By Marlon Munroe
Defending champions Jamaica produced another outstanding performance to beat St. Lucia by 36 runs in their second match of the WICB Senior Women’s Challenge 50-over tournament at the Demerara Cricket Club ground yesterday.
Jamaica, who seem poised to lead Zone A, made 211 all out from their allotted overs, spearheaded by their captain Herma Nathan-Dawes who made a wonderfully crafted 60 in a 105-run partnership with Chadean Nation (43) for the second wicket.
St Lucia in reply fell short for 175 all out from 49 overs despite a late order surge by not out batter Maria David who made 35 that was embroidered with four crisply spanked boundaries and one hefty six over long-on that ended up on the road.
Player-of-the-Match Roshana Outar, for Jamaica, changed the complexion of the game as St. Lucia seemed as if they were cruising along. Number three batter Verena Felicien and Swaykine Williams embarked on a 55-run partnership after they had lost two wickets for 17 runs.
Filicien, the more technically-correct batter, was the more silent partner, setting the proper platform for Williams who played the more aggressive innings.
However, Williiams’ 47-ball innings was terminated when she was bowled for 22 (2×4) by Vanessa Watts.
Pamela Alfred continued where Williams left off and lent valuable support to Felicien who kept scorers busy as she rotated the strike. Watts again broke the 39-partnership when she had Alfred caught by Karla Cohen for 21 (2×4) from 49 balls to leave the score at 111-4.
Four runs later Outar bowled Felicien for 46 (4×4) from 102 balls, then bowled Philippa Thomas-Eudovic for 3 and later had Heide Sandiford brilliantly stumped by wicketkeeper Tameka Sanford for 3 to leave St. Lucia precariously placed at 130-7.
David continued with the tail that wagged a bit until Outar returned to break a 28-run partnership when she had Rayline Cooper caught at short midwicket for 9 (158-8).
Subsequently, Chedean Nation picked up the last two wickets of Naralie Cooper (4) and Chemeka Abraham (4) to leave St. Lucia with a loss and a win against Dominica on Saturday. Outar finished with figures of 4-22 (6) while Watts, Nation and Karla Cohen ended with two wickets each. Earlier, St. Lucia won the toss and sent Jamaica to bat and made an early breakthrough when the score was 14 with the dismissal of Jodian Morgan for 2. But Nathan-Dawes was determined to make amends after she had made naught against Barbados in their opening match. She and Nation consolidated Jamaica’s innings with sensible and aggressive batting and running. When right handed Nathan-Dawes reached 55 she retired hurt with a back injury but returned shortly after to add five runs before she was adjudged lbw off the bowling of Eudovic.
A late order cameo from Chinelle Henry (20) off 15 balls and including three well-timed boundaries took Jamaica’s total over 200 before she was caught and bowled by Eudovic. Eudovic ended with three wickets while Alfred, Felicien, Williams and David finished with one wicket apiece. In the other match played over at Wales Community Centre ground Barbados quickly disposed of Dominica in a low-scoring game by nine wickets. Barbados put Dominica to bat and they were soon bowled out for 57 in 27.2 overs with Charlene Taitt taking five wickets for three runs.
In response Barbados made 58-1 in 12.3 overs.
On the other hand, Guyana will take on St. Vincent and the Grenadines at the Police ground and they are in a must-win situation to keep their chances alive to contest in the semi-final stage. In the second game for the day Trinidad & Tobago (T&T) will compete against Grenada.
