Women’s World T20: Taylor’s 42 in vain as India beat West Indies by six wickets

West Indies Women fell to a second consecutive defeat at the 2023 ICC Women’s World Cup on Wednesday, losing by six wickets to India at Newlands.

The West Indies were restricted to 118-6 from their 20 overs, a total India overhauled getting to 119-4 from 18.1 overs.

Winning the toss and opting to bat, the West Indies, despite the early loss of Captain Hayley Matthews for two, laid a solid foundation for a competitive score in the Powerplay.

After losing Matthews to the bowling of Pooja Vastrakar with only four runs on the board, Stafanie Taylor and Shemaine Campbelle shared in a second-wicket partnership of 73 before disaster struck in the 14th over bowled by Deepti Sharma.

With her third ball, Sharma had Campbelle caught at short third-man for 30. Three balls later and one run later, Sharma struck again trapping Taylor lbw for 42.

The West Indies were in further trouble when Chinelle Henry was run out for two in the 15th.

From there the West Indies Women struggled to accelerate the scoring despite the efforts of Chedean Nation who scored an unbeaten 21 from 18 balls and Shabika Gajnabi’s 15 from 13.

Player of the Match Sharma would later bowl Afy Fletcher for a duck to finish the impressive figures of 3-15.

Rashada Williams was not out on two at the other end as the West Indies innings closed on 118-6.

Karisha Ramharck and Matthews tried to make a fight of it claiming the first three Indian wickets with 43 runs on the board in the eighth over.

Ramharack took the wickets of openers Shafali Verma for a 23-ball 28 with the score at 32 and Matthews got Jerimah Rodriquez caught and bowled for one to make it 35-2.

Ramharack then Smriti Mandhana stumped for 10 in the eighth over and India was 43-3.

However, by the 10th over India was scoring at better than six runs an over as Captain Harmanpreet Kaur and Richa Ghosh, helped by some wayward bowling, filled their boots with a stand of 72 that took India within four runs of victory.

Ghosh, unbeaten on 44, struck Shamilia Connell for the winning runs first ball of the 19 over for match to send the West Indies Women to their 15th consecutive defeat in T20 internationals and eighth straight against India.

Ramharack was the best of the bowlers with 2-14 with Matthews taking 1-12 and Henry 1-21. (SportsMax)