REIGNING Cricket West Indies (CWI) Rising Stars Women’s U19 Championship T20 title holders TT turned things around after an opening round loss to secure a four-wicket victory over Leeward Islands at UWI Spec in St Augustine on July 6.
After limiting the visitors to 82/8 in their 20 overs, the hosts chased down the target of 83/6 with just two balls to spare.
Choosing to bat first after winning the toss, Leewards faced early setbacks as they lost their openers Megan Baishya (one) and Katherine Rosarion (duck) cheaply to the TT bowlers.
Despite a brief partnership between skipper Jahzara Claxton (42 not out) and Sainvai Kambalapalli (16), Leewards faltered as TT’s bowlers dominated, with Claxton single-handedly leading the way for her team with an unbeaten innings.
Cassar was the standout bowler for TT, finishing with figures of 2/15, while O’Rosco (1/9), Harricharan (1/12), and Ramtahal (1/21) also chipped in with wickets.
In their chase, TT lost early wickets, but skipper Samara Ramnath’s composed knock of 35 kept them in the game. Despite some hiccups in the middle order, Cassar’s unbeaten 11 proved crucial as TT crossed the finish line with the help of Manpaul.
For Leewards, Kimberley Anthony (2/19) stood out with the ball, while Claxton and Courtney Browne took a wicket each.
In other matches, Guyana defeated Jamaica by 81 runs while the match between Windward Islands and Barbados ended in a no result due to rain interrupting play.
Looking ahead, the stage is set for round three matches on July 7, with TT facing Jamaica, Leewards meeting Windward Islands, and Barbados taking on Guyana. All matches are scheduled to start at 10am.
