AT the launch of the 2024 Massy Women's Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) tournament on July 31, allrounder Aaliyah Alleyne called on regional players to step up to the plate in the franchise competition.
In the final at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy (BLCA) in Tarouba on August 29, Alleyne rose to the occasion when she had match-winning figures of four for 21 to help set up a four-wicket win for the Barbados Royals versus Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR). This is the Royals' second consecutive win in the three-team tournament as they also copped the 2023 crown when they defeated Guyana Amazon Warriors in the final.
In the inaugural 2022 finale, TKR got a ten-run win against the Royals after making a modest total of 100 for seven. History wouldn't repeat itself in the 2024 final, though, and the Royals eventually got over the line after losing five wickets in a four-over span as they chased a paltry 94-run target.
[caption id="attachment_1105645" align="alignnone" width="683"] Barbados Royals captain Hayley Matthews kisses the Massy WCPL trophy after her team defeated TKR at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy. - Photo by Lincoln Holder[/caption]
After Alleyne and Royals skipper Hayley Matthews (two for 13) did most of the damage with the ball, the Barbados team looked to be cruising to victory when Matthews and Sri Lankan star player Chamari Athapaththu (39 not out) got their innings off to a rollicking start with a rapid 48-run partnership.
Athapaththu was in a hurry and she crashed three straight boundaries off Australian spinner Jess Jonassen (one for 20) in the fourth over, before hitting seamer Shamilia Connell for three more fours in the subsequent over. Up against it, the hosts did show fight, and it started with 16-year-old spinner Samara Ramnath (two for 18) who got the wickets of Matthews (13) and Qiana Joseph (14) in another impressive spell. Ramnath was aided by two spectacular pieces of fielding as TKR skipper Deandra Dottin took a blinder at backward-point to see the back of Matthews, with Connell taking an excellent running catch at long-on to dismiss the aggressive Joseph.
There would be cause for concern surrounding Connell, as she appeared to injure her ankle on the long-on boundary when attempting another catch in the 12th over.
Royals went from 48 without loss to 87 for six in the blink of an eye, as Alleyne (two), Laura Harris (15 off six balls), Rashada Williams (duck) and Chinelle Henry (one) were all dismissed in quick time.
There weren't enough runs for the hosts to play with, though, and Athapaththu, who struck seven fours in total, fittingly got the winning run in the 15th over when she drove past Ramnath for a single as Royals got home with five overs to spare.
Earlier, TKR were restricted to just 93 for eight, with Shikha Pandey (28) and Jannillea Glasgow (24) doing the bulk of the scoring.
Outside of the 43-run stand for the third wicket between Glasgow and Pandey, precious little went TKR's way in their turn at the crease.
Dottin started TKR's innings with a bang with a
