The second season of the Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) got underway with iconic New Zealand opening duo Suzie Bates and Sophie Devine handing the Guyana Amazon Warriors the perfect start to their innings, assembling a 50 partnership inside the powerplay without casualties. Devine, especially, latched on to an uncharacteristically erratic Hayley Matthews and the ill-advised leg-stump line the Barbados Royals captain offered up.
The introduction of Royals’ wrist-spinning duo of Amanda-Jade Wellington and Afy Fletcher was able to pull things back once the fielding restrictions were relaxed, however. And following a missed opportunity by Fletcher in the field, who put down Devine early in the 9th over on 41, Laura Harris was able to gobble up the opportunity presented to her by Bates 23 (22) four deliveries later.
After the 50 runs scored in the first 6 overs of their innings, with the pitch offering up turn and bounce and Fletcher only permitting 17 runs from her 4 overs in the period, the Amazon Warriors only managed 47 runs in the next 8 overs.
The return of Matthews in the 16th over was where the Warriors dragged their innings back on track, with Devine dancing down the wicket for consecutive boundaries in the eventual 16-run over. Stafanie Taylor 22 (26) on the other hand, in trying to get a move on, was undone by the bounce of Qiana Joseph in the 18th, finished off by a wonderful take from Rashada Williams behind the stumps.
Still, Devine had some magic in store. Magic in the form of three additional sixes, including one off the final delivery of the innings to bring up her century. And the Warriors smashed 62 runs in their 5 last overs to post 166/2 in their 20 overs.
Not unlike the Royals, the Amazon Warriors too had their blemishes in the field. The first was as early as the 3rd over when Hayley Matthews was put down by Shabika Gajnabi on 6, off the bowling of Devine. Yet, the home side struggled, stuttering to 14/0 at the end of the 4th over.
Gaby Lewis and Matthews threatened to up the tempo with 22 runs from the next 13 deliveries, before Matthews 23 (21) was caught by Shabnim Ismail off the bowling of Karishma Ramharack in the 7th over.
Yet some sloppy moments in the field–one of which gave Lewis, who was dropped by Bates on 25 in the 11th over, a second chance–gave birth to a 40-ball 53-run partnership from Lewis 47 (35) and Rashada Williams 23 (23). When both fell in consecutive deliveries on either side of the 13th and 14th overs, Laura Harris was already standing at one end. And the Australian tore into Cherry-Ann Fraser’s second over, with three fours and a maximum, essentially shifting the balance of the game. Harris’ 12-ball 30 pulled the required run-rate down from 11.16 to 8.50.
The fall of Harris’ wicket gave the Warriors hopes of pulling things back but enter Erin Burns, who picked up where Harris left off with an unbeaten 29 (15) to complete the Royals’ resurrection and subsequent victory with 2 deliveries to spare.
Scores:
Amazon Warriors 166/2 (20)
Sophie Devine 103* (64) & Suzie Bates 23 (22); Amanda-Jade Wellington 1/28 & Qiana Joseph 1/38
Royals 169/4 (19.4)
Gaby Lewis 47 (35) & Laura Harris 30 (12); Shabnim Ismail 1/18 & Sophie Devine 1/20Royals won by 6 wickets
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