Deandra Dottin, a part-time bowler, bowled a courageous final over, taking three wickets to give West Indies a three-run win over New Zealand in the Women’s Cricket World Cup opener today.
New Zealand reached the last over on 254-7, chasing West Indies’ 259-9 and looking to complete the biggest winning run chase in the women’s world tournament’s history, but were bowled out for 256 with one ball remaining.
Interestingly Dottin had not bowled in the match until that time. In fact, she had not bowled or taken a wicket for the West Indies in the previous nine one-day internationals.
Hayley Matthews, who was sent into an unfamiliar role as Dottin’s opening partner while fighting a hamstring pain, anchored the West Indies’ innings after New Zealand won the toss and elected to field, making 119 runs in 128 balls.
New Zealand captain Sophie Devine responded with a 108-run innings in 127 balls, her sixth ODI century and second in a World Cup match, allowing New Zealand to carry the match to the end, though it always behind the West Indies’ run rate.
Devine, like Matthews, was out in the 45th over; New Zealand was 215-7 and still needed 45 runs to win.
Katey Martin scored 44 and Jess Kerr scored 25 in a 40-run eighth-wicket stand that turned the match back in New Zealand’s favour.
Martin hit fours off the last two balls of the 49th over to send New Zealand into the last over needing six runs from six balls in an equation that appeared to favor the home side.
Dottin stepped up to take the ball after the West Indies were left without a bowler due to Shamilia Connell’s injury.
The opening ball produced a single, but Martin was out leg before wicket (lbw) by the next delivery, leaving New Zealand requiring five runs from four balls and two wickets.
New Zealand needed four runs from three balls when Hannah Rowe came to the crease and snagged a fast single.
Kerr was caught by Chinelle Henry on the following pitch, leaving New Zealand four runs short of victory with two balls remaining and the last batter, 17-year-old Fran Jonas, at the crease.
With the game on the line, Rowe and Jonas tried to single off a ball that beat the bat and went straight to the keeper, and Jonas was run out with one ball left.
Today, Matthews led an early assault on the New Zealand bowlers with Dottin, which shattered the host team’s confidence and accelerated the West Indies’ innings.
The first nine scoring shots for the West Indies were all boundaries.
