THE evergreen Deandra Dottin delivered another solid all-round performance as Barbados women’s cricket team defeated their Trinidad and Tobago counterparts by seven wickets in the curtain-raiser in the penultimate round of Cricket West Indies (CWI) Women’s T20 Blaze yesterday at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.

The Barbadian remained unbeaten, and moved one game closer of capturing this year’s title. They will play hosts Guyana in today’s final game of the tournament, and a win will definitely secure them the title, making it a double for the ladies from the land of the Flying Fish, after they easily retained the Super50 title earlier.

Dottin’s high-quality, unbeaten half-century proved the major difference, as the Barbadian reached 137-3 in 15.3 overs in the run chase.

The right-handed Dottin, who was adjudged player-of-the-match, stroked 52 off 32 balls – an innings that was laced with five fours and two hits to the fence. Kyshona Knight weighed in with an unbeaten 23-ball 33, counting five boundaries.

Earlier, a shoddy batting performance by the Trinidadians saw them struggle to build partnerships, and eventually posted a modest 136-6.

While Britney Cooper top-scored with 31 off 24 balls, Stacy Ann King struck five boundaries in her 26-ball 30, while captain Merissa Aguilleira contributed a 26-ball 29, with four boundaries towards the end of the innings

The Twin Island Republic lost opener Lee Ann Kirby, run-out for seven inside the fourth over, at 28-1. But 35-year-old King and Cooper then joined hands and the duo stitched 34 runs for the second wicket before twin blows from medium pacers Shakera Selman (2-18) and Dottin (2-9) in the middle overs reduced the Trinidadians to 106-5 in 15.3 overs.

Felicia Walters made eight in the 29-run stand with her captain, who remained unbeaten.
The Barbadian side lost opener Hayley Matthews (0) to off-spinner Anisa Mohammed in the first over in a shaky start.

Danielle Small and Kycia Knight then put together 41 runs for the second wicket before they relinquished their control of the chase.

Small, the right-hander, was removed by medium pacer Kirby for 15 while Knight was run-out for a 20-ball 28, inclusive of two fours and a couple of sixes.

Thereafter it was a Dottin and Kyshona Knight show as the duo shared an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 71 off 44 balls.