Matthews leads Royals past Warriors

Defending Women’s Caribbean Premier League (CPL) champions Barbados Royals got off to a winning start in the tournament with a thrilling one-wicket win over the Guyana Amazon Warriors at the Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad.

The Royals were led by a magnificent performance from their captain Hayley Matthews, the best female T20 all-rounder in the world, which helped them get up to 119-9 off 19.5 overs in reply to the Warriors’ total of 118-9.

Matthews struck an unbeaten 61 from 58 balls, which included seven boundaries, she also grabbed two wickets to take home the Player-of-the-Match award.

With wickets falling, Matthews found a reliable partner in Qiana Joseph, adding 42 runs in five overs after the Royals had stumbled to 50-4.

The Royals were well on their way to victory at 92-4, before Joseph, who made 24, became one of four wickets taken by medium pacer Shabnim Ismail causing a middle order collapse.

Ismail also bagged the wicket of Chinelle Henry for four, as the Royals found themselves in trouble after they lost five wickets for 23 runs, stumbling on 115-9.

But Matthews remained calm, and together with the last batter Shakera Selman, carried Royals across the finish line.

Earlier, the Warriors’ top five batters started of well but they all failed to perform, as they went from 100 for four in the 17th over to lose their last five wickets for an additional 18 runs.

Stafanie Taylor led the Warriors with 38, but once she was dismissed Matthews and Amanda Jade-Wellington shared four wickets between them to ensure the Warriors collapse.

Medium pacer Aaliyah Alleyne was the pick of the Royals bowlers with 3-21—while Matthews, Jade-Wellington and Joseph all grabbed two wickets apiece.