Kyshona Knight (50), Matthews give B’dos second win

Jun 19, 2022 Sports

CG Insurance Women’s Super50…

By Sean Devers at Providence
On a day of fluctuating fortunes and weather conditions at the Guyana National Stadium at Providence defending Champions Barbados beat Jamaica by 11 runs on the DLS system in a truncated CG Insurance Women’s Super50 encounter yesterday, needing to be at 117 at that stage.

Kyshona Knight (cricket.com.au)

Hayley Matthews (cricket.com.au)

What was billed to be an epic battle between the two best sides in the tournament, overnight and morning rain delayed the start by 100 minutes with overs being reduced to 45 overs per side after Barbados opted to bat first.
Another shower resulted in the contest being further reduced to 32 overs and Barbados, hunting their fourth title and third in succession, were bowled out for 121 in 31.4 overs as Kyshona Knight top-scored with an attractive 50 from 75 balls with six fours.
But only Haley Mathews who hit three fours in 16, of the other batters, got into double figures.
Captain Stafanie Taylor had 3-13 while Chenille Henry, Vanessa Watts and Jody-Ann Brown support with two wickets each.
Jamaica, set a revised target of 126 to win, slipped from 58-2 to 106-9 from 25.3 overs when rain stopped play for the final time.
Rashada Williams made 29 with five fours but only Henry, uneaten on 28 with a four and game’s only six, reached double figures for the new T20 Blaze Champions.
Matthews returned with the ball to capture 3-19 while Aaliyah Williams supported her with 3-22.
With the sunshine back in all its glory and on a still fast outfield and good track, Barbados Kycia Knight was bowled by Chinelle Henry without a run on the board.
Knight’s twin; Kyshona, joined Matthews, the leading run scorer in the T20 format and together the pair began ‘operation rebuild’ against a frugal Jamaican attack which kept the batters is shackles.
The elegant Matthews stroked the first ball she faced imperiously through the covers for four as Henry overpitched, while the left-handed Knight, also hit Henry for a well-timed cover driven boundary.
But with the partnership on 57 in 10.2 overs and Matthews on 16 with three boundaries, Brown held a stupendous catch running back from cover as Corina Howell took the prized scalp of the Skipper who scored 99 in her last game.
Alisa Scantlebury (6) was run out with the score on 79-3 and when Knight fell to Vanessa Watts Barbados slumped from 96-2 to 121 all out as seven wickets tumbled for 25 runs.
The tournament continues today with host Guyana facing Trinidad & Tobago in their first game from 09:30 hrs ECT.