SCOTLAND SUCCUMB TO POWERFUL WEST INDIES IN DUBAI
Scotland suffered their second defeat at the ICC Women's T20 World Cup. as the West Indies earned a six-wicket victory under the Dubai lights.
Electing to bat first, an excellent display with the ball restricted Scotland to 99-8, a total the West Indies chased down inside 12 overs, despite the game being in the balance when they slipped to 59-4.
Reflecting on the defeat, Lorna Jack-Brown said: "I think tonight we came in and really thought we could cause an upset, it's not gone our way tonight, but that's T20 cricket.
"We've got a couple more games and we're always looking to improve, we're up against world class players here, we have a couple in our team, they might not have come off tonight, but it's not about individual players, we as a team have lost that game for ourselves.
"Going into the next games, we just need to keep learning, that's what we're here to do; we're to compete, and play competitive cricket, but we're also here to learn."
Saskia Horley got Scotland's innings off to a superb start, driving Chinelle Henry through the offside for four in the opening over, before swiveling and pulling Hayley Matthews to the boundary.
Horley’s early positive aggression ultimately brought about her downfall, caught by a back peddling Deandra Dottin at mid-on as she looked to strike Matthews down the ground.
Scotland suffered a further blow when Sarah Bryce (2) departed in the third over, bowled by a superb delivery from Henry that nipped away to take the top of off stump.
It could have been worse for Scotland, had Ailsa Lister not been handed lives on back-to-back deliveries from Matthews, dropped in the ring on the drive, before she was then shelled on the deep mid-wicket boundary.
Lister and Kathryn Bryce then showed excellent intent as they rebuilt the innings, looking to score off every delivery and running hard between the wickets.
They added 46 for the third wicket, taking their side to 59 before Lister (26) eventually perished, pulling an Afy Fletcher full toss to Karishma Ramharack on the deep mid-wicket boundary.
Fletcher made it two in two as she trapped Priyanaz Chatterji on the back-foot first ball.
Jack-Brown started positively, and found the boundary as she skipped down the track and drove Fletcher through the offside superbly.
However, after taking the total to 76, Kathryn Bryce (25) departed, caught in the ring by Ramharack off the bowling of Fletcher.
Just two balls later Jack-Brown (11) was run out, sent back by Darcey Carter after cutting straight to Shemaine Campbelle at backward point.
Carter and Katherine Fraser added 22, but Fraser perished in the final over, run out for six.
The final ball of the innings saw Rachel Slater bowled, looking to sweep over fine leg, by Ramharack as the West Indies restricted Scotland to 99-8.
The West Indies’ pursuit of 100 got underway as Stefanie Taylor guided the ball behind square on the offside for four, but Slater struck back the following delivery to bowl Taylor.
Enter Qiana Joseph, who immediately launched onto the attack. She clubbed Slater back over her head for six, and in the following over carved Kathryn Bryce away to the boundary.
Joseph and Hayley Matthews took their side to 32, before Priyanaz Chatterji made a crucial breakthrough in the final over of the powerplay.
Matthews, who had been frustrated by the Scotland attack, was caught superbly by Kathryn Bryce tumbling forward at mid-on, to fall for 8.
Joseph was not deterred, as she muscled Chatterji through cover for another boundary, as she moved to 22 from just 11 deliveries.
However, wickets continued to fall at the other end, as Olivia Bell took a superb, juggling return catch to dismiss Shemaine Campbell (2).
Bell then struck to remove the dangerous Joseph for an 18-ball 31, caught superbly, inches from the ground by a diving Chatterji at short-fine leg.
Henry picked up from where Joseph left off, thumping her second delivery off Bell straight back down the ground for six.
She hit Kathryn Bryce for back-to-back fours as the West Indies closed in on their target, and it was left to Dottin (25*) to finish the game in style, striking Abtaha Maqsood for two sixes in three balls to get the West Indies across the line.