SVG women overcome Grenada women in cricket play-off

St Vincent and the Grenadines ended on top of their Grenadian counterparts in three trial matches played at the Sion Hill Playing Field last Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

The play off matches entailed two one-day 50-over fixtures and a twenty/20 match.

The hosts won both 50-over encounters by narrow margins, while Grenada copped the lone twenty/20 showdown.{{more}}

In a rain affected match on Saturday, the intended 50-over affair was reduced to 34 overs.

St Vincent and the Grenadines reached 123 for 5 from their 34 overs; Cordel Jack made 36 and Juliana Nero – 34. Grenada was stalled at 121 for 7.

The second match, played on Monday, was a similar knife-edge affair.

Again, St Vincent and the Grenadines batted first and posted 148 all out from 45.5 overs, with Camille Garrick making 31 and Juliana Nero – 25.

Afy Fletcher snared 4 for 26, Aria Fortune – 2 for 27 and Holly Charles – 2 for 34, bowling for Grenada.

In reply, Grenada fell short by one run, dismissed for 147 in 45.2 overs; Carena Noel was the principal scorer, with 47.

Latoya Providence had figures of 3 for 26 and Shenezia Daniel, 2 for 24, bowling for the Vincentian women.

The Grenadians on Sunday had turned the tables in a twenty/20 encounter.

Grenada, led by Afy Fletcher’s 36, Rachel Cyrus – 25 and Debbie Ann Lewis – 21 not out, scored 123 for 5.

Cordell Jack – 33 not out and Vinisha King – 22 helped the hosts to 103 for 7 in their allotted overs. Afy Fletcher snared 4 for 2, as she was unplayable by the Vincentian batters.

The other half of the play-offs takes place in St Lucia this weekend, with the hosts engaging Dominica, in a similar exercise.

The decision on the final composition of the Windwards team will then be left in the hands of the sole selector – former Grenadian and Windwards middle order batsman Steve Mahon.

It will be the first time that the Windwards will be contesting the regional competition as a single unit.

Previously, all four islands were represented. However, last year, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) stipulated that there should be two entities. They were the Northern Windwards, which comprised St Lucia and Dominica and the Southern Windwards, composed of selectees from St Vincent and the Grenadines and Grenada.

The 2016 West Indies Women’s Cricket Tournament is set for Guyana, July 3 to 25.(RT)