Windies Women win Super Over in rain-reduced thriller to draw first blood against SA

Shabmin Ismail held her nerve to force a tie of scores but was hit for two boundaries and two maximums in the Super Over, before hard-hitting Chloe Tryon and Tazmin Brits fell agonisingly short of the required 25 runs as the West Indies Women drew first blood in the five-match ODI series.

In a match that will go down as one of the all-time thrillers at the Wanderers, West Indies opener Deandra Dottin top scored with 37 off 31 balls.

With the score on 160/9 and needing one run to win from three overs, Ismail trapped Shakera Selman (11 runs off 21 balls) to leave the scores tied at 160.

Dottin faced all the six balls in the Super Over and hit 25 runs as she went 2, 4, 4, 6, 3 and 6 off Ismail and in reply SA sent hard-hitting Chloe Tryon and Tazmin Brits.

Tryon started with a six, 1, 4, 4, 2 and before Brits was stumped in the last ball as SA fell nine runs short and the West Indies took a 1-0 lead after the first match was washed out on Friday.

The match started two hours later because of rain and was shortened to 41 overs a side. 

As soon as the match started after the sun came out, the SA bowling attack seemed to have forgotten that opener Deandra Dottin smashed them all over the park for her 150 not out in the washed out match, and she gave them a rude awakening as she hit Ismail for six in the last ball of the first over.

Dottin's opening partner Rashada Williams (one run from five balls) went out cheaply off the bowling of Masabata Klaas in the second over of the West Indies reply, to bring Kycia Knight to the crease, who lasted 12 balls for her one as Klaas struck again.

Klaas was left pulling her hair out in frustration shortly after when Nonkululeko Mlaba fumbled a regulation catch at mid-on to give the dangerous Dottin a second life.

Fortunately for SA the dropped catch was not costly as Dottin only added 10 more runs before she missed an Ayabonga Khaka delivery which crashed on to the leg stump.

Dottin's dismissal left the West Indies in a bit of a spot of bother on 48/3 after 10 overs, as SA were 39/0 at the same stage. 

Suddenly it appeared as though SA were going to make light work of the intimidating chase when Khaka grabbed her second wicket to remove Knight and reduce the visitors to 49/4 to bring captain Stafanie Taylor to the crease.

Hayley Matthews (four from five balls) perished four balls later as Khaka grabbed her third scalp to bring Shemaine Campbelle (13 off 30) on.

The West Indies were 82/5 after 20.1 overs and 86/6 two balls later when Sune Luus got rid of Campbelle, but Chedean Nation, in her 50th ODI international, had other ideas.

Nation, 32 runs off 52 balls, was joined by number eight batter Chinelle Henry and their  partnership knocked the wind out the SA sails.

Khaka registered her maiden five-for when she dismissed Henry (26 off 28), and trapped Shamilia Connell LBW without scoring in consecutive deliveries, to reduce the West Indies to 137/8.

Earlier in the day the West Indies were set a below-par target of 161 to win the rain-shortened match, after the West Indies won the toss and asked their hosts to bat first under overcast skies.

Laura Wolvaardt (25 off 49 balls) and Tazmin Brits (25 off 55), Sune Luus (46 off 52), Chloe Tryon (18 off 21) and Sinalo Jafta (14 off 16)  gave SA something to bowl at while the tail did not wag at all. 

Connell, Shakera Selman, Hayle Matthews, Karishma Ramharack and the brilliant Chinelle Henry all helped themselves to two wickets apiece to strangle the SA scoring.