Mount Mauganui – A third One-day International hundred from Hayley Matthews topped a sixth from New Zealand Women’s captain Sophie Devine, but it was Deandra Dottin that got West Indies Women over the finish line to upset the hosts with a three-run win in the opening match of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup on Friday.
Defending a target of 260, Windies Women’s captain Stafanie Taylor turned to Dottin to bowl the final over of the match at the Bay Oval after the Barbadian all-rounder demanded the ball with the New Zealanders needing six to win.
Dottin has only bowled 11 overs in international cricket in the last three years and none in training recently as a consequence of a career-threatening shoulder injury she sustained three years ago.
The 30-year-old conceded a single off the first ball and then gained an lbw verdict to dispatch Katey Martin for 44, a decision confirmed after the batsman reviewed the decision and ball-tracking gave evidence that the delivery was going to hit leg-stump.
Dottin conceded another single – to Hannah Rowe – off the third delivery of the over, but she got Jess Kerr caught at mid-off for 25 off the next ball before she completed the run out of Fran Jonas for a duck off the penultimate ball to seal the win.
The result gave West Indies Women their first win over hosts in their backyard in seven matches and got the Stafanie Taylor’s side off to a confident start.
“She (Dottin) was like, ‘Skip, I want the ball, give me the ball’, and I said, ‘Ok, you and the coach will discuss after, that has nothing to do with me. I will give you the ball, do your thing’,” Taylor said about the decision to allow Dottin to bowl the final over.
Earlier, Matthews, opening the batting again for the first time in almost six months because of a concussion to Rashada Williams, struck 16 fours and one six in a career-best 119 off 128 balls to lead the Windies Women to 259 for nine from their allocation of 50 overs after they were put in to bat.
The 23-year-old Barbadian then took 2-41 from her allotted 10 overs to make her a shoo-in for the Player-of-the-Match award and inspire the Caribbean side to glory as the global showpiece got off to a thrilling start.
But it could have all gone wrong for the West Indies Women after they shelled six chances, including a reprieve to Devine that enabled the White Ferns captain to get away and spank 108 from 127 balls that almost ended in the highest successful WCWC run chase.
Chinelle Henry, however, clung onto a return catch on the second attempt to send Devine packing with 45 needed from 35 balls and the momentum shifted to the Windies Women.
The Caribbean side still met defiance from Martin and Kerr that kept the game on a knife’s edge, but Dottin, bowling her only over of the innings, ushered West Indies Women over the line.
The Windies Women face defending champions England Women in their second match, starting at 6 p.m. (Barbados Time) on Tuesday at University Oval in Dunedin.
Summarised scores:
West Indies Women 259 for nine off 50 overs (Hayley Matthews 119, Chedean Nation 36, Stafanie Taylor 30, Shemaine Campbell 20, Deandra Dottin 12, Anisa Mohammed 10; Lea Tahuhu 3-57, Jess Kerr 2-43).
New Zealand Women 256 all out off 49.5 overs (Sophie Devine 108, Katey Martin 44, Amy Satterthwaite 31 Jess Kerr 25, Amelia Kerr 13; Deandra Dottin 2-2, Hayley Matthews 2-41, Anisa Mohammed 2-60).
(AR)
