Barbados Cricket Association article.
Bridgetown, Barbados - Rain played a crucial role in denying Powerade Angela Harris Tridents a win over MPACT Pat Whittaker Pride in the fourth series of the Iris Walker Memorial Women's 50-over tournament at Bridgefield on Saturday.
Chasing a revised target of 140 off 27 overs after Tridents were bowled out for 156 off the very last ball of a reduced 33 overs, Pride were tottering on 45 for six off 15 overs when rain had the final say.
Wet run-ups at both ends of the pitch had resulted in a delayed start despite having fairly sunny conditions. Umpires Ryan Willoughby and Sylvan Leacock did an inspection at 10.30 a.m, but with conditions only slightly improving, a second inspection was done at 11.30 a.m., and play then commenced at 12.30 p.m. with 33 overs due to be bowled.
With the absence of their captain Kyshona Knight who has gone on West Indies duties in New Zealand, gifted all-rounder Hayley Matthews was given the duty of captaining the team.
Matthews and Kyann Maynard opened the innings, but Maynard fell in the fifth over to Shanna Thompson for two with the score on 15.
This brought Barbados and West Indies all-rounder Deandra Dottin to the crease. Playing a somewhat docile innings when compared with his usual aggressive style, she put together a 77-run partnership with Matthews which saw only one four being struck as they took the score to 92 in the 20th over before Matthews was comprehensively bowled by the stylish Aaliyah A Alleyne for 40 off 37 balls.
Dottin was then partnered by Shamilia Connell who played the anchor role, and in a quickfire 33-run partnership, with Dottin lofting the ball all over the ground and striking some four boundaries, taking her score to 50 in the process after playing the ball exquisitely through midwicket off Alleyne’s bowling.
Captain Pamela Lavine assumed the captaincy as twin sister Kycia Knight was also off on West Indies duties, realised that things were getting out of hand and gave the ball to wicket-taker Shalite Lopez.
In her first over, Lopez, the 'baby' sister of former Barbados Under-19 team player Donovan Lopez and ex-Combined Campuses & Colleges fast bowling all-rounder Callitos Lopez, took the prize wicket of Dottin. Going for another big shot, she was bowled for 60 off 57 balls striking five fours to leave the score 125 for three in the 23rd over.
After the loss of Dottin’s wicket, things quietened down as Tridents were bowled out for 156 in 33 overs.
Lopez, literally like a gale force wind, blew through the middle and lower order taking a wicket in almost every over, to end with six for 22 off six overs. She was ably assisted by the experienced Pamela Lavine with two for 37 from seven overs.
Rain delayed the start of Pride's response from 3.05 p.m. to 3.25 p.m, forcing the target to be reduced to 140 off 27 overs under the Duckworth Lewis Method.
Things did not auger very well for the Pride’s team as they set about going for these runs. The fierce bowling of pacer Shamilia Connell saw Danielle Small nicking to keeper Matthews off the last ball of her first over with the score on nought.
One over and one ball later and the same result, the other opener Rashida Goring also edged to Matthews off Connell with the score on four.
With the rain drizzling steadily and some ominous clouds filling the skies, Connell, with two for six from four overs and Dottin, two for ten, also off four overs, bowling in tandem, tore through the top order taking the wickets of Savyair Byron-Toney, the stylish Krystal Harewood as well as newcomer Karla Cohen who lost her wicket to a superb one-handed catch by Kyann Maynard at point, leaping in the air and plucking down the ball with her left hand, much to the delight of her team mates.
Aaliyah Alleyne once again watched helplessly from the other end, but she, too, lost her wicket being brilliantly stumped by Matthews off Maynard for nine.
Lavine then came to the crease and tried to steady the innings with Thompson, as they took the score to 43 for six from 15 overs, before a heavier shower at 4.32 p.m. ended play.