West Indies win by eight wickets
Monday 4 April 2016 06:30, UK
Captain Stafanie Taylor and teenage sensation Hayley Mathews produced a record-breaking partnership as the West Indies chased down a 148-run target to claim their maiden women's World Twenty20 title against Australia on Sunday.
Half centuries from skipper Meg Lanning and Elyse Villani helped Australia post 148-5 and looked firm favourites to land their fourth successive title having won all their previous eight matches over their opponent's in T20 cricket.
But captain Taylor and 18-year-old Mathews responded in scintillating fashion with an equally-impressive 117-run partnership to leave them requiring 28 more runs off 4.2 overs.
After both openers were dismissed, Deandra Dottin and Britney Cooper helped carry them to their first-ever win against Australia in a record-breaking chase.
Captain Taylor, who was dismissed within five runs of victory, said she had been encouraged by the men's team that was to play England later in the final.
"I've been waiting for this a long time and it has come at the right time," Taylor said. "The batting has done it for us. It was fantastic to know that the men were with us. Captain Darren Sammy sent me a text this morning that we were going to win."
The Southern Stars elected to bat first after winning the toss on a bat-friendly Eden Gardens' surface in Kolkata.
They lost opener Alyssa Healy early but a 77-run second wicket partnership between Lanning (52) and Villani (52) set the tone for a formidable score.
Villani's 37-ball knock was laced with nine fours as she and Lanning were helped by some poor West Indies fielding as captain Taylor juggled seven bowlers.
A late cameo by Ellyse Perry (28) helped the Aussies' cause as the Windies were left chasing 149.
But they flew out of the blocks as openers Taylor and Mathews brought up their 100 partnership off just 81 balls.
The Aussies broke the 117-run partnership with the score at 120 as Mathews swung straight down the throat of vice-captain Alex Blackwell off Kristen Beams' bowling. Mathews struck 66 off 45 balls with six fours and three sixes.
Taylor went for 59 off 57 balls with eight fours at a crucial time with the Windies needing just five runs from nine balls, caught at mid-point.
Requiring two runs from four balls the winning runs came from Dottin (18 no) and Cooper (3 no) after Megan Schutt's attempted close-range run out missed the stumps and squirmed free for an overthrow.
That sparked wild celebrations as they danced to Dwayne Bravo's 'Champion' song and they were joined by members of the West Indian men's team, who had arrived early for their own final against England to support from the boundary edge.
"We probably did not get the result that we wanted but congratulations to West Indies for the way they batted," Australian captain Lanning said. "We felt we were a little short, 160 would have been nice. But if we had bowled well we would have defended."
