Windies women lift maiden WT20 title

Powerful half-centuries from Hayley Matthews and skipper Stafanie Taylor fired the

West Indies to their maiden World Twenty20 crown in a thrilling last-over win against

Australia in Kolkata on Sunday.

Chasing a competitive 149 for a win against the three-time champions, West Indies rode

a blistering 120-run opening stand between Matthews (66) and Taylor (59) to triumph

with three balls to spare.

The Windies won by eight wickets at the Eden Gardens stadium as they picked up their

first win against Australia at their ninth attempt.

“Words can’t explain what I’m feeling right now. Means so much for us and especially

the people of the Caribbean,” said Windies wicketkeeper Merissa Aguilleira.

Player of the match Matthews and Taylor, who looked determined from the word go,

acquired 16 runs off the sixth over, including a humongous six from Matthews.

A destructive Matthews clobbered three sixes and six boundaries during her 45-ball blitz

that made the Aussie bowling attack appear pedestrian.

Taylor played a more sedate but commanding innings to lead the Windies to an historic

title after three previous failed semi-final attempts.

Leg-spinner Kristen Beams got Matthews caught at mid-wicket in the 16th over and 18

balls later Rene Farrell saw the back of Taylor but the wickets only proved to be minor

hiccups on the Windies’ road to victory.

Wild celebrations erupted from the Caribbean dugout as Britney Cooper hit the winning

runs to script a new chapter in Windies women’s cricket.

The Caribbean women danced with their male counterparts to celebrate their maiden title

triumph.

The West Indies, facing the highest run chase in the tournament’s five-edition history,

started patiently in reply before Matthews and Taylor cut loose after three overs at the

crease, delivering a T20 batting masterclass to set up the victory.

Matthews eventually departed in the 16th over and Taylor in the 19th, but the platform

for victory had already been laid.

With Deandra Dottin, who earlier conceded just one run in the final over of the

Australian innings, and Britney Cooper at the crease, the winning runs came from a

missed run-out chance which resulted in overthrows.

Earlier after electing to bat, skipper Meg Lanning and Elyse Villani helped Australia post

148 for five against a sloppy West Indies fielding display.

The Aussies 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 shoddy West Indies fielding as captain Taylor juggled seven bowlers.

Medium-pacer Deandra Dottin was the pick of the Windies bowlers with two wickets,

those of Villani and Ellyse Perry, the latter of whom chipped in with 28 runs off 23 balls

including the only two sixes of the Aussie innings.

“Full credit to the West Indies they came out with the bat, did not quite get the result we

wanted,” Lanning said afterwards. Agency