Women’s CPL: Royals reign supreme over winless Amazon Warriors

By Brandon Corlette

The Guyana Amazon Warriors Women continued to find it difficult at the 2023 Massy Women’s Caribbean Premier League (CPL), as they slumped to their second successive defeat this season. Barbados Royals won by three wickets at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados.
Warriors posted 146-4 in 20 overs, while Royals ended on 147-7 in 19.2 overs.
In the Royals’ chase, they lost Gaby Lewis for two at 10-1 in 2.5 overs. Opening bowlers Sophie Devine and Shabnim Ismail made the Royals worked for every run. The woman from India, Shreyanka Patil then got the wicket of Rashada Williams, who was caught at cover for six at 22-2 in 4.4 overs.

At the powerplay, Royals were 38-2. Off-spinner Patil then worked her magic again when she ran through the defence of Hayley Matthews (22) at 39-3 in 6.2 overs. Laura Harris then toned Patil for three sixes in four balls, but she was removed by Shakera Selman for 18. Cherry-Ann Fraser completed a stellar catch as Royals were 58-4 in 7.3 overs.
Wickets fell around Erin Burns as Patil ended with 4-34 in her four overs. At 105-7 in 15 overs, Warriors were looking in control, but Burns stood in the way. Fraser was again expensive as her second over yielded 21 runs. Burns reached her 50 in 38 balls in that unforgettable over from Fraser.

That was all she wrote, as Royals ended on 147-7 in 19.2 overs. Burns scored an unbeaten 53 from 41 balls.
Earlier, Guyana Amazon Warriors Women won the toss and elected to bat first with an unchanged team. The first ball of the contest was a wide, and the second ball, Sophie Devine creamed one past backward point for four.
The New Zealand pair of Devine and Suzie Bates looked at ease at the wicket as both of the Royals opening bowlers yielded 12 runs in their opening overs. Bates and Devine motored along nicely as Warriors Women were in firm control at the powerplay with 51-0. The duo reached their 50-run stand in 35 balls.

Royals Women found it difficult to get a wicket, and at the half-way stage in the first innings, Warriors Women were 73-0, sitting pretty. Second ball into the 11th over, leg-spinner Amanda Jade-Wellington bowled a peach of a delivery that spun and squared up Bates. She was bowled all ends up for 31 from 26 balls, an innings laced with three fours.
Devine attempted to clear the mid-wicket boundary, but she was short ending with 42 from 40 balls. The right-handed Devine, who scored a century in the first game of the tournament, struck six fours in her 42. Warriors Women were 78-2 after 11.4 overs, with two new batters at the crease in Stafanie Taylor and Shemaine Campbelle.

Captain Taylor found it difficult to score and she was bowled by Burns for 10 from 13 balls. Warriors were not finding the boundaries at will as Royals kept the bowling tight. At 87-3 in 13.3 overs, Natasha McLean partnered Campbelle.
The Guyanese Campbelle played a top shot, reverse sweeping Burns for four to bring up the Warriors’ 100 in 15.2 overs. McLean then pummelled Burns straight back for four and slammed her for six over mid-wicket. Burns ended with 2-32 from four overs of off-spin.
McLean continued to display power, but was caught off a no-ball on 31 by Henry, off Alleyne. Matthews then removed McLean for 38 from 26 balls, when she was caught at long-off. The big Jamaican had struck three sixes and three fours.
McLean and Campbelle added 57 runs for the fourth wicket. Warriors ended on 146-4 in their 20 overs, as Campbelle remained unbeaten on 19 from 13 balls.
The Massy Women’s CPL will continue tomorrow, Tuesday, September 5 with Warriors Women taking on Trinbago Knight Riders at Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad from 14:30h Eastern Caribbean time.