Windies start title defence against spunky Bangladesh

Overview

Windies v Bangladesh
WT20 Match 3
Providence Stadium, Guyana

The Stafanie Taylor-led Windies are at No.4 in the MRF Tyres ICC Women’s T20I Team Rankings, while Bangladesh are down at No.9. A big gulf there, made wider by the fact that the Windies are the home side at the big event as well as the defending champions.

But look beyond the rankings, and Bangladesh are certainly a big threat, especially if their opponents make the mistake of not taking them seriously enough.

The win over India – twice – on their way to winning the 2018 Asia Cup earlier this year was a major, major achievement, and they have since gone unbeaten through the WT20 qualifiers and put up other good performances, including bowling Pakistan out for 94 in a one-day international recently.

The Asian side’s strength is their arsenal of spin bowlers, expected to find the conditions in the West Indies to their liking. Especially their leg-spin duo – Rumana Ahmed and Fahima Khatun – are super performers, while Khadija Tul Kubra, the off-spinner, will likely be a threat too. The batting is not the team’s stronger suit, but if the bowlers can keep the target down, the Windies could be in for a shock.

But they should be confident. The loss to India in the warm-up notwithstanding, a team with Stafanie Taylor, Deandra Dottin, Hayley Matthews – all in the top five among all-rounders – should back their chances.

Add to that list the experienced Merissa Aguilleira, spinners Afy Fletcher and Anisa Mohammed, star performers like Shemaine Campbelle and Natasha McLean, and their supporters at the Providence Stadium should find plenty of reason to cheer.

Key players

**Deandra Dottin (Windies):**Dottin is a star, she does it with the bat and she does it with the ball, turning matches on her own. Most recently, in the warm-ups, she showed good form with the ball against India, returning 3/12, and then did her bit with the bat against New Zealand, hitting a quick 35. In a team of outstanding short-format players, Dottin stands out.

**Rumana Ahmed (Bangladesh):**Rumana has been one of Bangladesh’s most consistent players in the past year, playing key roles in her team’s big wins. She also looked good in returning 3/10 in a warm-up game against Ireland, and will look to replicate that form against the Windies.

Conditions

If the rain stays away, it should be pleasant conditions for T20 cricket. There are runs to be scored at the Providence, but smashing everything might not be the order of the day. Spinners are expected to hold sway, and accumulating rather than blasting may be the rule of thumb for the batters.

Squads

Windies: Stafanie Taylor (c), Merissa Aguilleira, Shemaine Campbelle, Shamilia Connell, Britney Cooper, Deandra Dottin, Afy Fletcher, Sheneta Grimmond, Chinelle Henry, Kycia Knight, Hayley Matthews, Natasha McLean, Anisa Mohammed, Chedean Nation, Shakera Selman

Bangladesh: Salma Khatun (c), Rumana Ahmed, Ayasha Rahman, Fahima Khatun, Jahanara Alam, Nigar Sultana Joty, Khadiza-Tul Kubra, Lata Mondol, Nahida Akter, Panna Ghosh, Fargana Hoque Pinky, Sanjida Islam, Shamima Sultana, Sharmin Supta, Ritu Moni