A clash of tournament favourites between Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados will open round four of the Cricket West Indies T20 Blaze competition with the winning team assuming sole lead of the tournament.
Both sides are unbeaten and will enter the Providence National Stadium for the first match of the day brimming with confidence.
The Trinidad bowlers have shared the workload mostly with their depth in the spin bowling department. The likes of Anisa Mohammed who has over 100 matches in T20 Internationals under her belt has guided the bowling attack through tough periods.
The off-spinner has an economy rate of just 4.4 and has taken four wickets.
Felicia Walters, who won player of the match against Windward Islands has also taken four wickets at an economy rate of just over five while Leandra Ramdeen, Karishma Ramharack and seamer, Leeann Kirby have all gotten wickets.
Kirby has also dominated at the top of the order, with a strike rate of 141 and has forged consistent opening stands with Stacy Ann King who has notched up 127 runs at a strike rate of 141 as well.
With the fire-power in the middle order of vice-captain, Reniece Boyce, skipper, Melissa Aguilliera and Britney Cooper, who is striking at over 160, Trinidad is capable of posting heavy scores. However, in their three matches, they are yet to defend a total.
Nevertheless, Boyce believes her side will come out on top if all the right boxes are ticked off.
Speaking exclusively to Stabroek Sport ahead of their final training session of the tournament at the Everest Cricket Club, the vice-captain said: “The team is very confident and is aware that the final two matches which will be played back-to-back wouldn’t be easy but at the current moment we are very positive and keen on executing all the aspects of our game we have been working on.”
The 21-year-old West Indies player added: “This game means a lot to us.” She added that they were banking on the experience of the side…”to go out there and play the cricket we [T&T] are capable of playing.”
Boyce, who top scored for Trinidad against Barbados in the Super50 tournament, said she is happy with the team’s performance.
They have only lost one game in the Super50 format to this very opposition and based her satisfaction on the team’s track record as well as the ladies achieving some of their personal goals so far.
But the right-handed batter related that there is still room for improvement adding that she wanted the side to put in the extra effort to see the team’s goal become a reality.
Meanwhile, Barbados has continued to dominate teams with commanding victories throughout since arriving in Guyana last month and are confident having beaten Trinidad to lift the Super50 title.
The reigning Super50 champions have been led from the front with their captain, Hayley Matthews stamping her authority against all her opponents so far.
Fittingly, Matthews who is ranked sixth in the world of International T20s has scorched 45, 45 and 58 not out so far at a strike rate of 166 in addition to her off-spin that has earned her nine wickets with an economy rate of 5.3.
The top T20I all-rounder, Deandra Dottin has also been dominant, having only been dismissed once. She has scores of 63, 22 not out and 42 not out at an astonishing strike rate of 198.
With the efforts of opening bowlers, Shamila Connell and Shanika Bruce, Barbados have been difficult to score against with teams struggling to score better than a run rate of six.
Matthews said her team is on track to achieve what they set out to do and reiterates that her side is here to dominate and win.
The first ball bowls off at 09.00 hrs.
