Barbados lift T20 title to complete CWI Women’s double

Basseterre, St. Kitts, May 27 – (www.barbadoscricket.org) – Barbados crushed Leeward Islands by eight wickets in the fifth and final round to capture the Cricket West Indies (CWI) Women’s Twenty20 Blaze title at Warner Park today.

It meant that the Barbadians completed the double after retaining the CG United Women’s Super50 Cup.

Captained by experienced West Indies Women fast bowler Shakera Selman, Barbados ended on 16 points – the same as Guyana who defeated Trinidad & Tobago by one run in a bizarre match at St. Paul’s, which produced 77 runs off 38.1 overs with both teams being bowled out – but they were declared champions on account of winning their head-to-head clash.

The Leeward Islands, who lost all of their matches, scored 121 for five off 20 overs.

Divya Saxena top-scored with 33 not out off 50 balls including one four at No. 3.

Off-spinner Theanny Herbert-Mayers took two for 12 off four overs.

Barbados triumphed with 15 balls remaining.

Kycia Knight led the way with 63 not out off 51 balls including nine fours. She added 80 in 9.3 overs for the first wicket with Aaliyah Alleyne, who made 32 off 26 balls including five boundaries.

Off-spinner Amanda Edwards took two for 12 off four overs as Leeward Islands used eight bowlers.

“We were expected to win,” said Selman, who led the side in the T20 Blaze only after West Indies Women’s skipper Hayley Matthews was rested.

“Obviously last year we missed out narrowly in the T20s but we’re really happy to have taken both. We finally saw the senior players stepping up. We asked the seniors to step up in the absence of Hayley, obviously that’s a big shoe to fill and I think they did that superbly.”

It was the third time Barbados performed the double. The others were in 2018 and 2019.

Summarised scores:

Leeward Islands Women 121-5 (20 overs) (Divya Saxena 33 not out, Rozel Liburd 20, Amanda Edwards 15, Melicia Clarke 13, Jahzara Claxton 13; Theanny Herbert-Mayers 2-12).

Barbados Women 122-2 (17.3 overs) (Kycia Knight 63 not out – 51 balls, 9 fours; Aaliyah Alleyne 32, Trishan Holder 13; Amanda Edwards 2-12).