Guyana leave TKR women winless in WCPL

TRINBAGO Knight Riders (TKR) are in a familiar position for yet another year in the Massy Women's Caribbean Premier League.

The 2024 script seems to be following last year's version after TKR lost their second straight game on August 23 at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Tarouba. TKR lost their first game against defending champions and favourites Barbados Royals on August 22 by seven wickets.

An eight-wicket loss the next day to Guyana Amazon Warriors has left TKR with more questions than answers as they face the likelihood of finishing last in the three-team tournament again.

Batting first, TKR got off to a solid start with openers Deandra Dottin and Harshitha Samarawickrama putting on a 50-run opening stand in 8.1 overs. Sri Lanka's Samarawickrama showed her class piercing the gaps with ease to pick up runs and find the occasional boundary.

The typically aggressive Dottin showed more patience at the crease as the pair built a platform for their team to launch in the latter overs.

However, left-arm spinner Chloe Tryon got rid of both set batters in an impressive bowling performance which saw her finish with four wickets for 21 runs.

She got Dottin to slice a cut shot to Ashmini Munisar for 20 off 27 balls, before Samarawickrama was bowled out trying to reverse sweep for 33 (28 balls).

TKR continued to keep the scoreboard ticking with decent contributions from Jemimah Rodrigues (26) and Jess Jonassen (28).

However, the hosts failed to push on at the death, losing three wickets for three runs as they slid from 121/3 to 121/6, before getting past 130.

A level-headed approach coupled with dropped catches helped steer Guyana to a comfortable victory with 16 balls to spare.

TKR thought they were in the match after spinner Jonassen had Natasha McLean dismissed in the very first over of their reply. First, Jonassen got an LBW decision against the Jamaican first ball she faced, which was overturned by video review. She would not leave it to chance next ball, bowling out McLean for duck.

Former West Indies captain Stafanie Taylor was trapped LBW by Indian pacer Shikha Pandey for six, three balls later, as the Warriors slipped to 15 for two.

However, opener and captain Lauren Winfield-Hill put an end to the slide by carrying her bat with a well-played 46 off 47 balls (four fours).

Alongside Player of the Match Erin Burns of Australia, who torched TKR with 78 off 48 ball (ten fours), Guyana stunned TKR with a smart batting effort.

TKR did themselves little favours with two chances put down, but the pair seemed untroubled and in control for the majority of their 119-run partnership.

Burns showed her proficiency against spin, taking on WI top T20 international wicket-taker, off-spinner Anisa Mohammed, to dispatch her straight over her head for a boundary in the 16th over.

Against the pace of Dottin, England's Winfield-Hill used the extra kilometres to her advantage with consecutive boundaries, including a ramp shot that sailed over short fine-leg and a flick of her hips that left the same fielder with no chance. By that time, the game was already over with just seven needed off 25 balls.

Burns swept for four to bring up the winning runs next over versus Pandey.

TKR face Guyana on August 25 in a must-win encounter before meeting Barbados Royals on August 27 The WCPL final is on August 29.