KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Stafanie Taylor continued in her rich vein of form, leading hosts Jamaica to their third straight victory in the Regional Women’s Twenty20 Tournament, when they strolled past Guyana by 23 runs yesterday here.
But crucial batting from Kycia Knight and Danielle Small allowed Barbados to send a ripple through the tournament with a five-wicket victory over Trinidad & Tobago, one of the favourites, in a tense, last-ball finish in the third round of matches.
Grenada captain Afy Fletcher also weighed-in with a vital knock, leading the Spice Girls to their first victory of the tournament, a three-wicket win over St. Lucia before Samantha Lynch too, set St. Vincent & the Grenadines up for a 50-run victory over Dominica.
Taylor, the undisputed World No.1 women’s player, struck eight fours in the top score of 49 from 40 balls, anchoring Jamaica to 109 for five from their 50 overs, after they chose to bat in the afternoon match at Chedwin Park.
She shared 85 for the first wicket with Jodi-Ann Morgan before her fellow opener retired hurt, triggering a batting slump that saw Jamaica added just nine runs inside the last five overs, when they also lost five wickets.
Morgan made 33 from 43 balls before being stricken with cramps, allowing Tremayne Smartt to finish as the most successful Guyana bowler with 3-21 from four overs and Joann Vansertima with 2-21 from her four overs.
Vanessa Watts and Chadean Nation grabbed early scalps for Jamaica, but Guyana captain June Ogle anchored her side’s batting with 36 from 55 balls without ever taking full control.
Shanel Daley put the brakes on a late charge from the Guyanese with 2-16 from her four overs. In the morning match, Shaquana Quintyne formalised a vital victory for the Barbadians, when she smashed the final ball from World-rated West Indies Women’s off-spinner Anisa Mohammed to long-off for four. Chasing 120 for victory, the Barbadians stumbled to 113 for five in the final over, following steady batting from Knight and Small that put them within reach of the target.
Knight hit two fours and one six in 42 from 38 balls and Small gathered 30 from 42 balls that included two boundaries. They added 42 for the second wicket that put the Barbadians on track.
Small fell from the last of the 15th over to Mohammed before Knight departed from the final ball of 19th over with nine needed and Barbados captain Shakera Selman fell to the second ball of the final over with seven required.
Mohammed ended with 2-21 from her four overs and Kirbyina Alexander finished with 2-26 from four overs.
T&T had batted soundly, if not spectacularly with opener Amanda Samaroo leading the way with 29 and West Indies Women’s player Britney Cooper making 21, after they decided to bat.
They added 41 for the second wicket, but every time T&T tried to seize firm control, they gifted wicket and were restricted to 119 for five from their 20 overs.
No Barbados bowler collected more than one wicket, but veteran Pamela Lavine drew on her experience to delivery four miserly overs that cost just 11.
Fletcher, a West Indies Women’s player up to two years ago, also drew on her skill, scoring 34 not out from 32 balls, as Grenada successfully chased 81 for victory in the morning match at Kensington Park.
Her stand of 33 for the fourth wicket with Debbie Ann Lewis put the Grenadians on course for a morale-boosting victory.
But Marlene Preville scalped Lewis for 14, finishing with 2-14 from two overs, and veteran Verena Felicien added the scalps of Akeira Peters and Rackel Williams cheaply, ending with 2-10 from three overs, to put some doubt in the minds of the Spice Girls.
Fletcher however, remained unflappable, formalising the victory with a square drive for a single off Felicien to take her side over the threshold with 42 balls remaining.
St. Lucia, electing to bat, had posted a modest 80 for seven from their 20 overs, as Grenada, led by Carena Noel with 2-20 from four overs, bowled tightly.
No St. Lucian player made more that Yasmine St. Ange’s 14. In the afternoon at the same venue, Samantha Lynch made 46 from 43 balls and Clea Hoyte supported with 28, as St. Vincent & the Grenadines posted the largest total of the day, 127 for five from their 20 overs, after they opted to bat.
Lynch and Hoyte rescued the Vincentians from a wobbly 49 for four in the eighth over, putting on 73 for the fifth wicket.
Lynch was run out off the last ball of the innings, trying to force a suicidal third run, but the total was always going to be challenging for the brittle Dominica batting – and they could only muster 77 for seven from their 20 overs.
West Indies Women’s player Pearl Etienne tried her best with 26 at the top of the innings, but no other Dominican batter could match her effectiveness.
The tournament continues on Sunday, when St. Lucia face SVG in the morning at Kensington Park, where Grenada meet Dominica in the afternoon, while Guyana play Barbados at Chedwin Park in the morning before the eagerly-awaited clash in the afternoon between T&T and hosts Jamaica in a repeat of last year’s Regional Women’s Super50 final.
