Dottin fails as Thunder ties Central Sparks

CMC – Retired West Indies superstar Deandra Dottin failed for the first time, as Thunder pulled off a dramatic tie with Central Sparks in a rain-marred contest in the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy Saturday.

Sent in at Old Trafford, Thunder racked up 234 off 47.1 overs, Sophie Ecclestone top-scoring with 74, and Emma Lamb getting 56.

Dottin, arriving at Number Five, scored only eight.

Matthews out of T20 Blaze owing to workload management

CMC – West Indies captain Hayley Matthews will miss the T20 Blaze chapter of the West Indies Women’s championship which bowls off today.

According to Cricket West Indies, the stylish right-hander and off-break bowler who also leads her native Barbados, “has been granted a recovery period after the CG United Super50 Cup as part of CWI’s player workload management.”

This means Matthews will feature only in the 50over format which precedes the T20 phase, when Barbados take on traditional rivals Trinidad and Tobago at Warner Park here Monday. Jamaica, meanwhile, will be without their West Indies all-rounder Chinelle Henry who is still recovering from an injury sustained in the T20 World Cup earlier this year.

CWI said Henry was on a “return to play rehabilitation programme.”

The Super50 Cup runs from May 8-17 while the T20 Blaze will be played from May 20-27.

“Our regional Women’s tournaments will be our focus over the upcoming period as we provide a window for our best female players to showcase their

Lamb, who struck eight fours off 68 balls, put on 42 for the first wicket with Naomi Dattani (16), before putting on 63 for the second wicket with Fi Morris, who made 31.

Dottin was part of a collapse which saw four wickets tumble for talent,” said CWI director of cricket, Jimmy Adams.

15 runs, but Ecclestone lashed eight fours and a brace of sixes in a 65-ball knock to rescue Thunder. She posted 31 for the sixth wicket with Liberty Heap (17), and then dominated a 38-run, eighth wicket stand with Tara Norris (8).

Set a revised target of 224 off 45 overs, captain and opener Eve Jones topscored with 69 off 106 ball s with seven fours, while Erin Burns got 37, and Ami Campbell, 28, but Sparks still required eight runs from the last over.

Last-wicket pair Davina Perrin (27 not-out) and Grace Potts (seven notout) then scraped seven of the runs needed to ensure the scores finished level. Dottin scored 51 and 41 in her previous two outings in the tournament.

“Players and teams will hopefully put in strong performances across both formats to impress for selection to international, ‘A’ and Emerging Player squads.”

Barbados, defending champions in the Super50 Cup, boast a strong team with the likes of seasoned West Indies campaigners Shakera Selman, the Knight twins Kycia and Kyshona, Aaliyah Alleyne and Shamilia Connell all included.

Reigning T20 champions Jamaica, who will be captained by former West Indies skipper Stafanie Taylor, will feature West Indies stars Rashada Williams, Natasha McLean and Chedean Nation, with former international Vanessa Watts also named in the squad.

Trinidad and Tobago is being led by veteran West Indies off-spinner Anisa Mohammed who has not played serious competitive cricket in eight months, after taking a self-imposed break last year.

West Indies stroke-maker Shemaine Campbelle will lead Guyana while her international team-mate, veteran leg-spinner Afy Fletcher, captains the Windward Islands.