JAMAICA women made the most of their Trinidad and Tobago counterparts’ sloppiness to win by seven wickets in yesterday’s opening game of the final round of Cricket West Indies (CWI) Women’s T20 Blaze yesterday morning at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.

After their bowlers all contributed in restricting the Trinidadians to 145-6, player-of-the-match Chedean Nation and Chinelle Henry led the charge with the 32-year-old Nation striking a measured unbeaten 63 while 23-year-old Henry struck a belligerent unbeaten 44. They eventually reached 146-3 in 18.4 overs.

Having elected to bowl in brilliant sunshine, Stafanie Taylor’s decision was rewarded early by right-hand medium fast bowler Karla Cohen, who dislodged opener Lee Ann Kirby for five.

Fellow-opener Stacy Ann King struck a 17-ball 26, with four boundaries but the Trinidadians lost three wickets inside the first six overs, including King, who was removed by medium pacer Henry, and Reniece Boyce, run-out for one.

The defending champions maintained their stranglehold, even as Britney Cooper, who top-scored with 30 off 27 balls, counted four boundaries, and captain Merissa Aguilleira (10), added 42 for the fourth wicket, with the run rate only marginally above five per over.
However, Nation then broke the stand with the wicket of Cooper while Aguilleira went via run-out, at 87-5.

But the saving grace for the batting side was the 72-run stand for the sixth wicket between Anisa Mohammed and Rachel Vincent, much to their relief, as the duo stitched a much-needed partnership to give their bowlers something to bowl at.

Both batters struck three boundaries apiece in their contribution of 26 runs each before Vincent was dismissed off the penultimate ball of the innings to off-spinner Vanessa Watts.
Jamaica’s chase of 146 hinged on a powerful start but they were curbed early on as, the defending champions lost three wickets at the half-way stage of the game.

Openers Natasha McLean (8), and Jodian Morgan (13), were removed by off-spinner Karishma Ramharack and medium pacer Felicia Walters respectively inside the Powerplay period while captain Taylor went off the bowling of off-spinner Leandra Ramdeen for 14, at 56-3.

Thereafter, the right-handed pair of Nation and Henry shared an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 90 runs in just 49 balls to seal the win. Nation, with 17 T20Is to her name, struck seven fours and a six in her 53-ball knock while Henry smashed four fours and one six in 21 balls.