By Leighton Levy- The West Indies Women delivered a clinical performance to claim an emphatic six-wicket victory over Scotland in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup on Sunday, bouncing back from their humiliating 10-wicket loss to South Africa in the opening match. The West Indies, led by Afy Fletcher’s impressive bowling, restricted Scotland to a modest total of 99-8 from their 20 overs, setting the stage for a confident chase.
Fletcher was the standout bowler, taking 3-22 as she helped stifle Scotland’s batting efforts. Hayley Matthews, Karishma Ramharack, and Chinelle Henry also chipped in with a wicket apiece, putting Scotland under immense pressure. Ailsa Lister (26) and captain Kathryn Bryce (25) provided some resistance, contributing to a crucial third-wicket stand of 46 after Scotland had stumbled to 13-2 in the third over. However, once Fletcher broke their partnership, the rest of the Scottish lineup crumbled, with only Lorna Jack-Brown (11) and Darcey Carter (14 not out) offering any additional resistance.
Scotland’s total of 99-8 seemed unlikely to trouble the West Indies, but they suffered an early setback in their chase. Star batters Hayley Matthews (8) and Stafanie Taylor (4) were both dismissed cheaply, raising concerns of a potential collapse. However, Qiana Joseph quickly turned the tide with a blistering knock of 31 from 18 balls, while Deandra Dottin’s unbeaten 28 from 15 balls and Chinelle Henry’s quickfire 18 from 10 ensured a comfortable victory for the Caribbean side. The West Indies reached their target in just 11.4 overs, with 50 balls to spare.
West Indies captain Hayley Matthews expressed satisfaction with her team’s turnaround performance. “100 percent, we were able to go out as a group and restrict them to 99. Qiana Joseph was positive and Dottin finished it off. We did pretty well with the ball, limited the boundary balls, and got ourselves in a secure position. We also had to think about the net run rate, and we executed that well,” said Matthews. “Next, we have Bangladesh, and if we win that and then against England, we’ll be in the semifinals.”
Player of the Match Chinelle Henry also shared her thoughts on the team’s effort. “I first thank my teammates and coach. Our goal was to give the team a good start and improve our net run rate. We figured the wicket was slow, and batting was difficult, but we had a clear plan, we backed our skills, and we executed.”
With this victory, the West Indies Women have reignited their World Cup campaign and will look to carry the momentum forward in their upcoming matches against Bangladesh and England. (Sportsmax).
