In a commanding show of composure and management, Windward Islands Ladies soared to their second win of the 2025 Ladies’s T20 Blaze, dismantling Leeward Islands by a convincing 53-run margin at Arnos Vale on Wednesday.
It was a contest that shortly turned one-sided, as Windwards mixed a brisk batting basis with a pointy, unrelenting bowling efficiency to cruise to victory in emphatic vogue.
Crafton’s counterattack units the tone
After being requested to bat first, the Windwards opened with intent. Left-handed duo Nerissa Crafton and Jannillea Glasgow stitched collectively a pivotal 80-run stand on the prime of the order, laying a rock-solid platform for the innings.
Crafton was the aggressor, unfurling a glowing 52 off simply 36 balls, laced with 5 boundaries and three sixes, and citing her half-century at a scorching strike price of 144. Her innings radiated confidence and management, dominating the Leewards assault within the powerplay.
When Crafton fell—caught off Rozel Liburd—Glasgow anchored the innings with a composed 27 off 38 deliveries, rotating the strike and holding the road amid a quick Windwards wobble.
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Momentum slips, however Edward and extras propel complete
Regardless of the robust basis, Windwards misplaced their grip momentarily, collapsing from 80 with out loss to 125-7. A flurry of wickets noticed skipper Zaida James (6), Afy Fletcher (2), and Earnisha Fontaine (3) all fall cheaply, as Shawnisha Hector (2-14) and Jahzara Claxton (1-17) sparked a short-lived Leewards resurgence.
Nonetheless, a fiery seven-ball 14 from Ashlene Edward offered a late burst, whereas 21 extras—together with 14 wides—lifted Windwards to a defendable 129-7 on the shut of the innings.
Fletcher spins an online as Leewards collapse
In pursuit of 130, the Leewards crumbled underneath strain. The chase was derailed virtually from the outset, as wickets fell at common intervals and partnerships didn’t type. Afy Fletcher, the skilled Windwards leg-spinner, led the cost with a mesmerizing spell of 4 for 11 from 4 overs. Her double-strike within the 14th over decisively ended any hopes of a Leewards revival.
Fletcher’s dominance was complemented by Jannillea Glasgow’s 2-13 and Zaida James’s 2-22, because the Windwards assault hunted in a pack, giving no respiration room to the batters.
Solely Qiana Joseph (17) provided temporary resistance earlier than being stumped off Niesha Cherry, and as soon as she departed, the collapse accelerated. Divya Saxena (11) and Shawnia Hector (10) have been the one others to succeed in double figures as Leewards folded for 76 in 19.1 overs.
Windwards rise, Leewards replicate
The emphatic win bolstered Windward Islands’ credentials as real contenders on this yr’s T20 Blaze. It was a whole efficiency constructed on explosive top-order batting and ruthless bowling—exactly the system wanted to go deep within the competitors.
For the Leewards, the match served as a sobering actuality examine. In a event that rewards consistency and execution, they have been totally outplayed by a Windwards outfit firing on all cylinders.
