KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent — In a match shortened by rain but packed with drama, Nyia Latchman unleashed a breathtaking display of leg spin that dismantled the Windward Islands Women and secured a convincing win for Guyana Women in the Women’s T20 Blaze at the Arnos Vale Playing Field on Saturday.
With the pitch damp, the sky grey, and the match reduced to 13 overs a side due to persistent showers, Latchman struck with clinical precision—claiming 4 wickets for just 8 runs in two electrifying overs to restrict the Windwards for a paltry 61 for nine.
Thanks to the Duckworth/Lewis/Stern method, Guyana’s target was adjusted to 65 runs, which they chased down with calm assurance, winning by seven wickets with an over to spare.
Bright start dimmed: Windwards collapse from promise to peril
Early signs had pointed to a more competitive encounter. Openers Nerissa Crafton and Japhina Joseph stitched together a steady 29-run partnership, laying a solid foundation and handling the early conditions with composure.
But the innings unraveled swiftly. Sheneta Grimmond struck a double blow—removing both Crafton (bowled) and Jannillea Glasgow, for 14 and 1 respectively—reducing the Windwards to 33 for two and cracking open the door for Guyana.
From there, panic set in. Joseph, anchoring the innings on 17, was needlessly run out, initiating a catastrophic collapse.
Munisar and Latchman trigger meltdown
With the Windwards teetering, Ashmini Munisar pounced, claiming two wickets in the span of three deliveries—sending Afy Fletcher and Ashlene Edward packing—and reducing the opposition to 51 for five.
Then came Latchman, who turned the contest into a procession.
In just two overs, she accounted for Earnisha Fontaine, Carena Noel, Zaida James, and Niesha Cherry—four wickets for just 10 additional runs. Her combination of flight, turn, and ruthless accuracy proved too much for the Windwards’ lower order, which disintegrated under pressure.
It was a spell of dominance that rewrote the script of the match and earned Latchman plaudits as the clear match-winner.
Confident chase anchored by Grimmond and Gajnabi
Despite losing opener Realeanna Grimmond—who top-scored with an authoritative 30—and captain Shemaine Campbelle in quick succession, Guyana’s chase was rarely in jeopardy.
Grimmond’s 54-run second-wicket partnership with Shabika Gajnabi set the tone for a calm, calculated pursuit. Gajnabi, composed and unflinching, finished unbeaten on 26, guiding Guyana past the target in 12 overs.
Their steady partnership neutralized any pressure and ensured that Latchman’s brilliance with the ball translated into victory on the scoreboard.
Latchman leads from the front in Guyana’s rising campaign
This emphatic win not only strengthens Guyana’s standing in the Women’s T20 Blaze, but also signals the emergence of Nyia Latchman as a game-changer with the ball.
In a rain-affected contest where margins were tight and momentum fleeting, it was Latchman’s four-wicket masterclass that gave Guyana a stranglehold and exposed the Windwards’ fragility under fire.
