Chennai, March 20 (IANS) West Indies dominated with both bat and ball to defeat Bangladesh by 49 runs in a Group B match of the women's World Twenty20 cricket tournament at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium here on Sunday.
Choosing to bat first on winning the toss, West Indies posted 148/4 in their alotted 20 overs. Openers Hayley Matthews and Stafanie Taylor led the Carribean charge with a 67-run opening partnership.
Matthews, who hit four boundaries, was the top scorer with 41 runs off 42 deliveries. Taylor scored 40 runs, with two boundaries and a six in her 41-ball innings.
Nahida Akter was the most successful among the Bangladesh bowlers with figures of 3/27 in her four overs.
The West Indies were off to a good start with the openers adding 67 runs between them before Akter struck the first blow for Bangladesh in the 12th over when Matthews edged one to wicketkeeper Nigar Sultana. Britney Cooper did not survive long, falling to a superb caught and bowled effort by Akter just two overs later.
After Akter had sent Taylor back to the pavilion, Deandra Dottin (24) and Stacy-Ann King, who remained unbeaten on 20, helped the West Indies to post a strong finish.
In reply, the Bangladesh innings never really took off and they were bundled out for 99 in 18.3 overs. Taylor was the most destructive among the West Indies bowlers with 3/13 in three overs while Matthews (2/16) and Dottin (2/17) were also among the wicket-takers.
Bangladesh were off to a good enough start with openers Sanjida Islam and Sharmin Akhter scoring at a fast clip. But Taylor dismissed Sanjida in the fourth over and Bangladesh never really recovered from there.
Sultana did produce a stubborn ressistance with a run-a-ball 27 before being trapped leg before by Afy Fletcher, but that was never going to be enough.
Brief scores:
West Indies 148/4 in 20 overs (Hayley Matthews 41, Stafanie Taylor 40; Nahida Akter 3/27) vs Bangladesh 99 in 18.3 overs (Nigar Sultana 27; Stafanie Taylor 3/13).
