Record-breaker Dottin hands Windies winning start

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC):

Veteran all-rounder Deandra Dottin single-handedly destroyed Bangladesh with the third-best figures in women's Twenty20 Internationals as West Indies opened their defence of the T20 World Cup with a rousing 60-run victory here on Friday night.

Defending a paltry 107, West Indies routed the Asian side for 46 - a record low in the tournament's history - with Dottin producing magical career-best figures of five for five from 22 deliveries to claim the Player-of-the-Match honour.

The performance - the best by a West Indies bowler in T20 Internationals - rocked the Bangladeshis and ruined an ideal opportunity to upset the reigning World champions.

Playing before a large crowd at the Guyana National Stadium, Bangladesh had earlier landed the first major punches when they scythed through the hosts' innings to reduce them to 106 for eight off their 20 overs.

In fact, the Windies were tottering on 30 for five in the 13th over, and it required left-hander Kycia Knight's cameo 32 off 24 deliveries and captain Stafanie Taylor's patient 29 off 44 deliveries to see the total past triple figures.

On a slow, turning strip, vice-captain Hayley Matthews mistimed a lofted shot and holed out to mid-off for six in the third over from seamer Jahanara Alam (3-23), and fellow opener Dottin followed without a run added off the next ball, picking out Fahima Khatun at point with a misplaced cut to depart for eight.

Shemaine Campbelle missed a sweep at captain and off-spinner Salma Khatun and was adjudged lbw for one, and Natasha McLean (11) threatened briefly with a six-over mid-wicket off off-spinner Khadija Tul Kubra before yorking herself in the ninth over after playing over a full-length delivery from leg-spinner Rumana Ahmed (2-16).

HOLED OUT

When Britney Cooper holed out to long on in the 13th over, West Indies were against the ropes, but Taylor and Knight combined in a 37-run sixth- wicket stand to add respectability to the innings.

Knight was the catalyst, hammering two fours and a six in a breezy knock while Taylor counted two fours in the anchor role.

West Indies wasted little time in making inroads into the Bangladesh innings when seamer Shakera Selman (2-12) claimed Shamima Sultana, pulling to Matthews at mid-wicket for five off the last ball of the first over.

The introduction of Dottin saw the Windies ram home their advantage. Bowling wicket to wicket, the 27-year-old seamer ripped out the middle order in a destructive spell to put the result beyond doubt.

She struck with the second ball of her spell, hurrying Fargana Hoque (8) with a short ball and taking the return catch off the resulting top-edged pull in the ninth over, and two balls later, brought one back to bowl Nigar Sultana for two.

West Indies play their second match next Wednesday against South Africa at the Darren Sammy Cricket Ground in St Lucia.