Back-to-back champions! The Hayley Matthews-led Barbados Royals successfully defended their title in the 2024 Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) Final against the Trinbago Knight Riders.
Put in to bat first, the Knight Riders struggled early but recovered with a solid partnership between Jannillea Glasgow (24) and Shikha Pandey (28), and late runs from Kycia Knight (17*) pushed their total to 93/8. In reply, Chamari Athapaththu (39* off 47) and Hayley Matthews (13 off 12) combined for a crucial 48-run stand. Following a late burst of 15 off 6 balls from Laura Harris, Chamari scored the winning runs, leading the Royals to a 4-wicket victory.
Highlights from the match:
1) Jannillea Glasgow
In her first game of the season, the 20-year-old batted lower down the order but was promoted to open in the final. Despite the team losing key batters Deandra Dottin and Jemimah Rodrigues within the first three overs, she, alongside Shikha Pandey, steadied the innings. Her innings of 24 off 31 balls, including three boundaries, played a crucial role in the team’s recovery.
2) Chamari Athapaththu
The 34-year-old continued her strong form from the previous game, contributing a match-winning 39* off 47 balls in the Final, including seven boundaries. She also played a key role with the ball early on, containing runs by conceding just 20 runs off 3 overs. Her performance was invaluable with both bat and ball.
3) Shikha Pandey
The 35-year-old played important knocks throughout the tournament, scoring 30 and 25 in the league games, and continued her form, standing up with a crucial 28 runs in the Final, top-scoring for her team. With the ball, she took a key wicket in the second innings, dismissing Laura Harris for 15 off 6 balls, and finished with figures of 1/19 from 3 overs, demonstrating a strong all-round performance in the final.
4) Aaliyah Alleyne
The 29-year-old pacer kicked off the season strong with a 3-wicket haul in the opener and capped it off with an outstanding 4-fer in the Final. She dismissed the well-set Jannillea Glasgow and Shikha Pandey, then bowled out Chedean Nation and Zaida James in the 16th over, finishing with impressive figures of 4/21 (4). Though she departed cheaply for 2 with the bat, her brilliance with the ball was instrumental in the team’s win.
5) Hayley Matthews
The 26-year-old made an immediate impact in the Final by securing the first breakthrough for her team, dismissing the dangerous Deandra Dottin early for 6(8). She later returned to remove Shemaine Campbelle for 1(3), finishing with economical figures of 2/13 from her 4 overs. In the second innings, though she contributed 13(12) with the bat, her crucial 48-run partnership with Chamari set the foundation for the Royals’ successful title defense.
6) Samara Ramnath
The 16-year-old off-spinner had a quiet start to the season, going wicketless in her first two games, but she found her rhythm in the following matches, claiming 3 wickets. Building on that momentum in the Final, Samara delivered a crucial breakthrough for the Knight Riders, dismissing the dangerous Hayley Matthews for 13(12). She later claimed the wicket of Qiana Joseph, finishing with impressive figures of 2/18 (4), sparking a late fightback for her team.