NEWS
Follow UsWest Indies thumped Bangladesh in a campaign-boosting 8-wicket win in the 2024 Women’s T20 World Cup in Sharjah on Thursday (October 10). Opting to bowl first, West Indies restricted Bangladesh to 103/8. In response, they raced to the target in 12.5 overs which boosted their net run-rate to +1.708, the best in their group.
West Indies put the shackles on Bangladesh by bowling 17 overs of spin. The off-spin Karishma Ramharack snapped 4/17 with Hayley Matthews contributing with 1/19 in her four overs. The eight overs between them, figures of 5/36, choked Bangladesh throughout their innings. The wrist-spinner Afy Fletcher also picked 2/25.
Skipper Nigar Sultana top scored with 39 off 44 balls but couldn’t up the ante. The next highest individual score for Bangladesh was Dilara AKter’s 19.
The Windies opened with the experienced duo of Matthews (34 off 22 balls) and Stefanie Taylor (retired hurt for 27 off 22) who killed the chase in the powerplay itself, putting on 48 runs in the first six overs. Deandra Dottin’s cameo of 19 from seven balls then finished the chase in the blink of an eye.
"We spoke about being really disciplined with the ball and I think it was great execution in getting them to hit where we wanted them to,” said WI skipper Matthews after the win.
“And then with the bat the intent, we were able to take that through the innings. It was definitely a help in going into the last match with a healthy net run-rate,” she assessed the win.
Taylor walked off the field in the 10th over of the chase feeling pain in her knee. She was replaced by Dottin in the middle who struck two sixes to finish the game early. West Indies needed to win in 13.5 overs to finish top of the table on net run-rate but Dottin’s knock razed down the deficit an over earlier.
West Indies now play England in their final group game with qualification still not sealed. Unless an upset happens in the other game of Group B, they will need to beat England to advance to the semi-final stage.
As the highest T20I run-scorer for West Indies, Taylor would be a vital player for such a clash. However, Matthews clarified that her walking off was a precautionary measure given that West Indies were already ahead in the game.
“I think she's got a knee problem, but they're trying to look after her really well,” said Matthews providing an update on Taylor.
“Today at the water break it was just a matter of I guess realizing the position we were in the game, and the fact that she could probably go off.
“She's a fighter, and I think she knows how to manage her body pretty well. She's been putting up a good fight this tournament trying to stay on the park,” she said.
Bangladesh, meanwhile, are out of the tournament with this defeat and have one match left against South Africa. Sultana mentioned the decent start with the bat but reckoned the innings lost direction in the middle overs. In the 10 overs of their innings, Bangladesh scored only 45 runs for the loss of six wickets.
"I think we had a very good start, but in the middle, we played so many dots and then we gave them so many wickets as well,” Sultana said.
“Their bowlers actually bowled really well in the middle overs, and weren't giving us room to play our shots. We missed out so many singles also, which built the pressure,” she elaborated further.
“I think the bowlers have done their job each and every game and it's our job to be strong as a batting unit,” Sultana spoke asking for better returns from the batters.
West Indies will now lock horns with England in the final group stage game of the tournament on Tuesday (October 15) in Dubai.
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