GEORGETOWN – Veteran all-rounder Deandra Dottin single-handedly destroyed Bangladesh with the third-best figures in women’s Twenty20 Internationals as West Indies opened their defence of the T20 World Cup with a rousing 60-run victory in Guyana, Friday night.
Defending a paltry 107, West Indies routed the Asian side for 46 – a record low in the tournament’s history – with Dottin producing a magical career-best figures of five for five from 22 deliveries to claim the Player-of-the-Match honour.
The performance – the best by a West Indies bowler in T20 Internationals – rocked the Bangladeshis and ruined an ideal opportunity to upset the reigning World champions.
Playing before a large crowd at the Guyana National Stadium, Bangladesh had earlier landed the first major punches when they scythed through the hosts’ innings to reduce them to 106 for eight off their 20 overs.
In fact, the Windies were tottering on 30 for five in the 13th over and it required left-hander Kycia Knight’s cameo 32 off 24 deliveries and captain Stafanie Taylor’s patient 29 off 44 deliveries, to see the total past triple figures.
On a slow, turning strip, vice-captain Hayley Matthews mis-timed a lofted shot and holed out to mid-off for six in the third over from seamer Jahanara Alam (3-23) and fellow opener Dottin followed without a run added off the next ball, picking out Fahima Khatun at point with a misplaced cut, to depart for eight.
Shemaine Campbelle missed a sweep at captain and off-spinner Salma Khatun and was adjudged lbw for one and Natasha McLean (11) threatened briefly with a six over mid-wicket off off-spinner Khadija Tul Kubra before yorking herself in the ninth over, after playing over a full-length delivery from leg-spinner Rumana Ahmed (2-16).
When Britney Cooper holed out to long on in the 13th over, West Indies were against the ropes but Taylor and Knight combined in a 37-run sixth wicket stand to add respectability to the innings.
Knight was the catalyst, hammering two fours and a six in a breezy knock while Taylor counted two fours in the anchor role.
West Indies wasted little time in making inroads into the Bangladesh innings when seamer Shakera Selman (2-12) claimed Shamima Sultana, pulling to Matthews at mid-wicket for five, off the last ball of the first over.
Jahanara followed in the fifth over when she holed out to Taylor at mid-off off Selman for three and opener Ayasha Rahman perished in the sixth over for six, bowled playing across a full length one from off-spinner Taylor at 19 for three.
The introduction of Dottin saw the Windies ram home their advantage. Bowling wicket to wicket, the 27-year-old seamer ripped out the middle order in a destructive spell, to put the result beyond doubt.
She struck with the second ball of her spell, hurrying Fargana Hoque (8) with a short ball and taking the return catch off the resulting top-edged pull in the ninth over, and two balls later, brought one back to bowl Nigar Sultana for two.
In her next over – the 11th of the innings – she bowled Rumana for two and Lata Mondal without scoring, and secured her five-wicket haul in the 15th over when Salma Khatun (5) played around a straight one and was also bowled.
West Indies play their second match on Wednesday against South Africa at the Darren Sammy Cricket Ground in St Lucia.
CMC
ICC Women's World Cup glance
Results
Yesterday
Group A - St Lucia
England vs Sri Lanka, Gros Islet. Match abandoned.
Friday
Group A - Guyana (Providence)
West Indies 106/8 vs Bangladesh 46 all out. West Indies won by 60 runs.
Group B
Australia 165/5 vs Pakistan 113/8. Australia won by 52 runs.
India 194/5 vs New Zealand 160/9. India won by 34 runs
Group B
Matches
Today
Group B - Guyana
India vs Pakistan, Providence, 11 am
Australia vs Ireland, Providence, 4 pm
Tomorrow
Group A - St Lucia
Bangladesh vs England, Gros Islet, 4 pm
South Africa vs Sri Lanka, Gros Islet, 8 pm