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Windies suffer sweep after rain-affected thriller

Published:Thursday | October 1, 2020 | 12:11 AMLennox Aldred/Gleaner Writer
Dottin
Dottin

The West Indies women’s team will leave the UK empty-handed after they lost the fifth and final T20 International against England by three wickets in their rain-affected encounter in Derby yesterday.

The inclement weather only allowed for a first-ever, five-over-per-side contest, and many felt that this was the best chance for the regional girls to steal a consolation win and avoid a five-nil series whitewash.

However, that win still proved to be elusive for the Stafanie Taylor-led side, who was sent in by England for the first time and managed to get to 41 for three in the five overs.

England made a meal of the run chase, losing seven wickets in the process, but they managed to limp over the line in the final over to reach 42 for seven with three balls to spare.

ENGLAND’S ADVANTAGE

The wet and soggy conditions may have contributed to England’s decision to bowl first, and that decision looked, initially, to be the wrong one as opener Deandra Dottin got off to a canter with a four and a six of the third and fourth delivery of the contest, bowled by newcomer Freya Davis. The six was Dottin’s 100th of her T20 career as she became the first female cricketer to achieve the feat.

The host would, however, get some respite in the opening over when Davis had Hayley Matthews caught at mid-on for a duck at 11 for one.

Two runs later, Dottin followed Matthews back to the pavilion as she skied one off Katherine Brunt for 11 to trigger wild celebrations from the England camp, knowing the big wicket they had got.

Chedean Nation didn’t add to the score either, to leave the Windies on 17 for three, but captain Stafanie Taylor and fellow Jamaican Natasha McLean, who was playing her first game of the series, dug in to get some vital runs for the visitors.

The pair put on 26 runs for the fourth wicket, with McLean hitting the final ball of the innings off Sophie Ecclestone for a huge six to finish not out on 14, with her skipper unbeaten on 15, with two boundaries.

Wickets were the only order of the day for the Windies if they were to win the contest, and Shamelia Connell did her captain a huge favour when she snared two of her three scalps in her opening over.

The medium-pacer first had captain Heather Knight caught at cover by her counterpart for four, then two balls later, Amy Jones was caught at mid-on for a duck, to leave England five for two.

Skakera Selman would briefly release the pressure with her first over going for 13 runs despite the Bajan picking up the wicket of the dangerous Tammy Beaumont for nine.

The Windies then quickly turned their fortunes around with two more quick wickets as Nat Sciver was run out by Dottin for seven and captain Taylor taking a blinder of a catch at cover to get rid of Brunt for two to leave England in a spot of bother at 25 for five in the third over.

Sophia Dunkley and Sarah Glenn would, however, continue to chip away at the runs to leave England needing seven runs off the last over.

Selman was entrusted with the responsibility to take it home for the visitors, and things looked good after just two balls when Glenn was run out for eight attempting a second run.

On the next ball, Fran Wilson was also trying to pinch two runs but she too found her ground short, to leave England 39 for seven with three balls to go and still needing three runs.

Selman would then inexplicably overstep the crease and the umpire called a no-ball and a free hit.

She would follow that up with another leg side no ball, to gift England the win and a five-nil series whitewash.