Ja looking to keep intensity, momentum in T20 Blaze

Defending Cricket West Indies T20 Blaze champions Jamaica are well on their way to retaining their title after picking up a second win in as many games on Sunday. They defeated Trinidad & Tobago Red Force Divas to remain on top of the standings with a maximum of eight points.

The Jamaicans won’t have it easy going forward as they face 50-over champions Barbados in today’s third-round clash at Warner Park starting at 2:30 p.m., and victory in that contest would virtually seal another title for the Shane Brooks-coached Jamaican side.

Jamaica’s win against Trinidad and Tobago came on the back of a good all-round performance from veteran Chedean Nation who contributed 32 in a total of 115 for nine. Nation also picked up a wicket to go with three wickets for Neisha Ann Waisome as Trinidad and Tobago could only manage to get to 109 for nine following the six-run loss.

The Jamaican team’s T20 performance is a far cry from their 50-over exploits, where they finished fourth after two wins and three losses.

For coach Brooks, a few critical changes are beginning to bear fruit with the team looking to leave St Kitts with silverware.

“We have made additions to the bowling and more depth in the batting and it seems to be working so far. This team seems to like to express themselves right throughout the innings, and we have been doing that in the last two games,” the Jamaican coach said.

Brooks, who won his first title with the team last year, says he has noticed a trend in regional women’s cricket with teams not being able to chase down scores over 130 runs.

With that, he has come up with a formula to secure another title for the Jamaican franchise.

“I have told my team that the only way we are going to win this competition is to beat the big teams like Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago, and this is not taking away anything else from the other teams because they have been improving and playing some good cricket.”

Stand-in captain Rashada Williams is keen to keep the winning trend intact as they face a formidable Barbados team, which sits in third place with four points following a win and a loss.

“The win against Trinidad and Tobago has taken some pressure off us, but at the end of the day, we can’t get complacent and act as if the job is over. We have to go out and keep the same intensity, momentum, and hunger going forward,” Williams said.