Jamaica Empress 136 for 9 (Henry 41*, Lanning 31, Williams 31, Burns 2-3) beat Guyana Amazon Warriors 138 for 7 (Campbelle 56, Grimmond 45, Mlaba 2-15, Taylor 2-24) by one wicket (DLS method)
Following a rain interruption, the Empress required 30 runs off 16 deliveries, with Henry at 5 off 7. Aaliyah Alleyne was dismissed after a one‑handed catch by Tryon at cover. As Henry’s momentum waned and Shabnim Ismail returned for her final over—having delivered an impressive spell of 3‑0‑17‑1—the Warriors were favored, needing 28 runs off 12 balls. However, Henry answered with a six and a four off consecutive deliveries, then secured a single to retain the strike for the final over.
Trying to avoid Henry’s preferred hitting zones, Tryon began with a wide delivery. On the next two deliveries, Henry’s teammates Rosemary Mair and Syeda Aroob Shah were run out attempting to hand her the strike. With the team reduced to nine wickets, Henry could no longer gamble on runs; despite lofting the fourth ball wide of the deep mid‑wicket fielder, she remained at the crease.
With eight runs required from the final two balls, Henry struck consecutive boundaries over mid‑wicket and long‑on, prompting jubilation in the dugout of the WCPL’s newest franchise.
Asked to bat first, the Amazon Warriors endured a shaky start, falling to 7 for 2 in the fifth over after Tazmin Brits and Eboni Brathwaite were dismissed. They rebuilt through a 97‑run third‑wicket stand between Shemaine Campbelle and Realeanna Grimmond. After notching her maiden T20I half‑century for the West Indies earlier this year at the World Cup, Campbelle recorded her first half‑century in the WCPL, striking seven fours and two sixes in a brisk 33‑ball innings of 56. That partnership laid the foundation for a total of 138 for 7. When the Empress surged to 54 in the powerplay, bolstered by Meg Lanning’s 31 off 21, the Warriors appeared well behind. However, spin bowling dominated the middle overs; Erin Burns took two wickets in successive overs, restricting the Empress to 44 for 4 between overs 7 and 16, leaving them vulnerable when rain intervened.
Nevertheless, Henry, batting at No. 5 and representing her home franchise after a stint with Barbados Royals (now the Tridents) in the previous year, anchored a remarkable, comeback victory for the Empress.
