WI women off to winning start

Captain Stafanie Taylor produced a tidy all-round performance as West Indies survived a small scare before brushing aside minnows Thailand by seven wickets in their opening match of the Women’s Twenty20 World Cup campaign on Saturday.
Chasing 79 for victory at the WACA Ground, West Indies found themselves floundering on 27 for three in the seventh over before Taylor hit an unbeaten 26 and Shemaine Campbelle, 25 not out – in an invaluable 53-run unbroken fourth-wicket stand – to see their side home with 20 deliveries remaining.
Taylor faced 37 balls and struck three fours while Campbelle hit four fours in a 27-ball knock.
The veteran West Indies all-rounder had earlier snatched three for 13 with her off-spin to restrict the minnows to 78 for nine off their 20 overs.
Choosing to bat, Thailand got a top score of 33 from 19-year-old wicketkeeper/batsman Nannapat Koncharoenkai but she lacked support and only one other batsman managed to reach double figures, with Naruemol Chaiwai getting 13.
Fast bowler Chinelle Henry struck the first blow when she had left-hander Nattaya Boochatham carving a drive to Deandra Dottin at cover for two in the third over.
And new-ball speedster Shamilia Connell followed up in the next over when Nattakan Chantham (9) nicked a wide ball through to wicketkeeper Campbelle.
Thailand then enjoyed their best stand of the innings as Koncharoenkai and Chaiwai added 35 for the third wicket to frustrate West Indies.
However, veteran off-spinner Anisa Mohammed broke the stand, getting Chaiwai to hole out to mid off and her dismissal sparked a terminal decline as Thailand lost their last seven wickets for 32 runs.
Facing a straightforward target, Hayley Matthews looked to attack early, lashing three fours in 16 from 18 balls as she and Lee-Ann Kirby (3) put on 19 for the first wicket.
But Kirby’s run out in the fifth over saw West Indies stumble and lose three wickets for eight runs in the space of 16 balls to give Thailand hope of an upset.
Kirby hesitated over a quick single and was run out by a direct hit at the non-striker’s end from cover and Matthews followed in the next over, missing a pull at one which kept low from left-arm spinner Soraya Lateh and having her stumps shattered.
Deandra Dottin’s first international innings in a year lasted three balls before she too was run out, failing to beat Suleeporn Laomi’s sharp throw from point at the striker’s end.
However, Campbelle combined with Taylor to dash Thailand’s hopes of a shock victory, Campbelle finishing the game in style by sweeping off-spinner Nattaya Boochatham behind square for four. (CMC)