BASSETERRE, St Kitts, CMC – West Indies opener Rashada Williams took responsibility for the run chase as Jamaica made light work of Leeward Islands with an eight-wicket victory in the second match of the Women’s T20 Blaze here yesterday.
The 26-year-old, right-hander, who featured in the T20 World Cup in South Africa earlier this year, finished unbeaten on 36 off 29 deliveries with five fours, helping the reigning champions chase down a paltry 69 with a whopping 49 balls to spare at Warner Park.
She put on 27 for the first wicket with Keneshia Ferron (13) and a further 30 for the second wicket with former West Indies captain Stafanie Taylor who made only six. Earlier, Celina Whyte (2-7), Neisha-Ann Waisome (2-9) and Vanessa Watts (2-12) all claimed a brace of wickets each to help restrict Leewards to 68 for seven off their 20 overs.
Terez Parker top-scored with an unbeaten 22 off 47 balls at number seven but the Leewards never recovered after slumping to 19 for seven in the ninth over, after choosing to bat first.
Leewards lost two wickets in the first over when Melicia Clarke (0) played back to the first delivery and was lbw to Watts, and Davronique Maynard (0) slapped the final delivery – a long hop – to short cover.
And wickets continued to fall until Parker combined with Jenison Richards (19 not out) in a 49-run, unbroken eighth wicket partnership which brought some respectability to the total.
In reply, Jamaica flourished early on before losing Ferron in the fifth over, driving seamer Clarke firmly to mid-off and skipper Taylor spent 21 balls at the crease before she was bowled, missing a leg-side heave at off-spinner Divya Saxena.
