In a thrilling Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) final, Barbados Royals emerged victorious over Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) by four wickets, securing their second WCPL title.
TKR, batting first, got off to a promising start with Deandra Dottin hitting a six in the opening over. However, Hayley Matthews’ early wicket of Dottin set the tone for a challenging innings for TKR. Jemimah Rodrigues was dismissed cheaply, and Jannillea Glasgow and Shikha Pandey’s 43-run partnership was broken by Aaliyah Alleyne’s double-wicket over.
Alleyne’s devastating spell continued, as she dismissed Chedean Nation and Zaida James in quick succession, leaving TKR reeling at 73 for 6. Alleyne’s four-wicket haul, with three of her victims bowled, played a pivotal role in restricting TKR to a modest 93 for 8.
Chasing 94, Barbados Royals started aggressively with Chamari Athapaththu leading the charge. She struck three consecutive fours in the fourth over and another three in the sixth over, putting Royals in a commanding position.
However, Samara Ramnath’s dismissal of Matthews and Qiana Joseph’s wicket off Connell’s athletic catch brought TKR back into the game. Despite losing three wickets in quick succession, Athapaththu remained resolute and guided Royals to victory in the 15th over.
Athapaththu’s unbeaten 39 and Alleyne’s four-wicket haul were instrumental in Barbados Royals’ triumph. Hayley Matthews, with 11 wickets and the second-most runs in WCPL 2024, was named Player of the Tournament.
