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Redemption.
This was how Barbados Royals women’s captain Hayley Matthews described her team’s maiden Massy Women’s Caribbean Premier League title at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba on Sunday.
Matthews delivered a player-of-the-match performance by scoring 82 runs and grabbed 2/38 to lead the Bajan franchise to a nervy eight-run victory over Guyana Amazon Warriors.
Matthews and the Royals were losing finalists at the tournament’s debut last year.
Batting first, Royals made 169/7 from their 20 overs. Despite the Warriors showing good fight, they could not get over the line and were restricted to 161/8 from their overs.
“It definitely means a lot coming from Barbados. After last year, not being able to win in that final and having the opportunity to come back this year and get both hands on that trophy definitely means a lot for us, it feels like a little bit of redemption,” Matthews said in the post-match media conference.
Sent in to bat, openers Matthews and Ireland’s Gaby Lewis had a good start as they put on 36 before Lewis (21) was caught by Kiwi Susie Bates off Shabnim Ismail.
Jamaican Rashada Williams joined her skipper in the middle and the pair went on to built the women tournament’s highest partnership of 108 runs.
Amazon captain Stafanie Taylor rotated her bowlers with great emphasis on spin, but Matthews was ruthless with the bat.
[caption id="attachment_1034791" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Barbados Royals captain Hayley Matthews bats against Guyana Amazon Warriors in the Massy Women’s CPL final at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Tarouba, Sunday. - Lincoln Holder[/caption]
But when Williams was bowled by Ismail attempting a ramp shot, Royals’ wickets fell in quick succession as the captain looked on from the other end (144/2).
Laura Harris was dismissed on the next ball and the following three wickets fell for 14 runs.
Australian Amanda-Jade Wellignton smashed ten from four balls while Afy Fletcher finished unbeaten on one.
Topping the bowling for the Warriors was South African pacer Ismail (4/30).
In reply, the Guyana franchise also had a positive start from Kiwi openers Sophie Devine (22) and Susie Bates (36).
They looked comfortable at the crease but Devine was brilliantly stumped by wicketkeeper Williams off spinner Qiana Joseph.
New batter Stafanie Taylor (four) did not last as a similar Wellington delivery clipped her stumps to carry Warriors to 47/2.
In came Shemaine Campbell, who was Warriors’ best batter on the night. She lasted the entire innings, scoring an unbeaten 47, but no one could stand with her.
Bates and Campbelle combined for an innings-stabilising 60-run partnership, which pushed Warriors to 107. Bates, however, fell soon after, caught by Erin Burns off Matthews.
[caption id="attachment_1034792" align="alignnone" width="750"] Guyana Amazon Warriors' Shabnim Ismail bowls against Barbados Royals in the Massy WCPL final on Sunday. - Lincoln Holder[/caption]
McLean joined Campbelle and the duo kept Guyana in the chase by smashing two sixes and four. But, their well-worked 34-run partnership was broken by a smart piece of play by bowler Matthews.
Against Matthews, Campbelle played a shot down the pitch, which she got a finger to, and the ball ricocheted on to the opposite stumps, running out McLean in the process. McLean’s exit was a game-changer for the Royals (141/4).
Six runs later, Shabaka Gajnabi perished without scoring. Shreyanka Patil (one) and Sheneta Grimmond (duck) also misfired to send Warriors to 160/8, needing 18 runs from the final over.
Campbelle tried, alongside Ismail (ten) and Karishma Ramharack (one not out), but it was not to be.
Topping the bowling for the Royals was Wellington, with an impressive haul of 4/23. Matthews also snagged 2/38 and Joseph 1/22.
Matthews and the Barbados franchise celebrated while Campbelle was in tears, having witnessed the highs and lows of their innings centre-stage.
After the celebrations, Matthews praised her teammates for a job well done.
Getting West Indian teammate Taylor removed in the early overs, Matthews said, was crucial.
Scores: ROYALS 169 for seven off 20 overs (Hayley Matthews 82, Rashada Williams 36, Gaby Lewis 21; Shabnim Ismail 4-30) vs AMAZON WARRIORS 161 for eight off 20 overs (Shemaine Campbelle 47, Suzie Bates 36, Natasha McLean 28, Sophie Devine 22; Amanda-Jade Wellington 4-23).
 
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