The fifth match of the 2025 Massy Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) lived up to its billing as a dress rehearsal for the final, with Barbados Royals and Guyana Amazon Warriors producing a classic at Providence Stadium.
In a gripping contest that swung both ways, the Royals edged home by three runs after a nail-biting final over that left fans breathless and craving the rematch in Wednesday’s championship clash.
Alleyne’s final over seals it
Chasing 133 for victory, the Warriors required 11 runs from the last six balls with the in-form Amy Hunter standing tall on 63. Royals seamer Aaliyah Alleyne was entrusted with the task, and she delivered under immense pressure.
Alleyne trapped Hunter lbw with her second delivery, striking the decisive blow of the match. The Warriors still kept their hopes alive when Ashmini Munisar drove the penultimate ball to the boundary, leaving four required from the last delivery. But Alleyne kept her composure—Munisar failed to clear the ropes, and Nyia Latchman was run out in the scramble, leaving the Warriors agonizingly short at 129/7.
Royals build steady platform
Earlier, Warriors captain Shemaine Campbelle won the toss and opted to bowl first. The Royals innings stuttered at the start as the aggressive Qiana Joseph departed cheaply for eight.
Sri Lankan star Chamari Athapaththu steadied the ship with a patient 37 from 42 balls, but wickets tumbled at the other end. Laura Harris once again impressed for the Warriors, claiming 3-28 and applying pressure through the middle overs.
It was Royals skipper Chinelle Henry who provided the late surge, striking a vital 46 from 34 balls to lift her side to 132-6—a total that ultimately proved just enough.
Athapaththu strikes back with the ball
The Warriors’ reply also hinged on Athapaththu, who turned the game with the ball. Her 3-25 included the scalps of Realeanna Grimmond and Campbelle, derailing the chase at a crucial stage.
Campbelle had earlier offered resistance with 40, but support was lacking as no other Warriors batter besides Hunter reached double figures. Hunter’s valiant 63 kept the contest alive until the very end, but Alleyne’s nerves of steel carried the Royals across the line.
Though the Royals triumphed, both teams displayed the qualities that carried them to the final: the Royals’ resilience and bowling firepower, and the Warriors’ fighting spirit and individual brilliance. Wednesday’s title clash now promises to be a showdown of equals, with revenge and redemption firmly on the line.
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