West Indies defeated the defending champions England for the second time in as many games as the 2022 World Cup. England has succumbed to a narrow seven-run defeat chasing 226 in a low-scoring match in Dunedin on Wednesday.
After being down to 94 for 5 at one point, England’s depth shone through thanks to Hayley Matthews’ twin strikes after the powerplay. However, West Indies pulled off the heist to finish second on the points table because of Shamilia Connell’s timely double-wicket over and Anisa Mohammed’s final-over heroics.
West Indies’ strong start
West Indies’ excellent start included an 81-run opening stand between Deandra Dottin and Matthews, who chose to bat. Matthews was very aggressive in her 58-ball 45, smashing a pair of sixes and four more boundaries, while the veteran played a conservative hand of 31 off 64 deliveries.
Sophie Ecclestone kept England in the game by denying Matthews a fifty. And then catching West Indies captain Stafanie Taylor behind for a golden duck in a dramatic over that also saw Dottin run out. The spinner ended Kycia Knight’s 22-ball stand at the crease five overs later, bringing West Indies to 98 for 4.
West Indies needed a boost, and a game-changing 123-run alliance between Shemaine Campbelle (66) and Chedean Nation (49*) delivered it. The two alternated strike well, with the former scoring a half-century in 70 balls. The nation was left stranded in the final over chasing massive hits at death, and a couple more late strikes left her with an unbeaten 49.
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England’s start shattered by West Indies
With her twin strokes to eliminate Heather Knight and Nat Sciver, Matthews shattered England’s calm start. Lauren Winfield Hill’s stay got cut short by a Dottin stunner at a backward point.
However, when England thought they had a slight chance of revival, Taylor broke the dangerous stand with Dunkely’s scalp. She also managed to send back Wyatt and Katherine Brunt in the 35th over to put West Indies back on the map.
When Ecclestone and Kate Cross united for a 61-run combination, the pendulum swung back in England’s favor. The duo rode their luck to reduce the target to single digits before a deadly twist in the story in the shape of a chance run-out.
Brief Scores
Brief scores: West Indies 225/6 in 50 overs (Shemaine Cambelle 66, Chedean Nation 49*; Sophie Ecclestone 3-20) beat England 218 in 47.4 overs (Tammy Beaumont 46; Shamilia Connell 3-38, Hayley Matthews 2-40, Anisa Mohammed 2-24) by 7 runs
