Jamaica senior women’s cricket Head Coach Shane Brooks says the dominant display in the 2024 regional competitions in St Kitts & Nevis is the perfect rally after last season’s disappointments.

The Stafanie Taylor-captained Jamaicans won four of five matches to lift the CG United Women’s Super50 Cup which was scheduled from March 4-13.

They accumulated 24 points to finish ahead of Guyana (18), Windward Islands (16), Barbados (14), Trinidad & Tobago (four), and Leeward Islands (two).

They completed the coveted double when they claimed the T20 Blaze, winning all five matches during the March 17-25 tournament.

They tallied 21 points, followed by Guyana (13), Trinidad & Tobago (nine), Leeward Islands (nine), Barbados (eight), and Windward Islands (four).

After clinching the regional Twenty20 title and finishing second in the Super50 in 2022, Jamaica’s women placed fourth in both competitions last year.

Brooks told the Jamaica Observer that a fitter, better prepared squad was well equipped to endure the rigours of competition this time around.

“When leaving Jamaica I believed that once our players stayed on the park, and we maintained a level of fitness right throughout, we would have done well,” he said on Wednesday.

“I had no doubt in my mind Jamaica would have won the double. We have the quality, we were well drilled, we were well prepared, and mentally we were in a very good place and space.

“I believe that when a team is prepared well they will definitely play well, and it was shown in this year’s tournaments. I stressed on [the Jamaica Cricket Association] giving the coaches what they want, giving the support in terms of staff and facilities to work…and it clearly shows,” Brooks reiterated.

After the 2023 campaign was a struggle on multiple fronts, he said corrective measures were implemented.

“Last year nothing went well,” he said.

“Five out of 14 ladies on the tour were injured, and we just never had our best team on the park at any time, and our captain [Taylor] was not at her best in 2023.

“But this time around we learnt and we stressed that preparation is key…and it worked for us. We planned for every team and based on the material we left Jamaica with, we knew how we’d best use it, and we’re happy that all we put together paid off,” the Jamaica women’s coach explained.

He said a determined bunch that entered the 2024 campaign.

“The ladies are very elated about winning…they are over the moon — it is well deserved because they have worked very hard. They had a plan in their mind to better what they did last year when we came fourth out of six [teams], and we didn’t feel good about that…and as you can see from the [results] we had this year, we showed clear dominance.”

Brooks said their confidence had been boosted after they snatched the Super50 Cup, during which they only losing to Guyana in the last match of the tournament after the title had already been secured.

“After playing the 50 over and moving into the T20, we were able to assess all the teams and we knew what they would come with.

“[Opponents] were somewhat afraid of the power that we had in our top five and it showed because whenever a total was set we chased it down with not much trouble. This is how we had been training — all our practice games leading up to the competitions we had been scoring at six and seven runs per over against male counterparts.”

The 27-year-old wicketkeeper-batter Rashada Williams topped the T20 tournament scorers’ chart with 183 at an average of 45.75, while 32-year-old Taylor was fourth with 112 at 56.

Williams’ five dismissals behind the stumps were only second to Guyanese wicketkeeper Shemaine Campbelle (six).

In the wicket-takers column, pace bowling all-rounder Chinelle Henry, 28, was third in the tournament with eight wickets at a 12.25 average.

Brooks saluted the collective performance.

“It’s a total team effort…everybody came in and did what they had to,” he told the
Observer. “The captain had a good tournament both as a leader, and with the ball and bat. Rashada Williams had a very good tournament, she made the most runs in the T20 format and was very, very good with the glove

“We had Chedean Nation who was positive in her intent, and Vanessa Watt has always been leading our bowling, and she did well again. Chinelle Henry has been one of the top all-rounders in the world and she came to the party, doing well with bat and ball. Kate Wilmott, our young fast bower, came in and bowled extremely fast.