Henry heroics seal Empress' come-from-behind win in thriller

In a dramatic, nail-biting showdown at the Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL), Jamaica Empress made a memorable entry into the tournament with a thrilling one-wicket victory over the Guyana Amazon Warriors. Chasing a DLS-adjusted target of 132 from 19 overs, Empress needed an unlikely 17 runs off the final over. With nine wickets down and tension mounting, allrounder Chinelle Henry stepped up to deliver a sensational finish, smashing three sixes in five balls against Amazon Warriors skipper Chloe Tryon to pull off a dramatic comeback victory. Early Struggles and Guyana's Recovery After being put into bat, the Amazon Warriors suffered an early top-order collapse, sliding to 7 for 2 in the fifth over. However, Shemaine Campbelle and Realeanna Grimmond rebuilt the innings with a brilliant 97-run partnership for the third wicket. Campbelle led the charge with a fiery 56 off 33 balls—hitting seven fours and two sixes—while Grimmond anchored with a solid 45 to help Guyana post a competitive 138 for 7. The Chase and Middle-Order Stumble Empress launched their chase in explosive fashion, racing to 54 in the powerplay behind Meg Lanning’s quickfire 31 off 21 balls. However, Guyana's spin attack squeezed the run flow right after. Erin Burns picked up two vital wickets as Empress managed only 44 runs between overs 7 and 16, handing the momentum back to the Warriors before rain halted play. The Dramatic Final Overs When play resumed, Empress were left needing 30 runs off 16 balls with Henry on just 5. Empress lost Aaliyah Alleyne to a sensational one-handed catch by Tryon, leaving them needing 28 off 12 balls with star quick Shabnim Ismail coming in to bowl. Henry shifted gears against Ismail, striking a four and a six off consecutive balls to bring the equation down to 17 off the final over. The last over was pure high-stakes drama. After Tryon bowled a wide, two Empress batters—Rosemary Mair and Syeda Aroob Shah—were run out on consecutive deliveries trying to hand Henry the strike. With Empress nine down and no wickets left to spare, Henry refused to take risky singles. Needing eight runs off the final two deliveries, she delivered under ultimate pressure, launching back-to-back sixes over midwicket and long-on to seal a iconic victory for the WCPL’s newest franchise.