Chinelle Henry‘s heroics with the bat ensured Jamaica Empress made a winning start in their first-ever match of the Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL). Needing 17 to win from the final over in pursuit of a DLS-adjusted target of 132, she hit three sixes in five balls against Guyana Amazon Warriors captain Chloe Tryon to seal an unlikely win.

After a rain break, Empress were left needing 30 off 16 balls with Henry on 5 off 7 balls. They soon lost Aaliyah Alleyne, courtesy a one-handed catch by Tryon at cover. With Henry lacking momentum and Shabnim Ismail coming back for her last over after an impressive first spell (3-0-17-1), Amazon Warriors were favourites with Empress needing 28 off 12. But Henry struck Ismail for a six and a four off successive balls before taking a single that helped her keep strike for the last over.

In a bid to bowl away from Henry’s hitting arc, Tryon fired a wide first ball. Then, twice in three balls, Henry saw her partners at the other end – Rosemary Mair and Syeda Aroob Shah – run out attempting to give her the strike. With Empress nine down, Henry could no longer afford to take risks with the running. So despite hitting the fourth ball of the over wide of the deep midwicket fielder, she stayed put.

With eight needed off two, Henry duly dispatched successive balls over midwicket and long-on to signal celebrations in the dugout of the WCPL’s newest team.

After being asked to bat, Amazon Warriors had a troubled start to their innings. They found themselves at 7 for 2 in the fifth over with Tazmin Brits and Eboni Brathwaite back in the hut. They recovered through a 97-run third-wicket partnership between Shemaine Campbelle and Realeanna Grimmond. After scoring her maiden T20I half-century for West Indies earlier this year in the T20 World Cup, Campbelle struck her first fifty in the WCPL, hitting seven fours and two sixes in her 33-ball 56. That formed the bedrock for Amazon Warriors’ 138 for 7.

When Empress raced to 54 in the powerplay thanks to Meg Lanning’s 31 off 21, it looked as if Amazon Warriors were well short. But in the middle overs, the spinners dictated terms. Erin Burns struck twice in two overs as Empress could only muster 44 for 4 between overs 7 and 16. That meant they were on the back foot when the rain arrived.

But Henry, batting at No. 5 and switching to her country’s home franchise after playing for Barbados Royals (now Tridents) last year, helped them register a memorable, come-from-behind victory.