Hayley Matthews, the captain of Barbados Royals, delivered a captain’s masterclass to guide her team to victory in a thrilling final of the Massy Women Premier League against the Guyana Amazon Warriors at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad.
The Amazon Warrior Women won the toss and chose to field, setting the stage for an intense showdown. Hayley Matthews, who had a relatively quiet tournament with the bat, rose to the occasion in the final. She played a sensational knock at the top of the order, scoring 82 runs off 59 balls. Her innings featured an impressive display of power hitting, with 10 fours and 2 sixes.
While Matthews anchored the innings, Rashada Williams contributed with a vital 36 runs, providing valuable support. Gaby Lewis chipped in with 21 runs as the Royals posted a competitive total of 169 for 7 from their allotted 20 overs.
The star bowler for the Guyana franchise was Shabnim Ismail, who finished with figures of 4 for 30, while Shreyanka Patil also picked up a wicket.
In the chase, Sophie Devine, the tournament’s leading scorer, made a promising start with 22 runs but couldn’t carry on. Susie Bates played a crucial role with her 36 runs. However, it was Shemaine Campbelle who played an exceptional unbeaten innings, scoring 47 runs with four fours and two sixes. Despite Campbelle’s heroic effort, Guyana fell short of the target.
Natasha McLean made a late contribution with a cameo worth 28 runs from 17 balls. However, Barbados Royals’ bowlers, led by Amanda-Jade Wellington with figures of 4 for 23 and skipper Hayley Matthews, who picked up two wickets, had the final say as they secured an 8-run victory.
Hayley Matthews’ outstanding all-round performance earned her the well-deserved Player of the Match award.