Title-holders T&T, led by Merissa Aguilleira, will be challenged by arch-rivals Barbados in their opening match of the Women’s Regional Super50, today at the Sion Hill in St Vincent and the Grenadines.
The local women cricketers will bank on their experience as the T&T side will be boosted by a number of West Indies women’s players including its skipper, Anisa Mohammed and allrounders Stacy Ann King and Britney Cooper, who were all members of the regional team that won the ICC Women’s T20 Cup, last year in India. Mohammed will serve as vice captain
Other regional women’s stars will be on show as the likes of batting stars Stafanie Taylor of Jamaica and Deandra Dottin of Barbados suit up for their respective sides.
Taylor will seek to lead Jamaica past Leeward Islands when the teams meet at Park Hill while Windward Islands will take on Guyana at the Arnos Vale Sports Complex in their opener.
T&T ‘s unit include Karishma Ramharack, who was selected as a reserve on the WI T20 champion squad, youngster Reneice Boyce, bowlers Felicia Walters and Kamara Ragoobar, allrounders Leeann Kirby, Kirbyina Alexander and Shenelle Lord and batsman Rachael Vincent.
Twenty-year-old Boyce was skipper of the local Under-19 team that won the T20 Championsips held in T&T, last year. In that tournament, she won the award for most wicket keeping dismissals while her teammate Ragoobar got the prize for most wickets. Boyce was also one of three players, who were part of last year’s WICB Emerging Player Camp. The others were Walters and Kirby.
The newcomers are Caneisha Isaac and bowler Shanice Pascall.
Each team will play the other once in a five-round round-robin format, with the top two teams advancing to the final.
The tournament designed to further strengthen the West Indies Women’s squad for their campaign in the ICC World Cup in June. Selectors will be using the tournament to identify possible new talent which can supplement the existing West Indies squad for the June 24 to July 23 50-overs tournament in England.
