Hurricane Dottin powers West Indies to victory

Dottin completed her century in just 38 balls, with nine sixes and five fours, and later added two fours from as many balls as the Women’s World T20 got off to a stupendous start on Wednesday.

Riding on her heroics, the West Indies beat South Africa by 17 runs. Batting at number six, the Barbadian eclipsed the fastest hundred in the men’s game hit by her compatriot Chris Gayle which he had scored off 50 balls, also against South Africa in 2007.
Her first 50 came in 25 balls – three more than her own record of 22 balls set last year – but the second 50 took just 13 deliveries. Dottin’s sixth wicket partnership of 118 with Shanel Daley is also the highest in any male or female Twenty20 match comfortably beating the record of 77 set by Australia’s Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey in Auckland in 2005.

West Indies total of 175-5 was also the highest total by any women’s team in this format while South Africa’s gallant chase, in which Shandre Fritz scored 58, was the second highest score by a side batting second in women’s Twenty20 cricket.
Brief score: West Indies: 175/8 in 20 overs (Juliano Nero 28, Deandra Dottin 112 n.o.; Chloe Tryon 2-28) bt South Africa: 158/4 in 20 overs (Shandre Fritz 58, Cri-zelda Brits 43).

Australia win
Australia sniffed past defending champions England on boundary countback after the match and the “super over” finished in a tie.
Both sides scored 6-2 in the Super Over but Australia won on countback because they had hit the match’s only six. Chasing 104, Australia needed eight off the last over with a wicket in hand and looked on track when a no-ball from Charlotte Edwards was hit for four. But, with the scores level and three balls remaining, Rene Farrell was run out by Beth Morgan.

The super over finished with the teams both scoring six for two, but Jess Cameron’s six, hit off Holly Colvin, the England left-arm spinner, in the original run chase won the day for Australia as it was the only shot to clear the ropes in the contest.
For England, Sarah Taylor hit 46 from 44 balls but only two others reached double figures in their total of 104.

Brief score: Australia 104 (19.4 overs) tied with England 104 (17.3 overs) Australia won on most sixes hit after Super Over finished tied on 6-2.