India coast to six-wicket win
A disciplined team performance helped India women beat West Indies women in the first Twenty20 by a comfortable six-wicket margin
ESPNcricinfo staff
22-Jan-2011
A disciplined team performance helped India women beat West Indies women in the first Twenty20 by a comfortable six-wicket margin in Ahmedabad. Chasing 90 for victory, India got home with 16 balls to spare, going 1-0 up in the three-match series.
Though there was no stand-out performer for the hosts, most batsmen chipped in, contributing to the victory in what was the first-ever Twenty20 between the two sides. West Indies' new-ball bowler Stafanie Taylor got India opener Poonam Raut early, while her partner Rumeli Dhar was run out for 15. But the next three batsmen - Mithali Raj, Harmanpreet Kaur and Priyanka Roy - posted 20s to steer India to victory.
It was all about teamwork when India bowled as well, as the wickets were shared around, with only skipper Jhulan Goswami being responsible for more than a single dismissal. She effectively dismissed three batsmen, getting Stacy-Ann King run out off a direct hit without facing a ball in addition to two bowling successes. Only No. 3 batsman Shanel Daley displayed some amount of resistance, scoring 35 off 51 balls. Despite her efforts, West Indies finished on a total of which proved inadequate.
The second match will be played on Saturday at the same venue.
