In an absolute nail-biter at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba, Trinidad, Erin Burns masterclassed with the bat to see Guyana Amazon Warriors home to an important eight-wicket win over the Trinbago Knight Riders in the 2024 Massy Women’s Caribbean Premier League. Burns blasted 78 off 48 balls to save the Warriors’ run chase during their latest victorious run chase, as they overcame early setbacks to finally post a first win of the tournament.
The Warriors, chasing a modest target of 131, were in some real trouble when they tumbled to 15/2. But Burns partnered with skipper Lauren Winfield-Hill, who made a belligerent 46 off 47 balls, and the two rebuilt the innings with a record 119-run partnership that is the highest in the history of WCPL. The resilience and tactical batting of the duo saw them through with 16 balls to spare as the Warriors bounced back into the tournament.
Earlier, Trinbago Knight Riders got off to a good start with a good opening combination of captain Deandra Dottin and Harshitha Samarawickrama. Opening the batting, they had put up 50 for the first wicket when tight spin bowling from Chloe Tryon bowled Samarawickrama. On an outstanding performance of 4-21, Tryon ripped into the Knight Riders’ batting lineup as the other batters did nothing worth mentioning, making it tough for the team to post a challenging total.
The Knight Riders, who had elected to bat first under overcast conditions, had come out with the intention to bounce back from a loss against Barbados Royals. Samarawickrama, playing in place of the injured Meg Lanning, oozed class with some classic shots through the off-side, while the other end it was Dottin doing it. And the duo looked well-set to give a sizeable platform as they took the score to 37/0 after the powerplay.
But the entry of Tryon into the attack changed the complexion of the game. In her first delivery, she broke the partnership and dismissed Dottin thanks to a sharp catch at gully by Ashmini Munisar. The over following that wicket saw Tryon removing Samarawickrama, who was done in by the attempted reverse sweep. The Knight Riders went into a lull, managing not to hit the fence for 45 balls until Jemimah Rodrigues and Jess Jonassen revived the innings to add a quick 44 runs.
There was more yet to be done by Tryon. She came back to get rid of the dangerous Jonassen, who made 28, and thereafter removed Kycia Knight in the penultimate over to ensure that the Knight Riders would be limited to 130/6 by the Warriors, a total which at the end proved below par.
The chase of the Warriors started shakily with McLean and Taylor going cheaply to leave the scoreboard reading just 15 runs when both were dismissed. But Winfield-Hill and Burns had other ideas. Running much between the wickets with intent, the pair was largely efficient in rotating strikes as they kept capitalizing on those chances. Of specific aggression for Burns was his working over of the leg-side boundaries, threading the gaps with precision. Even so, there were some nervy moments, with Burns being dropped twice before she powered her way to a half-century off just 32 balls. Her onslaught, with Winfield-Hill at the other end being the rock, saw Warriors cruise to victory and make a perfect response to their previous defeat.
With this win, the Guyana Amazon Warriors not only opened their account in the 2024 WCPL but also sent a strong message to their rivals. This match indeed showed the depth and resilience of their squad after turning a potentially difficult situation into a memorable victory on the back of Burns’ brilliance and a pivotal spell by Tryon. They will now look to build from here as the tournament progresses and looks to continue with their chase for the WCPL title.
