Barbados crowned champions of CWI Rising Stars Women’s U19 Tournament
HIGHLIGHTS
- Barbados secured the tournament victory with a commanding seven-wicket win over the Leeward Islands in the final.
- Leeward Islands' Sainavi Kambalapalli was named tournament MVP with exceptional all-around statistics - scoring 167 runs and taking 11 wickets, despite her team finishing as runners-up.
- Barbados’ Naijanni Cumberbatch emerged as the tournament's leading wicket-taker with 17 wickets including a remarkable 6-7 bowling performance against Guyana
PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad - Barbados secured the Rising Stars Women's Under-19 Championship title with a seven-wicket victory over the Leeward Islands in a rain-affected final in Trinidad on Saturday.
After bowling out their opponents for 93 in 23.3 overs at the Diego Martin Sporting Complex, Barbados comfortably chased down the revised target of 69, reaching 72-3 in 12.2 overs.
Barbados captain Theanny Herbert-Mayers claimed 3-15 while spinner Naijanni Cumberbatch took 3-33. Leeward Islands skipper Jahzara Claxton (28) and Aliyah Weekes (20) offered some resistance for the losing finalists.
Speaking after last Saturday’s award ceremony at the Hilton Trinidad & Conference Centre, Barbados head coach Robin Parris expressed pride in his team and the tournament.
He remarked that his side’s 98-run win over Guyana in the third round was an indicator of greater things to come in the competition and praised CWI’s current pathway programme for women’s cricket.
“The tournament was a well-rounded, organized tournament. For Barbados, we exhibited players who are developing and some players peaking in their young career who are using their skill sets to blend in with the young ones.”
“For me, the examples are there. We are always trying to tell the girls, keep working on your game, you could be the next Deandra Dottin, the next Hayley Matthews or the next Shakera Selman. Once those pathways are there for the development of girls throughout the region, we will see the ladies game picking up pace.”
In Saturday's third-place play-off at the Sir Frank Worrell Memorial Ground, Trinidad and Tobago beat Jamaica by one wicket in a final-over thriller.
Jamaica posted 117 all out thanks to captain Abigail Bryce's determined 62 but Brianna Harricharan claimed 4-15 and Keira Superville took 2-2.
The hosts managed 118-9 in their chase with the winning run off the final ball of the over as Jamaica's bowlers Judeen Ebanks with 3-8 and Moniqueca Reid with 3-36 threatened to spoil their would-be party.
Windward Islands defeated Guyana by ten wickets in the fifth-place play-off at the National Cricket Centre in Couva. Guyana finished 51 all out largely due to Amiah Gilbert’s bowling figures of 5-12, before Gilbert smashed an unbeaten 42 from 28 deliveries to help the Windwards reach their target in 8.2 overs.
This year’s competition was severely disrupted by rain from the opening round, with several matches abandoned including the early encounters between Trinidad & Tobago and Leeward Islands as well as Windward Islands versus Barbados.
Jamaica defeated Guyana by six wickets via the DLS method after restricting their opponents to just 27-3 in 10 overs before chasing down the target in 7.1 overs.
The weather continued to wreak havoc in round two, with Trinidad & Tobago versus Barbados and Jamaica versus Leeward Islands both abandoned without a ball bowled.
Guyana bounced back from their opening round defeat with a four-wicket victory over the Windward Islands.
The tournament hit full stride in round three with all three matches played.
Jamaica dominated Trinidad & Tobago in a 56-run victory. The Leeward Islands enjoyed a crushing 81-run victory over the Windward Islands while Barbados demonstrated their title credentials with a convincing 98-run victory over Guyana.
Trinidad & Tobago claimed their first victory of the tournament in the fourth round with a dominant 10-wicket thrashing of the Windward Islands, while Barbados continued their impressive form with a nine-wicket victory over Jamaica.
Leeward Islands kept pace with a seven-wicket defeat of Guyana.
In the penultimate round, Barbados maintained their perfect record with a seven-wicket victory over the Leeward Islands. Trinidad & Tobago secured a tense two-wicket victory over Guyana, while the Windward Islands finally claimed their first win of the tournament as they beat Jamaica by four wickets.
List of Awardees:
Player of Match Awards
Round 1 - Guyana vs Jamaica - Davehjah Brown - Jamaica (2-15)
Round 2 - Guyana vs Windward Islands - Tia Issacs- Guyana (4-15 & 16*)
Round 3 - Barbados vs Guyana - Naijanni Cumberbatch- Barbados (6-7)
Trinidad and Tobago vs Jamaica - Abigail Bryce - Jamaica (57*)
Leeward Islands vs Windward Islands - Sainavi Kambalapalli- Leeward Islands (27 & 6-8)
Round 4 - Trinidad and Tobago vs Windward Islands - Amrita Ramtahal- T&T (5-16/ 19*)
Jamaica vs Barbados - Asabi Callender- Barbados (52*)
Guyana vs Leeward Islands - Sainavi Kambalapalli- Leeward Islands (4-22 & 37*)
Round 5 - Trinidad and Tobago vs Guyana -Brianna Harricharan T&T (5/20)
Leeward Islands vs Barbados - Naijanni Cumberbatch- Barbados (5/8)
Windward Islands vs Jamaica - Selena Ross Windward Islands (6/4)
Round 6 - Playoffs
5/6 Place Play Off - Amiah Gilbert Windward Islands (5/12 runs & 42*)
3/4 Place Play Off - Brianna Harricharan T&T (4 wickets for 15 runs)
Final - Theanny Herbert-Mayers Barbados (3 Wickets for 15 runs)
Team Awards - Outstanding Players
Barbados - Theanny Herbert-Mayers
Guyana - Laurene Williams
Jamaica - Teandra Issacs
Leeward Islands - Courtney Browne
Trinidad and Tobago - Amrita Ramtahal
Windward Islands - Daisy Woods
Fielder with Most Catches - Natalia Phillip Windward Islands (4)
Bowler With Most Wickets - Naijanni Cumberbatch- Barbados 17 Wickets Avg. 3.82
Best Wicket Keeper Award - Kaela George (Windward Islands) and Katherine Bean-Rosario (Leeward Islands) 4 dismissals
Batter with Most Runs - Sainavi Kambalapalli - Leeward Islands 167 Runs Avg 83.50
2025 West Indies Rising Stars Women's Under-19 Championship MVP
Sainavi Kambalapalli- Leeward Islands
167 runs average 83.50 runs and 11 wickets avg 7.18
Special Awards:
In Recognition and Appreciation of Long-Standing Service and Dedication to the Development of Female Cricket in the West Indies
Marjorie Thomas
Stephanie Power
Ann Browne-John