WI beat BD Women in T20 WC

Off-spinner Karishma Ramharack takes four wickets for the former champions

SHARJAH:

Off-spinner Karishma Ramharack took four wickets as West Indies cantered to an eight-wicket win over Bangladesh on Thursday to strengthen their chances of making it to the semi-finals of the Women's T20 World Cup.

Ramharack, 29, struck at regular intervals to help West Indies restrict Bangladesh to a below-par 103-8 off 20 overs in Sharjah.

West Indies raced to the target in just 12.5 overs on a slow track in Sharjah.

"It was quite slow early on and I felt like you had to vary your pace as much as possible," said Ramharack, named player of the match.

"We knew that they have a couple of batters who could hit the ball really well, we just had to stay patient."

Skipper Hayley Matthews gave West Indies a flying start as they raced to 48-0 off the first six overs of powerplay.

Her quickfire 34 runs came with the help of six fours before she was bowled by pacer Marufa Akter.

Stafanie Taylor retired hurt on 27 but by then West Indies had the game firmly in their control.

Deandra Dottin (19 not out) smashed two sixes in the 13th over to seal the key game for her team.

Put in to bat, Bangladesh struggled against some disciplined bowling after a promising start.

"I think we had a very good start, but in the middle we played so many dots and then we gave them so many wickets as well," said Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana.

"Their bowlers actually bowled really well in the middle overs, and weren't giving us room to play our shots."

Bangladesh lost opener Shathi Rani (nine) to a quick stumping by Shemaine Campbelle off Ramharack in the fourth over.

The bowler struck again in the sixth over when she knocked off the middle stump of Dilara Akter (19) as the batter tried to go for a sweep shot.

Sultana (39) underlined Bangladesh's positive intent with three boundaries in the ninth over off leg-spinner Afy Fletcher.

The in-form Sobhana Mostary looked confident as well, but was done in by Ramharack who had her stumped on 16.

Fletcher then took two wickets in two balls to leave Bangladesh reeling on 75-5 in the 15th over.

Ramharack picked her fourth wicket when Ritu Moni (10) holed out at deep midwicket, where Chinelle Henry took a fine diving catch.

Fitness concern

The West Indies were sweating on the fitness of "crucial" Stafanie Taylor after the all-rounder suffered a knee injury at the Women's T20 World Cup on Thursday.

The 33-year-old Taylor was forced to retire hurt on 27 in her team's eight-wicket win over Bangladesh, which kept alive the 2016 champions' hopes of making the semi-finals.

West Indies will meet undefeated England in their last Group B game on Tuesday. Pool rivals South Africa are also in the running for a semi-final spot.

"I think she's got a knee problem, but they're trying to look after her really well. She's a fighter, and I think she knows how to manage her body pretty well," said West Indies skipper Hayley Matthews who shared a 52-run opening stand with Taylor on Thursday.

"She's been putting up a good fight this tournament trying to stay on the park, but I think today at the water break it was just a matter of I guess realising the position we were in the game, and the fact that she could probably go off."

Matthews, who made 34 in the win which took West Indies to the top of Group B with two wins from three games so far, described her veteran teammate as "a crucial part of our lineup".

"Luckily we've got the last game of the group and more than likely we're going to have to win the game," said Matthews of the prospect of facing second-ranked England.

"But it's a World Cup and if you want to be competing and winning World Cups, you're going to have to beat the best teams in the world. We're up for the challenge."