The Guyana Amazon Warriors Women got their first win of the 2023 WCPL season with a 21-run triumph over the Trinbago Knight Riders Women at the Queen’s Park Oval on Tuesday.

The Amazon Warriors posted 132 all out in 19.5 overs after winning the toss. Sophie Devine continued her good form this season with a top score of 48 while Captain Stafanie Taylor made 32 against four-wicket hauls from Anisa Mohammed and Marie Kelly for TKR.

Knight Riders Captain Deandra Dottin then led the way with 35 but it wasn’t enough as they were restricted to 111-9 off their 20 overs.

Shreyanka Patil (2-15 from four), Karishma Ramharack (2-16 from four), Sophie Devine (2-27 from four) and Shabnim Ismail (2-29 from four) all bowled well for the Amazon Warriors.

The squads for the Massy Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) have been announced with all local and overseas players for the 2023 tournament now confirmed. The Massy WCPL gets underway in Barbados on 31 August with the final taking place in Trinidad on 10 September. 

The star-studded squads feature the best players from across the Caribbean, including Deandra Dottin, Hayley Matthews and Stafanie Taylor. There will also be overseas players from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland and India with some of the best international cricketers appearing in an expanded Massy WCPL. 

New Zealanders Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates and Fran Jonas will be playing at the 2023 Massy WCPL. They will be joined by Australians Laura Harris and Amanda-Jade Wellington. South Africans Dane van Niekerk, Mignon de Preez and Shabnim Ismail will also be at the 2023 event.

Shreyanka Patil becomes the first Indian to play at the WCPL with Ireland players Orla Prendergast and Gaby Lewis rounding out the overseas players list.

Barbados Royals: Hayley Matthews, Afy Fletcher, Aaliyah Alleyne, Chinelle Henry, Rashada Williams, Jannillea Glasgow, Chedean Nation, Vanessa Watts, Qiana Joseph, Trishan Holder, Jahzara Claxton, Marizanne Kapp, Laura Harris, Gaby Lewis, Amanda-Jade Wellington

Guyana Amazon Warriors: Stafanie Taylor, Karishma Ramharack, Natasha McLean, Shermaine Campbelle, Shakiba Gajnabi, Shakera Selman, Sheneta Grimmond, Kaysia Schultz, Suzie Bates, Shabnim Ismail, Shreyanka Patil, Cherry-Ann Fraser, Ashmini Munisar, Djenaba Joseph, Sophie Devine

Trinbago Knight Riders: Deandra Dottin, Shamilla Connell, Anisa Mohammed, Kycia Knight, Kyshona Knight, Britney Cooper, Zaida James, Lee-Ann Kirby, Carena Noel, Samara Ramnath, Shunelle Sawh, Orla Prendergast, Mignon du Preez, Dane van Niekerk, Fran Jonas

The 2023 edition of the Women's CPL will feature seven matches, as opposed to four in the inaugural season last year. The league will host will get underway on August 30, with the final taking place on September 10 in Trinidad and Tobago.

As was the case last year, the sides taking part are Trinbago Knight Riders, Barbados Royals and Guyana Amazon Warriors. Barbados will serve as the other venue for the tournament.

In 2022, each side played one group game, before TKR, led by Deandra Dottin, beat Barbados Royals, who were captained by current West Indies skipper Hayley Matthews, in the final in St Kitts.

This time around, the group stage will feature a double round-robin format, with the top two qualifying for the final.

"We are hugely excited to have an expanded WCPL schedule for 2023 and we are grateful to the government of Trinidad & Tobago for their support in helping to grow the tournament in 2023," Pete Russell, the CPL CEO, said.

Minister of Sport and Community Development Shamfa Cudjoe said: "Once again, the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is pleased to partner with the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) as we get ready to host the final match of the 2023 Women's CPL. The hosting of this game comes at an opportune time as it strategically aligns with the goal of the Ministry's ongoing Pink Reign TT campaign, which speaks to promoting women and girls in sport."

The scheduling of the WCPL means the tournament avoids a clash with the Women's Hundred this year, with that competition running from August 1 to 27. It allows Matthews and Dottin to be available for the entirety of the Hundred before the WCPL starts, and frees other players signed up to both tournaments to play each in full. There was a significant overlap last year, with the final of the Women's Hundred on September 3 and the WCPL final the following day.

Sune Luus, Chloe Tryon, Ayabonga Khaka, Chamari Athapaththu, Hayley Jensen and Fatima Sana were the overseas players at the 2022 WCPL.

The squads for the Massy Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) and the Women’s SKYEXCH 6IXTY have been confirmed with the best players from across the region joining up with overseas stars. Both tournaments will take place at Warner Park, St Kitts with SKYEXCH 6IXTY from 24 to 28 August and the Massy WCPL running from 31 August to 4 September. 

The three teams will be captained by Hayley Matthews (Barbados Royals), Stafanie Taylor (Guyana Amazon Warriors) and Deandra Dottin (Trinbago Knight Riders). Each squad will have three overseas spots with players from South Africa, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and the USA. 

The Royals will feature Pakistani bowling all-rounder, Fatima Sana, who has played 40 times for her country. Sana was part of the Pakistan squad that look part in the recently concluded Commonwealth Games tournament in Birmingham. 

Joining Sana at the Royals is South African all-rounder Chloe Tyron who brings a huge amount of experience to the Barbados franchise having played 174 times for her country. 

The final overseas player for the Royals is USA under-19 player Snigdha Paul. An all-rounder, Paul has impressed in the recently concluded series against the West Indies U19 side, claiming four wickets with an economy rate of 2.92.  

The Guyana Amazon Warriors will be joined by Sri Lankan captain Chamari Athapaththu who has played in almost 200 internationals. An opening batter, Athapaththu has made six international hundreds with an ODI high score of 178*. 

Also with the Amazon Warriors is South African seam bowler, Ayabonga Khaka. With a T20 International bowling average of just 24.02 and an economy rate of 6.43, Khaka will bring wickets and control to the Warriors team. 

The final Amazon Warriors overseas player is 16-year-old Isani Vaghela who has already represented the USA national team. 

The Trinbago Knight Riders will feature New Zealand seam bowler Hayley Jensen who has 75 international caps and who has played for both Melbourne Renegades and Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash in Australia. 

Joining Jensen at the Knight Riders will be South African captain Sune Luus who has made major contributions at the highest level as a spin bowling all-rounder. With 17 fifties and four five wicket hauls at the international level she brings real balance to this Knight Riders squad. 

The last overseas spot for the Knight Riders goes to USA international medium pacer Geetika Kodali who was impressive at the recent Fairbreak T20 tournament in the UAE.  

Pete Russell, Hero CPL’s CEO, said: “We are really pleased with the quality of international signings for the inaugural Massy WCPL and SKYEXCH 6IXTY tournaments and we look forward to welcoming these players in St Kitts for these two exciting competitions.” 

 Full Squads:

Barbados Royals

Hayley Matthews (Captain), Shakera Selman (Vice Captain), Fatima Sana (Pakistan), Chloe Tryon (South Africa), Snighda Paul (USA), Reneice Boyce, Mandy Rangru, Brittney Cooper, Aaliyah Alleyne, Shanika Bruce, Afy Fletcher, Qiana Joseph, Japhina Joseph, Chinelle Henry.

Guyana Amazon Warriors

Stafanie Taylor (Captain), Shermaine Campbelle (Vice Captain), Chamari Athapaththu (Sri Lanka), Ayabonga Khaka (South Africa), Isani Vaghela (USA), Rashada Williams, Rachel Vincent, Kaysia Schultz, Chedean Nation, Cherry-Ann Fraser, Shamilia Connell, Karishma Ramharack, Shabika Gajnabi, Zaida James.

 Trinbago Knight Riders

Deandra Dottin (Captain), Anisa Mohammed (Vice Captain), Hayley Jensen (New Zealand), Sune Luus (South Africa), Geetika Kodali (USA), Lee Ann Kirby, Kyshona Knight, Kycia Knight, Natasha McLean, Sheneta Grimmond, Caniesha Isaac, Jannillea Glasgow, Steffie Soogrim, Shawnisha Hector.

West Indies Women stars Deandra Dottin, Hayley Matthews, and Stafanie Taylor will lead the inaugural three teams of the Women’s Caribbean Premier League, which is expected to bowl off in August.

The three-team tournament will take place in  St Kitts and Nevis and feature the Barbados Royals, Guyana Amazon Warriors, and Trinbago Knight Riders franchises.  Matthews will be captain of the Royals, Taylor the Guyana Amazon Warriors, and Dottin the Trinbago Knight Riders.

The players taking part in the competition were drafted from a pool put together by Cricket West Indies (CWI’s) selection committee out of which 33 were picked.  Each team will have the option of signing three overseas players which will bring the total squad size to 14.