West Indies came into the T20 Women’s World Cup determined to operate with confidence. That cloak of belief was one of the first things the Dubai heat melted to the ground on a hot and humid Friday afternoon.
A lacklustre batting performance was enough to resign the Windies to a massive 10-wicket defeat at the hands of Laura Wolvaardt’s South Africa in their campaign opener at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Wolvaardt won the toss and opted to field, leaning on the Dubai’s propensity to aid chasing teams. It would also be kinder on the body to bat when the big shadows cover the field of play.
Marizanne Kapp and Ayabonga Khaka’s relentless pace forced West Indies to start with caution. Windies skipper and trump card Hayley Matthews was the first to crack, who nicked a wide short ball to the keeper. The impact was immediate with Qiana Joseph and Stafanie Taylor retreating into a shell.
A maiden followed for Ayabonga Khaka. Wolvaardt introduced spin in the PowerPlay, with Nonkululeko Mlaba getting the ball in the fifth over. She struck immediately, with Joseph’s indecision on a ball angling in proving costly.
Deandra Dottin and Taylor - the fabled old guard of the West Indies - had a task on hand to both stabilise and find a way to amp up the scoring rate. Dottin, who returned to the national side after almost two years spent in retirement, looked positive and was constantly on the prowl for boundary opportunities. Kapp, however, had other plans.
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After an unsuccessful leg before appeal in the 7th over, she got her bounty two deliveries later with a length ball outside off to Dottin that drew her to take a shot, only to hole out to Wolvaardt waiting at extra cover.
Shemaine Campbell started with promise as Taylor dropped anchor at the other end. But it was Mlaba’s day in Dubai as she struck twice in the 12th over, beating Campbell for pace and seeing off Chinelle Henry off consecutive balls.
A safe crawl followed from Taylor and Aaliyah Alleyne, but Mlaba took out the latter with help from an athletic catch from Tazmin Brits between cover and point. A 35-run stand between Taylor and Zaida James took West Indies to a sub par yet modest 118/6.
By the end, Taylor could barely stand thanks to the sun slurping away at her energy and slowly trudged her way back to the pavilion, never to return again for this match.
The chase was straightforward and laid back with Wolvaardt and Brits taking their time to settle and tune their own rhythm to the beats of the pitch. A frustrating day on the field for the Windies got worse when James copped a return ball from the SA skipper to the jaw and had to walk away with the physio and a swollen face.
Wolvaardt played the aggressor, astutely finding the gaps and keeping the boundaries coming. The openers eventually got to their fifties and sealed the fixture in their favour with 13 balls to spare.
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