Guyana began their title defence in gritty fashion on Tuesday, overcoming a disciplined Windward Islands bowling attack and a late-innings charge to secure a seven-run win in the opening match of the Women’s T20 Blaze at Arnos Vale in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Defending a modest total of 96, the Guyanese bowlers leaned on their experience to stifle the chase, despite a valiant effort from the Windwards’ middle order that took the game down to the final over.
FULL SCORECARD: https://matchcentre.windiescricket.com/match/1d4fa34f-1e1c-4e5f-a04f-385b3751c180/2
Choosing to bat first, Guyana found the going difficult on a surface that offered plenty of assistance to the slow bowlers.
The top order struggled to find rhythm, but Shabika Gajnabi proved to be the glue for the defending champions. Her composed 38 was the cornerstone of the innings, providing stability while wickets fell around her.
The Windward Islands’ bowling pair of Carena Noel (1-14) and Zaida James (1-14) were particularly clinical, keeping the run rate under four for much of the powerplay.
It took a late-innings cameo from Ashmini Munisar, who finished unbeaten on 17, and a steady 16 from opener Mandy Mangru to push the total to 96-5.
The Windward Islands’ pursuit started poorly as Guyana’s spin-heavy attack squeezed the life out of the early overs. Plaffianna Millington (1-13) and Sheneta Grimmond (1-14) were instrumental in building pressure, leaving the hosts needing a significant acceleration in the back half of the innings.
That spark came from Jannillea Glasgow, who struck a defiant 41, and the experienced Afy Fletcher, who contributed 33. The duo threatened to snatch the game away as they navigated the death overs, but Guyana’s captain Munisar (1-24) held her nerve under pressure.
Guyana will look to build on this momentum and sharpen their batting performance when they return to Arnos Vale on January 15. They are set to face the Leeward Islands in a night fixture starting at 19:00h local time.
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