Deandra Dottin hoping to ‘make it happen’ in final ODI

Dottin, one of the star all-rounders of the game globally, did her bit with the ball in the second game – after the Windies had lost by 40 runs in the first – with returns of 3/29.

Her strikes included Lizelle Lee early on, then Sune Luus not long after, and Marizanne Kapp later on as South Africa, riding on captain Dane van Niekerk’s 53, got to 177/8 before rain stopped play at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados.

Dottin had done well with the ball in the first ODI of the series – a part of the ICC Women’s Championship (IWC) – too, with 2/36, but faltered with the bat along with the rest of her teammates, scoring 19 in 21 balls. Her hopes of making a splash the second time was washed away in the rain.

“Well, unfortunately, we can only control what we can control and the weather is not in our hands, it's in the lord's hands, so whatever happens we just have to accept it and just bounce back for the last ODI,” said Dottin ahead of the final game of the series on Saturday, 22 September.

“Yes, I am very happy with my performance (with the ball). Producing for the team is a must and it's something I always want to do, so in order to have my team in a good position I always try my best to make it happen.”

Of the three wickets, Dottin had clear favourites: “Having the wickets of Lee and Sune Luus, they pleased me a lot, especially Luus, she’s been quite in form. And Lee, when she gets off, she gets some pretty big ones. So good to get them early.”

The Windies can’t win the series, they can square it at best, but winning the last game is crucial not just for the series but the bigger picture – direct qualification to the ICC Women’s World Cup 2021.

“We are really looking forward to that (last) game because we want to level this series and at least get some points on the board,” said Dottin.

As things stand, New Zealand, Australia, England and Pakistan are in the top four spots, with some teams having played two series and some three.

The plan, for the Windies (currently No.6) and South Africa (No.7) will be to climb up the ladder and finish in the top half of the eight-team table by the time the IWC ends, and Dottin must play a big part if the Windies are to make that happen.