West Indies Women flounder in first ODI

A late flurry of wickets cost West Indies Women the first ODI as they went down by one run against New Zealand Women at the Sabina Park in Kingston.

Poised for a win at 212 for 6, with 14 needed off 30 balls, West Indies lost their last four wickets for 12 runs to be dismissed for 224. The first of those four wickets was that of captain Merissa Aguilleira, who had scored a solid 43 and looked good to guide her side to victory. Her wicket was followed by the dismissals of Anisa Mohammad, out lbw to Nicola Browne, and Tremayne Smartt, stumped off Suzie Bates' bowling. In the final over, with West Indies on the brink of a win, Browne effected a run-out to dismiss Shaquana Quintyne.

West Indies had set up their chase well, guided by Deandra Dottin's 66-ball 65. Dottin added crucial partnerships - first a 49-run fourth-wicket stand with Stafanie Taylor and a 74-run stand with Aguilleira that put West Indies in a comfortable position. Dottin's innings included seven fours and a six but crucial wickets from Lea Tahuhu and Morna Nielsen gave New Zealand a chance to storm back into the game.

Earlier, New Zealand could only score 225 in spite of having been in a strong position of 210 for 2. Having chosen to bat, Bates and Natalie Dodd shared a 65-run opening stand. Once Dodd fell, Bates added 95 runs for the second wicket with Amy Satterthwaite and put on fifty runs with Sophie Devine, while bringing up her fifth ODI hundred. Bates' 110 came off 133 balls and included nine fours. New Zealand, however, lost their last six wickets for just 15 runs. Stafanie Taylor bagged four of the last six wickets, dismissing wicketkeeper Rachel Priest, Katie Perkins, Browne and Nielsen. Taylor finished with figures of 4 for 19 off seven overs.