Trinidad and Tobago Crush Leeward Islands in Women's T20 Blaze

BASSETERRE, St Kitts – Trinidad and Tobago made light work of Leeward Islands to post their first win of the Women’s T20 Blaze, with a comfortable nine-wicket result here Tuesday.

bricoopBritney Cooper.In the second game of the triple-header at Warner Park, T&T restricted Leewards to 78 for six from their 20 overs and then chased down the target with nearly six overs to spare.

West Indies batsman Djenaba Joseph top-scored with 22 not out, while the experienced captain Britney Cooper (21) and 19-year-old opener Shunelle Sawh (20 not out) played supporting knocks.

T&T lost their opening game to Guyana last Sunday while Leewards shocked title-holders Barbados.

Choosing to bat first, Leewards slumped to 26 for four in the 10th over and needed a 43-run, fifth wicket stand between top-scorer Jahzara Claxton (25 not out) and Divya Saxena (17) in order to recover.

The 18-year-old Claxton, who has represented West Indies-A, struck two fours in a responsible 36-ball knock while Saxena faced 26 deliveries and counted two fours.

Off-spinner Samara Ramnath ended the stand in the 18th over when she bowled Saxena, the right-hander missing a wild heave and losing her leg stump.

In reply, T&T had very few struggles, Sawh anchoring a 36-run opening stand with Cooper whose knock was a brisk one, requiring only 16 balls and including two fours.

When Cooper played across a straight delivery from pacer Shawnisha Hector and was lbw in the fifth over, Joseph arrived to see T&T over the line in an unbroken second wicket stand of 43 with Sawh.