SYLHET - West Indies Women relied on performances from their two star players - Stafanie Taylor and Deandra Dottin - to make a winning start to their Women’s World T20 campaign, beating England Women by nine runs.
Chasing West Indies’ modest target of 134, England were comfortable at 63 for 2, their start powered by their captain Charlotte Edwards. However Dottin, who had failed with the bat earlier in the match, struck in each of her four overs, to break the back of England’s middle order. Her pace bowling accounted for Natalie Sciver, Tammy Beaumont, Edwards and Jenny Gunn as she finished with career-best figures of 4 for 12.
England needed 18 runs off the final over but two wickets, including Anya Shrubsole’s run-out, negated any possibility of a surprise win. Earlier, West Indies had been restricted to 133 for 7 despite a brisk start from openers Kycia Knight and Taylor. The pair added 87 runs in 12.3 overs but Knight’s wicket sparked off a slide that soon had West Indies struggling at 116 for 5, in spite of Taylor’s 45-ball 56. Sciver took 3 for 18 in her three overs, while Shrubsole picked up 2 for 25.
BRIEF SCORE: West Indies Women 133 for 7 (Taylor 56, Kycia Knight 43, Sciver 3-18) beat England Women 124 for 9 (Edwards 44, Dottin 4-12) by nine runs.