Canada finishes first, USA second after last day washout at 2012 ICC Americas Women’s Twenty20

The final day’s play at the 2012 ICC Americas Women’s Twenty20 Championship was abandoned due to rain on Saturday in George Town, Cayman Islands. The eagerly anticipated showdown between the tournament’s top two teams, Canada and USA, was spoiled as a result. However, Canada finished first on the net run rate tiebreaker and as a result finished as the tournament champion. Canada now advances to the 2013 ICC Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier.

While both teams finished the week 4-0, Canada was crowned the tournament champion due to a vastly superior net run rate. Canada had a net run rate of +4.923 while USA’s finished at +2.888. Argentina finished third in the tournament with a 2-2 record while Bermuda finished fourth. Cayman Islands and Bermuda had identical 1-3 records but Bermuda’s net run rate of -2.706 was fractionally better than the -2.790 of the host country. Brazil finished last at 0-4 and has been relegated to ICC Americas Women’s Division Two.

On Friday (27) the Cayman Islands achieved their only win when they took on Brazil at the Jimmy Powell Oval in a game reduced to 13 overs per side, due to a late start caused by wet spots on the pitch because of heavy overnight rain here in Grand Cayman.

Brazil won the toss and decided to bat first but soon found themselves at 28/4 inside the 8th over. The Cayman Islands were in a more positive mood today and it showed as they restricted Brazil to 57/8 with only Juliene Melo making double figures (10) from the allotted 13 overs.

This was going to be Cayman’s best opportunity this week to gain full points and with a vocal local crowd behind them, the openers raced to 30 from the first 4 overs. Wyvonne Forbes played some delightful shots with one off drive for 4 that had the JPO rocking.

Captain Molly Ann Moore joined Forbes at the fall of the 1st wicket, but Forbes was runout on (20) when she played a ball to point and the captain sent her back after a mixup in the calling. This left the host on 41/2, one more wicket fell as Cayman recorded its first victory for the tournament.