BASSETERRE, St Kitts, CMC – Reigning Women’s T20 Blaze champions Jamaica emerged from the weekend unscathed, after holding off a stubborn Trinidad and Tobago to post a six-run win and their second straight victory of the tournament here Sunday.
Defending 116 under lights in the final game of the triple-header at Warner Park, Jamaica restricted T&T to 109 for nine off their 20 overs, with lively seamer Neisha-Ann Waisome claiming three for 16.
West Indies batting star Britney Cooper top-scored with a breezy 29 from 32 balls but no other batsman passed 20, as T&T lost their first on the heels of Saturday’s win over Barbados.
Sent in, Jamaica were carried by the West Indies pair of Chedean Nation and Rashada Williams, both of whom struck 32, while another West Indies player Natasha McLean chipped in with 24.
Veteran West Indies off-spinner and T&T captain Anisa Mohammed finished with three for 19 while seamer Lee-Ann Kirby picked up two for 18.
Ahead of today’s third round, Jamaica tops the standings on eight points with Barbados, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago and Windward Islands all on four points, and Leeward Islands bottom without a win.
Still fired up from Saturday’s win over Leewards, Jamaica started strongly through Williams who struck a four and a six in a run-a-ball knock, while putting on 23 for the first wicket with Keneshia Ferron (7) and 27 for the second with Nation.
When Williams top-edged a slog sweep to backward square off off-spinner Samara Ramnath, Nation inspired a further 47 for the third wicket with McLean, counting three fours in another run-a-ball effort. Mohammed hurt Jamaica at the back end, however, knocking over Waisome (7), Vanessa Watts (2) and Nicole Campbelle (0) in the 19th over. Waisome then struck twice as T&T slumped to 38 for four at the half-way stage of the run chase, leaving Jamaica in control.
Cooper tried to rescue the innings, lashing two fours and a six as she added a crucial 38 for the fifth wicket with Anisa Mohammed (16). However, Cooper’s demise in the 17th over, bowled by fast bowler Celina Whyte missing a cross-batted heave, all but put paid to T&T’s chances.
