By Morissa Lindsay
window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []}; googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.defineSlot('/27575914/BTInsideArticleCovidAd', [[250, 250], [300, 250]], 'div-gpt-ad-1631125303402-0').addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.pubads().enableSingleRequest(); googletag.enableServices(); }); --> googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1631125303402-0'); }); -->It was an impressive start for defending champions Barbados in the Cricket West Indies CG Insurance Super 50 competition as they defeated Windward Islands women by 149 runs on the opening day of the competition at Providence Stadium in Guyana today.
Barbados led by Captain Hayley Matthews won the toss and posted 227 for two from their allotted 50 overs. The talented all-rounder Matthews led from the front with a magnificent 99. Matthews and fellow opener Kycia Knight who made 72 put on a first-wicket stand of 177.
In response to the target of 228 set to win, Windward Islands were dismissed for 78 all out in 23 overs against a solid Barbados bowling attack led by medium-pacer Shanika Bruce with four wickets for 48 runs from nine overs.
Bruce along with fast bowler Shamilia Connell with a fantastic three wickets for nine runs from five overs proved too much for the Windward Islands batters. All-rounder Aaliyah Alleyne also bowled well picking up two wickets for 14 runs from six overs.
It was a good display with the bat and ball from Barbados to open their title defence for the Super 50 Cup.
The Bajan ladies will hope to retain their Super 50 championship trophy this year for the fourth consecutive time having lost the just concluded T-20 Blaze title a few days ago to Jamaica.
It was a good first-wicket partnership to start off Barbados’ innings between Matthews and Knight. At one point, Barbados were batting along nicely with the score on 164 after 36 overs.
The partnership was eventually broken in the 38th over as Knight went caught by Qiana Joseph at cover off the bowling of Jannillea Glasgow in what was her ninth over at the time. Kyshona Knight, the twin of Kycia, joined Matthews at the crease with the score on 177 for one.
Windward Islands medium-pacer Pearl Etienne got the big wicket of Matthews trapped leg before wicket for 99 runs having faced 135 balls.
It was a bittersweet moment for Matthews having toiled for such a long time at the crease only to be given out when she came on the front foot to play a delivery that international umpire Nigel Duguid deemed out.
Etienne and Glasgow captured one wicket each from their allotted ten overs for the Windward Islands. Etienne and Glasgow also chipped in with the bat for the Windward Islands accounting for 16 and 11 runs respectively while Japhina Joseph registered a top score of 18.
