West Indies 153 for 6 (Taylor 47*, Campbelle 36, Fraser 2-34) beat Scotland 146 (Carter 59, Lister 33, Alleyne 3-11, Matthews 3-19) by seven runs

Taylor, playing her first match of the tournament, injected much-needed impetus to the West Indies’ innings with a boundary-laden 47 not out off just 19 deliveries striking at 247.36 after West Indies had slumped to 85 for 5 in the 15th over of the match.

Fraser had been outstanding for Scotland with 2 for 34, a spectacular catch on the boundary’s edge to remove opener Qiana Joseph and the sharp run-out of Shemaine Campbelle, West Indies’ star in their nail-biting victory over New Zealand on Saturday.

West Indies became bogged down by a disciplined Scotland bowling attack complemented by excellent fielding all round. But, led by Taylor, they scored 69 runs in the last six overs to set Scotland a sizeable target – one the qualifiers came far closer to reaching than their opponents would have liked.

Taylor-made counterattack

Taylor came in with her side floundering and in desperate need of someone to give their innings a belated jump start. Jahzara Claxon struck West Indies’ first six on the last ball of the 17th over, heaving a short one down the leg side from Kathryn Bryce over cow corner as she and Taylor looked to accelerate. But Bryce, stationed in the same spot in the field four balls later, claimed a straightforward catch to remove Claxton and give Fraser her second wicket.

Taylor picked off boundaries down the ground and over the covers then launched twin sixes back over the bowler’s head and over deep extra cover before a third, monstrous 83m maximum over deep midwicket to give West Indies’ bowlers plenty to defend.

Fantastic Fraser

Scotland were sharp in the field from the outset and their bowlers kept a lid on West Indies’ openers Matthews and Joseph, who managed just 13 runs all up in the first three overs. Rachel Slater was particularly frugal, conceding only a wide from her opening over. An out-of-sorts Matthews produced a premeditated release shot over midwicket for four off Gabriella Fontenla, who was making the ball swing nicely. But it was Joseph’s attempt to properly break the shackles which proved her undoing and demonstrated just how up for the contest Scotland were.

Fraser offered a contender for catch of the tournament so far when Joseph muscled a Slater delivery to deep midwicket. Fraser leapt with both arms stretched high above her head to pluck the ball from the air just inside the boundary then showed wonderful spatial awareness to avoid touching the sponge with her elbow by mere centimetres as she landed. By the end of the powerplay, West Indies were 33 for 1 and Matthews had scored 12 off 17. She managed just two more before backing away to a quicker delivery from Fraser and losing her middle stump as Scotland celebrated a spectacular start.

West Indies contained

Sarah Bryce dropped a tough chance behind the stumps of Campbelle, on 28 when she walked past a Fraser delivery which deflected off the keeper’s gloves and ran through fine leg all the way to the boundary. She made no mistake as sister Kathryn, who had frustrated West Indies with her superb lengths, lobbed one up outside off as Deandra Dottin advanced and turned to see her bails whipped off.

West Indies had only found the boundary seven times up to that point, at the end of the 13th over, so they were scrapping for singles wherever they could get them. There was to be no reprise of Campelle’s previous innings when she was run-out by Fraser on the next ball and then Kirstie Gordon pinned Chinelle Henry lbw to plunge West Indies further into danger.

Carter’s Courage

Needing 154 to win, Scotland began the run chase at a far more impressive clip than their opponents, Carter reeling off four boundaries in the first three overs and Fraser again in the action with 13 runs off six deliveries up to that point. Carter appeared to twist her ankle while trying to work a Matthews delivery down the leg side and she received a life shortly afterwards on 19 when Joseph dropped what should have been a sitter for Campbelle high behind the stumps. Running between the wickets became increasingly laboured for Carter but she refused to give up and she raised her ninth half-century in T20Is off 53 balls.

Matthews breaks through, Alleyne finishes it

After five overs, Scotland were 51 without loss, but then Matthews made the crucial strike, beating Fraser on the sweep with a faster ball that kept low. Two balls later, Matthews removed Kathryn for a second-ball duck, miscuing to mid-off.

Matthews claimed her third when she trapped Megan McColl lbw attempting a reverse sweep. Three balls earlier, McColl had been dropped by Campbelle, running from behind the stumps almost to midwicket and, shortly after McColl was dismissed, Campbelle left the field and was replaced by substitute wicketkeeper Mandy Mangru. Carter and Lister stuck at their task, however, in the face of some wayward bowling and scrappy West Indies fielding.

But, with Scotland needing 22 runs off the last two overs, Alleyne finally ended Carter’s knock with a return catch off a top edge then removed Lister and Gordon with consecutive balls. While West Indies continued to struggle with their ground fielding to the end but the scraped home as, Joseph removed Slater and Fontenla in the space of three balls right at the end.