LED by Player-of-the-match Chamari Athapaththu and an unbeaten 46 from Chinelle Henry, Barbados Royals beat the Guyana Amazon Warriors by three runs yesterday at Providence.
The match was a ‘dress rehearsal’ of Wednesday’s Massy Women’s Caribbean Premier League final.

Athapaththu scored 37 with six fours as the Royals reached 132-6 and returned with the ball to capture 3-25 as the Warriors replied 129-8.
Despite a polished 63 from 50 balls with nine fours from the Massy WCPL leading scorer, 19-year-old Amy Hunter and 40 from Shemaine Campbelle, the warriors were unable to bag the win.
Hunter became the tournament’s leading run-scorer when she reached 36, surpassing Realeanna Grimmond’s 99 runs.

Invited to bat in scorching heat and fast outfield, the Royals, watched by a handful of fans, got a fair start from Athapaththu and Qiana Joseph.
The pair took the score to 26 before Joseph (8) was removed by fast bowler Cherry-Ann Fraser.

Georgia Redmayne joined the Sri Lankan Athapaththu, who looked set, and together they took the score to 50 from 5.1 overs.
Australian off-spinner Laura Harris got rid of Redmayne (10) and Courtney Webb (1) in the space of two runs to leave the Royals on 55-3.
Guyanese leggie Nyia Latchman then bowled Athapaththu for 37.

Kycia Knight joined Chinelle Henry after Athapaththu’s demise at 77-4 and with positive batting, Henry drove Chedean Nation for a boundary to bring up the 100 in 15.5 overs.
After the 100 was posted, two quick wickets fell when Knight (15) and Aaliyah Alleyne (1) departed in the space of three runs to leave the Royals on 111-6.
Afy Fletcher (6) and Henry added 21 to take their team to 132-6.
Henry was left unbeaten four runs from her fifty.

The 35-year-old Harris had 3-28 for the Warriors, who lost Grimmond, for four at 16-1.
With the experience of 147 T20s under her belt, Skipper Campbelle joined Ireland’s U-19 Keeper Hunter, and the pair brought up the 50 in 8.2 overs.
At the halfway point, the Warriors were 60-1 with Hunter on 28 and Campbelle on 26.

Campbelle was willing to use her feet against the spinners, while Hunter was unafraid to play scoops and ramp shots as the partnership progressed.
Campbelle used her feet once too often and yorked herself, and was bowled by Athapaththu at 89-2. Her 40 included the only six in the innings.

Harris (8) provided Athapaththu with her third wicket at 93-3 before Britney Cooper (3) was bowled by the burly Joseph as the Warriors slipped to 104-4 in the 17th over.
Fletcher got rid of Dane van Niekerk for a duck before dismissing Cherry-Ann Fraser off the next ball to be on a hat-trick as two wickets tumbled at 104.

The elegant Hunter danced into the 38-year-old Fletcher and straight drove her for four to reach her 50 from 42 with seven boundaries. It was the fifth half-century for the Women’s CPL so far.

Hunter stroked Athapaththu for a couple of fours to move into the 60s, but was lbw to Aaliyah Alleyne for 63 at 122-7.
Latchman (1) was run out with four needed from the final ball.