Dottin: Overseas stars will help steer TKR ship

TRINBAGO Knight Riders (TKR) women's team captain Deandra Dottin believes her team has a great chance of winning the the 2024 edition of the Massy Women's Caribbean Premier League (WCPL).

The tournament bowls off from 7 pm on August 21, when defending champions Barbados Royals take on Guyana Amazon Warriors at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy (BLCA) in Tarouba.

This season's opening fixture is a rematch of last year's finale, which saw the Royals edging the Warriors by a eight-run margin at the BLCA venue after a stunning allround performance by West Indies skipper Hayley Matthews.

For the third edition of the tournament, though, Dottin says TKR are ready to reclaim their title after beating Matthews and the Royals in the 2022 finale. Dottin, 33, the owner of the fastest 100 in women's Twenty/20 Internationals, was named as the Player of the Tournament in 2022.

After retiring from the international game in July 2022, the exciting Barbados allrounder confirmed her return to the Windies team on July 27 and already has the October 3-20 2024 International Cricket Council (ICC) Women's T20 World Cup in her sights.

In the interim, Dottin wants a piece of franchise silverware.

"I rate our chances of winning the Women's CPL title very highly," Dottin said, during an interview with Newsday on August 16.

"With the level of players we have and where they are at in terms of international experience, I think this year we're a bit stronger than we were last year. We have more versatile players. We're actually blended with the senior players, as well as the overseas players."

Last season, TKR finished at the bottom of the three-team table, with one win and three losses.

The team's lone win came against the eventual champs Royals in their penultimate game, with Dottin top-scoring for her team with an innings of 47.

"(The young players) are hungry to play cricket in the big WCPL. I definitely do think we have a strong chance of winning the WCPL this year," she said. "But we all know cricket plays on the day and it's very funny as well."

TKR will open their 2024 campaign against the Royals at the BLCA from 7 pm on August 22. They will then play the Amazon Warriors on August 23 and 25, before closing off the group stage against the Royals on August 27. The final will be played on August 29.

Dottin and several TKR players were involved in a West Indies training camp in Antigua in the build-up to the WCPL. Seamer Shamilia Connell, Jannillea Glasgow, Zaida James, Chedean Nation, Shunelle Sawh and 18-year-old St Kitts and Nevis starlet Jahzara Claxton, who was adjudged MVP of last month's Cricket West Indies (CWI) Rising Stars women's under-19 championship, also took part in the West Indies camp.

"Everybody is looking in good nick – speaking from TKR's point of view," Dottin said. "I think the team is in good spirits and they're getting a lot of training in here as well."

Dottin is happy with the young talent at her disposal for the 2024 tourney.

"There are players like Claxton, (Samara) Ramnath and James and there are others. I'm very impressed and pleased with how they have developed and how they have improved really quickly."

For this WCPL campaign, TKR have added a wealth of experience, with the Australian pair of Jess Jonassen and Meg Lanning joining their setup, alongside the Indian pair of Shikha Pandey and Jemimah Rodrigues. Jonassen and Lanning have played over 200 Internationals across all formats, with Pandey and Rodrigues both having over 100 Internationals under their belt.

The 31-year-old Jonassen is currently ranked as the ninth-best bowler in the world in the One-day international (ODI) format, and 13th among all allrounders.

As captain, Dottin says she doesn't feel extra pressure to perform, and just wants to do her best in any aspect of the game to help her team over the line.

"Those overseas players like Jess Jonassen, Meg Lanning, Jemima and Pandey, they're all international and world-class players as well, so they will actually help us steer the boat to help us win the WCPL trophy this year."

She rates the WCPL tournament highly, but believes there is one aspect which can help take the competition to a higher level.

"I think for the third year of the WCPL, it's about looking to improve. I just think we can get in one more franchise to make it four.

"I would love to see two more franchises, but if we could get one more franchise just to make the tournament have more teams, and as well to make it a bit longer, that will be great. All in all, I think it's heading in the right direction."

Though she has greater aspirations for the WCPL, for now, Dottin and TKR vie against the Royals and the Warriors for the coveted crown.

"All I have to say is, TKR fans, we're coming!"

TKR team:

Deandra Dottin (captain), Jahzara Claxton, Shamilia Connell, Jannilea Glasgow, Zaida James, Jess Jonassen, Kycia Knight, Kyshona Knight, Meg Lanning, Anisa Mohammed, Chedean Nation, Shikha Pandey, Samara Ramnath, Jemimah Rodrigues, Shunelle Sawh.