A?NAIL-BITING?TIE. Then a super over in pouring rain that was brought to an end by two emphatic boundaries from the dynamic Deandra Dottin.
It was the perfect script to set the stage for what should be an absorbing final tonight at Kensington Oval between the West Indies and England in the Women’s Tri-Nation T20 International cricket series.
What should have been a meaningful low-keyed final preliminary between two teams destined for the final, was an absorbing cliff-hanger that kept fans riveted to their seats at the Oval on Thursday night.
It was a team effort that did the trick for the West Indies, but it was Dottin and the baby of the team, 17-year-old Shaquana Quintyne, who came up with big performances that made the difference.
When Dottin came to the wicket, the West Indies were limping at 61 for three in the 15th over. She announced herself by thumping Natalie Sciver for two sixes over long-on and knocking the 21-year-old Surrey medium pacer out of the attack.
Dottin’s first 20 runs came in just eight balls and by the time she perished in the 19th over, caught at deep extra cover off skipper Jenny Gunn, the West Indies had passed the 100-mark and were making a fight out of it.
Dottin, who made 26 in 12 balls, added 38 for the fourth wicket with captain Stafanie Taylor, who made 40 in 42 balls, falling off the last ball of the 18th over to leave the West Indies at 99 for four.
With wicketkeeper batsman Shemaine Campbell hitting a couple of boundaries in the last over, the West Indies finished at 118 for seven, rattling off 53 runs off the last five overs.
England had a solid start, racing to 25 without loss in four overs before the West Indies pegged them back with spin: the leg breaks of Quintyne from the southern end and the off breaks of Anisa Mohammed from the pavilion end.
Mohammed had a hand in the first three dismissals, swooping down to take a fine low catch at short fine leg to remove Danielle Wyatt and then prising out Laura Winfield and skipper Sarah Taylor.
The English were 50 for two off ten overs but with the left-handed Lydia Greenway leading the way, reached 100 in the 17th over and seemed on course when they required 19 runs off 18 balls.
Captain Stafanie Taylor, though nursing an injury, introduced herself late in the attack and turned the match on its heels again when she took two wickets in the final over. With England requiring four off the last ball, Danielle Hazell scrambled three runs that tied the scores.
Quintyne, who is just 17, was entrusted to bowl the crucial super over and delivered, conceding just six runs with the West Indies cause being helped with Shakera Selman’s run-out of Wyatt.
There was to be no last-ball drama in the super over. Dottin, the first woman to score a T20 International hundred, smashed the first ball from Gunn, a high full-toss, signalled a no-ball, behind square for four and belted the next over cow corner to the fence to set off celebrations among dozens of fans in the Three Ws Stand.