A commanding spin-bowling performance from Trinidad and Tobago ensured they disposed of Leeward Islands by nine wickets in round three of the Cricket West Indies T20 Blaze on Sunday night at Providence.
Winning the toss and electing to bat under lights in the presence of a decent crowd, Leewards were routed for an embarrassing 68 in 18 overs, to which Trinidad, in reply, reached 70-1 in 45 balls.
The opening salvo saw Malissa Howard benefiting from an inside edge off of Anisa Mohammed in the first over that went past Melissa Aguilliera behind the stumps and into the boundary ropes.
However by the second over, the collapse began when skipper, Shawnisha Hector, attempted a random swipe only to be trapped leg before wicket to Leeann Kirby.
Shebani Bhaskar, who looked to use her feet against the spinners was also trapped while uncharacteristically attempting to sweep Karishma Ramharack while Howard tucked Ramharack to short fine leg and attempted a run only to be sent back and to find herself short of her crease.
With Jenisen Richards and Tiffany Thorpe falling in the space of two deliveries, Leewards stumbled to 34-6 at the halfway stage but found solace in a seventh wicket partnership between Amanda Edwards and Rozel Liburd.
The duo forged a 27-run partnership until Edwards attempted to sweep only to be trapped leg before wicket to Mohammed for an 18-ball 19 consisting of two boundaries.
Three balls later, Liburd looked to accelerate as she attempted a heave the first ball of the 16th over only to have the ball rocket into her stumps and end her innings on 14 runs.
The innings was cut short after Tezra Parker chased a wide delivery from Leandra Ramdeen only to find herself straying outside the crease to which the wicketkeeper capitalized and stumped her after which Reniece Boyce, fielding at mid-off rocketed a throw to the wicketkeeper and in the process, inflicting the run out of Davana Claxton to end the innings two overs short of its quota.
Player of the match, Felicia Walters picked up 2-11 from her three overs while Ramdeen returned 2-7 from three overs.
The 30-minute chase was highlighted by a 54-run opening stand between Kirby and Stacy Ann King.
The openers got off to a brisk start with King respectively sweeping and pulling Clarke into the fine leg boundary off of successive deliveries of the first over while cover driving Liburd for her eighth boundary to seal the victory and move on to 43 not out from 25 balls.
Kirby played the supporting role with a 14-ball 19 that was highlighted by four boundaries, three of which came in succession as Edwards floated three long hops that were belted into the cover boundary in the third over before she was trapped leg before wicket to Liburd.
