Guyana, Leewards & Barbados earn wins in T20 Blaze opening round 

Guyana 96 for 5 (Gajnabi 38, Munisar 17, Glasgow 1-10) beat Windwards 89 for 5 (Glasgow 41, Fletcher 33, Millington 1-13) by 7 runs

Defending champions Guyana defeated the Windward Islands by seven runs in the first game of the Cricket West Indies Women’s T20 Blaze on Tuesday, setting the tone for what would be a low-scoring opening round of matches. 

It was the battle of the all-rounders in the first contest of the triple-header at the Arnos Vale Playing Field. Shabika Gajnabi top-scored with a 37-ball 38 to help Guyana to 96 for 5 from their 20 overs. Ashmini Munisar chipped in with 17, and opener Mandy Mangru hit 16. 

Jannillea Glasgow led the Windwards bowlers, conceding 10 runs for the wicket of Realeanna Grimmond (8). While Captain Zaida James and Carena Noel had identical figures of 1 for 14. There was also a wicket apiece for Afy Fletcher and Holly Charles, who claimed 1 for 20 and 1 for 23, respectively. 

The Windwards lost Ashlene Edwards (5) and James (1) early in their response, to be restricted to 19 for 2 in the fifth over, before Glasgow and Fletcher fashioned 59 runs for the third wicket. When Munisar had the latter caught at long-on for 33, the Windwards were comfortably in control of the chase, needing 19 from 16. 

After scoring at a run a ball for the next ten deliveries, however, the equation for the final over read "9 from 6," with Glasgow stuck at the non-striker's end. 

Plaffiana Millington then produced the perfect start to the ultimate over, prising the wicket of Earnisha Fontaine for 4. She followed up with a dot, which forced Glasgow into a suicide run in an attempt to get to the striker's end, resulting in her demise via run-out for a top-score of 41. 

Millington conceded just the one run in the over to hand Guyana a winning start to their title defence by restricting Windwards to 89 for 5. 

Leewards 108 for 5 (Hector 56, Edwards 20, Nation 2-15) beat Jamaica 99 for 8 (Nation 48*, Taylor 25, Hector 2-15) by 9 runs 

The day’s second game, between last season’s beaten finalists, Jamaica and the Leeward Islands, followed a similar pattern, which saw the Leewards earn a 9-run win. The encounter began with Qiana Joseph driving the ball low but ungrounded back at the bowler, Neisha-Ann Waisome, who stuck out a boot to stop a sure boundary. Only for the ball to pop up off Waisome’s foot and into her hands. The big-hitting Joseph was dismissed for a first-ball duck.

That instinctive moment of brilliance and admitted partial luck was one of only a few moments of pride with the ball for the Jamaicans, who were untidy in the field. Their misfortune was Leeward’s fortune, however, as Shawnisha Hector took advantage to anchor her team to the day’s highest total—108 for 5.

Hector thrashed six fours on her way to 56, with skipper Amanda Edwards (20) joining her as the only other batter to get into double figures. Both fell to Chedean Nation, who spearheaded the Jamaican attack, claiming 2 for 15 from her four overs. Stafanie Taylor also completed her quota, finishing with figures of 1 for 24. 

Jahzara Claxton (2-26) removed skipper Rashada Williams (4) and Chrishana McKenzie (0) to set Jamaica’s chase back at 12 for 2 in the third over. Nation and Taylor then came together for a 48-run stay before Davronique Maynard (2-19) had Taylor caught for 25 with Jamaica 60 for 3. 

Much like the Leeward Islands innings, only two batters managed double figures: Taylor and Nation (48*). The former’s wicket triggered a collapse that saw Jamaica lose 6 wickets for 23 runs, leaving them 83 for 8 in the 18th over. 

Although needing 15 runs from the final over was less than ideal, Jamaica had the one thing they would have wanted in that scenario—Nation on strike. The right-hander drilled the first ball of the over from Hector (2-15) down the ground. And without waiting to see if it had beaten mid-on, took off for the single. She was at the non-striker’s end now. 

The next delivery had scarcely left Hector’s hand when Nation took off for the other end, leaving Jaunel Deers no choice but to run through for a bye. The scoreboard now screamed 13 from 4. The type of equation finishers practice in the nets. 

Nation, however, repeated the mistake she made on the first delivery of the over: hit hard, failed to wait, and took off. Hector, on the other hand, had nailed her plans, allowing just two additional singles to restrict Jamaica to 99 for 8.

Barbados 99 for 7 (Brathwaite 26, Connell 16*, Harricharan 3-8) beat T&T 97 for 5 (Cooper 33*, Ramharack 21, Cumberbatch 1-18) by 3 wickets 

Meanwhile, Barbados closed out the round with a tense 3-wicket win over rivals Trinidad and Tobago in the day’s final game. Britney Cooper top-scored with an unbeaten 33, while Captain Karishma Ramharack hit a 23-ball 21 opening the batting to help T&T to 97 for 5 from their 20 overs. 

Naijanni Cumberbatch was the pick of the Barbados bowlers, finishing with figures of 2 for 18. She was supported by an off-spinning Shakera Selman, who claimed 1 for 8 in her solitary over, with Aaliyah Alleyne 1 for 14 and Theanny Herbert-Mayers 1 for 23 also among the wickets. 

Eboni Brathwaite and Trishan Holder gave Barbados a solid platform to begin their chase. The pair shared in a 45-run opening stand before they were dismissed in consecutive overs. 

Holder was bowled by Nadia Mohammed for 16, while top-scorer Brathwaite (26) was the first of Brianna Harricharan’s three victims. Harricharan’s 3 for 8 had T&T harbouring hopes of a win with Barbados 68 for 6 and needing 30 from 34 deliveries.

However, Shamilia Connell’s 10-ball 16*, along with contributions from Selaman (8) and the lower order, were enough to push Barbados over the line at 99 for 7 with 9 deliveries to spare.