Zaida James again led the batting for the Windward Islands Under-19 women cricket team when they clashed with the touring USA Under-19 women cricket team on Tuesday afternoon at the Arnos Vale Cricket Ground.
Although she had a new opening partner in Skyy Smith, James was under pressure to keep the scoreboard ticking, as a rain stoppage forced the match to be reduced to 15 overs per inning.
In a much improved batting display, the hosts reached 84 for 3, Zaida James top-scoring with 35 inclusive of 3 boundaries. Tracey Byron made 13, and extras contributed 27.
Bowling for the tourists Trisha Bhima had one for 09, Yashaadiki Teki one for 10, and one for 12.
Rain again forced the match to be further reduced via the Duckworth / Lewis method. It was 99 the target off 15 overs, but another rain delay saw a revised target of 53 in 7 overs.
Disha Dhingra remained 18 not out, with contribution of 09 coming from the bat of Ritu Singh, while Yashaadiki Teki and Laasya Mullapudi made 06 each.
Extras totalled 12, with Skyy Smith taking three for 15, and Christy Blake one for 10. Thirteen was needed off the final over, and despite all her efforts to pull off a victory, Zaida James just failed at the final ball bowled as the USA Under-19 women won by six wickets off the final ball reaching 53 for 4.
The USA Under-19 women lead the series 2-nil, with the final two games on Thursday and Friday January 27 and 28, 2022, respectively. Both games will be played at the Arnos Vale Cricket Ground and commences at 10:00 a.m. on both days.
Robertson S. Henry is a multi-time award winning sports journalist from Saint Lucia, currently residing in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. His coverage of sporting events both locally and regionally, not just landed him the Sports Journalist of the Year Award on numerous occasions, but recognition from the International Olympic Committee in 2005.
Henry began his fulltime career in journalism with the now defunct Crusader Newspaper in 1994, and worked with the Voice Newspaper until 2007. He established the sports website sportcaraibe, and believes “sports is the fourth pillar in the socio-economic development of the Caribbean.”
Henry has also produced work for a number of regional newspapers including the Trinidad Guardian, Stabroek Newspaper of Guyana, and in 2010 did a photo-shoot of Australian cricket captain Michael Clarke for the Australian Herald.
