CG Insurance Women’s Super50: Barbados into final after Matthews, Alleyne and Knight sisters impress

By Brandon Corlette at Providence, EBD

The Barbados Women’s Team have continued to show their class in Caribbean women’s cricket. Led by solid performances from captain Hayley Matthews, Aaliyah Alleyne and the Knight twin sisters, Barbados defeated Trinidad and Tobago by nine wickets (DLS method) at Providence, to reach the final of the CG Insurance Women’s Super50 tourney.

Matthews led the batting with an unbeaten 50, while Kyshona Knight made 49 not out and Kycia Knight scored 32, as Barbados ended on 137-1 in 30.2 overs, replying to Trinidad’s 133 all out.
Seamer Aaliyah Alleyne was the star with the ball, picking up four wickets in the rain-affected contest.
Alleyne and Matthews together restricted Trinidad.
The rains came at 10:01h and put the ground under water, but play resumed at 13:00h with Trinidad and Tobago on 21-0 after 2.4 overs. The match was then reduced to 33 overs, and Aaliyah Alleyne, who exploited the moisture and a bit of grass covering, got the ball rolling by removing both openers in the fourth over.

Spot on with her deliveries, the right-arm seamer shattered the stumps of Rachel Vincent (01), and Reniece Boyce (05), before destroying the furniture of Britney Cooper with a yorker. Trinidad and Tobago by then had lost three wickets for 38 runs.
Hayley Matthews came on at the other end, and wickets continued to fall at regular intervals. Matthews bowled with great flight, and also produced a surprise arm ball that went quicker through the air.
Trinidad were reeling at 79-8 after 18 overs, with Matthews doing the damage in the middle. She removed Anisa Mohammed for nine, Kirbyina Alexander for one, and Kamara Ragoobar for a duck.

Then the right-handed Lee-Ann Kirby came and dropped anchor. She began to throw her bat as she looked for quick runs, and she was the eventual top-scorer with 41 from 74 balls. She struck one six and a four. Leandra Ramdeen, who made 10, was the only other batter to reach double figures.
Alleyne was the pick of the bowlers with 4-31 from seven overs, while the consistent Matthews had 3-20 from seven overs. Barbados yielded 53 extras as Trinidad made 133 all out in 31.2 overs.
In response, Trinidad attacked from the get-go, with spinners operating from both ends. Openers Hayley Matthews and Kycia Knight started cautiously, but Kycia looked at ease for the first time when she struck Mohammed for a sweetly timed four over her head.
Kycia and Matthews added 61 runs before Kycia was removed for 32 runs from 50 balls.
Matthews continued to dig deep in an innings which she started cautiously. She ended unbeaten on 50 from 86 balls, with two fours in the mix as she continued to be the leading player this season.
Kyshona Knight played aggressively, and sealed the deal by striking seven fours and one six in her unbeaten 49 from 45 balls. Barbados now await the other team for the final on Saturday, June 25. Guyana and Jamaica will play the second semi-final today, Thursday June 23, from 9:30h local time.