GUYANA Amazon Warriors women advanced to the final of the 2023 Massy Women's Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) after getting a comprehensive nine-wicket win against the defending champs Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) women in a must-win match at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy (BLCA) in Tarouba, on Saturday.
The Warriors will now meet last year's losing finalists Barbados Royals in Sunday's final from 3.30 pm at the same BLCA venue.
TKR captain Deandra Dottin won the toss and opted to bat first in Saturday's pivotal game. However, things went horribly wrong for the hosts, as they were bundled out for a paltry score of 72 – the lowest score of the 2023 WCPL season. Dottin top-scored with 25 off 21 balls, but TKR's batting card was a sorry sight as just two batters scored in double figures. Wicket-keeper/batter Kycia Knight was the other TKR player to hit double digits, as she struggled on her way to 13 off 22 balls. Knight and Dottin shared in a decent 27-run partnership for the third wicket, but Knight's dismissal in the tenth over caused a domino effect in the TKR batting order.
TKR were placed on 52 for three when Knight was dismissed by the impressive Karishma Ramharack (three for 21). New batter Mignon du Preez (duck) was dismissed off the very next ball in spectacular fashion, as she was run out by a direct hit from Natasha McLean.
[caption id="attachment_1034638" align="alignnone" width="829"] Guyana Amazon Warriors’ Karishma Ramharack bowls against the Trinbago Knight Riders, on Saturday, during the Women’s Caribbean Premier League T20 match, at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy, Tarouba - Lincoln Holder[/caption]
"It was actually a shocker. We actually thought Natasha was sleeping," said Warriors captain Stafanie Taylor, when asked about McLean's brilliant piece of fielding. "She would probably hit the wicket one out of 100 times in that situation so I'm glad that one percent was today."
The Warriors were firing on all cylinders and TKR simply had no answer. The hosts lost their last eight wickets for just 20 runs and were bowled out by the 17th over, as the spin pair of Ramharack and India's Shreyanka Patil (two for ten) ripped through their batting lineup.
"Unfortunately, we were a bit disappointing with the bat," Dottin said. "I just think it's a matter of our batters needing to take more responsibility and adjusting to the pitch early and seeing how the Amazon Warriors were bowling, and then adjusting and moving to suit."
After seeing the back of Knight in the tenth over, Ramharack, who won the Player of the Match award, got the prized wicket of Dottin in her next over as she had the dangerous allrounder trapped lbw. Ramharack also accounted for the wicket of fellow TT spinner Anisa Mohammed who was bowled for four.
Meanwhile, Patil helped to clean up the TKR tail as she had Zaida James (three) out lbw in the 15th over, before taking the last wicket in her subsequent over as she dismissed 15-year-old Samara Ramnath.
Taylor was delighted by the work done by her bowlers and said they stuck t
