Titans, Starblazers claim Courts’ Women T20 wins

NOVEL Sports Southern Titans put a stop to Tridents Sports Phoenix’s rise, in the 2019 Courts Women’s T20 Grand Slam, with a thrilling Super Over win, on Wednesday night, at the Sir Frank Worrell Ground, UWI, St. Augustine.

Sent in to bat, Titans made 151 for five in their 20 overs with Phoenix, who needed 50 off the last five, making the same score to tie the match. In the Super Over, though, Phoenix batted first and could only muster five for two, as Titans smashed their way to 11 and their first victory in the tournament after their Tuesday night opener against LCB Central Sharks was washed out.

Opening the match, Titans relied on West Indies star Deandra Dottin, as talisman Stafanie Taylor sat this encounter out. Dottin and fellow opener, Shenelle Lord, put on 72 for the first wicket before spinner Steffie Soogrim had the latter edging behind to Kycia Knight for 17 off 26. Player of the match, Dottin, pressed on after her fifty, which came off 31 balls with four fours and three sixes. Chedean Nation (11) joined her and took the score to 107 only for Dottin to lose her stumps to the wily Soogrim for 78 off 49 (five fours, six sixes).

The run-rate slowed from there as Soogrim continued to pile on the pressure en route to four for 19 from her allotted four overs. Soogrim would get Nation stumped out by Knight prior to Britney Cooper placing her into Aaliyah Alleyne’s waiting hands for seven to leave Titans on 118 for four. Soogrim then caught Shania Abdool for nine ,off Stacy-Ann King, but Shabika Gajnabi’s blistering 23 off 14 (five fours) would get Titans over the 150-mark. Phoenix got off to an equally fast start in their chase thanks to Hayley Matthews. The West Indian superstar cracked 53 off 38 with four fours and four sixes to see her team to 74 before the 10th. Sadly, one ball after her half-century, she’d mistime a sweep off Renelle Dookie with Shalini Samaroo taking the catch.

Fellow opener Kycia Knight (15) exited two runs later, stumped by Lord off April Ramoutar.

Kyshona Knight and Rosalie Dolabaille then put on 52 until Samaroo scalped them both.

Dolabaille exited for 19 off 23 while Knight went for 37 off 24, with Gajnabi taking both catches at long-on. Needing ten off the final over, King ended not out on seven while Alleyne was run out for 10, attempting a third run off the last ball which would have guaranteed a second consecutive win for Phoenix.

The Super Over got off to a flyer as well with Gajnabi bowling Matthews for one. Knight (Kyshona) would get one with King making three as Phoenix put just five on the board.

Titans got a reprieve off the very first ball as Dottin was dropped by Alleyne at long-on, allowing the Bajan to make two off Soogrim.

She made another two and a single to tie the game, setting up Cooper to dispatch the bowler for six to end the match in resounding fashion.In the other match at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy (BLCA), Tarouba, North Udecott Starblazers rebounded from the opening night loss to Phoenix to claim a six-wicket win over Sharks. Sharks were sent in to bat and made 96 for five with Anisa Mohammed making an unbeaten 36.

It wasn’t enough, however, as Starblazers eased to 98 for four in 17.3 overs on the backs of Natasha McLean’s unbeaten 31 and Rachel Vincent’s 27.

Starblazers will meet Titans tonight at UWI while Phoenix and Sharks clash at BLCA. Admission for all preliminary matches is free and all games bowl off at 7pm.

Summarised scores:

At UWI: NOVEL SPORTS SOUTHERN TITANS 151/5 (20 overs) - Deandra Dottin 78, Shabika Gajnabi 28 not out; Steffie Soogrim 4/19 vs TRIDENT SPORTS PHOENIX 151/5 (20 overs) - Hayley Matthews 53, Kyshona Knight 37; Shalini Samaroo 2/28. Match tied.

Super Over: PHOENIX 5/2 vs TITANS 11/0. Titans won the Super Over.

At BLCA: LCB CENTRAL SHARKS 96/5 (20 overs) - Anisa Mohammed 36 not out, Reanna Farrow 21 not out; Lee-Ann Kirby 2/13 vs NORTH UDECOTT STARBLAZERS 98/4 (17.3 overs) - Natasha McLean 31 not out, Rachel Vincent 27; Leandra Ramdeen 2/17. Starblazers won by six wickets.