GEORGETOWN, Guyana– Barbados extended their perfect start to their title defense with a nine-wicket crushing of Leeward Islands in Thursday’s second round of the Women’s T20 Blaze.
In one of only two matches played at the Guyana National Stadium after rain forced a complete abandonment of Guyana’s contest with Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados needed only 40 deliveries to quickly chase down a paltry 61 and pull off the comprehensive victory.
Barbados beat Guyana by seven runs in Tuesday’s opener at the same venue.
Captain Hayley Matthews … snatched a three-wicket haul (file photo)
Three wicket hauls from captain and off-spinning all-rounder Hayley Matthews (3-9) and seamer Shanika Bruce (3-15) sent Leeward’s crashing to 60 all out in the penultimate over.
Rosalie Dola Baille, batting at number three, top-scored with an unbeaten 14 from 44 balls, and number nine Tiffany Thorpe (10) was the only other batsman to reach double figures.
Matthews stroked an unbeaten 23 off 18 balls with three fours as Barbados raced to their target.
The loss was the second for the Leeward Islands, who went down by four wickets to the Windward Islands in their opener.
Jamaica also won their second on the trot, brushing aside Windwards by 25 runs after easily defending their modest total of 91.
West Indies batsman Rashada Williams top-scored with 25 off 42 balls, while fellow international teammates Stafanie Taylor (18), Chenille Henry (12), and Chaldean Nation (10) also reached double figures but failed to carry on.
Williams put on 26 for the second wicket with Taylor and a further 28 for the third with Nation, but Jamaica collapsed from 67 for two in the 14th overs, losing their last eight wickets for 24 runs.
Left-arm seamer Janelle Glasgow wrecked the innings with four for 21, while captain and leg-spinner Alfy Fletcher picked up two for 20.
Fletcher then led with the bat for Windwards, but her top score of 20 was not enough as the innings plunged to 66 all out in the 17th over.
Seamer Jodiann Morgan spearheaded Jamaica’s attack with three for 15, while off-spinners Vanessa Watts (2-5) and Taylor (2-17) supported two wickets apiece.
The third round of matches is carded for Saturday.
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