A virtual final is set to unfold when two undefeated sides Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago clash in the final round of the Cricket West Indies Colonial Medical Insurance Women’s Super50 tournament at Enmore Community Centre today.
Both teams have dominated their competition throughout the four matches to date with individual performances doing the trick for them.
For the defending champions, Barbados, their captain Hayley Matthews has been the standout player with both bat and ball.
The off-spinner has claimed 15 wickets so far with a best of 7-27 in the opening match. She also took 4-25 against Guyana recently.
With the blade in hand, the 21-year-old opening batter has scored 233 runs in her four innings with a best of 108 against a strong Jamaica bowling line up as well as 91 against Windward Islands.
But it has not been just Matthews for the `Land of the Flying Fish’ as no team has found a solution for Deandra Dottin.
The 27-year-old is yet to be dismissed with a tally of 226 runs with two half centuries and a best of 94 against Windwards.
Wicket-keeper/batter, Kaycia Knight has also shown form with the bat and has solidified the top order of Barbados with scores of 45, 59 not out, 81 and two.
Matthews said coming into the tournament, the team realised the importance of the top order making majority of the runs every game and it has been happening for them. Despite dominating performances, Matthews told this publication that the team is remaining positive and will continue to apply the pressure heading into the last match to seal the title.
Meanwhile for Trinidad and Tobago, who won the title back in 2016 when it was last hosted in Guyana, their bowling has managed to restrict teams to sub-par scores throughout the tournament while their batting work load has been shared among the team.
Off-Spinners, Leandra Ramdeen and Karishma Ramharack have done the trick for their side in almost every match, taking 10 and eight wickets respectively while veteran off-spinner, Anisa Mohammed has been chipping away at oppositions’ batting line up with seven wickets so far.
With the bat, Mohammed has not had the opportunity to go at lengths against bowling attacks but has made valuable contributions to the team.
But for Trinidad, their vice-captain, Reniece Boyce has been consistent throughout the competition with scores of 65 not out, six not out, 43 not out and 31 already. But the 21-year-old has played off the dependency on her in the batting line up, noting the exceptional performances from various members of the team.
Felicia Walters has taken six wickets and scored over 100 runs so far while Stacy Ann King and Lee-Ann Kirby have both scored half centuries.
Boyce explained to Stabroek Sport that the team is in high spirits ahead of the showdown and stated that the side is aware of what it’s like to play under pressure.
The vice-captain suggested that they “will need to stick to their plan and execute it when it comes to match day and while the team is going pretty well despite not going exactly how they planned it, in some areas, the team knows the minor areas and are working on improving them.”
Boyce pointed out that the middle order has not clicked as much as the team would like but has called on them to “dig extra deep for the success of the team.”
The first ball bowls off at 09.30 hrs.
