West Indies claimed a dominant six-wicket win over Scotland in the T20 World Cup, clinching their first victory of the tournament in Dubai with 50 balls left. This triumph boosted their net run rate to 1.154, propelling them to the top of Group B. For Scotland, it was their second defeat in as many matches, a result that could severely hurt their chances of advancing.
Qiana Joseph's quickfire 31 off 18 balls spearheaded the West Indies' chase, with Deandra Dottin (28 off 15) and Chinelle Henry (18 off 10) finishing the match in rapid fashion. The foundation for the win, however, was laid by the bowlers, who restricted Scotland to a modest 99 for 8.
Henry earned Player of the Match honours for her impressive bowling performance, taking 1 for 10 at the top of Scotland's innings. She later contributed with the bat, helping the West Indies chase down the target with ease.
Scotland struggled across all departments, with only Kathryn Bryce and Ailsa Lister making noteworthy contributions. Though Scotland managed to take some wickets and fielded well, they were unable to contain the West Indies’ batsmen, which proved costly in defending their low total.
Scotland ended the powerplay at 25 for 2, a figure that could have been worse had the West Indies not been wasteful in the field. The infamous "ring of fire" floodlights may have played a role, as three chances were dropped in the first six overs. Fortunately, Henry’s outstanding swing bowling prevented Scotland from fully capitalising on these errors.
Henry, in her first over, had Sarah Bryce edging a delivery to first slip, only for Hayley Matthews to fumble the catch. Nevertheless, Henry followed up with two consecutive maidens, including a wicket maiden where she bowled Bryce with a beautiful outswinger that clattered into the stumps.
Bryce survived a close lbw call, and Lister was dropped twice, allowing them to build a 46-run partnership for the third wicket. However, the duo never found easy runs, managing just one boundary during their stand. Forced to run hard between the wickets to keep the scoreboard ticking, they were unable to mount a late charge.
The breakthrough came when Afy Fletcher dismissed Lister and Priyanaz Chatterji off back-to-back balls in the 13th over, and she soon followed up by removing Bryce in her next over. With Scotland reduced to 76 for five after 15 overs, they could only add 23 more runs in the final five overs as the West Indies bowlers maintained relentless pressure.
This World Cup has shown the importance of holding judgment on totals and pitches until both teams have batted. Additionally, finding late runs has proven difficult throughout the tournament. Considering these factors, the West Indies promoted Qiana Joseph up the order after losing Stafanie Taylor early in the chase.
Joseph showed her aggressive intent from the start, swinging at several deliveries from Bryce. Although she missed a few, her quick 18-ball innings, which included three fours and a six, took a significant chunk out of the modest target, wiping out 31% of the required runs.
When Joseph was dismissed, West Indies still needed 41 runs to secure victory. With Scotland catching well, there was a slight concern that another couple of wickets could make things more difficult. However, Dottin, in fine form from her recent franchise stints, handled the situation with composure. Her 15-ball cameo included two sixes and four boundaries, ensuring that West Indies comfortably crossed the finish line.