BASSETERRE, St Kitts, CMC – Windward Islands defied an impactful spell from off-spinner Samara Ramnath to clinch a confidence-boosting seven-wicket win against Trinidad & Tobago in their third-round match of the West Indies Women’s T20 Blaze yesterday.
The 15-year-old snared three for 12 from her allotted four overs, but all-rounder Qiana Joseph led the way with 18 not out and West Indies Women’s leg-spinner Afy Fletcher made 13, and the Windwards successfully chased 60 to win the opening match of the day’s triple-header at Warner Park.
Ramnath struck in each of her first three overs, removing Zaida James caught at mid-off for eight in the seventh over, fellow left-handed opener Jannillea Glasgow caught at mid-on for 10 in the ninth over, and Fletcher caught at extra cover in the 11th over.
Windwards needed 25 from 54 balls when Fletcher departed, but Joseph joined Pearl Etienne and ushered her side over the finish line with typically muscular batting and formalised the result with 22 balls remaining when she swung left-arm spinner Steffie Soogrim for the only six of the match over mid-wicket.
The result gave Windwards their second win of the tournament in three matches, moving them to eight points; T&T stumbled to their second defeat in as many matches and remain stuck on four points.
Earlier, off-spinner Carena Noel, Fletcher, and pacer Nerissa Crafton finished with the identical figures of two for 11, and the Windwards bowled out T&T for 59 in 17.4 overs.
Noel was the only bowler of the three to complete her allotment, Fletcher bowled three overs with the new ball, and Crafton got only two overs.
No T&T batsman reached the high-water mark of 20, and only their captain Reniece Boyce made double figures with 12.
T&T were 18 for one after the Power Play, but once Noel bowled Boyce in the seventh over, there was little substance from the rest of the batting.
Table leaders Jamaica face One-day champions Barbados in the second match of the day, and Guyana play hosts Leeward Islands in the night-capper.
