Disputes cloud WI women’s cricket

ST GEORGE’S: The final round of matches in the 2003 West Indies Women’s Cricket League Competition finished Tuesday without an outright winner being declared as front-runners Trinidad and St Lucia await a committee’s ruling in the disputed match.  After play started, Grenada were dismissed for 115 in 44 overs. The rain came down during the lunch period, forcing a long delay to the second half of play.  Grenada said the field conditions of the outfield were not suitable for play and the team refused to take the field. Officials subsequently called off the match.

Organisers said they would await an umpires’ report before making a ruling on the outcome. The seventh round started with Trinidad in second place at nine points, one point behind defending champions St Lucia. Trinidad needed to beat Grenada to secure the league title. In a second disputed match, Guyana’s coach ordered his players off the field because he said his team acquired the revised target set by umpires in their match against Jamaica. Jamaica batted first and scored 107 in 43 for six before rain forced the players off the field. Guyana went in to bat under the impression that they had a revised target of 80 in 34 overs.

Having got to that target in over 32, batswoman Onica Wallerson was run out for 14.  Guyanese officials then raised an alarm sighting that the run out was invalid, since they had already reached their target. Umpire Glenroy Johnson said no such information was given out and that the target was 108 in 43 overs. The Guyanese players refused to take the field and play was called off with Guyana 80 for five wickets from 323 overs. In the third match played on Tuesday, St Vincent defeated the United States by 10 wickets.  The teams have an off-day today. The knockout round of the competition starts tomorrow.  The league winners would receive a bye in the first round of matches in the knockout competition.