Jamaica remain unbeaten in Women’s Super50

BASSETERRE, St Kitts (CMC):

Leaders Jamaica maintained their unbeaten run in the CWI Women’s Super50 when they disposed of Trinidad and Tobago by five wickets here yesterday.

Asked to chase 169 for victory in their third-round contest at Conaree Sports Club, Jamaica marched to their target in the 32nd over with West Indies star Chedean Nation top-scoring with 70 and former West Indies captain Stafanie Taylor lashing 38.

The Jamaicans were stumbling on 38 for two in the eighth over after they lost Rashada Williams (11) and Keneshia Ferron (18) in the space of five deliveries.

However, Nation and Taylor combined in a third-wicket stand of 101 to put the run chase back on course.

Nation struck nine fours and faced 78 deliveries while Taylor counted two fours in a 49-ball knock before pulling a long hop from off-spinner Samara Ramnath (3-24) into mid-wicket’s lap.

With victory in sight, Nation also gifted her wicket when she clipped Ramnath to short mid-wicket to depart in the 31st over.

Earlier, Trinidad and Tobago needed LeeAnn Kirby’s top score of 48 off 56 balls in order to get up to their eventual 168 all out in the 44th over.

The 36-year-old Kirby struck four fours and two sixes at number seven to rescue a T&T innings which was going nowhere at 81 for five in the 22nd over.

Seamer Kate Wilmott claimed three for 33.

At St Paul’s Sports Complex, Barbados ended Guyana unbeaten campaign with a four-wicket victory, their second of the competition.

Choosing to bat first, Guyana were bundled out for 128 in the 38th over with West Indies vice-captain Shemaine Campbelle carving out 53 off 84 deliveries with three fours.

With her side floundering at 25 for four in the 13th over after leg-spinner Keila Elliott (3-29) struck twice, Campbelle revived the innings first in a 41-run fifth-wicket stand with Cherry-Ann Fraser (24), before shepherding the lower order.

Seamer Allison Gordon was the leading bowler with four for 19.

Faced with a tricky target, Barbados were guided over the line by former West Indies left-hander Kycia Knight who struck a responsible unbeaten 69 from 124 deliveries.

With her side tottering on 22 for two in the sixth over, Knight belted seven fours and a six to engineer a critical 81-run third-wicket partnership with her twin Kyshona Knight (32) which all but erased any doubt over the result.

At Warner Park, West Indies rookies Zaida James and Jannellia Glasgow struck up-tempo half-centuries as Windward Islands produced an emphatic batting effort to crush Leeward Islands by 115 runs.

The 19-year-old James struck 67 off 73 balls with eight fours while the 20-year-old Glasgow belted 51 from 45 deliveries with half-dozen fours, the pair posting 75 for the fifth wicket to propel their side up to an impressive 270 for five off their 50 overs.

James had earlier put on 73 for the third wicket with Nerissa Crafton (35), a partnership which built on a 64-run second-wicket stand between Afy Fletcher (32) and Kimone Homer (30)

West Indies left-armer Qiana Joseph then picked up three for 28 as Leeward Islands crumbled to 155 all out in the 32nd over, 17-year-old West Indies-A star Jahzara Claxton top-scoring with an unbeaten 40 off 55 deliveries with seven fours.