With no play possible due to heavy rain on the final scheduled day of competition in the 2nd Americas Women�s Championship being played in Broward County, Florida, USA, Canada were thus confirmed as 2009 champions without a single ball being bowled.

Torrential rain accompanied by violent thunder and lightning saw to it that play was abandoned as early as lunchtime, and Canada�s share of the points with today�s scheduled opponents Argentina eased them to the top of the table, ahead of the USA in second place.

A slightly disappointing end to an absorbing week of cricket in Florida, and Argentina denied the chance to try and conjure up another giant-killing act, but on the balance of play over the past few days, there can be few arguments that the best team ended with the championship in their hands, for the second time in as many tournaments.

The USA clinched second place, and a shot at denying Canada a trip to the next Women�s World Cup qualifying tournament, as the two teams will now have to shoot it out in a three match series at a venue and date to be determined in the future.

If Canada were ultimately deserving winners, there can be little doubt that Argentina were the revelation of the tournament. Since the first regional women�s tournament, the then �pobrecitos� (poor little things) have very much graduated to now be able to compete on almost equal terms with any other Americas country, and with opening bat Dirce Yuli finishing the 2009 event as the top run-scorer, the indications are there that player for player, the young South Americans are rapidly coming of age.

Debutants Brazil were a welcome addition to the tournament, and any pre-event doubts that they would be out of their depth were erased day by day as they showed tremendous enthusiasm, determination and desire to learn, and it will be interesting to see where the curve takes them over the next few years until the next Americas championship.

Bermuda will be disappointed with their showing, but it must be said that they missed absent key players more than perhaps they themselves even expected. Once again the presence of a team of talented young players from Trinidad & Tobago proved to be a winning formula for the event and everyone who was fortunate to compete against them.

Tomorrow sees the finale, highlighted by an Americas XI taking on the Trinidad & Tobago Development XI in a 40 over match, while on an adjacent ground, there will be a celebration of Americas women�s cricket as mixed teams of participating players will enjoy a series of T20 matches.