Eddie Norfolk
The ICC Americas Women’s T20 Championship concludes today (Saturday, April 28) with unbeaten Canada (4/0) and the USA (4/0) going head-to-head to decide the tournament in George Town, Grand Cayman. Canada beat Argentina by 11 runs on Friday in a game reduced to five overs per side at the Smith Road ground. Canada made 35 for four wickets (including six extras, or sundries as some call them) then held Argentina to 24 for six wickets. The USA (152 for 3wkts, 20 ov) beat Bermuda (66 for 7 wkts ,20 ov) by 86 runs.
Durriya Shabbir made 13 not out and Mahwish Khan 11 in Canada’s total of 35 for four wickets
(which includes 4 wides, a no-ball and a legbye – not just the 29 runs off the bat). Kamna
Mirchandani took the player-of-the game award in taking two wickets for 6 runs in her one over.
Now, according to the scorecard, Canada won by 11 runs, which would mean Argentina made 24
for six wickets, which is what is shown as the total on the scorecard.
But, at present, on the electronic scorecard, the 22 runs off the bat plus just one bye add up to 23,
not 24. This may be a transcription error, but one might say the bowling line of the Canadian
women must have been pretty good. The wicket was wet, as well as the outfield, hence the short
number of overs. It takes a lot of people behind the scenes to put all the pieces together, some of
whom do not get much sleep during these tournaments. So perhaps there is a missing extra to be
added to the Argentina score to make it 24 for six and an 11 run win. Or perhaps it was a win by
a dozen runs on Friday.
Friday produced the first win for the Cayman Islands women who beat Brazil (57 for 8 wkts, 13
overs) by seven wickets. Cayman Islands scored 58 runs for the loss of three wickets in 9.4
overs.
This was also the first win by a Cayman Islands national team in an ICC event in the Cayman
Islands. A wet outfield in the Jimmy Powell Oval was the cause of the reduction in overs in the
Cayman’s game. The USA-Bermuda game then followed.
Canada began this tournament with a 126 run win against Brazil, followed up with a 77 runs win
against Bermuda and then beat the hosts, Cayman Islands by 106 runs. Canada and the USA
meet in the last scheduled game of the tournament at the Jimmy Powell Oval. Argentina meet
Brazil (Smith Road) and Cayman Islands face Bermuda (Jimmy Powell) earlier in the day.
Thanks to CITN Cayman 27, Cricket Argentina, Bermuda Island Stats and, ICC Americas and
Sports for news of Friday’s matches, and to ICC Americas and Cricket Archive for details of the
earlier games. Let’s hope for a good game between Canada and the USA to end the tournament.