KINGSTOWN, St Vincent (CMC):
Leeward Islands Women put themselves in prime position to qualify for the final of the T20 Blaze with a convincing four-wicket win over Trinidad and Tobago Women yesterday at Arnos Vale in St Vincent.
The victory, their third in as many games, helped them to extend their lead at the top of the table and, barring losses in their final two preliminary games, they are almost sure to be in next Friday’s final.
Through the efforts of their bowlers, the Leeward Islands limited their opponents to a paltry 74 for nine in their 20 overs, with only three batters making it into double figures.
Despite losing four wickets for 16 overs near the end of their chase, the Leewards still eased to 75 for six in 16.1 overs to complete a predictable victory.
Following the early dismissals of Qiana Joseph and Shawnisha Hector, Reniece Boyce, who topscored with 28, and Amanda Edwards, who made 27, helped the Leewards progress to 57 for two in the 12th over.
Off spinner Karishma Ramharack created some panic by accounting for the wickets of Edwards, Boyce, and Kimberly Anthony, while Davronique Maynard was bowled by Anisa for a duck, to see them slump to 73 for six.
The result was never in doubt, though, with Jahzara Claxton’s unbeaten knock of 12 carrying them to victory.
Ramharack ended with figures of 3-13 from her four overs.
Earlier, Maynard and Edwards grabbed two wickets apiece, as T&T’s batters struggled yet again to put a competitive total on the board.
Ameila Khan hit the topscore of 17, while Britney Cooper and Nadia Mohammed both scored 12, but none of the other batters scored more than six.
In fact, they did well to get up to their eventual target after collapsing to 47 for seven in the 15th over.
Maynard took 2-12 and Edwards, 2-20.
In the second game to be played at Arnos Vale yesterday, Barbados Women can consider themselves lucky to have gotten past Windward Islands Women by three wickets after producing a shoddy performance with the bat.
Led by Shamilia Connell’s impressive four-wicket haul, Barbados did well to limit the Windwards to 86 for eight in their 20 overs after they chose to bat first at the Arnos Vale Playing Field.
Aided by 24 extras from their opponents, Barbados then limped to 87 for seven in 16.1 overs, to register their third successive win and join Leeward Islands Women as the only other unbeaten side in the competition.
Meanwhile, it was a third straight loss for the bottom-placed Windwards, with just two more rounds of matches remaining.
