In a rain-disrupted semi-final clash at Kensington Oval on Wednesday, cricket history was made in the Women’s Caribbean Premier League: for the first time since the tournament’s 2022 inception, two-time defending champion Barbados Tridents will not feature in the title decider, after Guyana Amazon Warriors secured a dominant seven-wicket win to knock them out.
Persistent wet weather forced significant alterations to the fixture, delaying the opening toss and trimming the contest to just eight overs per side — a format that turned every single delivery into a high-stakes moment, with no room for slow starts or mid-innings recovery. Sent into bat on a damp pitch by Guyana skipper Chloe Tryon, the Tridents struggled to find consistent rhythm, managing only 69 runs for the loss of four wickets from their allotted overs.
Barbados’ innings was plagued by early setbacks: opener Qiana Joseph retired hurt after scoring just three runs from eight deliveries at the end of the third over, and all-rounder Kiran Navgire fell for a first-ball duck on the first delivery of the fourth over. The most damaging blow came in the sixth over, when Tridents captain and star batter Hayley Matthews was run out for 22 off 14 balls, leaving the lower order with too much work to do in the remaining overs. Maddy Green top-scored for the side with an unbeaten 30 from 16 deliveries, but Guyana’s bowling unit adapted expertly to the tricky wet conditions to keep the target well within reach.
Chasing 70 for a place in the final, the Amazon Warriors faced only one minor early hiccup, losing opener Eboni Brathwaite for two runs in the first over. From there, the chase stayed firmly on track, powered by a match-winning performance from Player of the Match Tazmin Brits. Brits remained unbeaten on 35 off 23 deliveries, cracking three fours and two towering sixes to keep the run rate ticking over, while Shemaine Campbelle contributed a quickfire 22 from 12 balls. The Warriors crossed the finish line at 75 for three, with four deliveries left to spare, booking their spot in Thursday’s championship decider.
They will go head-to-head with Trinbago Knight Riders in the final, a side they already defeated during the group stage of the tournament. Following the upset, Barbados Tridents Chief Operations Officer John Mumby told local outlet Barbados TODAY that the ultra-shortened format created an unlevel playing field that made results hard to predict.
“We were just saying off camera that limited overs (in a T20 game) is always a bit of a lottery. It makes the toss really big and to have lost the toss and then be put into bat on a wet pitch with a wet ball is tricky,” Mumby explained. “I think we did pretty well [to set a 70-run victory target], but yeah, we came up just a little bit short.”
Despite the disappointing early exit, Mumby praised the passionate local support that turned out for the side on home soil. A small but loud crowd cheered the Tridents through every over, and Mumby noted that public enthusiasm for the franchise has grown dramatically this year. “I think the nation has really gotten behind both the men’s and the women’s teams this year, with huge excitement in Barbados around the Tridents identity and the national colours. All through the game you heard ‘let’s go Tridents,’ which was amazing to hear from the school kids and I think that emphasises everything the franchise has tried to do this year,” he added.