What is Women’s Twenty20 Blaze?
The West Indies Cricket Board Women’s Twenty20 Blaze is a women’s Twenty20 cricket competition organized by Cricket West Indies. The competition began in 2012 and currently features six Caribbean teams: Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Leeward Islands, Trinidad and Tobago, and Windward Islands, competing in a round-robin group stage.
Who won Women’s Twenty20 Blaze 2024?
Jamaica clinched the Women’s Twenty20 Blaze championship with an impressive display of consistency and dominance, securing five consecutive wins throughout the tournament resulting in them securing the title. Their resilience and determination shone brightly as they showcased their skill on the field. This unbeatable victory stands as evidence of their skill, teamwork, and unwavering spirit, marking a memorable achievement in their cricketing journey.
Jamaica’s Dominant Performance Explained
Jamaica Women dominated the tournament, securing the top position as the undisputed winners. They played a total of 5 matches, winning all of them with an impressive Net Run Rate (NRR) of +1.316, accumulating a total of 20 points. Rashada Williams emerged as their star batter, amassing a remarkable 183 runs in 5 matches, with a highest score of 52. Her consistency is reflected in her impressive average of 45.75 and a strike rate of 92.89. Notably, she also secured the title of the highest run-scorer in the entire tournament. On the bowling front, Chenille Henry showcased her abilities by claiming 8 wickets in 5 matches, with her best figures being 4/9.
Match-wise performance of Jamaica Women’s Cricket team
In a dominating display across all five matches, Jamaica’s women displayed an outstanding performance throughout the tournament, with remarkable bowling and batting display. In their first encounter against the Windward Islands, Jamaica’s bowlers, led by Neisha Waisome’s 3/30, restricted Windward to 117-5. In response, Jamaica’s batsmen, led by Rashad Williams’ aggressive 52 off 35 balls, chased down the target comfortably, securing a seven-wicket victory with 24 balls remaining. The trend continued in subsequent matches. Against Guyana, Jamaica’s bowlers, including Stafanie Taylor and Chinelle Henry both claiming 2 wickets, restricted Guyana to 107-7. Jamaica chased down the target with Rashad Williams again leading the charge with a patient 42 off 55 balls, securing a five-wicket victory with 11 balls remaining. The third match against Barbados witnessed Jamaica’s bowlers, particularly Chinelle Henry claiming a 4-fer against 9 runs wreaking havoc as they dismissed Barbados out for a mere 63 runs. Jamaica’s batters, led by Rashad Williams once more by 21 runs, chased down the target comfortably with a six-wicket win and 50 balls to spare. In the fourth match against Trinidad and Tobago Islands, Jamaica’s bowlers, led by Vanessa Watts with 3 dismissals, restricted their opponents to 98-8. Jamaica’s batters, led by Natasha McLean’s 41 off 34 balls, chased down the target with ease, securing an eight-wicket victory with 17 balls remaining. In their final encounter against the Leeward Islands, Jamaica’s bowlers, with Chedean Nation taking two crucial wickets, restricted Leeward to 124-5. Jamaica’s batters, fronted by Stafanie Taylor’s aggressive 48 off 33 balls, chased down the target comfortably, securing an eight-wicket victory with 10 balls remaining.
Let’s take a look at the performance of the rest of the teams:
Guyana Women
Guyana Women secured the second position in the tournament after playing 5 matches, winning 3 and losing 2. With a commendable NRR of +1.502, they accumulated 12 points. Shabika Gajnabi led their batting department with 138 runs in 5 matches, with her highest score of 52. Plaffiana Millington emerged as the leading wicket-taker for her team and the tournament, claiming 11 wickets in 5 matches with an impressive average of 4.82 and an economy rate of 2.89, with the best figures being 4 wickets against 5 runs.
Trinidad and Tobago Islands
Trinidad and Tobago Islands claimed the third position in the tournament after playing 5 matches, with 2 wins and 3 losses. Despite a negative NRR of -0.219, they managed to secure 8 points. Djenaba Joseph emerged as their highest run-scorer with 95 runs in 5 matches. Steffie Soogrim shone in the bowling department, claiming 7 wickets in 4 matches, with her best figures being 5/8.
Barbados Women
Barbados Women finished fourth in the tournament, playing 5 matches, winning 2 and losing 3. With a negative NRR of -0.737, they secured 8 points. Aaliyah Alleyne emerged as their highest run-scorer with 96 runs in 5 matches. Erin Deane showcased her bowling prowess, claiming 10 wickets in 5 matches, with her best figures being 5/14.
Leeward Islands
Leeward Islands secured the fifth position after playing 5 matches, winning 2 and losing 3. They accumulated 8 points with a negative NRR of -0.825. Reniece Boyce led their batting department with 106 runs in 5 matches. Rozel Liburd emerged as their highest wicket-taker, claiming 6 wickets in 5 matches, with her best figures being 3/19.
Windward Islands
Windward Islands finished at the bottom of the table, playing 5 matches, with only 1 win and 4 losses. With a negative NRR of -0.988, they managed to secure 4 points. Qiana Joseph emerged as their highest run-scorer with 98 runs in 5 matches. Zaida James led their bowling attack, claiming 7 wickets in 4 matches, with her best figures being 3/10.