By Marlon Munroe
A magnificent century by Pamela Lavine failed to rescue Barbados from going under by 15 runs to defending champions Jamaica in the WICB Senior Women’s Challenge 50-over tournament at the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) ground yesterday.
Lavine’s chanceless knock of 113 was decorated with 10 elegantly stoked boundaries and one five which eventually added some semblance of respectability to Barbados’ dismal score sheet. The ladies from the land of the flying fish were cruising at 150-4 in their pursuit of 207, after Jamaica had earlier posted 206, but lost their next six wickets for 42 runs to end at 192.
Gentle medium pace from Karla Cohen, who took 3-37 (6), and Shanel Daley (2-32) initiated the middle and bottom order nose dive with legspinner Vanessa Watts (2-25) hammering the final nail into the coffin of Barbados by picking up the last two wickets off successive balls in the 46th over (45.2). Barbados’ other scores of substance came from number two batter Michelle Ellis (20) and middle order batter Deandra Dottin who contributed 21 (3×4).
Earlier, in brilliant sunshine, Barbados won the toss and sent Jamaica in to bat. Jamaica’s women, who found it tough to get the ball off the playing area coupled with good fielding, ground their way to 20 runs after 10 overs when they lost the first wicket. Their captain and opening batter Herma Nathan-Dawes went lbw for naught off the bowling of Danielle Small.
However, a spirited fight back between Jodian Morgan, who was run out one short of a half century for 49, and Chedean Nation, who crafted an entertaining 65 (149 min, 118 balls), put Jamaica back into the game. Nation, with her exciting stroke play and quick running between the wicket, overtook Morgan, who was beginning to show signs of fatigue, to reach her half century with an exquisite drive through extra cover for four, her only boundary, off the bowling of Shakera Selman.
Subsequently, in their effort to score quick runs a tired Morgan was run out from an excellent piece of fielding by Shaquana Quintyne at backward point. That partnership yielded 112 runs from 184 balls and spanned 117 minutes with five boundaries and carried Jamaica to 132-2.
Nation continued with the same fluency spearheading small partnerships with Daley (15), who went when the score was 160 and Watts (2), who was dismissed with the total on 164.
She eventually fell in the 47th over caught by Small off the bowling of Lavine for a well-played 65.
Tameka Sanford with an unbeaten 21 continued the rebuilding process with help from Chinelle Henry (11) and Cohen, unbeaten on five. Small ended with 3-47 (10) and Lavine 2-43 (10).
Meanwhile, in the other match played at the Demerara Cricket Club ground (DCC), St. Lucia beat Dominica by five wickets in a low scoring affair. St. Lucia won the toss and sent Dominica to bat who only reached 83. In reply, St. Lucia reached 87-5 with Philipa Thomas, Verna Felicien and Maria David making 13 runs each.
Thomas was the top bowler with figures of 6-2-10-3.
