Barbados Tridents Women suffered an early setback in their pursuit of a fourth consecutive Massy Women’s Caribbean Premier League title after losing to Trinbago Knight Riders Women by 21 runs in the tournament’s opening match at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados.
The defending champions restricted the Knight Riders to 155 all out after captain Hayley Matthews won the toss and elected to bowl. However, Barbados were unable to complete the chase and were dismissed for 134 in 18.4 overs.
The Tridents were well placed at 85 for two after 9.5 overs, with Kiran Navgire and Maddy Green at the crease. However, the dismissal of Green for 24 from the final delivery of the 10th over sparked a collapse in which Barbados lost their final eight wickets for 49 runs.
Shikha Pandey caused much of the damage, finishing with three for 17 from 3.4 overs. Her wickets included Matthews, Naijanni Cumberbatch and Afy Fletcher.
Samara Ramnath also played a key role with two for 16 from four overs. She removed top-scorer Navgire for 28 and later dismissed Shabika Gajnabi for two.
Deandra Dottin took two for 24 from four overs, bowling Shawnisha Hector for three and having Pooja Vastrakar caught by Laura Harris for two. Marizanne Kapp claimed one for 26, while Steffie Soogrim took one for 22.
Matthews and Qiana Joseph had given Barbados an encouraging start by putting on 40 for the opening wicket. Matthews scored 19 from 13 deliveries before Pandey removed her in the fifth over, while Joseph made 25 from 21 balls before falling to Kapp at 46 for two.
Navgire struck two fours and a six during her 21-ball innings, while Green hit three fours and one six in her 24 from 16 deliveries. Their stand revived the chase, but Barbados were unable to maintain their momentum after Green departed.
Only Fletcher, with 13 from 10 balls, reached double figures among the remaining batters. Cumberbatch made six, Bates one, Vastrakar and Gajnabi two each, Hector three and Mandy Mangru an unbeaten four.
Earlier, Laura Harris and Yastika Bhatia provided the foundation for the Knight Riders with a brisk 67-run opening partnership.
Harris dominated the stand, smashing 38 from 19 balls at a strike rate of 200. Her innings featured four fours and three sixes. Bhatia contributed 35 from 28 balls, hitting six fours.
Matthews broke the partnership by removing Harris in the sixth over and later dismissed Dottin for 14. Joseph then accounted for Bhatia from the next delivery, reducing the Knight Riders to 93 for three.
The Tridents continued to take wickets, but Madeline Penna’s 27 from 21 balls helped the Knight Riders push their total beyond 150. Penna struck four fours before Joseph bowled her in the 17th over.
Joseph finished as the most successful Barbados bowler with three for 27 from four overs. Matthews returned two for 26, while Bates claimed two for 25. Fletcher took one for 31, and the remaining two wickets came through run-outs.
The Knight Riders’ total proved sufficient as their bowlers maintained pressure during the second half of the chase and handed the reigning champions an opening-match defeat.
Discussion