Windies Women’s T20 C/Ships... Guyana lose again, despite Thompson’s performance - Matthews lead B’dos win 27-run win

Windies Women’s T20 C/Ships… Guyana lose again, despite Thompson’s performance – Matthews lead B’dos win 27-run win

Jun 18, 2018 Sports

Akaze Thompson

West Indies opener Hayley Matthews dazzled in Barbados’ impressive win.

A fluent 61 from 36 balls with seven fours and four sixes from Hayley Matthews led Barbados to a 27-run victory and over shadowed a good all-round performance by Guyana’s Akaze Thompson at Sabina Park as the South American ladies stumbled to their third defeat in four matches as the Windies Women’s T20 Championships continued last evening in Jamaica.
The 20-year-old Matthews, who made her senior Barbados as a 12-year-old, added 44 for the first wicket with Danielle Small, who hit two fours in 21 before Matthews put together 55 for the second wicket with Kycia Knight who also reached the boundary twice in 23 as Barbados reached 134-6 in 20 overs.
Twenty-six year-old Thomson bowled a frugal four-over spell in which she had 2-22 for Guyana who were restricted to 107-3 when their 20 overs expired. Thompson top-scored with an unbeaten 47 decorated by four fours and a six. Shanika Bruce had 2-17 with the new ball for the Bajans.
Matthews, who captained her boy’s school team at 11, dominated the opening stand with several audacious shots. But just when the partnership was beginning to flourish, Matthews, a Gold Medalist in Javelin in 2015 CARIFTA Games, watched as Small hit Mandy Mangru to Thompson to break the stand.
Knight joined Matthews and smashed Mangru for a couple of boundaries in her only over which cost 19 runs before Matthews, gaining in confidence as her innings progressed, reached her half century and at 99-1 Barbados seemed set for big total.
But after Matthews, who has four fifties from 36 ODIs for the West Indies, was removed by Sheneta Grimmond, five wickets fell for 18 runs as the Guyanese bowlers produced a disciplined performance.
Windies player Deandra Dottin (2) was bowled by off-spinner Plaffiana Millington at 109-3 after being kept on a tight leash for 17 balls and Shamilia Connell (7) was run out at 117-4 before Aaliyah Alleyne had her stumps knocked out by Thompson for a duck without addition to the score.
When Knight was bowled by Thompson at 122-6, Charlene Taitt (12*) and Sherika Selman (3*) added 12 runs before their overs ran out.
When Guyana began their reply, Tremayne Smartt, sent in as pinch hitter, was bowled by Bruce for a duck at 2-1 before Grimmond (1) fell at 6-2, while Guyana’s leading run scorer Shemaine Campbelle got going with three boundaries before she was sent packing by Bruce for 16 to leave Guyana on 32-3.
Thompson and Guyana U-19 Captain Shabika Gajnabi, who reached the boundary once and cleared it once in her unbeaten 31, batted solidly but found it difficult to put their foot on the gas but their unfinished 75-run stand was a futile effort. Guyana face the Leewards in their final game and can no longer win the title. Matthews was named Player of the Match.