Sharks whip Phoenix in Courts T20 semi

LCB Central Sharks defeated East Trident Sports Phoenix by eight wickets in the Courts Women's T20 Grand Slam semis on Thursday night. The final was in progress on Friday night at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Tarouba, as Anisa Mohammed's team looked for their second consecutive title.

Sharks turned in a disciplined bowling performance, making amends for a seven-wicket loss in the group stage against Phoenix. Sent in to bat, Phoenix could only muster 74 runs for the loss of six wickets in their 20 overs with Sharks responding with 75 for two in 13.5 overs, setting up a rematch of last year's final when they stunned Novel Sports Southern Titans.

Phoenix always looked rocky in the middle with only Hayley Matthews making an impact through her 33 off 41 balls. Chinelle Henry removed fellow opener Kycia Knight (four) and Rosalie Dolabaille for a duck before Kyshona Knight (14 off 24) helped take the score to 51. Mohammed then nabbed the latter skying one to Sheneta Grimmond, allowing captain Stacy-Ann King to enter the wicket.

Sadly, King garnered several dot balls and the little momentum her team had was lost when Matthews (three fours and a six) placed Felicia Walters into Henry's hand on the boundary.

Walters got Aaliyah Alleyne stumped for four and Karishma Ramharack was run out off the last ball of the innings by Shemaine Campbell for the same score. King ended with a laborious 11 not out off 22 balls, as her and Knight (Kyshona) wasting precious balls would bite the team in the end. Walters finished on two for seven, Henry got two for 14 while Mohammed's spin took one for 12.

Mohammed would gain the Player-of-the-Match accolade as Sharks were gifted a chase made even easier due to dubious bowling decisions by Phoenix. The tournament's leading wicket-taker, Steffie Soogrim, didn't bowl and the decision to use Alleyne with the new ball paid no dividends as she went wicketless for 28 off two.

Matthews did set Phoenix back early on, though, bowling Walters for five but Grimmond (27 off 21) and Campbell (14 not out) took the score to 37 in the sixth. Grimmond's 21-ball knock consisted of four fours and a six before Ramharack scalped her. It was a poor decision to hold Ramharack back, however, as her four overs went for just ten runs with one maiden.

Kamara Ragoobar went for 21 in her four overs so Phoenix clearly erred in not using one of them to open the attack with Matthews. Campbell and skipper Mohammed patiently finished off the innings as the latter coasted to 21 off 26 with two fours. With the scores tied, Matthews ended the game with a wide, summing up Phoenix's underwhelming performance as she finished with one for 12 from 3.5 overs.

Summarised Scores: EAST TRIDENT SPORTS PHOENIX 74/6 (20 overs) - Hayley Matthews 33; Felicia Walters 2/7, Chinelle Henry 2/14 vs LCB CENTRAL SHARKS 75/2 (13.5 overs) - Sheneta Grimmond 27, Anisa Mohammed 21 not out. Sharks won by eight wickets.