Guyana upset defending champions T&T yesterday with a convincing seven-wicket win in the second round of the CWI Women’s T20 Blaze, at Sabina Park, Jamaica.
T&T were forced to make changes to their batting line-up, due to an injury to WI batswoman, Reniece Boyce. It meant that Felicia Walters and Rachel Vincent would face the swinging new ball pair of Erva Giddings and Subrina Munroe, who wreaked havoc on the T&T top order.
In the first round, T&T opened with Boyce and newbie, Shania Abdool.
Giddings removed Vincent and Britney Cooper in successive balls in the third over; the first edging to Millington in slips and the latter, who replaced Vincent, having her off-stump uprooted immediately after. Eight balls later Walters would edge one down the leg off Munroe and Guyana wicket-keeper and captain, Shemaine Campbell made a diving catch to her left to hold on to it.
T&T were gifted their first run in the 4th over by Munroe, who bowled her single wide ball of her 4 over spell which went for 11 runs and produced two wickets. The onslaught continued and with the score on four in the fifth over, T&T skipper, Merissa Aguilleira would also have her off-stump removed by Giddings.
King, who stared in the last match for T&T, looked to rebuild with Abdool, but it would not be her day either and she managed 5 before popping an easy return catch to Plaffiana Millington.
Abdool proved to be the saving grace of the T&T batting, her patience and confident strokeplay rewarding her with a top score of 31, as she saw T&T to a below-par total of 64 at the end of their 20 overs. Giddings was the best bowler for Guyana, grabbing 3-6, while Millington and Thompson picked up two a piece.
In reply, Guyana wasted no time in getting to their target as opener, Sheneta Grimmond, seemed to be in a rush. She found the boundary in the very first over bowled by veteran WI off-spinner, Anisa Mohammed and raced to 17 before she was caught off the bowling of Lee-Ann Kirby at mid-off. Her Partner, Melanie Henry was bowled by Kirby 2 overs later and Shabika Gajnabi followed in the next over without troubling the scorers.
Campbell was not perturbed though and she led her team home effortlessly in an unbeaten innings of 44 that included four fours and two sixes.
Speaking after the match, Campbell credited her team for their performance, “I think the girls played well, we executed well in our bowling department. Everyone recognizes Guyana has a strong bowling line up and we showed that today,” she said. On her batting, the WI wicket-keeper bat said she understood the responsibility she had as the captain and simply went out to deliver. “As one of the most senior players in the team and the captain, I realized that I needed to go in there and bring the game home for my team, so I did that.”
For T&T, Aguilleira acknowledged that her team’s batting was their downfall and noted that they had work to do ahead of their next match against Barbados tomorrow. “Definitely in the batting department we fell short, we didn’t really apply ourselves as we were supposed to. Losing quick wickets early in the innings was something we didn’t expect and we didn’t really recuperate from there.” She commended Abdool for her bating however, explaining that it was exactly what was needed from the other players as well. “Credit to Shania Abdool, young player who came in and really settled herself and carried through the innings and showed us what we were supposed to do.”
T&T face Barbados tomorrow and will need to win if they hope to keep their chances of defending their title alive.
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SCORES:
T&T 64/8 (20 overs) Shania Abdool 31 n.o; Erva Giddings 6-3, Akaze Thompson 2-7, Plaffiana Millington 2-14 lost to Guyana 70/3 (14.4 overs) Shemaine Campbell 44 n.o; Lee-Ann Kirby 2-12
