KINGSTOWN, St Vincent, CMC – Defending champions Trinidad and Tobago will meet Barbados in tomorrow’s final of the Women’s Regional Super50 after toppling home-side Windward Islands by eight wickets here Friday.
Playing at the Arnos Vale Stadium in the final round of preliminary matches, T&T overcame a stuttering start to easily chase down their target of 122 and secure their sport in the championship game against their traditional archrivals.
For their part, Barbados finished the preliminary round unbeaten after they trounced winless Leeward Islands by eight wickets while Jamaica secured their first win of the tournament with a 112-run victory over Guyana.
Barbados topped the standings with 24 points, ahead of second placed T&T on 19 and the Windwards who ended on 15 points.
Jamaica were fourth on seven points with Guyana fifth on five points and Leewards bottom on two.
With T&T needing to win in order to clinch their spot in the final, they put in a strong bowling performance to send the Windwards tumbling for 121 off 47.2 overs.
The experienced Juliana Nero top-scored with 25 and Roylin Cooper got 20 while former West Indies slow medium bowler Lee-Ann Kirby picked up three for 17 and spinners Karishma Ramharack (2-17) and Kamara Ragoobar (2-20) two wickets apiece.
In reply, out-of-favour West Indies batsman Stacy-Ann King stroked an unbeaten 58 to propel T&T to an easy win in the 36th over.
They were initially struggling at 25 for two in the seventh over but King put on 98 in an unbroken third wicket stand with opener Felicia Walters, who made 40 not out.
King faced 109 deliveries and struck five fours while Walters also counted five boundaries in her 86-ball knock.
At Sion Hill, Hayley Matthews’s great all-round form continued as she snatched six for 16 with her off-spin to help bundle Leewards out for 65 off 27.2 overs.
The 19-year-old right-hander then returned at the top of the order to stroke a cameo unbeaten 43 from just 31 balls with five fours and a six, as Barbados romped to victory off a mere 63 deliveries.
At Park Hill, West Indies captain Stafanie Taylor broke out of her rut with a polished 89 as Jamaica, asked to bat first, rallied to 188 all out off their 50 overs.
The right-handed Taylor, who managed just nine runs in four previous innings in the tournament, faced 116 deliveries and hit seven fours and a six.
Tameka Sanford chimed in with 31 while seamer Subrina Munroe claimed six for 24.
In reply, Guyana buckled for 76 in the 31st over with off-spinner Chedean Nation picking up three for 20.
