ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Mercurial right-hander Deandra Dottin belted an astonishing hundred as West Indies Women trounced Sri Lanka Women by 31 runs to sweep the three-match Twenty20 International series here Sunday night.
Playing at Coolidge Cricket Ground, the 26-year-old carved out 112 off 67 deliveries as the hosts chalked up 159 for six off their 20 overs, after choosing to bat first.
Dottin smashed nine fours and five sixes en route to becoming the first woman player to score two T20I hundreds in a career, following her maiden one seven years ago during the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean.
The Barbadian’s hundred was also her second of the year, coming on the heels of her unbeaten 104 against Pakistan in the Women’s 50-overs World Cup in England last July.
Dottin, voted Player-of-the-Match, got support from Hayley Matthews who chipped in with 34 from 40 balls at the top of the order. In reply, Sri Lanka Women were held to 128 for five off their 20 overs despite half-centuries from wicketkeeper Rebeca Vandort (50) and Shahikala Siriwardene (50).
Matthews returned with her off-spin to claim four for 18 from her four overs.
The win ensured West Indies swept the entire series after their 3-0 whitewash in the ICC Women’s Championship ODIs in Trinidad a fortnight ago.
Windies Women had a less than impressive start when they lost captain Stafanie Taylor cheaply for five with the score on nine in the third over, bowled by seamer Sripali Weerakkodi.
Entering at number three, Dottin quickly took charge of the innings in a stunning display of hitting as she added a frenetic 121 for the second wicket with Matthews who counted two fours in her knock.
When Matthews was eventually run out in the 18th over at 130 for two, Dottin was nine runs short of three figures and she reached her landmark off the last ball of the penltimate over with a couple off left-arm spinner Inoka Ranaweera.
She was out to the fourth ball of the final over, lbw to pacer Ama Kanchana – one of four wickets to fall off the last six balls.
West Indies were then quickly on top when Matthews struck twice in the fourth over to remove Yasoda Mendis (9) and Chamari Atapattu (0) – both stumped by Merissa Aguilleira – with the score on 14.
And when off-spinner Taylor had Nipuni Hansika also stumped for 12 in the ninth over, Sri Lanka Women were stuttering on 42 for three.
But Vandort and Siriwardene combined to produce a last ditch effort, adding 84 for the fourth wicket to inject some purpose and pride into the innings.
Vandort faced 39 deliveries and counted four boundaries while Siriwardene struck six fours in a 44-ball knock.
They were both dismissed in the final over, bowled by Matthews, with the result already a foregone conclusion.
