The Twenty20 Blaze, officially the Cricket West Indies Women's Twenty20 Blaze and previously known as the West Indies Cricket Board Regional Women's Twenty20 Championship, is a women's Twenty20 cricket competition organised by Cricket West Indies.

Twenty20 Blaze
Countries West Indies
AdministratorCricket West Indies (CWI)
FormatTwenty20
First edition2012
Latest edition2024
Tournament formatRound-robin
Number of teams6
Current championJamaica (4th title)
Most successfulJamaica (4 titles)

The competition began in 2012 and currently features six Caribbean teams competing in a round-robin group stage. The competition runs alongside the Women's Super50 Cup. The current champions are Jamaica, who won the competition in 2024.

History

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The tournament began in 2012, as the West Indies Cricket Board Regional Women's Twenty20 Championship. The tournament was a round-robin of eight teams, with a subsequent final, along with 3rd, 5th and 7th place play-offs. Jamaica were the inaugural winners of the tournament, beating Trinidad and Tobago in the final, with Jamaica captain Stafanie Taylor being named Player of the Tournament.[1] The following season, 2013, the eight teams were divided into two groups of four, with the top two in each group proceeding to the semi-finals. Jamaica won the tournament a second time, beating Barbados in the final.[2]

The tournament was then not played until 2016, and was also reduced to six teams, with Leeward Islands and Windward Islands replacing the teams representing their constituent nations. The teams played in two groups of three with the winner of each group progressing to the final, in which Trinidad and Tobago beat Jamaica.[3] In 2018, the six teams played in a round-robin group, with Barbados being crowned champions after topping the group.[4]

The next tournament was played in the 2018–19 season, being played in March and April 2019, and was renamed the Twenty20 Blaze. The same format as the previous season was retained, and Barbados again won the tournament, claiming their second title.[5]

The tournaments scheduled to take place in 2020 and 2021 were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[6][7] Due to the postponements, the most recent winner of the competition, Barbados, qualified to participate in the 2022 Commonwealth Games.[7] The Twenty20 Blaze returned in June 2022, with Jamaica winning their third title.[8][9] Barbados won the tournament in 2023, beating Guyana on head-to-head record.[10] Jamaica won their fourth title in 2024, winning the group unbeaten.[11]

Teams

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Team First Last Titles
Barbados 2012 2024
3
Dominica 2012 2013
0
Grenada 2012 2013
0
Guyana 2012 2024
0
Jamaica 2012 2024
4
Leeward Islands 2016 2024
0
Saint Lucia 2012 2013
0
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2012 2013
0
Trinidad and Tobago 2012 2024
1
Windward Islands 2016 2024
0

Roll of Honour

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Season Winner Runner-up Leading run-scorer Leading wicket-taker Ref
2012 Jamaica Trinidad and Tobago Stafanie Taylor (Jam) 409 Shaquana Quintyne (Bar) 15 [1]
2013 Jamaica Barbados Stafanie Taylor (Jam) 170 Kirbyina Alexander (T+T) 11 [2]
2016 Trinidad and Tobago Jamaica Shemaine Campbelle (Guy) 182 Anisa Mohammed (T+T); Erva Giddings (Guy); Shanel Daley (Jam) 9 [3]
2018 Barbados Jamaica Hayley Matthews (Bar) 173 Chedean Nation (Jam); Vanessa Watts (Jam) 9 [4]
2018–19 Barbados Jamaica Deandra Dottin (Bar) 222 Hayley Matthews (Bar) 11 [5]
2022 Jamaica Barbados Hayley Matthews (Bar) 191 Shanika Bruce (Bar) 9 [9]
2023 Barbados Guyana Kycia Knight (Bar) 165 Afy Fletcher (WI) 10 [10]
2024 Jamaica Guyana Rashada Williams (Jam) 183 Plaffiana Millington (Guy) 11 [10]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "West Indies Cricket Board Regional Women's Twenty20 Championship 2012". CricketArchive. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  2. ^ a b "West Indies Cricket Board Regional Women's Twenty20 Championship 2013". CricketArchive. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  3. ^ a b "West Indies Cricket Board Regional Women's Twenty20 Championship 2016". CricketArchive. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  4. ^ a b "West Indies Cricket Board Regional Women's Twenty20 Championship 2018". CricketArchive. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  5. ^ a b "West Indies Cricket Board Women's Twenty20 Blaze 2018/19". CricketArchive. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  6. ^ "Caribbean Cricket Side to Fill One of Two Remaining Spots in Commonwealth Tournament". Caribbean National Weekly. 27 April 2021. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  7. ^ a b "Barbados Women to Play At Commonwealth Games 2022; CWI Women's Regionals Postponed". Windies Cricket. Retrieved 14 August 2021.
  8. ^ "Women's Cricket Returns with the CG Insurance Super50 Cup and T20 Blaze in Guyana". Windies Cricket. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
  9. ^ a b "2022 T20 Blaze". Windies Cricket. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  10. ^ a b c "2023 Women's T20 Blaze". Windies Cricket. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
  11. ^ "2024 West Indies Cricket Board Women's Twenty20 Cup 2023/24". CricketArchive. Retrieved 26 March 2024.