By BRIJ PARASNATH In Trinidad and Tobago

TRINIDAD and Tobago Under-19 girls started their campaign in the Trinidad and Tobago Women Cricket Association Invitational T20 tournament on a winning note with double victories on the opening rounds yesterday.The home team registered a comprehensive ten-wicket victory over Windwards Islands in their opening round match and followed up with a four-wicket win over Guyana in their second match of the double-header, played at Gilbert Park, California.
Windwards were bowled out for a meagre 39 off 17 overs with the main contributors being Samantha Cain and Jephenia Joseph with eleven and nine respectively.
Offspinner and vice-captain Kamara Ragoobar was the main wrecker with three wickets for six runs from 3.3 overs. She was well supported by fellow off-spinner Leandra Ramdeen who claimed two wickets for six runs off four overs while the other wickets were shared by Renelle Dookie (1 for 4 from 3 overs), Kajol Daljir (1 for 8 from 3 overs), Renna Farrow (1 for 6 from 2 overs) and AnnMarie Perreira (1 for 6 from 1 over).
In reply, skipper Reniece Boyce (15 not out) and Shania Abdool (5 not out) with the help of 20 extras (b-2, lb-1, nb-1, w-16) romped to an easy ten-wicket victory in 5.2 overs.
In the second match, Trinidad and Tobago restricted Guyana to 49 for 7 off 20 overs (Shabika Gajnabi 20; Kamara Ragoobar 2 for 7 and Mikaela Jodhan 2 for 9). They sealed their second consecutive victory with 50 for 6 off 14 overs (Shania Abdool 15).
Defending champions Barbados had mixed fortunes with an eight-wicket victory over Guyana but suffered a shock defeat to Windward Islands by a similar margin in the rain-affected second match of their double-header encounters at the National Cricket Centre, Balmain, Couva.
Guyana batted first and was restricted to 69 for 9 in 20 overs while Barbados cruised home to victory with 71 for 2 in 10.3 overs.
Deborah Vanderstoop made 19 while skipper Mandy Mangru got 16 as they shared a 42-run first-wicket partnership. But as soon as Mangru was out, the rest of the batting order collapsed like ninepins. Skipper Hayley Matthews and Shaunte Carrington took three for ten runs each while Aaliyah Alleyne took two for 15.
Matthews, the West Indies World T20 star; displayed her real class with the bat and piloted her team to an emphatic eight-wicket win to start the tournament on a positive note. She smashed an unbeaten 55 which included three sixes and three fours off 36 balls.
But the Barbadians were shockingly defeated by the Windwards outfit who had lost to Trinidad and Tobago in the morning encounter at Balmain ground.
In the encounter reduced to 15-overs-a-side, Barbados struggled to reach 49 for 6 off 15 overs. Matthews made seven. R Sanford (2 for 6) and Samantha Cain (2 for 3) were the successfully wicket-takers.
Windwards raced to an eight-wicket win with 50 for 2 in 11.2 overs. Kimone Homer topscored with an unbeaten 15 while Qiana Joseph made 12.