KINGSTOWN, St Vincent (CMC):
Jamaica Women played spoiler in the final preliminary round of the T20 Blaze, defeating Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) Women by three wickets via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method to end any hopes the latter had of qualifying for Friday’s final.
In a match reduced to 17 overs per side due to persistent showers, T&T could only muster 76 for eight after being sent in at the Arnos Vale Playing Field.
Set a revised total of 79, Jamaica lost five wickets for just 15 runs before eventually reaching 79 for seven in 15.2 overs.
It was only Jamaica’s second win of the tournament and erased T&T’s chances of lifting the title. T&T needed to defeat Jamaica and hope that Guyana Women beat Barbados Women to give them any chance of joining Leeward Islands Women in the final.
That was not to be, however, as T&T produced a disappointing showing with the bat. Apart from opener Djenaba Joseph, who top-scored with 27 off 30 balls, no other batter reached double digits.
T&T were actually cruising at 40 for one at one stage before collapsing to lose four wickets for 16 runs.
Stafanie Taylor was the main architect, accounting for two of the wickets to fall. The off-spinner trapped Britney Cooper lbw for five and bowled Karishma Ramharack for four.
Taylor ended with 3-9 from her three overs, while Vanessa Watts (2-13) and Neisha-Ann Waisome (2-19), chipped in with two wickets apiece to help restrict T&T.
Jamaica recovered after losing the early wickets of captain Rashada Williams for seven and Abigail Bryce for 12 to reach 60 for two at the beginning of the 10th over.
However, Brianna Harricharan (3-17) and Ramharack (2-13) triggered a sudden collapse that reduced Jamaica to 75 for seven.
But with just four runs required for victory, Waisome and Sherene Burnett got them to their target with no further losses.
The result proved less influential than at first perceived, as Barbados Women later went on to cement their place with a resounding 22-run victory over deposed champions Guyana Women.
Barbados captain Aaliyah Alleyne played a starring role with both bat and ball to carry her team into the final, scoring 38 off 36 balls, which rescued her side from the precarious position of 32 for four and got them up to 92 for eight from their 20 overs.
Alleyne then returned to grab two wickets as Guyana were bundled out for 70 in 19.4 overs.
The result means Barbados join Leeward Islands Women in Friday’s final.
