Johannesburg — Led by a magnificent 150 not out by Deandra Dottin, the West Indies produced an energetic and forceful display to dominate the Proteas in the first One-Day International here on Friday night.
That they didn’t win was only because of rain which returned to eventually end the game, just 14 balls shy of 20 overs being completed in the home-team’s innings and thus it being declared a full match.
The Proteas target had been recalculated according to the Duckworth Lewis Stern method at the end of the West Indies innings, with South Africa given 29 overs in which to chase 209. They were never up with the required rate, losing wickets at regular intervals as the West Indies quicks, Shamila Connel and Shakera Selman created pressure early allowing spinners Hayley Matthews (2/28) and Karishma Ramharack (2/18) to pick up wickets as South Africa desperately tried to keep up with the scoring rate.
The two weeks of training may have served the Proteas well after months of inactivity, but it was clear from their performance that Sune Luus’ side were well off the mark in terms of match intensity.
That wasn’t the case for the West Indies. Dottin was outstanding, recording the second highest individual score by a West Indies woman international, with an innings that started carefully, but then blossomed with an array of stunning shotmaking.
South Africa had grabbed the initiative early after Luus chose to bowl upon winning the toss. Shabnim Ismail kept the West Indies openers quiet and picked up the wicket of Rashada Williams, lbw for one in the fifth over, while Kycia Knight faced 19 balls and made just a single before she was well caught behind by Proteas wicketkeeper Sinalo Jafta off Ayabonga Khaka.
West Indies captain Stafanie Taylor copped a horrible blow on a right arm, from a powerful straight drive by Dottin that created a noticeable bump. Taylor left the field in agony, and most likely will have to undergo X-rays to determine the extent of the damage , with her World Cup chances appearing to be in jeopardy.
While Taylor suffered that misfortune, Dottin got back to work and struck the ball sweetly, taking advantage of some poor bowling from the hosts. South Africa with the notable exceptions of Luus and Ismail, got their lines completely wrong, offering up a number of leg-side freebies, while also gifting the tourists extra runs and balls through 12 wides.
Dottin struck some massive blows; one six off Masabata Klaas sailed 10 rows back into the Memorial Stand, and a slog sweep off Nonkululeko Mlaba would have disappeared into the Taverners Stand had it not struck a railing and bounced back into the field of play. She shared a partnership of 153 runs with Matthews who timed the ball beaufilly on the way to making 51.
With Luus trying to save Ismail’s last few overs for the ‘death,’ she needed Khaka, Masabata Klaas, Chloe Tryon and Mlaba to find the right lines and lengths, but that quartet was far too inconsistent. In attempting to shut off Dottin’s preference for hitting to the leg-side, they bowled wide outside off-stump, but Dottin was by then feeling far too good about herself and drove powerfully to the cover region.
Dottin, had sailed passed 100 for the third time in her career, and moments before the rain — which had earlier interrupted play for half an hour — returned, thrashed Klaas to the extra cover boundary to bring up 150, only the second West Indies batter to reach that mark, after Taylor. She faced 158 balls, hitting 18 fours and four sixes.
South Africa’s bowling lacked discipline, with Ismail (1/24) and Luus (0/29) the best of the lot. The fielding had started out well, but quickly slipped into lethargy, illustrated by Klaas dropping a simple chance offered by Dottin when she had 110. She’d also been dropped earlier by Jafta when on 86, but that was a much harder chance for the Proteas wicketkeeper.
The second ODI will be played at the Wanderers on Monday.
SCORECARD
West Indies 234/3 (45.3 overs)
South Africa 87/5 (17/4 overs)
No result
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