3 weeks ago
6
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (CMC):
KARISHMA RAMHARACK spun circles around Bangladesh Women’s batters and Hayley Matthews finally found her groove as West Indies Women jumped to the top of Group B in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup with a comprehensive eight-wicket win at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium yesterday.
Player-of-the-match Ramharack grabbed four wickets for 17, restricting Bangladesh to 103 for eight as their struggles with the bat in the tournament continued.
Matthews then hit a boundary-studded 34 from 24 balls at the top of the order to propel the Windies to 104 for two from just 12.5 overs.
The victory sent the Windies top of Group B on four points from their three matches, ahead of both South Africa and England on net run rate. England, however, have a game in hand.
After losing the toss and being sent in to bat, Bangladesh’s batters never gained any sustained momentum, scoring around six runs an over for the majority of their innings.
Ramharack struck early when she had Shathi Rani smartly stumped by wicket-keeper Shemaine Campbelle for nine, before returning to hit Dilara Akter’s leg stump after she missed a sweep shot to leave Bangladesh 33 for two at the end of six overs.
Sobhana Mostary and captain Niger Sultana came together in a 40-run stand for the third wicket, but they required 42 balls to do so, as West Indies’ barrage of spinners kept them under wraps.
When Mostary was neatly stumped by Campbelle off the bowling of Ramharack for 16 from 22 balls, it triggered a collision that saw Bangladesh lose six wickets for 27 runs.
Afy Fletcher had Taj Nehar caught behind for one and, with her next ball, she clean bowled Shorna Akter as Bangladesh stumbled to 75 for five in the 15th over.
Ritu Moni scored 10 before she became Ramharack’s fourth wicket, Sultana was caught at deep midwicket by Aaliyah Alleyne for the topscore of 39 from 44 balls, and Fahima Khatun was needlessly run out for two, as Bangladesh limped to the end of their innings, which contained just nine boundaries.
Matthews and a hobbled Stafanie Taylor then gave the West Indies a perfect start in a 52-run opening partnership.
They only garnered 14 runs from the first three overs, but Matthews hit left-arm spinner Nahida Akter for two boundaries in the fourth over, and then smashed Khatun for three sweetly timed fours through the offside in the following over to help the Windies motor to 39-0 after five overs.
Taylor then drove Marufa Akter for four through extra cover and Matthews found the gap between cover and extra cover for another boundary off the same bowler to keep the score ticking along.
They brought up the Windies’ 50 in the seventh over, but Matthews went soon after, undone by an inswinger from Marufa Akter.
Taylor was lucky not to be dismissed when she was dropped on 23 at the long off boundary, and she eventually brought up her 1000th T20 World Cup run when she chipped Ritu Moni to extra cover for a single.
She eventually retired hurt on 27 with the West Indies firmly in control at 73 for one in the 10th over.
Campbelle came to the crease and hit a quickfire 21 from 16 balls before she skipped past a delivery from Nahida Akter and was stumped to make it 84 for two in the 12th over.
However, Deandra Dottin and Chinelle Henry ensured there would be no further losses, with Dottin ending the contest in remarkable fashion, clobbering Khan for two consecutive sixes, to finish unbeaten on 19 from seven balls.
The West Indies will play England in their fourth and final group match next Tuesday.
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