Alleyne leads Barbados to win against champions – 3rd round

BASSETERRE, St Kitts, CMC – An unbeaten half-century from opener Aaliyah Alleyne propelled Barbados to a ninewicket win against defending champions Jamaica in another low-scoring contest in the third round of the West Indies Women’s T20 Blaze yesterday.

The 28-year-old West Indies Women’s pacer, opening the batting, struck eight fours in a run-a-ball top score of 55, and the Barbadians successfully chased 99 to win the second match of the day’s triple-header at Warner Park. Alleyne shared 62 with left-handed opener and West Indies Women’s teammate Kycia Knight for the first wicket to set up things for Barbados before she and Kycia’s twin sister, Kyshona, another left-hander, ushered the team over the finish line with 19 balls remaining in an unbroken second wicket stand of 40.

It was the second win in three matches for the Barbadians, crowned West Indies Women’s Super50 champions for a third time in a row, in a tournament that preceded the T20 Blaze, and they now join the Jamaicans and the Windwards on eight points.

Earlier, former West Indies Women’s captain Stafanie Taylor defied the Barbados attack, comprising several of her international teammates, to lead the way for the Jamaicans with 34 not out and anchor them to a modest 98 for four. The Jamaican batting failed to fire, and no other batsman reached 20, but they managed to bat out the full allocation of 20 overs. Leg-spinner Keila Elliott was the pick of the Barbadian bowlers with two for nine from three overs.

In the opening match, Windward Islands defied an impactful spell from off-spinner Samara