BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, (CMC) – Three-time defending Women’s Caribbean Premier League champions Barbados Tridents Women pulled of a spectacular three-run win over the Jamaica Empress Women on Saturday to keep their playoff hopes alive.
In chase of the Tridents’ total of 140 for seven, the Empress Women looked to be cruising to victory at Kensington Oval with openers Meg Lanning and Amy Hunter at the crease during a 104-run stand in 13 overs.
However, in a stunning turn of events, the visitors lost momentum once the partnership was broken to limp to 137 for four at the end of their 20 overs.
Lanning, who scored 57 off 46 balls with eight boundaries, and Hunter, who made 47 from 45 balls, put the Empress Women in the driver’s seat in their run chase.
Spinner Afy Fletcher got the breakthrough for the Tridents by dismissing Hunter and Suzie Bates accounted for the wicket of Rashada Williams for just four to make the score 115 for two in the 16th over
And even when Qiana Joseph claimed the prized scalp of Lanning, caught at point attempting to go over the top, the Empress Women were still in control at 118 for three.
Chinelle Henry needlessly gave her wicket away by hitting Cherry-Ann Fraser straight down the throat of long on to set up a tense finish with 10 runs required from nine balls.
Aaliyah Alleyne could only muster a run off the last ball of the over, bringing the equation down to nine runs off the last over.
Joseph then held her nerve to concede just four singles off the first five deliveries, with captain Stafanie Taylor surprisingly taking a single off the penultimate ball with six runs needed for victory.
Needing a six to win or a four to force a Super Over, Alleyne’s straight hit down the ground was stopped by the long on fielder, restricting them to a single.
It sparked wild celebrations from the Tridents’ camp, as it gave them their first win of the tournament in their second match.
Taylor had earlier given her side a good chance of pulling off a second victory in three games, with her four-wicket haul limiting the Tridents to their eventual total.
The Empress Women would have been disappointed they let the home side score as many runs as they did, as they were struggling at 56 for four in the 10th over.
.
But Player-of-the-Match Suzie Bates scored an unbeaten 39 off 28 balls, and together with Maddy Green, who also scored 39, shared a 78-run partnership for the fifth wicket that helped to breathe life back into the Tridents’ innings.
Taylor, who snared 4-29, ensured there would be no late flourish however, dismissing Green, Pooja Vastrakar and Cherry-Ann Fraser in quick succession.