ICC World Twenty20 2016 Semi-Final
West Indies defeated the New Zealand WHITE FERNS by six runs in Mumbai
West Indies 143-6, 20 overs (Stafanie Taylor 25, Britney Cooper 61, Deandra Dottin 20; Sophie Devine 4-22)
New Zealand 137-8, 20 overs (Sophie Devine 22, Sara McGlashan 38, Amy Satterthwaite 24; Stafanie Taylor 3-26)
The West Indies' exciting young women's side chalked up an historic day in Mumbai as they made it to their maiden World Twenty20 Final — breaking New Zealand hearts in the process.
Star skipper Stafanie Taylor scored 25 and grabbed three wickets as the West Indies upset the WHITE FERNS by six runs in Mumbai, while Britney Cooper broke out and smashed a superb 61 off 48 balls to lift the West Indies to 143 for six, after Suzie Bates had won the toss and elected to field first on a sweltering Indian afternoon.
Undefeated in the Group stage and a finalist in 2009 and 2010, the WHITE FERNS were restricted to 137 for eight in reply at Wankhede stadium to make it two World Twenty20 knockout heartbreaks on the trot.
The West Indies will now clash with Australia, the champion side in the last three editions in 2010, 2012 and 2014, in the final at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday afternoon Indian time.
The tall, powerful Cooper smashed five fours and two sixes – off consecutive deliveries from spinner Leigh Kasperek – to lend momentum to the West Indies' aggressive innings on a pacey deck.
Cooper and Taylor put on 60 for the second wicket, after teenaged opener Hayley Matthews had fallen for 16 in the third over.
The West Indies was sailing at 78 for one when the dismissal of Taylor in the 12th over triggered a meltdown that allowed the WHITE FERNS to concede just 65 runs and claim five wickets in the final eight overs.
Seaming allrounder Sophie Devine relished the deck and starred with four wickets for 22 runs, while opening spinner Morna Nielsen was the other successful bowler with one for 14 in her four overs, all bowled up front with her customary control.
New Zealand raced to 43 for one in reply before it lost its top two batting stars, skipper Suzie Bates and Devine, in the space of five deliveries in the seventh over.
It was the first of two critical double strikes for the West Indies. Devine was run out by a direct throw from Deandra Dottin for 22, while Bates drove Afy Fletcher straight to mid-off on just 12.
Semi-Final #WT20 #NZ v #WI Comparison after 10 overs pic.twitter.com/apQmiZcyV5
— WHITE FERNS (@WHITE_FERNS) March 31, 2016
Sara McGlashan (38) and Amy Satterthwaite (24) retrieved the situation with a defiant stand of 59 for the fourth wicket, before another destructive double strike: both batters dismissed off successive balls by Taylor, swinging the tight match back to the West Indians' favour.
Reduced to 108 for five in the 17th over, a little utilised lower order found runs hard to come by against the tight West Indies bowling, and fell seven runs short of the Final in the last over.
Taylor was unable to conceal her delight at reaching the final.
“We’ve been waiting for this for a long time and it really feels great to have made the final,” the West Indies captain said, adding she was not worried at facing the formidable Southern Stars for the title.
“I do think we can win it if we are consistent enough,” she said. “We can definitely pull it off.”
Bates said her team was beaten due to a “very good performance” by the West Indies, especially Cooper who was later named player of the match.
“Credit to the West Indies for the way they came out hitting with the bat and Cooper's innings was amazing,” the New Zealand captain said.
“It has been an outstanding tournament for us, but we were on the wrong side of a very good performance by the West Indies today.”
