KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent — Jamaica Women brought Trinidad and Tobago’s championship aspirations to an abrupt end on Wednesday, pulling off a dramatic three-wicket victory via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method in the final preliminary round of the T20 Blaze.
The result extinguished Trinidad and Tobago’s hopes of reaching Friday’s final and, in turn, cleared the path for Barbados Women to advance alongside Leeward Islands Women.
Persistent showers reduced the contest to 17 overs per side at the Arnos Vale Playing Field, but the shortened format did little to mask Trinidad and Tobago’s struggles with the bat.
Trinidad and Tobago falter after bright start
Sent in to bat, Trinidad and Tobago could manage only 76 for eight, despite appearing firmly in control early on. At one stage cruising at 40 for one, their innings unraveled sharply as wickets began to tumble in clusters.
Opener Djenaba Joseph offered the lone resistance, top-scoring with 27 from 30 balls. No other batter reached double figures, a statistic that underlined the severity of the collapse. From a position of promise, Trinidad and Tobago lost four wickets for just 16 runs, surrendering momentum they never regained.
Taylor orchestrates collapse with the ball
The downfall was engineered primarily by Jamaica’s experienced campaigner Stafanie Taylor, whose off-spin carved through the middle order. Taylor dismissed Britney Cooper lbw for five before bowling Karishma Ramharack for four, finishing with outstanding figures of three for nine from her three overs.
She was ably supported by Vanessa Watts, who claimed two for 13, and Neisha-Ann Waisome, whose two for 19 further tightened Jamaica’s grip as Trinidad and Tobago limped to a modest total.
Jamaica stumble, then steady in a tense chase
With the target revised to 79 under DLS calculations, Jamaica’s reply proved far from straightforward. Early wickets put pressure on the chase, but a brief recovery saw them reach 60 for two early in the 10th over, despite losing captain Rashada Williams for seven and Abigail Bryce for 12.
What followed was another sudden twist. Brianna Harricharan (3-17) and Ramharack (2-13) ripped through Jamaica’s middle order, triggering a collapse that reduced the Jamaicans to 75 for seven and briefly revived Trinidad and Tobago’s fading hopes.
Calm prevailed at the death, however, as Waisome and Sherene Burnett safely guided Jamaica to 79 without further loss, sealing only Jamaica’s second victory of the tournament, but one with significant consequences.
Barbados seal their fate with commanding win
While Jamaica’s upset initially appeared decisive, Barbados Women ultimately left no doubt about their qualification later in the day. The Barbadians delivered a comprehensive 22-run victory over defending champions Guyana Women to confirm their place in the final.
Captain Aaliyah Alleyne led from the front in a decisive all-round performance. With Barbados reeling at 32 for four, Alleyne anchored the innings with a composed 38 off 36 balls, lifting her side to 92 for eight from their 20 overs.
She then returned with the ball to claim two wickets as Guyana were dismissed for 70 in 19.4 overs, completing a dominant display.
The result confirmed Barbados Women as finalists, where they will face Leeward Islands Women in Friday’s championship match. Trinidad and Tobago, meanwhile, were left to reflect on a tournament that slipped away after a final-day stumble, undone by Jamaica’s timely intervention and Barbados’ emphatic finish.
