brought them over the line.
16-year-old Samara Ramnath bowled well for the Knight Riders with 2-18 from her four overs.
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.
Chasing 131 in good batting conditions, the Warriors were in deep trouble at 15-2 before Burns combined with captain Lauren Winfield-Hill (46 off 47 balls) for an unbroken 119-run partnership in the competition’s highest ever stand.
Spinner Chloe Tryon had clawed Warriors back into the contest with 4-21 after a half-century opening partnership from captain Deandra Dottin and Harshitha Samarawickrama threatened to lift the Knight Riders to a huge score.
Knight Riders’ total of 130-6 proved under par as Warriors mowed down the target with 16 balls to spare.
Both teams were desperate after losing to Barbados Royals in their opening matches. Warriors hoped for early movement, having elected to bowl under overcast skies, but were blunted by Samarawickrama and Dottin.
Samarawickrama, who has replaced the injured Meg Lanning, unfurled elegant strokes through the off-side and also pounced on short-pitched bowling as Knight Riders reached 37/0 after the powerplay.
Shabnim Ismail unleashed express pace with the new ball, but she was thwarted by the determined openers keen on getting their team off to a strong start after top-order struggles against Royals.
Ismail’s mood soured further when she produced an edge off Samarawickrama in the sixth over only for Burns, normally such a brilliant fielder, fumbling a regulation chance at wide slip.
The partnership reached 50 before Tryon struck with her first delivery after Dottin was well caught by Ashmini Munisar diving forward at gully.
Tryon then struck in her next over when Samarawickrama was clean bowled after failing to execute a reverse sweep. Knight Riders were bogged down in the middle overs, unable to find the boundary during a sedate 45-ball stretch.
Jemimah Rodrigues and Jess Jonassen broke the shackles with a quick 44-run partnership. But Tryon dismissed the dangerous Jonassen for 28 and also Kycia Knight in the penultimate over as Warriors continued their fightback.
Warriors’ momentum was snuffed with the early wickets of Natasha McLean and Stafanie Taylor as Jonassen and seamer Shikha Pandey bowled brilliantly in the powerplay.
The pressure fell on Winfield-Hill and Burns, who counterattacked down the ground and worked the gaps on the leg-side.
Burns received luck along the way, dropped on 32 by Jonassen at midwicket and she reached her half-century off 32 balls when Anisa Mohammed spilt a catch at short midwicket.
Warriors’ strategy to chase in dewy conditions proved a masterstroke as Burns hit consecutive boundaries to open her team’s account in the tournament.
Another batting masterclass from captain Hayley Matthews saw Barbados Royals overcome Trinbago Knight Riders in the second match of the 2024 Massy Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba, Trinidad.
After her decisive innings of 61 not out against Guyana Amazon Warriors in the first game of the competition on Wednesday, Matthews showed again why she is one of the best in the world in the white ball format. The in-form opener struck twelve boundaries to finish unbeaten on 67 off 56 balls to see her side complete a comfortable seven wicket victory with 17 balls to spare.
Matthews started the evening well and never looked back. She won the toss for the second night in a row and chose to insert the opposition, her decision vindicated with the very first ball of the match as Chinelle Henry bowled Knight Riders opener Kycia Knight.
It was a sign of things to come as a procession of wickets fell soon after. The Knight Riders total of 113/9 never looked enough to challenge the Royals stellar batting card and so it proved when Matthews hit the winning four off Shikha Pandey from the first ball of the 18th over. The 2023 champions have two wins from two games and look the team to beat in the early stages of this year’s WCPL.
The Royals obliterated the Knight Riders top order to leave them reeling on 57/6 at the halfway stage in the innings and it was thanks to Shikha Pandey and Zaida James that the Knight Riders reached the total that they did. A partnership of exactly 50 runs off 47 deliveries for the seventh wicket helped Deandra Dottin’s side bat out their allotted overs and post a total of 113/9.
Pandey, in particular played, well, top scoring for her side with 30 runs, her deft cuts and manipulation of the ball into the gaps was impressive in the face of tight bowling.
Matthews took a fine diving catch in the outfield and topped off a sparkling Player of the Match performance by bowling both Zaida James and Jazhara Claxton to take 2-21 with the ball.
For the second match in a row the Royals bowlers impressed and shared the wickets around, Henry, Matthews and Wellington all picking up two wickets apiece and Qiana Joseph and Aaliyah Alleyne pocketing one each. The Barbados side are firing in all departments.
The Guyana amazon Warriors secured a spot in the final of the Massy Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) with a comfortable nine-wicket win over the Trinbago Knight Riders at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy on Saturday.
Player of the match Karishma Ramharack took 3-12 from four overs to help the Amazon Warriors restrict the Knight Riders to just 78 all out in 17 overs after TKR won the toss and chose to bat first.
Captain Deandra Dottin led the way with 25 while Shreyanka Patil provided good support for Ramharack with 2-10 from four overs.
The successful chase then took just 7.3 overs thanks to 38* from Sophie Devine and scores of 18 from Suzie Bates and 17* from captain Stafanie Taylor.
The Amazon Warriors will take on the Barbados Royals in the final on Sunday.
Barbados Royals made light work of chasing 74 to stay unbeaten from their opening round of fixtures in the Massy Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) at Kensington Oval, Barbados.
After chasing a record 167 two days ago in their opener, Hayley Matthews’ side made the most of their chances against the Trinbago Knight Riders.
The visitors were without their captain and most experienced international Deandra Dottin and exciting new overseas Orla Prendergast for their opening match of their WCPL defence.
Trinbago Knight Riders never got going with the bat despite winning the toss and opting to bat first, with only one player reaching double figures as the side capitulated to 73 all out.
The Royals didn’t hang around in their pursuit of the total knocking off 74 for four wickets inside 11 overs after an explosive powerplay started the chase strongly.
The Knight Riders reached 32-1 from their steady PowerPlay. Kycia Knight made a good start as she scored at just shy of a run a ball in the first six overs, however when she was dismissed by Erin Burns, the visitors fell from 36-2 to 73 all out.
Spin dominated for Matthews’ side as it had in their first match on Thursday, taking eight wickets for 54 runs, bowling 12.4 of the 16.4 bowled overs. Australian pairing Erin Burns and Amanda-Jade Wellington were the stars with 3/19 and 2/13, respectively.
The Royals in response got off to a fast start in the powerplay, the captain leading off with a quickfire 19, supported by Gaby Lewis on the back of a score of 47, reached a run-a-ball 27, the hosts surpassing 50 inside the PowerPlay.
Matthews’ side endured a setback as they three wickets for 11 runs between overs five to nine with Knight Riders’ spinners enjoying some consolation wicket taking, although it wasn’t enough to affect the result.
Barbados Royals are back in action for a third-consecutive match tomorrow, as they face Guyana Amazon Warriors in a repeat of the 2023 WCPL opener.
Barbadian Raymon Reifer and Trinidadian Amir Jangoo both starred to help the Jamaica Tallawahs beat the Barbados Royals in the 6IXTY at Warner Park in St. Kitts on Friday.
The Royals won the toss and chose to field first. That decision proved to be the wrong one as the Tallawahs hammered the bowling all around Warner Park to post 162-3 from their 10 overs.
The Tallawahs were 60-3 when Reifer came to join Jangoo at the crease in the fifth over before the pair put the Royals bowling to the sword, adding 102 runs off just 36 balls to help them post the mammoth total.
Jangoo ended with 68 not out from 27 balls including four fours and six sixes while Reifer ended 57 not out off 19 balls including eight fours and three sixes.
The Royals then had a decent showing with the bat in reply but, despite fighting knocks from Ireland’s Harry Tector (35), South African Corbin Bosch (33) and Rakheem Cornwall (25), they fell well short of the target, being bowled out for 121 in 9.5 overs.
Reifer completed a fine all-round display with 3-16 off 1.5 overs while Nicholson Gordon took 2-18 from his two overs.
The Tallawahs have now booked a spot in the semi-finals with a perfect record after two games.
Earlier, Trinbago Knight Riders Women got an easy 10-wicket win over Guyana Amazon Warriors Women.
The Amazon Warriors only managed to score 33 before being bowled out in eight overs after winning the toss and electing to bat.
No batter got into double figures as South African leg-spinner Sune Luus led the way with 2-6 from two overs for TKR. Hat-trick hero from their last game Geetika Kodali from the USA took 1-10 from two overs.
The Knight Riders’ opening pair of captain Deandra Dottin and Lee-Ann Kirby then made quick work of the target, reaching 34-0 off 3.5 overs to seal the win.
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