Royals Secure Decisive Victory in World Cricket Premier League Title Defense Opener

The second match of the 2025 Massy Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) unfolded on September 8th at the Providence Stadium, featuring a captivating contest between the Barbados Royals and the Guyana Amazon Warriors. The match, ultimately truncated by a floodlight failure, saw the Royals emerge victorious by 7 wickets with four balls remaining, achieving their revised target under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.

The Guyana Amazon Warriors, opting to bat first after winning the toss, put up a commendable total of 154/4 in their allotted 20 overs. Realeanna Grimmond shone brightly for the Warriors, crafting a maiden WCPL half-century with a well-paced 61 runs from 57 balls. Her knock, interspersed with elegant strokes and astute running, not only anchored the Warriors’ innings but also marked the first fifty of the 2025 WCPL tournament, setting a benchmark for the batters to follow. While other contributions came from various members of the Warriors lineup, Grimmond’s innings stood out as the defining performance for her team.

The Barbados Royals embarked on their chase with a palpable sense of urgency, their top-order laying a robust foundation for the run chase. Chamari Athapaththu, with a brisk 29 off 24 balls, set the tempo early, while Qiana Joseph (22 off 22) and Georgia Redmayne (33 off 29) maintained the momentum. Their combined contributions ensured that the Royals remained on track despite the intermittent loss of wickets. The unexpected floodlight failure at a crucial juncture in the game brought the DLS method into play, reducing the Royals’ target to 137 runs from 18 overs.

The interruption and the revised target introduced an element of uncertainty into the game. With the Royals at 87/3 at the start of the thirteenth over, having just lost Courtney Webb for a meager six runs, the match hung in the balance. The pressure was palpable, and the momentum seemed to have shifted slightly towards the Warriors. It was at this critical juncture that Royals skipper Chinelle Henry stepped up to the plate, unleashing a blistering display of power hitting.

Henry’s explosive innings of 37 runs from a mere 19 balls dramatically altered the course of the match. Her aggressive approach, punctuated by two fours and four towering sixes, not only demoralized the Warriors’ bowling attack but also instilled a renewed sense of confidence within the Royals’ camp. Henry’s captain’s knock proved decisive, propelling her team to victory and earning her well-deserved accolades.

The victory propelled the Barbados Royals to the top of the WCPL points table, edging ahead of the Guyana Amazon Warriors on net run rate and holding a game in hand. While the tournament is still in its nascent stages, the early matches have showcased a high level of competitiveness among the participating teams, suggesting a thrilling and closely contested WCPL season ahead. The match between the Royals and the Warriors underlined the unpredictable nature of T20 cricket, demonstrating how quickly fortunes can change in this dynamic format.