T&T retain women’s Super-50 cricket title

Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) resolutely defended their 164 runs, to earn a 21-run victory over Barbados and retain the Women’s Regional Super-50 title on Sunday.

Making their fourth title gain at the Arnos Vale Playing Field, the Trinidad and Tobago team has made this venue a happy title hunting ground, having won the regional women’s titles here in 2001, 2006 and 2010.

Led by the bowling of Felicia Walters, who grabbed 3 for 25 from her 10 overs; Karishma Ramharack, 2 for 10 and Anisa Mohammed, 2 for 36, Barbados was bowled out for 143 in 45.5 overs.

Walters was the designer of the Barbadian middle order collapse, as she accounted for the wickets of Aaliyah Alleyne, Reshelle Griffith and Shakera Selman, all without scoring.

Barbados, in pursuit of 165, was comfortably placed at 94 for 4, before Walters made her decisive strikes with the ball.

Kyshona Knight and Deandra Dottin, both made 32 and shared in a 62-run partnership for the third wicket.

Charlene Taitt, 24 and Shamilia Connell, 20, tried in a second revival of the Barbados innings, but the Trinidadian bowlers held their shape to see their team cross the line.

Earlier, Player of the Final Felecia Walters hit the top score of 53; Reniece Boyce got 29 and T&T captain Merissa Aguilleira, 20.

Trinidad and Tobago was on course for a score in excess of 200, at 103 for 3. But Keila Elliot, 4 for 47; Deandra Dottin, 3 for 41 and Hayley Matthews, 2 for 17, pulled things back for Barbados, as Trinidad and Tobago’s middle order did not build on the good start.

Trinidad and Tobago, having lost to Barbados in their opening fixture of the tournament, squared off in a must-win match versus the Windward Islands at the Arnos Vale venue last Friday, to see which team got the right to challenge the unbeaten Barbados team in the final.

The Windwards were dismissed for 121 in 47.2 overs, with Juliana Nero scoring 25 and Roylin Cooper, 20.

Lee-Ann Kirby took 3 for 17, Ramharack, 2 for 17 and Kamara Ragoobar, 2 for 20.

Trinidad and Tobago, on the back of 58 not out from Stacy Ann King and Felecia Walters’ 40 not out, reached 122 for 2 in 35.5 overs, to win by eight wickets. Quiana Joseph had taken 2 for 30, bowling for the Windwards.

Reflecting on her team’s retention of the title, T&T’s captain Merissa Aguilleira stated, “We had one mission and that was to retain our title … We have such belief in each other and we have a core unit and united players”.

Reinforcing the team’s unity, Aguilleira added: “We stuck together as a team and the most important was that we enjoyed ourselves and we knew the ability that we have”.