West Indies pulled off one of the most stunning upsets in ICC Women’s T20 World Cup history. They defeated the defending champions, New Zealand, with a thrilling seven-wicket victory in the fourth match of the tournament at Southampton. They registered the second-highest successful run chase in the tournament’s history, completing the feat with just one ball to spare
Defending champions crumble
Batting first, New Zealand women started with an explosive opening partnership between Isabella Gaze (39) and Georgia Plimmer. However, West Indies’ medium-pacer Aaliyah Alleyne completely turned the match on its head. She dismantled the top order with a spectacular spell of 4/27. She started by dismissing the dangerous Amelia Kerr for 5 and removing Gaze in the same over. While Sophie Define showed some resistance with a 15-ball 22, Brooke Halliday (40) and Maddy Green (35*) united late to push the final total to 162/6. But Alleyne’s timely breakthroughs kept the target within reach.
The dramatic chase led by Campbelle
Chasing a competitive target of 163, opener Qiana Joseph was run out early. The veteran wicketkeeper-batter Shemaine Campbelle walked in at a tense moment and played the innings of her life. While the skipper Hayley Matthews counter-attacked with a crucial 48 off 37, Campbelle anchored the innings with absolute precision. After Matthews departed, Campbelle ensured that the asking rate was never out of reach. She crushed the New Zealand bowling attack to bring her career-best, unbeaten 90 off 62 deliveries with 7 boundaries and 3 maximums. The match-winning knock gradually lowered the White Ferns’ hopes of opening their title defence with a win.
Campbelle’s calmness had a direct impact on New Zealand. It was a nightmare for the defending champions at the field. They dropped six catches, fumbled at several stumpings, and made the match even more dramatic. It turned out to be a thriller in the final over, bowled by Devine. With the scores level, a frantic leg-bye on the penultimate ball sealed the victory for West Indies women, eventually by 7 wickets, leaving the world champions shell-shocked.
Brief scores:
New Zealand 162/6 in 20 overs (Brook Halliday 40, Isabella Gaze 39; Aaliyah Alleyne 4/27) lost to West Indies 163/3 in 19.5 overs (Shemaine Campbelle 90*, Hayley Matthews 48; Jess Kerr 2/17) 7 wickets
Player of the Match: Shemaine Campbelle
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