Women's T20 World Cup warm-up: Poonam’s three wickets help India edge out Windies

Electing to bat, India women posted 107/8 in its stipulated 20 overs before restricting West Indies to 105/7, thanks to Poonam Yadav's three wickets.

Taniya Bhatia (in blue) could only manage to score 10 runs.

Spinner Poonam Yadav claimed three wickets as India geared up for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup with a thrilling two-run win over the West Indies in a low-scoring warm-up match in Brisbane on Tuesday.

Electing to bat, India posted a lowly 107 for eight in their stipulated 20 overs before returning to restrict West Indies to 105 for seven.

Chasing 108 to win, West Indies was comfortably placed at 57/1 in 13 overs when Deepti Sharma struck, cleaning up opener Lee-Ann Kirby (42), to trigger a collapse.

Soon after, skipper Stafanie Taylor (16), Chedean Nation (0) and Deandra Dottin (1) were back in the hut as the Windies slipped to 67/5 in the 17th over.

Hayley Matthews (25) and Chinelle Henry (17) hit three fours and a six in the 19th over to leave their side with 11 runs to get off the last six balls.

Henry smashed Poonam for a four but the Indian dismissed Matthews in the fourth ball. West Indies needed three runs off the last ball but Henry was caught by Veda Krishnamurthy.

Earlier, India’s top-three failed to fire as it was reduced to 17/3 in 3.1 overs.

Opener Smriti Mandhana (4) lasted just six balls, while Jemimah Rodrigues (0) failed to open her account. Young Shafali Verma hit a couple of fours before being caught by Britney Cooper off Shamilia Connell (2/20).

Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur (11), too, didn’t last long, while Krishnamurthy was cleaned up by Afy Fletcher (1/26), as India slumped to 52/5 in 11.2 overs.

Deepti Sharma made a 32-ball 21 before becoming a victim of Anisa Mohammed (2/16), while Pooja Vastrakar (13) was removed by Aaliyah Alleyne (1/9). Stafanie taylor then got rid of Taniya Bhatia for 10.

Shikha Pandey's16-ball 24 helped India put up a respectable total.

Brief score: India women: 107/8 in 20 overs (Shikha Pandey 24; A Mohammed 2/16) West Indies women: 105/7 in 20 overs (Lee-Ann Kirby 42; Poonam Yadav 3/20).