Tauranga, March 4: Deandra Dottin defended six runs off the last over to hand West Indies a three-run victory over hosts New Zealand in the nail-biting opening game of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup at Bay Oval here on Friday. Dottin, who did not bowl in her last eight ODI appearances, bundled out New Zealand, while picking two wickets and conceding just two runs to spark jubilant West Indies celebrations.
Hayley Matthews, Player of the Match, revealed that “Shakera Selman was supposed to bowl the final over but Dottin came up to the stumps and said give me the ball. So when she says give me the ball, you give her the ball. Dottin was like if we lose I will take the blame”. In spite of losing seven wickets, New Zealand were pretty much in the game with Katey Martin (44) and Jess Kerr (25) in the middle. But Dottin bowled a dipping yorker right on leg stump and successfully trapped Martin before getting rid of Kerr as she miscued to mid-off.
With four off two balls needed, the 17-year-old Fran Jonas, who made her World Cup debut, was run out and New Zealand buried their heads in their hands. Skipper Sophie Devine (108) did her utmost to steer New Zealand to what would have been the highest-ever successful World Cup chase with an excellent century of her own but her departure with 45 required saw the pendulum swing back in West Indies’ direction. New Zealand’s innings had a tamer beginning than that of their opponents as Devine and Suzie Bates started watchfully, the former whipping the first boundary through deep mid-wicket from the first ball of the fourth over. She lost her opening partner in an unfortunate circumstance from the next delivery, Bates was run out backing up after Chinelle Henry deflected a straight drive on to the stumps, and the hosts’ progress remained cautious through the remainder of the powerplay which finished with the scoreboard reading 41 for one.
Just six had been added to that total when Matthews trapped Amelia Kerr in front with just her second delivery. Devine’s presence was becoming increasingly vital and she should have fallen on 37 only to be spilled at mid-on by Shamilia Connell, a drop that looked all the more costly when the opener pulled Anisa Mohammed through deep mid-wicket to move to her half-century. Amy Satterthwaite (31) was also put down, substitute Cherry-Ann Fraser letting the ball slip through her grasp at deep square leg, before West Indies skipper Stafanie Taylor missed a presentable chance to run out Devine on 66.
The breakthrough the Courtney Walsh-coached side craved arrived courtesy of Mohammed, who pinned Satterthwaite’s pads with a full delivery to end a third-wicket stand worth 76, and the spinner was celebrating once more when Lea Tahuhu was bowled by her next delivery. The 30-over mark arrived with New Zealand requiring 125 more for victory and plenty of hopes were pinned on their captain, who received another life when Henry put down a top-edged sweep.
Devine lost further company when Maddy Green chipped to mid-wicket and Halliday was caught at slip but she continued untroubled and brought up her sixth ODI century from 117 balls, keeping the celebration muted due to the bigger prize at stake. With the equation left at 45 needed from six overs, West Indies eventually held on to a chance to dismiss Devine – and it was worth the wait. Henry dived to her left to take an excellent return catch and see the back of the skipper for a sublime 108.
Earlier, West Indies had been put in by the hosts upon losing the toss but raced out the traps. Dottin (12) set the tone, cutting the opening ball of the tournament for four over cover in a first over costing 12, only for Tahuhu to soon earn revenge when a leading edge was held by Jess Kerr at mid-off. Matthews (119) took up the assault, cracking three boundaries from what remained of the over – nine arrived in the first 27 deliveries in all. Kycia Knight’s departure saw captain Stafanie Taylor join Matthews and the pair took their side into three figures during a composed 66-run partnership which was broken when Taylor was caught behind down the leg-side for 30. That provided Tahuhu with her second scalp and she could have had a third when new batter Campbell was put down by Halliday at deep square leg with just four to her name.
Having survived that let-off, her fortune ran out on 20 when a successful leg-before review confirmed Amelia Kerr’s googly would have gone on to hit the stumps to leave West Indies on 165 for four. At the other end, Matthews continued to accumulate despite pulling up with an apparent hamstring injury in the 27th over, carving Fran Jonas for consecutive boundaries shortly afterwards. Chedean Nation kept up the momentum with regular boundaries before Matthews reached her century at the start of the 42nd over, celebrating in style by lofting the only six of the innings over long-off four balls later. An inventive scoop for four followed as the opener looked to accelerate but her magnificent knock came to an end on 119 when her first miscue landed safely in the hands of Hannah Rowe on the long-off boundary to provide Jess Kerr with her second wicket. Tahuhu took her third when Nation (36) top-edged a hook behind as regular wickets prevented a late surge from the West Indies but they took 11 from the final over, which finished with Mohammed being run out, to finish on a competitive 259 for nine. Brief scores: West Indies 259/9 in 50 overs (Hayley Matthews 119, Chedean Nation 36; Lea Tahuhu 3/57, Jess Kerr 2/43) beat New Zealand 256/10 in 49.5 overs (Sophie Devine 108, Katey Martin 44; Hayley Matthews 2/41, Deandra Dottin 2/2) by 3 runs.
(UNI)
