(CMC) – Despite a sloppy performance in the field, West Indies Women registered a comfortable six-wicket win over minnows Scotland Women to pick up their first win in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup yesterday.
After winning the toss and opting to bat at the Dubai International Stadium, Scotland was undermined by spinner Afy Fletcher and pacer Chinelle Henry and could only get up to 99 for eight at the end of 20 overs.
snaring 3-22 (ESPN Cricinfo Photo)
West Indies then survived some nervous moments in the early part of their chase before settling down to easily overhaul their target, finishing on 101 for four in 11.4 overs.
While the Caribbean side produced a sterling bowling effort, their fielding left much to be desired as they put down no less than three regulation catches.
Unfortunately for captain Hayley Matthews, three of those catches were dropped off her bowling.
Matthews spurned a difficult chance at first slip when she failed to hold on to an outside edge offered by Sarah Bryce off the bowling of Henry from the third ball of the innings.
It didn’t prove costly, though, as Matthews had Saskia Horley caught at mid-on for 11 to capture her 100th T20 wicket, and soon after Henry bowled Bryce for two to leave Scotland 13 
for two in the third over.
Ailsa Lister should have been dismissed without scoring, but Chedean Nation spilt the simplest of catches at point off the bowling of Matthews.
The very next ball, Matthews could only cover her face in disbelief as Lister was dropped by Fletcher at square leg.
Luckily for the West Indies, both Lister and captain Kathryn Bryce struggled to get the ball off the square during their 46-run partnership for the third wicket, which spanned 10 overs.
Henry was especially impressive during that spell, bowling two maidens while allowing just 10 runs from her four overs.
The pacer was, however, guilty of dropping an easy catch running in from long on after Listen skied a delivery from Matthews.
Fletcher’s introduction broke the partnership, as she had Lister caught at the deep midwicket boundary by Karishma Ramharack for 26 from 33 deliveries.
With her next ball, she trapped Priyanaz Chatterji lbw as Scotland slid to 59 for four in the 13th over.
Fletcher also accounted for Bryce, who made 25 from 31 balls, when her miscued pull only made it as far as mid-on, where Ramharack took the catch.
Lorna Jack-Brown was run out without a run added to make it 76 for six in the 15th over, and Scotland only scored 23 runs from the last five overs.
Facing a straightforward chase, the West Indies were setback early when a hobbling Stafanie Taylor was bowled by Rachel Slater for four in the first over.
Qiana Joseph was lucky not to be back in the pavilion without scoring when she was dropped at mid-off.
Matthews’ lean scoring run in the World Cup continued, with Chatterji having her caught at mid-on for just eight, as the Windies fell to 32 for two in the sixth over.
When Olivia Bell removed Shemaine Campbelle for two and Joseph for 31 in quick succession, West Indies had slipped to 59 for four.
However, Deandra Dottin and Player-of-the-Match Henry came together in an unbroken 42-run partnership for the fifth wicket to guide the West Indies to victory.
Dottin finished the contest in style by clobbering spinner Abtaha Maqsood for two sixes and a four in the 12th over.
She ended unbeaten on 28 from 15 balls, while Henry scored 18 not out from 10 balls.
