South Africa were too strong for the West Indies, winning by ten wickets to kick off their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup campaign in Dubai on Friday.
When asked to bat first, the West Indies were reduced to 118 for six, although the total would have been much lower if Stafanie Taylor had not scored an unbeaten 41-ball 44.
South Africa’s left-arm spinner Nonkululeko Mlaba had career-best figures of 4/29, while Marizanne Kapp finished with 2/14. In response, South Africa finished the task with 13 balls to spare.
Skipper Laura Wolvaardt (59 off 55 balls) and Tazmin Brits (57 off 52 balls), who had earlier in the day made a stunning grab at cover point, completed the job easily for last year’s runners-up.
Earlier, South African bowlers kept a tight line and length to put the West Indians on the back foot, and Marizanne Kapp caught Hayley Matthews (10 off 11 balls) behind.
Qiana Joseph’s patient stay in the middle came to an end when she was bowled by left-arm spinner Mlaba in the fifth over.
West Indies fell to 32/3 after Kapp dismissed Deandra Dottin (13 off 11 balls). From then, the Windies were unable to score enough runs to match their opponents.
