What started as a promising Women’s T20 Blaze tournament for the T&T Red Force Divas ended in defeat yesterday at the hands of Jamaica by seven wickets. A day earlier, the divas had virtually surrendered any chance of winning the title, when they lost to leaders Barbados. The Bajans faced Guyana last night and were expected to be crowned champions.
T&T played the first match of the day and was asked to bat at the National Stadium in Guyana. Lee Ann Kirby once again fell cheaply for five runs as T&T was reduced to 23 for one early on. Fellow opener Stacy-Ann King took the attacking route, racing to 26 runs from 17 balls. She struck four boundaries before Chinelle Henry made it 40 for two.
It only got worse for the Red Force Divas when Reniece Boyce was run out by Stafanie Taylor for just one. At 43 for three, Britney Cooper and her skipper, Merissa Aguilleira, came together at the crease. Both put on a stand of 42 runs which helped get the T&T innings back on track. Cooper was the more aggressive of the two, hitting four boundaries. She made 30 runs before falling to Chedean Nation. It left the Red Force ladies 85 for four just past the midway point of the innings. Aguilleira would be run out shortly after for 10.
Cameos from Anisa Mohammed and Rachel Vincent helped propel the local ladies to 145 for six from their 20 overs. The bowlers gave T&T the perfect start to the second innings, reducing Jamaica to 56 for three at the midway point.
It was 17 for one when Natasha McLean was accounted for by Karishma Ramharack. It got worse for the Jamaicans when hard-hitting batter Jodian Morgan was stumped by Aguilleira for 13. The big wicket, however, belonged to Lendra Ramdeen, who had Stafanie Taylor for 14.
With the Red Force ladies ahead as the second half of the innings started, batters Chedean Nation and Henry began taking on the bowlers. Nation smashed seven boundaries and a six, hitting an unbeaten 63 runs from 53 balls. Henry, on the other hand, ended on 44 not out. Her runs came in just 21 balls and included four boundaries and a six. Both batters put on an unbroken 90-run partnership that effectively took the game away from the Red Force.
What was once looking like a difficult task for Jamaica turned out to be an easy run chase as they got to 146 for three with eight balls to spare. Ramharack, Ramdeen and Felicia Walters all had a wicket each.
Summary Scores:
T&T 145/6 (20 ov). B. Cooper 30, A. Mohammed 26*, R. Vincent 26, S. King 26; K Cohen 1-21, C. Henry 1-26. JAM 146/3 (18.4 ov). C. Nation 63*, C. Henry 44*; L. Ramdeen 1-21, F. Walters 1-30, K. Ramharack 1-31.
