Barbados Royals win 2023 Massy Women’s CPL final

Barbados Royals Women have won the 2023 Massy Women’s Caribbean Premier League (CPL)  after beating the Guyana Amazon Warriors by eight runs at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba.

For the third time in their meetings this season, Guyana Amazon Warriors won the toss but this time Stafanie Taylor chose to bowl. Barbados Royals posted 169-8 in their 20 overs thanks to a magnificent half century by captain Hayley Matthews. In reply, the Amazon Warriors battled to the end but fell short, finishing on 161-8 in the allotted overs.

Distraught at having lost last year’s final against Trinbago Knight Riders, Hayley Matthews was determined to bring home silverware and it showed in her batting. The 25-year-old Barbadian displayed her full array of shots in this innings, which included ten boundaries to produce an eventual match-winning contribution of 82 runs. Her 108 run partnership for the second wicket with Rashada Williams (36) was the highest in the tournament and was key to getting the Royals to a competitive total.

The best opening pair in this year’s competition, Suzie Bates and Sophie  Devine, once again got off to a flyer, racing to 35 runs in 4.3 overs. Devine, the

eventual Player of the Tournament and its highest run scorer this season, was stumped one ball later by Williams after she was tempted out of her crease by Qiana Joseph.

Shermaine Campbelle arrived at the crease with the score 47-2 in the seventh over after her skipper Taylor was dismissed for just four. She combined with New Zealand international Bates in a partnership worth 60 runs. Just as it was starting to look threatening, in stepped Matthews with the ball to prise out the key wicket of Bates on 36. That dismissal brought hard hitting Natasha McClean to the crease who wasted no time getting into the swing of things. She smashed two sixes and one boundary in her short stay worth 17 runs before she was run out at the non-striker’s end by Matthews.

Once she was dismissed, all of the onus was on Campbelle to bring the title home for the Amazon Warriors but she was unable to thanks to the death bowling of Amanda Jade Wellington who picked up three wickets in the penultimate over to leave 21 runs needed from the last over.

Eleven runs were hit from the first three deliveries from Matthews but she had the last laugh as Shabnim Ismail was caught by Gaby Lewis trying to smack another boundary.

The final two deliveries of the over would see only one run conceded and the backroom staff and reserved players raced onto the field after to celebrate their first Massy Women’s Caribbean Premier League.

Summarised Scores

Barbados Royals Women 169-8 in 20 overs (Hayley Matthews 82, Rashada Williams 36; Shabnim Ismail 4-23)

Guyana Amazon Warriors Women 161-9 in 20 overs (Shermaine Campbelle 47, Suzie Bates 36; Amanda Jade Wellington 4-23, Hayley Matthews 2-38)

Barbados Royals Women won by 8 runs.