Dottin’s heroics not enough for WI Women

DUBAI, UAE (CMC):

West Indies Women bowed out of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in heartbreaking fashion when they went down by eight runs to New Zealand in the second semifinal at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium yesterday.

It was a disappointing result for the Windies, who wasted a brilliant all-around performance by Deandra Dottin in their bid to reach their second T20 World Cup final.

The West Indies produced a good bowling effort to limit New Zealand to 128 for nine in 20 overs, with Dottin grabbing 4-22 from her four overs.

However, they lost wickets at regular intervals in their chase and could only muster 120 for eight when the overs expired.

Dottin once again starred, this time topscoring with 33 runs from 22 balls, which also included three massive sixes.

West Indies would have fancied their chances, having to score at just over six runs an over, but New Zealand’s trio of Rosemary Mair, Fran Jonas and Player-of-the-Match Eden Carson, stifled them from the start of their innings.

Qiana Joseph hit Carson for two fours in the fourth over, but then lost her off stump going for a mighty heave and Carson had Shemaine Campbelle caught for three at extra cover in consecutive overs, as the West Indies limped to 20 for two at the start of the fifth over.

25 FOR 2

At the end of the power play, West Indies found themselves 25 for two and with a huge task of increasing the run rate.

Carson then grabbed her third wicket when she clean bowled the experienced Stafanie Taylor, who laboured to 13 runs from 20 balls, to leave the West Indies tottering on 41 for three in the ninth over.

Not long after, captain Hayley Matthews skied a delivery from Lea Tahuhu to midwicket where Amelia Kerr took the catch to be out for 15, and Maddy Green took a brilliant catch at long off to account for Aaliyah Alleyne for just four, as New Zealand took command at 63 for five in the 14th over.

Dottin and Afy Fletcher, who scored an unbeaten 17, then came together in a 33-run partnership for the sixth wicket in just three overs, that threatened to swing the game back in the West Indies’ favour. And when Dottin clobbered Tahuhu for three sixes in the 16th over that cost 23 runs, West Indies required 34 runs from 24 balls.

But just when the momentum seemed to be with the West Indies, Amelia Kerr got Dottin to top edge her attempted sweep to short fine leg where Jonas took an easy catch.

Zaida James and Fletcher did their best to keep their team in the contest, and with one over remaining the West Indies needed 15 runs.

James drove off-spinner Suzie Bates’ first ball to the extra cover boundary for four, but after failing to make contact with the second ball, she was comprehensively bowled off the third ball for 14 with the West Indies still requiring 11 runs.

New batter Ashmini Munisar could only gather one run off the fourth ball and when Fletcher failed to connect with the penultimate ball it sent New Zealand through to their first ever T20 World Cup final.

Scores: New Zealand 128-9 in 20 overs (Georgia Plimmer 33, Suzie Bates 26; Deandra Dottin 4-22, Afy Fletcher 2-23).

West Indies 120-8 in 20 overs (Deandra Dottin 33, Afy Fletcher 17 not out, Hayley Matthews 15; Eden Carson 3-29, Amelia Kerr 2-14).