West Indies Women Reach First Ever Final

West Indies Women Reach First Ever Final

Dottin's knock of 60 was crucial in a low-scoring match.

©ICC/Solaris Images

West Indies Women 164 (Dottin 60) beat
Australia Women 156 (Daley 3-22) by 8 runs
Women’s World Cup, Super Six, Mumbai
Scorecard
Report by Daniel Grummitt

West Indies Women sensationally beat Australia Women by eight runs in their final Super Six match in the ICC Women’s World Cup, in doing so reaching their first ever final and knocking defending champions England, as well as New Zealand, out of the tournament.

At various stages during the course of the match Australia looked to be cruising, but each time West Indies found someone to rescue them. Deandra Dottin helped them rebuild from 59 for five to reach 164, and a couple of run outs and some tight bowling then caused Australia to collapse from 130 for four to be all out for 156.

Australia had to make do without the injured pair of Sarah Coyte and Ellyse Perry, but still managed to make early inroads into the West Indies batting line-up. The top three of Juliana Nero (1), Shemaine Campbelle (0) and Natasha McClean (26) all fell in the first 11 overs with only 36 on the board as Megan Schutt and Holly Ferling began well for the Australians. 

Ferling then struck twice in quick succession, bowling the formidable Stafanie Taylor for just five and having Kyshona Knight caught behind for eight. At this stage, the West Indies must have sensed their world cup dreams slipping away. However, Dottin shepherded the lower order to a total that would prove just enough.

The biggest stand came with Shaquana Quintyne - 43 for the eighth-wicket - before she finally departed for 60 off 67 balls, having hit 10 fours and a single six. Quintyne and Tremayne Smartt then added a further crucial 13 for the last-wicket before the innings was ended by Julie Hunter.

Australia began badly, losing the free-scoring Meg Manning for a duck in Shanel Daley’s opening over. The remainder of the top-order all chipped in, though, and the platform that they laid should really have been enough to seal the win.

Rachel Haynes made 21, Jess Cameron 39 and Alex Blackwell 45. With Blackwell and skipper Jodie Fields at the crease Australia needed only 35 from more than 11 overs with six wickets in hand to knock West Indies out of the world cup.

Unfortunately for England and New Zealand, whose subsequent match was rendered relatively meaningless, West Indies fought back. Blackwell was leg before to Taylor, and Fields caught by Nero off Smartt in what was a crucial double-strike. Hunter was next to go, just a run later, run out by Anisa Mohammed for a duck, with Renee Chappell following nine runs later, again leg before to Taylor.

Schutt and Erin Osborne then swung the match back towards Australia and had got the number of runs required down into single figures before Schutt was run-out by Daley. Three balls later it was all over. Osborne edged Daley through to West Indies skipper Merissa Aguilleira with nine still needed and that was that. West Indies are through to their first ever World Cup final and will play Australia again in that on Sunday, while the best that England and New Zealand can now hope for is third place.

© Cricket World 2013