Sports Desk
DUBAI: West Indies delivered an extraordinary batting performance to beat England in Dubai, reaching the semi-finals and knocking out their opponents in the process.
Having been set a target of 142 to win, the opening pair of captain Hayley Matthews (50) and Qiana Joseph (52) went on the attack, both scoring half-centuries in a blistering assault.
A rattled England dropped a host of chances, and their four wickets came far too late to stop the West Indies from wrapping up victory with two overs to spare.
Earlier, a Nat Sciver-Brunt special had left the Windies with that 142-run target.
West Indies had reduced England to 34/3, with Deandra Dottin starring in the field. But a superb rebuild was led by Sciver-Brunt, who hit an unbeaten 57* from 50 balls to guide her team to 141/7.
Afy Fletcher was the pick of the bowlers for West Indies, taking 3/21, while Dottin took 1/16 in three overs to go with three catches and a run out.
England lost captain Heather Knight to a calf injury during the first innings, with the injured skipper only able to watch on during the second innings as her team unravelled.
The result means that West Indies will face New Zealand in Friday’s second semi-final, with South Africa the other team to progress from Group B. The Proteas will play defending champions Australia on Thursday.
The winners of Sunday’s final will receive the most prize money in the history of the tournament, with all four semi-finalists also in line for big boosts compared to previous World Cups.
A target of 142 meant that West Indies required their biggest total of the group stage to qualify.
But they got off to a remarkable start, as Matthews and Joseph plundered 67 runs from the powerplay, tearing into a shell-shocked England.
The boundaries kept on flowing for the pair, with England’s panic compounded by the absence of their injured captain and a host of dropped catches.
Joseph (52 from 38) played the slightly more aggressive hand, smashing two sixes and recording her first T20I half-century, before becoming the first wicket to fall when Danni Wyatt-Hodge held on to a chance.
But the openers had put on 102 by that stage, breaking the back of the chase.
Matthews (50 from 38) reached her own half-century before being dismissed an over after Joseph, leaving England with the faintest glimmer of hope – which grew ever-so-slightly stronger when Shemaine Campbelle was run out for 5.
But big-hitting Deandra Dottin ensured there would be no tense finish in Dubai, smashing 27 from just 19 deliveries, including two big maximums, to put her team on the brink of victory.
And Aaliyah Alleyne (8* from 4) finished it off, prompting wild celebrations, with West Indies winning with 12 deliveries and six wickets still in hand, finishing on 144/4.
West Indies captain Hayley Matthews won the toss and decided to bowl first against England at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
And it was Matthews who made the first breakthrough, ending a rapid start from the England openers to remove the dangerous Danni Wyatt-Hodge (16 from 12).
Wyatt-Hodge was caught in the ring superbly by Deandra Dottin, who had only just been moved into the catching position, and the celebrations suggested the wicket was a successful outcome of a tactical ploy.
Dottin was involved again to leave England at 34/2 at the end of the powerplay, running out Alice Capsey (1) with a sharp piece of fielding following some miscommunication between the two batters. England kept on attacking despite the early wickets and Maia Bouchier fell foul to the approach as she skied a catch to Qiana Joseph, cutting a promising knock of 14 from 19 short and leaving England requiring a rebuild.
The experienced pair of Nat Sciver-Brunt and Heather Knight put on a game-changing partnership through the middle overs, with the captain playing the more attacking role and Sciver-Brunt playing a classy anchor role.
There was a moment of fortune for England’s number four though, as replays showed a not-out decision would have been overturned had West Indies had reviews remaining. The pair added 46 together before there was a concerning development for England, with skipper Knight (21* from 13) forced to retire hurt.
None of the rest of England’s middle and lower order were able to make the substantial contributions that they would have wanted, but all chipped in with cameos to support the outstanding Sciver-Brunt through to the innings break.
Amy Jones (7), Charlie Dean (5) and Danielle Gibson (7) all scored at a run-a-ball, before Sophie Ecclestone came in and slammed her team’s only six of the innings, before becoming another victim to the safe hands of Dottin (7 from 4).
But, thanks largely to Sciver-Brunt’s half-century, England reached 141/7 at the end of their 20 overs, leaving West Indies with a target that proved insufficient.
