Chasing a target of 131 in favorable batting conditions, the Warriors found themselves in early trouble at 15-2 after losing Natasha McLean and Stafanie Taylor within the first few overs. The pressure mounted as Jonassen and seamer Shikha Pandey applied the brakes, making run-scoring difficult in the powerplay.

However, Burns, alongside captain Lauren Winfield-Hill, who scored a solid 46 off 47 balls, steadied the ship with an unbroken 119-run partnership, the highest ever in the competition. The duo expertly navigated the tricky period, combining aggressive stroke play with calculated risk-taking, which paid off handsomely.

Burns, who was dropped twice during her innings, capitalized on those chances to anchor the chase. She reached her half-century off just 32 balls and continued to find the boundary with ease, particularly down the ground and through the leg side. Winfield-Hill played the perfect supporting role, rotating the strike and allowing Burns to dominate the innings.

Earlier, the Knight Riders posted a total of 130-6, a score that seemed competitive at the halfway mark. The team’s captain, Deandra Dottin, and Harshitha Samarawickrama laid a strong foundation with a half-century opening partnership. Samarawickrama, replacing the injured Meg Lanning, was particularly impressive, displaying elegant strokes and punishing anything short as she guided the team to 37-0 after the powerplay.

Despite the solid start, the Knight Riders' momentum stalled once spinner Chloe Tryon was introduced into the attack. Tryon, who finished with figures of 4-21, struck with her very first delivery, dismissing Dottin with a brilliant catch by Ashmini Munisar at gully. She then bowled Samarawickrama, who attempted a reverse sweep, and stifled the Knight Riders in the middle overs.

Jemimah Rodrigues and Jess Jonassen provided a late surge with a quick 44-run partnership, but Tryon once again swung the momentum in the Warriors' favor by removing Jonassen for 28 and then dismissing Kycia Knight in the penultimate over.

The Knight Riders' final total ultimately fell short, and the Warriors, despite the early hiccups in their chase, displayed their depth and resilience to record their first points of the tournament.

This victory will serve as a significant confidence boost for the Warriors as they look to build momentum in the competition. Both teams had entered this match desperate for a win after losing to the Barbados Royals in their opening fixtures, but it was the Warriors who emerged triumphant, thanks to Burns' heroics and Tryon's pivotal bowling performance.

Taylor suffered a right-side groin strain in the eighth over of her side’s defeat to England at Sydney Showground on Sunday, forcing her to retire hurt on 15.

That injury has ruled her out of West Indies’ final Group B match against South Africa in Sydney on Tuesday.

No replacement player has been requested and Taylor will stay with the West Indies team until the end of their World Cup campaign.

Gus Logie’s squad has been decimated by injury, with Britney Cooper struggling with an ankle injury and Chinelle Henry missing the defeat to England due to a recurring issue.

These add to ongoing concerns over the fitness of star player Deandra Dottin, who underwent reconstructive shoulder surgery a year ago.

Ahead of their meeting with the Proteas, Logie said: “Right now we are struggling to get an XI on the field.

“We have had other players who have had issues reoccurring through the tournament, so first and foremost against South Africa we are looking to get a fit XI on the field.

“The medical team cleared Deandra to play cricket, she had a tournament in Trinidad before coming out here and did reasonably well.

“We have been nursing her along and hoping, she hadn’t been bowling but she’d been batting pretty well in the nets.

“She did well in the practice games and we felt that if she batted a few overs and gave herself a chance, she would score runs.

“Stafanie was quite shattered, it was a twist of fate. At that stage of the game it was a blow, she gives the others confidence to play.

“Once she was out there, if she was getting the balls away and you never know what could happen.

“Hopefully we can put out a fit XI, but firstly an XI that can stay out there on the park.”

Dottin showed very little sign of rust in crafting an industrious 69 from 59 deliveries, in dogged pursuit of England’s total of 163.  She was, however, the team’s only batsman to reach double figures as the Windies eventually crashed 47 runs short of the total.  

"It's been a long time since we've played international cricket but we've been here for two and a half weeks and we've been preparing and I think we ticked our boxes, it was just a matter of execution and we didn't do that today with the bat or the ball but I think the girls were really happy to get out there and play some international and competitive cricket,” Dottin said after the game.

The allrounder has spent more time out of the game than most, having suffered a serious injury to her right shoulder in early 2019 and underwent reconstructive surgery in June of last year.  Having only recently returned to action earlier this year, the sport was halted by the pandemic.  The player, however, now seems to be on the verge of rediscovering her best form.

"The game plan was for me to bat through the innings and set up the game.  If it came down to the latter part, we could actually get a couple of big overs.  Unfortunately, England bowled very well, they used their variations very well, so we did not get the score we projected,” she added.

 Natalie Sciver and Sophie Eccleston each claimed two wickets as an economic England were found to be in a miserly mood.

Lee’s innings earned her the CG Insurance Player of the Match award following up on her CG Insurance Player of the Series award in the recent T20 Internationals. The experienced opener made her 21st half-century at this level and laid the perfect platform for the run-chase as she faced 127 balls and hit 10 fours and a six. She added 88 in 22 overs with Laura Wolvaardt who again looked in good touch before she was bowled by Anisa Mohammed for 35, which came off 65 deliveries.

The West Indies had one other success when Sune Luus was trapped leg-before wicket to left-arm spinner Qiana Joseph without scoring.

In the first half of the match, West Indies found the going challenging. Left-hander Kycia Knight top-scored with 39 off 78 balls, but was run out by a superb throw from Mignon duPreez at deep square leg.

Deandra Dottin, looked set for a significant score as she raced to 38 off 36 balls, but was well caught at long-off by duPreez, which gave leg-spinner Dane van Niekerk her first wicket. The South Africa skipper ended with 2-23 off her 10 overs to put pressure on the West Indies middle and lower order.

 The two teams will return to the same venue on Friday for the second match of the five-match rubber. First ball is 10 am (9 am Jamaica Time).

Kirby, along with her captain Deandra Dottin posted 55 runs in 9.2 overs before Dottin fell to Shabika Gajnabi for 29.

The remaining batters looked on as Kirby smashed the bowlers around for seven fours and three sixes as Team Dottin posted 132 for 5 from their 20 overs.

Hayley Matthews was the pick of the bowlers for Team Selman, finishing with figures of 2 for 31 from her four overs.

In their chase, 27 seemed to be the figure for Team Selman, as Hayley Matthews, Chinelle Henry and Shabika Gajnabi all registered the same score with the bat. Team Dottin’s bowlers stifled the scoring of Team Selman.

Shamilia Connell was the best bowler for Team Dottin, finishing with figures of 2 for 18 from her four overs.

Afterwards, Dottin said it was good to be back playing once again.

“These two practice matches felt good to be back out in the middle playing competitive cricket,” she said.

“Personally, it was nice spending some time at the crease after such a long layoff. Generally, we are all looking and feeling good, after the last couple weeks of training. So, we’re just looking forward now to start the series on Monday and put all that hard into action.”

In a wonderful advert for women's cricket, the all-around entertaining affair got the thrilling ending it merited.  With the West Indies needing to defend just 6 runs in the last over, Dottin, who has hardly been seen with the ball over the last few months, stepped up to take 2 for 2, and also effected a run-out, to finally wrap up brave New Zealand resistance in her only over of the match. 

The result meant the West Indies had successfully defended 259 for 9, their third-highest total ever recorded at the tournament.

Earlier, a brilliant 119 of 128 from Matthews, who was named the player of the match, set the stage for the West Indies triumph.  Unexpectedly returning to the top of the order after Rashada Williams was ruled out of the match due to concussion protocol, Matthews hit 16 fours and a six, dispatching New Zealand’s bowlers to all parts of the ground while proving to be the stable catalyst the West Indies needed.

Dottin, who opened with Matthews, had promised a similar type of performance but was sent packing after hitting three fours and skying another attempt to Jess Kerr after playing across the line off Lea Tahuhu. 

With Kycia Knight then departing for just 5, Matthews formed a crucial 66-run partnership with captain Stafanie Taylor, which helped the West Indies reach 100 at a steady five runs an over.  The partnership was broken when Taylor was caught behind after clipping off Tahuhu. 

It was, however, one only of three partnerships Matthews would be involved in as she also paired with Shemaine Campbelle and Chedean Nation to glue the team’s innings together. 

Matthews was eventually dismissed going after Kerr as Hannah Rowe held on to the catch in the deep.  Nation's 46-ball 36 and then Anisa Mohammed's six-ball 11, however, added valuable runs for the team at the end of the innings.  Tahuhu was the pick of the New Zealand bowlers with 3 for 57, while Kerr claimed 2 for 43.

In pursuit, Sophie Devine struck a magnificent century to keep New Zealand's chase on track, for the most part, and Katey Martin and Kerr's quickfire 40-run partnership brought it down to run-a-ball for the last over before the timely intervention of Dottin.

The loss was the first for the Caribbean team who began the tournament with wins over New Zealand and England.  The powerful combination of Mandhana and Kaur, however, typified an attacking India and set the Windies a daunting 318 for a third straight win, which would always have been a difficult scenario.

In pursuit, the West Indies did, however, get off to a flyer with opener Deandra Dottin and Hayley Matthews smashing the India bowlers around the ground.  Suffering from back issues Dottin was particularly aggressive as she looked to deal in boundaries to avoid scampering between the wickets.  In fact, the all-rounder reached her fifty in just 35 balls and the Windies were 81 without loss at the end of the Powerplay.

Spinner Sneh Rana, however, eventually got the breakthrough as Dottin's miscalculated sweep attempt was caught.  Facing the massive target, wickets continued to tumble for the West Indies with Meghna Singh joining Rana in the attack to pick up the wickets of Kycia Knight and Stafanie Taylor.  Rana then dismissed Matthews.

With the required run-rate around seven, the pressure of run-scoring got to the rest of the Windies batting line-up, which saw the team bundled out for just 162, still 156 runs short.

Earlier Mandhana smashed 123 from 119 balls and Harmanpreet contributed 109 from just 107 deliveries.  Their partnership was the highest by any Indian duo at a Women's Cricket World Cup, beating Thirush Kamini and Punam Raut's 175-run opening stand against the West Indies at the 2013 edition of the tournament.

Hayley Matthews and Deandra Dottin will both get the opportunity to display their skills on the big stage during the fifth edition of The Hundred.

Matthews, who was appointed as West Indies captain in June, said she was as surprised as anyone by Dottin's shock announcement via Twitter on Monday, citing concerns over the team environment.

"Thankful to Deandra for everything she's done for West Indies cricket," said Matthews said when asked about her reaction to Dottin's decision.

"She's obviously been a wonderful player for us over the last couple of years, and it's sad to see her go, but at the same time if it's something that she's ready for, then supporting her 100%," she added.

Matthews said she hadn't spoken to Dottin before the announcement and that she had "no interpretation" of Dottin's comments about the team culture and environment.

"I'm obviously down here representing Barbados and everything, so probably not looking to speak too much on that at the moment," the skipper said on Wednesday after her side suffered a 100-run defeat against India in their final Group A game. "But yeah, I definitely would have a chat with her and see how things go," she added.

Barbados won their opening match of the Commonwealth Games against Pakistan by 15 runs before losing by nine wickets to gold-medal favorites Australia on Sunday.

The following day, Dottin published a letter addressed to Cricket West Indies on Twitter announcing her "formal retirement from the senior women's West Indies team effective 1st July 2022".

West Indies women produced a commanding performance to level their three-match T20 International series against India at 1-1, as they registered a comfortable nine-wicket win in the second encounter at the Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy, Navi Mumbai, on Tuesday.

The victory marked a significant turnaround for the Caribbean side, who showcased an improved all-around effort after falling short by 49 runs in Sunday’s first match.

Captain Hayley Matthews once again won the toss and, as she did in the opening game, opted to bowl first. However, this time, the decision paid off handsomely.

Defending 153, the West Indies Women bowled Pakistan Women out for 116 inside 40 overs to win by 37 runs and take an unassailable 2-0 lead in their three-match ODI series.

Omaima Sohail top scored with 27 and Javeria Khan scored 24 but Matthews took 4-29 from her nine overs and Connell 3-18 from 9.2 overs as Pakistan Women slipped from 67-3 in the 25^th over losing their last seven wickets for 49 runs.

The hosts lost their last four wickets for just five runs with Connell being the main destroyer late with a double-wicket maiden in the 38^th over before Matthews picked up her fourth wicket in the 39^th. Connell then returned to wrap up proceedings when she bowled Anam Amin for a duck with the second ball of the 40^th over.

Earlier, having been sent to bat by Pakistan, the West Indies were bowled out for 153 in 45.4 overs.

Deandra Dottin, who scored a career-best 132 in the first ODI, top-scored with 34. Stafanie Taylor (23), Matthews (26), and Shemaine Campbelle (23) all got starts but failed to carry on against the bowling of Amin 2-21, Fatima Sana 2-19 and Sohail 2-25.

The West Indies are using the series as a warm-up for the ICC World Cup qualifiers set to bowl off in Zimbabwe later this month.

The WPL is the Women’s version of the Indian Premier League (IPL) and will run between March 4 and March 26.

The first edition will feature five teams: Delhi Capitals, Gujarat Titans, Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore and UP Warriorz.

Matthews, currently representing the regional side at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa where she made 44 in their opener against England, was sold to the Mumbai Indians for US$49,000.

Dottin, who retired from international cricket in 2022 after representing the West Indies 143 ODIs and 127 T20Is since her international debut in 2008, went to the Gujarat Giants for US$73,000.

Opener Smriti Mandhana was the most expensive Indian player, going to the Royal Challengers Bangalore for US$415,000.

England’s Nat Sciver-Brunt and Australia’s Ash Gardner both went for US$390,000 to the Mumbai Indians and Gujarat Giants, respectively, to share the tag of most expensive overseas player.

Leg-spinner Afy Fletcher and pacer Shamilia Connell were the West Indians among the list of unsold players.J

The Mumbai Indians will take on the Delhi Capitals in the final of the Tata Women’s Premier League (WPL) on Saturday after defeating the Gujarat Giants by 47 runs in the eliminator at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday.

Matthews first struck a well-played 52 off 35 balls to help the Warriors post 156-6 off their 20 overs after the Barmy Army won the toss and elected to field first.

She wasn’t the star of the day with the bat, however, as South African Mignon Du Preez shone with an excellent 75 not out off 54 balls including six fours and three sixes.

Dottin took 1-11 off two overs for the Barmy Army before leaving the field with a slight injury.

Matthews then returned to pick up 2-3 off three overs to combine with Sri Lanka’s Udeshika Prabodhani (2-17 off two overs) and restrict Barmy Army Women to 102-8 off their 20 overs.

Pakistanis Fatima Sana (34) and Rumana Ahmed (26 not out) were the top scorers for the Barmy Army Women.

Warriors Women finish their tournament with one win from five games, while the Barmy Army Women will now move on to the semi-finals alongside Spirit Women, Tornadoes Women and Falcons Women.

West Indies all-rounder Hayley Matthews delivered a match-winning performance as Mumbai Indians Women edged past Gujarat Giants Women by nine runs in the Women’s Premier League (WPL) on Monday. The victory propelled Mumbai above their opponents in the standings and strengthened their chances of securing a direct spot in the final.

A batting masterclass from Australian Beth Mooney and another strong all-round performance from Deandra Dottin propelled the Gujarat Giants to a comfortable 81-run win over Chinelle Henry’s UP Warriorz in TATA Women’s Premier League (WPL) action in Lucknow on Monday.

All-rounder Sciver picked up from where she left off to score her third half-century of the tournament, helping England to post 143 for five on a tricky track.

West Indies’ response never got going with Lee-Ann Kirby top-scoring with 20 at the Sydney Showground.

That was largely thanks to the spin trio of Sophie Ecclestone (three for seven), Sarah Glenn (two for 16) and Mady Villiers (one for 30), helping dismiss West Indies for 97 to win by 46 runs.

England started afresh with Tammy Beaumont joining Danni Wyatt atop the order but the move didn’t work out, the new opener trapped lbw by Shakera Selman in the first over.

Wyatt then fell to a superb catch in the deep from Hayley Matthews off Anisa Mohammed but in Sciver and captain Heather Knight, England had the best duo for the rebuild job.

With more than 70 per cent of their team’s runs in the tournament, the importance of Knight and Sciver is not lost with the latter reaching her third half-century in four games in this Women’s T20 World Cup.

By then Knight (17) was run out brilliantly by Selman and Fran Wilson had holed out to Britney Cooper at deep midwicket off Afy Fletcher, with England 102 for four with four overs remaining.

Amy Jones, in a new role at No.6, found back-to-back off-side boundaries off Stafanie Taylor but had to watch Sciver finally depart for 57 in the same over to take her tournament tally to 202 runs in four matches.

Just six balls remained as Brunt joined Jones in the middle, the bowler striking boundaries from the last two balls of the innings to take England to 143 for five.

West Indies also tinkered with their top order as Deandra Dottin opened up, but her innings ended on just nine with Ecclestone having her snaffled by short midwicket.

Taylor struck two boundaries off Brunt to end the Powerplay but that was to be her last significant contribution, stretchered off in the eighth over and retiring hurt from the innings.

From there England seized the impetus as star leg-spinner Glenn got into her work, bowling Hayley Matthews with her eighth ball to leave West Indies two down in the ninth over.

It was to get even better for the spin unit, off-spinner Villiers marking her first Women’s T20 World Cup over with a wicket maiden after taking a smart return catch off Shemaine Campbelle.

At 42 for three come halfway, West Indies had work to do with 102 still required and their task was tougher still when Chedean Nation edged Glenn to wicket-keeper Jones without scoring.

Lee-Ann Kirby (20) did her best to inject some momentum with towering sixes off Glenn and Villiers but Anya Shrubsole ended her exploits when the big-hitter was held by Sciver at long-on.

England boast the best economy rate for spinners in the Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 and with each of Ecclestone, Glenn and Villiers bowling a maiden, they weren’t letting up.

Ecclestone, who has now taken wickets in her last 18 T20I matches, had Britney Cooper stumped while Villiers completed back-to-back run-outs of Afy Fletcher and Aaliyah Alleyne.

Ecclestone then had the last say, taking her 100th international wicket by bowling Anisa Mohammed to send England into the last four.

Scores in brief

England beat West Indies by 46 runs, Sydney Showground

England 143-5, 20 overs (Nat Sciver 57, Danni Wyatt 29; Anisa Mohammed 1-23)

West Indies 97 all out, 17.1 overs (Lee-Ann Kirby 20; Sophie Ecclestone 3-7, Sarah Glenn 2-16)

Dottin suffered a career-threatening injury early last year which required reconstructive surgery to her right shoulder. This caused her to miss three international series against England, Australia and India. She recovered well and was able to play in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Australia earlier this year but did not bowl.

She’s now back bowling, and on Saturday made a return with the ball taking two wickets in the third T20I against England in Derby. It was the first time she bowled at this level since February 2019. She also scored a sizzling 63 – to follow up 69 and 38 in the other two matches at the Incaro County Ground in Derby. In so doing she has scored more than 40 percent of the team’s three totals.

Bolstered by a strong support system led by Merissa Aguilleira, Dottin credits the outstanding former West Indies captain and current teammates for getting her through her time away from the game.

 “There were times where I thought that was it… the pain actually gave me strength in terms of fighting and getting back out there… to play cricket for West Indies,” Dottin said in a recent interview with windies cricket.

“In that down period, I was talking to Merissa a lot. She has been telling me to don’t give up and keep praying and a couple of players had messaged me wishing a speedy recovery.”

 One of the top five women with the most T20I career runs, Dottin admitted that is was a good feeling and she’s looking forward to getting to the top spot in the near future.

“Of course, I plan to be at the top, to be the Number one.”

Qiana Joseph’s explosive 63 and Deandra Dottin’s blistering 49 set the stage for a comprehensive 106-run victory for the West Indies Women over Bangladesh Women at Warner Park in St Kitts on Wednesday. The win gave the hosts an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series, securing the series victory with one match to spare.

With three One Day International 100s to her name, the 30-year-old has been undoubtedly been one of the team’s most influential players since making her debut in 2008.  On the back of recent performances, which were critical in the team’s wins over New Zealand and then England, it is clear that that much hasn’t changed.  But at least some things have

According to Selman, in addition to her on-field heroics, Dottin, like so many great players, has matured not just into the role of serving as a role model for the next generation, but also in terms of imparting tactical know-how whenever possible.

“Deandra has grown tremendously as a leader over the past few years.  She was the vice-captain when we were back in England in 2020 and I think given that responsibility she has grown tremendously,” Selman told members of the media on Friday.

“We’ve seen helping a lot with the youngsters, she is a bit aggressive and that helps in the field, helps as a batter.  She is always offering advice to all the youngsters, even the senior players.  Now she is in conversation with Stafanie Taylor on the field when we are trying to make crucial decisions,” she added.

Dottin and the West Indies will look for a third straight win in a row when they take on India on Friday night at 8:00 pm.