In a short turnaround for the Chinelle Henry-led Barbados Royals were up against the Trinbago Knight Riders led by skipper Deandra Dottin in the 3rd match of the Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) 2025 at the Providence Stadium, Guyana. The defending champions started their campaign in the 4th edition of the tournament in emphatic fashion by defeating Guyana Amazon Warriors by 7 wickets in the 2nd game of the tournament.
Qiana Joseph’s half-century, Kycia Knight’s cameo guides the Royals to 137/6
The Royals openers, Qiana Joseph and Chamari Athapaththu, provided them a flying start, with a 59-run opening partnership, after skipper Chinelle Henry won the toss and opted to bat first. The pair scored at a rate of over 8 runs an over. Jahzara Claxton broke the stand, by sending a dangerous Chamari Athapaththu (14 off 12 balls) back to the pavilion in the 7th over of the innings to provide the first breakthrough for the Trinbago Knight Riders.
Barbados lost momentum, and the innings that looked poised for a solid total tapered off courtesy of regular breakthroughs from the Knight Riders bowlers, handing the advantage back to the Deandra Dottin-led side. However, a lower-order cameo from Kycia Knight (33* off 21 balls) propelled them to a fighting total of 137/6 in their quota of 20 overs.
Skipper Deandra Dottin (4-0-22-2) led from the front, while Jess Jonassen (4-0-25-1), Samara Ramnath (3-0-18-1), and Jahzara Claxton (2-0-25-1), and Salonee Dangore (3-0-13-0) were impressive with the ball for Trinbago Knight Riders.
Chamari Athapaththu’s 4-fer seals the deal for Barbados Royals
Chasing a tricky total of 138, the Trinbago Knight Riders failed to adapt to the conditions on offer, which resulted in a dramatic collapse. As a result, they were bundled out for 78, with 27 balls to spare. The Sri Lankan skipper Chamari Athapaththu spun a web with her immaculate line and length combined with accuracy, returning with sensational match figures of 3-1-7-4 in her match-defining spell. Sheneta Grimmond (2-0-12-2), Shamilia Connell (2.3-1-10-1), and Afy Fletcher (3-0-14-1) were impressive with the ball for Barbados Royals.
Wicket-keeper batter Lizelle Lee (39* off 44 balls), Shikha Pandey (10 off 9 balls), and Jess Jonassen (10 off 12 balls) were the top performers with the bat for Trinbago Knight Riders. The Royals sealed the game by 59 runs, and Chamari Athapaththu was awarded the Player of the Match for her impressive all-round performance.
