The third edition of the Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) got underway on the 22nd of August, with the defending champions, Barbados Royals, taking on the Guyana Amazon Warriors in the tournament’s opening match. The Barbados Royals secured a thrilling victory over the Warriors, chasing a total of 119. Fans can scroll down below for the match highlights.
The Royals elected to field first in the curtain raiser and restricted the Warriors to a score of 118. Chasing 119 proved challenging for the Hayley Matthews’ led Royals as they registered the win by a wicket and one ball to spare.
Highlights from the match:
1) Hayley Matthews 61* & 2/19 (Barbados Royals)
The Royals skipper Hayley Matthews led from the front, guiding her team to victory in a low-scoring game. Initially, with the ball, she claimed two wickets, dismissing Karishma Ramharack and Ashmini Munisar in the final over of the innings, finishing with figures of 2/19 (3). Later, with the bat, Matthews’ resilient knock secured the win for the Royals against the Warriors. She scored an unbeaten 61 off 58 balls, which included a flurry of seven boundaries. The right-handed batter also hit the winning runs for her side and was awarded the Player of the Match for her all-round performance.
2) Stafanie Taylor 38 (Guyana Amazon Warriors)
Stafanie Taylor was the top scorer for the Warriors in the opening game against the Barbados Royals. The right-handed batter came in when the Warriors lost their first wicket at 18. She scored 38 off 36 balls, smashing four boundaries and a six. Her innings helped the side put up a fighting total of 118.
3) Aaliyah Alleyne 3/21 (Barbados Royals)
Aaliyah Alleyne kicked off the third edition of the WCPL with an impressive performance in the opening game. The Royals’ pacer claimed a three-fer. Her first victim was the Warriors’ skipper Lauren Winfield-Hill, whom she dismissed for 10 after dismantling her stumps. She later dismissed the well-settled Stafanie Taylor for 38 in the same fashion and Chloe Tryon was the third batter to fall to Alleyne. She finished with outstanding figures of 3/21 in four overs.
4) Shabnim Ismail 4/16 (Guyana Amazon Warriors)
After recently appearing in the Women’s Hundred, Shabnim Ismail turned in for the Guyana Amazon Warriors in the WCPL. In the opening game against the Barbados Royals, the Warriors’ pacer delivered another splendid performance, similar to her showing in the Women’s Hundred Final against London Spirit, where she knocked the stumps over on three occasions. Against the Barbados Royals, she claimed a four-fer. She provided the opening breakthrough for her side by dismissing Georgia Redmayne for six, then ran through the Royals’ middle order, with Laura Harris, Qiana Joseph, and Chinelle Henry all being dismissed by Ismail as she dislodged the bails of all three batters. Though her efforts were in a losing cause, akin The Hundred Final, Ismail’s spell was a turning point in the match, as she finished with figures of 4/16 in four overs.
