The West Indies overcame Scotland by seven runs and stayed unbeaten at the Women’s T20 World Cup after a madcap match at Headingley.
Scotland needed 154 to win and were in it at 132-5 with two overs left.
Then medium-pacer Aaliyah Alleyne came to the West Indies’ rescue. She took three wickets in the 19th over, including Darcey Carter on 59. Scotland required 17 off the last over and were all out on the last ball for 146.
Only the West Indies and England were two for two in Group 2, with the top two making the semi-finals.
Scotland had the West Indies on the ropes in both innings. Tight bowling and fielding reduced the West Indies to 124-6 after 18 overs. But another veteran, Stafanie Taylor, who missed the West Indies’ opening win over defending champions New Zealand, rescued the batting effort.
West Indies’ Hayley Matthews celebrates the wicket of Scotland’s Megan McColl
Her unbeaten 47 off 19 balls with 34 runs in boundaries lifted her side to a competitive 153-6 total. West Indies added 29 off the last two overs, 26 by Taylor.
Katherine Fraser starred in the field for Scotland with two wickets, including bowling Hayley Matthews, a leaping catch on the boundary, and a run out of Shemaine Campbelle on 36.
Fraser and Carter then gave Scotland a brilliant flying start to the chase. But West Indies fought back with four wickets in 13 balls into the eighth over, and Scotland’s run rate dropped below the required rate for the first time.
Carter injured her leg in the fourth over and was dropped on 19. Struggling to run, she didn’t hit a boundary after the fifth over until the 18th. Scotland went nearly five overs without a boundary.
But Scotland stayed in the game thanks to poor bowling and fielding. It took Alleyne to provide relief.
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