Trinidad and Tobago advance to Women's Super50 final

Trinidad and Tobago will play Barbados in the final of the Women’s Super50 tournament at Warner Park in Basseterre, St Kitts at 10 am on March 7.

TT’s last preliminary match at Warner Park ended in a no-result against Guyana because of rain on March 5. The match was a virtual semifinal as the winner would have been guaranteed a spot in the final.

TT had more points than Guyana heading into the match, so the no-result kept the Red Force women ahead. At the St Paul’s Sports Complex, Barbados sealed a spot in the final with a crushing nine-wicket win over Leeward Islands.

The spin attack of the TT women’s team again proved to be a handful for opposing batters.

Bowling first, TT’s spinners along with a taste of pace from Amelia Khan, were too strong for Guyana.

The bowlers were also supported by the fielders. The experienced Anisa Mohammed set the tone with a brilliant one-handed diving catch at first slip to dismiss Mandy Mangru for duck which gave Khan the wicket.

Wickets kept falling as Khan grabbed another, left-arm spinner Steffie Soogrim took two wickets and captain and off-spinner Karishma Ramharack also grabbed two to leave Guyana reeling on 28/6 after 16 overs.

Shabika Gajnabi and Ashmini Munisar tried to bring some respectability to the total with a 42-run seventh-wicket partnership. The batters took Guyana to 70, before teenager Samara Ramnath broke the partnership as she dismissed Munisar for 19 off 43 deliveries.

Guyana were not able to build any other partnerships of note and were all out for 108 in 45.2 overs. Gajnabi was the ninth batter dismissed for 51 off 96 balls with four fours.

Ramharack and Khan were the most successful bowlers for TT with 3/14 and 3/18 respectively. Soogrim took 2/21.

TT, like Guyana, lost early wickets as opener Shunelle Sawh (two) and Djenaba Joseph (nine) fell cheaply. One over after Joseph was dismissed, rain ended the match with TT on 16/2 after eight overs. The experienced pair of Britney Cooper (four) and Mohammed (zero) were at the crease.

The other final round match between the Windward Islands and Jamaica at Conaree Sports Club also ended in a no result. Windward Islands got to 95/3 after 20 overs when rain brought the contest to a close.

Summarised scores:

GUYANA 108 (45.2 overs) (Shabika Gajnabi 51, Ashmini Munisar 19; Karishma Ramharack 3/14, Amelia Khan 3/18, Steffie Soogrim 2/21) vs TT 16/2. No result.

LEEWARD ISLANDS 85 (31.2 overs) (Jahzara Claxton 23 not out, Reniece Boyce 15; Allison Gordon 4/12, Keila Elliot 2/11, Shamilia Connell 2/26) vs BARBADOS 87/1 (17.5 overs) (Kycia Knight 51 not out, Trishan Holder 22 not out). Barbados won by nine wickets.

WINDWARD ISLANDS 95/3 (20 overs) (Jannilea Glasgow 41 not out, Japhina Joseph 33) vs JAMAICA. No result.

Fixtures (March 7):

Final: TT vs Barbados, Warner Park, 10 am

Third-place playoff: Guyana vs Windward Islands, Conaree Sports Club, 10 am

Fifth-place playoff: Jamaica vs Leeward Islands, St Paul's Sports Complex, 10 am