North Zone Academy Women stamped their authority on the Trinidad and Tobago Women’s Cricket Association 30-over tournament, powering to second place with a crushing nine-wicket victory over a depleted Brenda Solozano Cricket Academy (BSCA) on Sunday.
At the Brian Lara Recreation Ground in Santa Cruz, with stand-in captain Kimora Daniel at the helm, BSCA won the toss and elected to bat first.
BSCA’s challenge was undermined from the start, arriving with just nine players—North Zone wasted no time in capitalizing.
BSCA’s inning never truly settled.
Tenille Smith offered brief resistance with a fighting 22, but Daniel (1/10) and Abena Nesbitt (1/13) kept the pressure on.
The breakthrough moment came when left-arm seamer Freeda La Rosa ripped through the middle order with two wickets in a single over, before leg-spinner Alexa Baboolal tightened the screws further.
Jessica Davis, after a disciplined opening spell, returned to finish the job in style—snatching two wickets in three balls as BSCA folded for just 67 in 16.5 overs.
The chase was short but emphatic.
Prolific opener Naomi Ali came out blazing, cracking three boundaries in the opening over to set the tone.
Daniel added a brisk 16 off 13 balls before falling to youthful spinner Emma Mungal.
There was no late drama as Ali, unbeaten on 33, alongside Davis (9*) sealed victory off the final ball of the sixth over.
Ali’s form has been nothing short of extraordinary; she remains unbeaten in her last 111 balls, amassing 163 runs since her previous dismissal, including a commanding 130 not out in her last outing.
Assistant coach Jessel George praised his team’s ruthlessness.
“Although we lost the toss, we still took advantage of the opportunity—the side came a little short. We bowled them out, and we chased down the runs hard enough to get the bonus point, and that was an excellent performance from the girls overall,” he said.
The result caps a remarkable turnaround for North Zone, who finished fifth in their debut season in 2025, but now claim second spot with four wins from six games.
George credited his team’s off-season commitment—particularly their focus on fitness—for the leap forward.
“We took the off-season a little differently this year, a bit more seriously and more focused on the girls’ fitness. That showed this season,” he said.
“There were some games that we won by just being the fitter team on the field, and in running between the wickets, where we capitalized on a lot of runs. The girls ran hard this season. Second place overall? I am proud of the girls.”
With an eye on the upcoming T20 competition, North Zone has also adopted a rotating leadership approach to build depth within the squad.
“We want to ensure that once the opportunity presents itself, anyone can take the lead. Not only that, sometimes, within the game, with the energy and adrenaline, things will slip. So, you want your senior players to be able to say something,” he said.
For Daniel, leading the squad was both a proud and seamless experience.
“I am very, very proud of them. We improved a lot due to plenty of training and practice over the off-season. I am very pleased with this outcome, and I am sure that our coach is also very pleased. We will continue to do our best and put our best foot forward,” she said.
Despite stepping into the captaincy role, Daniel admitted she felt at ease.
“I was not as nervous as I thought I was going to be. It went smoothly, and everybody listened. Our teammates cooperated with me, and I thank them a lot for that,” she said.
She also acknowledged the influence of her father and coach.
“He gives me a lot of feedback because we go home together and we come to the games together. There is a lot of assistance, and I am always thankful for his help,” she said.
Still developing her all-around game, Daniel is determined to keep improving as the season progresses.
The North Zone Academy Women, formed in 2023 and making their competitive debut just last year, are now firmly establishing themselves as one of the rising forces in local women’s cricket.
Summarized scores: BSCA 67 for 8 in 16.5 overs (Tenille Smith 22; Freeda La Rosa 2/14, Jessica Davis 2/17, Alexa Baboolal 1/6) vs. North Zone 68 for 1 in 6 overs (Naomi Ali 33*, Kimora Daniel 16, Jessica Davis 9*; Emma Mungal 1/17). North Zone won by nine wickets
