CWI Women’s U-19 T20 Championship
In what has seemingly become a habit, Guyana won another nail-biter in Trinidad and Tobago, this time leaving it late to bowl out the Leeward Islands two runs short of their total to register a fourth straight win yesterday in the CWI Women’s U-19 T20 Championship.
Playing at the Diego Martin Sports Complex, Guyana’s skipper, Realanna Grimmond, won the toss and decided to bat first.
Yet again, the Guyanese found the going tough, and were it not for the 23 extras gifted to them by the Leeward Islands, their score would have been much lower than the 94/5 that they eventually posted from their allotted 20 overs.
Only three batters, opener Naomi Barkoye (17 from 26 balls), Denellie Lindee (14) and Grimmond (15), recorded double-digit scores, with captain Jahzara Claxton’s 2-26 (4 overs) leading the way for the Leeward Islands.
In response, the Leeward Islands folded in pursuit of 95 for victory, with Claxton taking them as close to victory as possible with an unbeaten 52 from 64 balls, inclusive of two fours and two sixes.
Aside from Claxton, only one other batter, Kimberly Anthony (11) made it past 10.
Like previous matches, Guyana’s bowlers got the job done with spinner Niya Latchman and seamer Trisha Hardat, along with Crystal Durant, stifling the opposition.
Latchman snared 3-12 (4 overs), while Hardat had returns of 3-9 (4 overs), and Durant took 2-27 (4 overs).
In the final over of the game, with the Leeward Islands needing to win, young Danellie Manns shouldered the responsibility of bowling and held her nerve to help her team to victory. Despite bowling a no-ball, which resulted in a free hit, Claxton could only get three doubles off the next three deliveries to whittle the ratio to four runs needed from three deliveries.
Claxton struck the fourth ball of the over high into the air, and her opposite number Grimmond spilled the catch. During the process, Claxton and Gabrielle Harrylall scampered for a couple and were attempting a third run, but Grimmond, with ice in her veins, put aside the dropped chance to run from long on to the non-strikers end and effected a run-out of Harrylall to send the Guyanese girls into celebrations.
The win, by the barest of margins, now makes it four consecutive games that the Guyanese have won and has virtually sealed a top-two spot for them.
They will next face the Windward Islands tomorrow at the Sir Frank Worrell Memorial Ground in St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago.
