Windies use pace to counter Bangladesh trial by spin
- Title holders Windies show grit and skill to survive Bangladesh scare thanks to Dottin’s best in ICC World T20 figures.
Defending champions Windies survived a serious scare in their opening encounter in the ICC Women’s World T20, staving off a challenge from Asian champions Bangladesh at the Guyana National Stadium. They successfully defended a below par score of 106 for eight, bowling Bangladesh out for 46 in 14.4 overs.
After Kycia Knight’s contributions gave the Windies something to bowl at, Deandra Dottin claimed five wickets, rendering a slow pitch irrelevant with sheer pace.
The Windies had last use of a pitch that had hosted a triple-header, so all eyes were on what the home side’s spinners could do defending a low score. But it was the fast bowlers who set up the win; First Shakera Selman bowled her four overs on the trot, among those a wicket maiden, conceding just 12 and claiming two wickets. Shamilia Connell too was sharp and accurate, conceding just four runs in two overs to keep Bangladesh to 19 for three in their powerplay.
As the home crowd of close to 6,000 cheered from the stands, Stafanie Taylor brought Dottin into the attack in the ninth over. Known to get the ball to dip in to the right hander at pace, Dottin’s skills proved too much for Bangladesh.
Twice in her next two overs she took two wickets in three balls to reduce Bangladesh from 29 for three to 35 for seven, practically sealing the result of the game. Almost single handedly, Dottin had snuffed out any hopes of an upset.
Dottin sparked dance moves as she claimed her fifth wicket in her last over, bowling the Bangladesh captain for five. Not only did she register personal best figures, her haul of five for five was the cheapest five-wicket haul in T20Is, and best figures in an ICC World T20. Four of her five wickets were bowled, and in the process she became the only player to have both a century and a five wicket haul in T20Is to her name.
When the last wicket fell to a run out, not a single Bangladesh batter had gotten into double figures. Their 46 all out was their lowest total in an ICC World T20, and their third lowest total ever.
Earlier, Bangladesh bucked the trend of the day, winning the toss but choosing to field first, leading with four spinners and just one pace bowler just like the other two Asian teams. The decision paid
instant dividends: medium pacer Jahanara Alam claimed two wickets in two balls in the fourth over.
The introduction of spin brought another wicket, and the Windies were staggering at 23 for 3 after the powerplay. Captain Stafanie Taylor took on the mantle of rebuilding the innings, even as Rumana Ahmed castled the big hitting Natasha McLean (11, 10b, 0x4, 1x6).
Taylor built two partnerships, one worth 14 with Britney Cooper (eight, 18b) and the next worth 37 with wicketkeeper Kycia Knight (32, 24b, 2x4, 1x6) before losing her own wicket in the 18th over for 29 (44b, 2x4). In trying to hit Rumana against the spin, she only found the fielder at long on. Knight’s runs took the Windies total past a hundred before she became Jahanara’s third victim. But those runs proved to be more than enough for the home side to get points on the board.
Both teams now move to St. Lucia for their remaining games, Bangladesh facing England on 12 November, and the home side facing South Africa on 14 November.
Scores in brief:
Windies defeated Bangladesh by 60 runs at the Guyana National Stadium in Georgetown
Windies: 106-8, 20 overs (Kycia Knight 32, Stafanie Taylor 29; Jahanara Alam 3-23, Rumana Ahmed 2-16)
Bangladesh: 46 all out in 14.4 overs (Deandra Dottin 5-5, Shakera Selman 2-12)