CHENNAI, India, CMC – Off-spinner Anisa Mohammed became the first bowler in history to take 100 Twenty20 International wickets as she spearheaded a brilliant West Indies Women bowling effort, to help dispose of Pakistan Women by four runs in a close Women’s Twenty20 World Cup contest here yesterday.
Defending a disappointing 103 for eight off 20 overs following another batting failure, West Indies Women amazingly restricted the Pakistanis to a paltry 99 for five off their 20 overs, to make a winning start to their Group B campaign.
Mohammed picked up three for 25, a spell that hurt Pakistan Women’s momentum as she claimed the only two players to get into the 20s – Bismah Maroof with 22 and opener Sidra Ameen with 20.
She was brilliantly supported by miserly spells from captain Stafanie Taylor whose four overs cost 16 runs and fellow off-spinner Hayley Matthews, who conceded just 14 runs from her four overs.
Behind their combined efforts, Pakistan Women crawled to 44 for one at the half-way stage and failed to accelerate over the last ten overs.
Earlier, Taylor top-scored with 40 to become the third woman to pass 2000 T20I runs but she was the only player to pass 20 in the innings, as West Indies Women also struggled after being sent in at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.
She put on 28 for the first wicket with Matthews who scored 15 but once the partnership was broken in the sixth over, the Caribbean side plunged to 37 for three in the eighth over.
Shaquana Quintyne was run out off the first ball she faced – the final one of the over – without scoring and star batsman Deandra Dottin lasted just two balls before she was bowled by left-arm spinner Sadia Yousuf (2-14).
Taylor, who faced 48 balls and struck five fours, then joined former captain Merissa Aguilleira (15) to revive the innings with a 35-run, fourth wicket partnership.
The right-handed Taylor was bowled by Player-of-the-Match left-arm spinner Anam Amin (4-16) in the 15th over and yet again, the end of the partnership saw a cluster of wickets with another three falling for just five runs.
Shemaine Campbelle (14) and Stacy-Ann King (12) added 21 for the seventh wicket, allowing West Indies Women to eke out precious runs at the end.
In reply, Pakistan Women lost key player Javeria Khan when she retired hurt after the fourth ball of the innings but Bismah Maroof and Sidra Ameen added 40 for the first wicket, to keep the score ticking over.
With the Pakistanis fighting back, Mohammed struck for West Indies Women, claiming Sidra Ameen with the last ball of her second over.
In her following over – the 11th of the innings – she made two key strikes knocking over Aliya Riaz (2) and Bismah Maroof to leave Pakistan Women in disarray at 44 for three in the 11th over.
Captain Sana Mir mounted a last ditch effort, posting 27 for the fourth wicket with Muneeba Ali (15) and 26 for the fifth wicket with Asmavia Iqbal (19 not out), but the required run rate of seven runs per over off the last five overs proved too much.
Scoreboard
WEST INDIES WOMEN
H Matthews c Javeria Khan b Anam Amin 15
*S Taylor b Anam Amin 40
S Quintyne run out 0
D Dottin b Sadia Yousuf 0
+M Aguilleira c Nida Dar b Sadia Yousuf 15
B Cooper run out 1
S King not out 12
S Campbelle c Bismah Maroof b Anam Amin 14
S Connell b Anam Amin 0
Extras (lb1, w5) 6
TOTAL (8 wkts, 20 overs) 103
Did not bat: A Fletcher, A Mohammed.
Fall of wickets: 1-28 (Matthews), 2-31 (Quintyne), 3-37 (Dottin), 4-72 (Taylor), 5-73 (Cooper), 6-77 (Aguilleira), 7-98 (Campbelle), 8-103 (Connell)
Bowling: Anam Amin 4-0-16-4 (w2), Asmavia Iqbal 3-0-16-0 (w1), Sana Mir 4-0-28-0, Nida Dar 4-0-17-0, Sadia Yousuf 3-0-14-2 (w1), Bismah Maroof 2-0-11-0.
PAKISTAN WOMEN
Sidra Ameen c Fletcher b Mohammed 20
Javeria Khan ret. hurt 0
Bismah Maroof st Aguilleira b Mohammed 22
Aliya Riaz c King b Mohammed 2
Muneeba Ali c Connell b Quintyne 15
*Sana Mir c Mohammed b Dottin 18
Asmavia Iqbal not out 19
Nida Dar not out 1
Extras (w2) 2
TOTAL (5 wkts, 20 overs) 99
Did not bat: +Sidra Nawaz, Sadia Yousuf, Anam Amin.
Fall of wickets: 1-40 (Sidra Ameen), 2-44 (Aliya Riaz), 3-44 (Bismah Maroof), 4-71 (Muneeba Ali), 5-97 (Sana Mir)
Bowling: Connell 3-0-10-0, Taylor 4-0-16-0, Matthews 4-0-14-0, Mohammed 4-1-25-3, Fletcher 1-0-10-0, Quintyne 3-0-17-1 (w1), Dottin 1-0-7-1.
Result: West Indies Women won by four runs.
Points: West Indies Women 2, Pakistan Women 0.
Player-of-the-Match: Anam Amin.
Toss: Pakistan Women.
Umpires: A Chaudhary, K Cross.
