Three-time defending champions Barbados Tridents Women began their Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) in disappointing fashion, falling to a 21-run defeat at the hands of Trinbago Knight Riders Women in the opening match of the season yesterday.
After a scorching start to their innings, the Knight Riders would have been disappointed to only get up to 154 in their 20 overs after they were sent in at Kensington Oval.
The Tridents looked set to register a comfortable win until they shockingly lost seven wickets for just 24 runs to be bowled out for 134 in 18.4 overs.
Meaningful contributions from the Tridents’ top order gave them a solid start in front of a modest home crowd.
Openers Qiana Joseph and Hayley Matthews added 40 runs for the first wicket in five overs until Shikha Pandey had the latter caught for 19.
Joseph fell shortly after for 25 to leave the score 46 for two, but Kiran Navgire and Maddy Green put them back on track during a 39-run partnership for the third wicket.
And even when Green – who looked in fine nick for her 24 off 16 balls – lost her wicket, Naijanni Cumberbatch and Navgire carried them past the 100-run mark and installed them as favourites.
But with the score 107 for three, Pandey bowled Cumberbatch for six, Suzie Bates was run out for just one, Navgire was trapped lbw by Samara Ramnath and Pooja Vastrakar was dismissed by Deandra Dottin for two, to see the Tridents slump to 113 for seven in the
15th over.
The end came swiftly thereafter, with Player Of The Match Pandey delivering the final blow by dismissing last batter Afy Fletcher for 12.
She finished with three for 17, Ramnath took two for 16 and Dottin two for 24.
Earlier, the Knight Riders were given a speedy start by openers Yastika Bhatia and Laura Harris, with the pair bludgeoning
67 runs inside the power play.
Harris was the first to go after scoring a boundary-laden 38 off 19 balls that contained four boundaries and three sixes.
Dottin maintained the momentum with Bhatia, with the two keeping the run rate at over nine runs an over, until Dottin was stumped for 14 to leave the Knight Riders 93 for two after ten overs.
From thereon, the visitors struggled to push on, with only Madeline Penna, who scored 27 from 21 balls, getting into double figures.
Qiana Joseph was the main architect of their struggles, picking up three for 27, while Bates (2-25) and Matthews (2-26) took two wickets apiece. (CMC)