All-round Dottin gives Windies Women series lead

Dottin and Stafanie Taylor made fifties and lifted their side to 216/5 – a total which their bowlers defended with ease as Pakistan were skittled for just 70. Chasing 217, Pakistan got off to a shaky start, losing opener Sidra Ameen early in the second over. Nahida Khan (23) and Javeria Khan steadied the innings, sharing a 44-run stand for the second wicket. It was unfortunate for Pakistan that two of their best batters – Nahida and Javeria – who had started to build an important stand, both walked back to the pavilion retired hurt. First, it was Nahida, who after coping a short-ball delivery from Dottin, was stretchered off the field. Pakistan then lost Omaima Sohail on the very next ball. The batter was trapped in front by an accurate Dottin delivery for a duck and soon after Javeria, who struggled to run between the wickets during her 48-ball stay, also limped back off the field retiring hurt for 17. From there, the hosts started losing wickets at an alarming rate and their position never seemed to improve. Fletcher (3/17) along with Dottin (3/14) sparked a middle-order collapse as Pakistan slipped from 42/2 to 57/6 in no time. Javeria then returned to resume the batting but couldn't do much for her side as she was bowled out by Taylor for 21. Fletcher soon wrapped up the Pakistan innings in just 29.5 overs. Apart from Nahida and Javeria, the rest of the Pakistan batters scored in single-digits. Earlier, Windies Women lost their opener Kycia Knight for a duck. The batter faced 18 balls but couldn't manage to get off the mark and was eventually clean bowled by Sana Mir. Knight's partner Dottin and skipper Taylor then led the Windies attack and made Pakistan's bowlers toil for the most part of their innings. Both the batters batted with caution and stitched a crucial 143-run stand. It was Dottin who first brought up her fifty, a rather slow one by her attacking standards. A straight six off Nida Dar saw her reach the landmark from 85 deliveries. Taylor too took her time to score her half-century, taking seven more deliveries than Dottin. Pakistan captain Javeria introduced seven different bowlers to try breaking their stand, but it was pacer Kainat Imtiaz who provided her side with a much-needed breakthrough. Taylor played a mistimed shot and Sidra Ameen took a comfortable catch to send the Windies captain back for 58. Imtiaz then snared the prized scalp of Dottin, who fell just a boundary short of a century for 96. The Windies Women opener's 139-ball innings featured eight fours and two sixes. The Windies lost Natasha McLean and Chedean Nation in the next two overs and the visitors were reduced to 192/5. Shemaine Campbelle remained unbeaten on 26 and Chinelle Henry's quick 9-ball 18* took Windies across the 200-run mark. Imtiaz was Pakistan's star bowler, finishing with figures of 3/49. Nevertheless, despite Pakistan's efforts with the ball, it would go on to be a comfortable victory for the Windies, who lead the three-match series 1-0.