Windies untidy but level series against Proteas

NORTH SOUND, Antigua (CMC):

A clatter of late wickets took the gloss off a comfortable victory as West Indies Women beat South Africa Women by five wickets to level their three-match series here yesterday.

Cruising on 62 for one in the eighth over in pursuit of a modest target of 81 at the Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium, the hosts lost four wickets for 16 runs off 28 balls towards the end, before finally getting over the line in the 12th over.

Opener Deandra Dottin top-scored with 31 off 21 deliveries, while Kyshona Knight hit 26 off 27 balls, the pair laying the platform for their side’s victory in an attractive second stand of 53.

Off-spinner Karishma Ramharack had earlier claimed three for eight, and fast bowler Aaliyah Alleyne, two for 16, as the Proteas were restricted to 80 for nine off their 20 overs.

Choosing to bat first, they got 23 from Sune Luus but she was the only one of the top six to pass 20, as the innings never recovered after slumping to 12 for four in the third over.

Luus struck a four and a six off 37 deliveries and held the innings together by adding 26 for the fifth wicket with Tazmin Brits (16), and a further 22 for the sixth wicket with Chloe Tryon (9).

Ramharack then snatched three of the four wickets to fall in a miserly three-over spell to ensure there was no late fightback.

In reply, West Indies Women lost Hayley Matthews for seven in the second over, driving seamer Ayabonga Khaka low to Lizelle Lee at point with nine runs on the board before Dottin and Kyshona Knight then erased any doubt over the result.

Dottin lashed three fours and a six, while Kyshona counted four fours, the pair appearing poised to take West Indies over the line.

8TH OVER TRAGEDY

But tragedy struck in the eighth over when Kyshona drove leg-spinner and captain Dane van Niekerk (2-8) to Lee at backward point and hesitated over a single. Dottin eventually took off but found herself well short of her ground at the striker’s end.

Left-hander Kyshona followed in the tenth over, top-edging a sweep off van Niekerk to be caught by wicketkeeper Trisha Chetty running around to leg slip.

And with three runs added at 76 for four in the next over, Chedean Nation (8 not out) changed her mind over a quick single to leave Kycia Knight stranded mid-pitch without scoring.

Britney Cooper also fell without scoring in the 12th when she hit across a van Niekerk leg break and edged a sharp catch to Lee at first slip before Nation hit the winning runs two balls later in the same over to calm the home side’s nerves.

The first game was rained off as a no-result last Tuesday, while West Indies lost the second by 50 runs two days later.

The two teams will now face each other in a five-match one-day series, which bowls off next Tuesday at Coolidge Cricket Ground.