Women’s T20 World Cup: England crash out after West Indies defeat

England suffered a shock exit from the T20 World Cup on Tuesday after a rampant West Indies handed them a six-wicket defeat, chasing down their 142-run target inside 18 overs – a margin of victory so substantial that they leapfrogged South Africa on net run rate to top Group B.

The win means West Indies progress to Friday’s semi-final against New Zealand at England’s expense, while South Africa will have to do the hard yards against the reigning champions Australia in Thursday’s semi.

It is West Indies’ first T20 win against England since 2018 – the same year they last reached the semi-final of a global tournament – but recent form mattered not a jot for the Caribbean underdogs, who managed the feat even with one of their leading players, Stafanie Taylor, absent through injury.

Instead, this victory was masterminded by Deandra Dottin – the player who unexpectedly reverse-ferreted on her two-year retirement from international cricket in July this year. Come Tuesday night, England were left wishing she hadn’t bothered, after her electric fielding – two catches, a run-out and a wicket – and 27 runs clobbered off 19 balls sealed their place on the plane home.

England’s 141 for seven always felt underwhelming at the Dubai ground where three teams have already surpassed 160 in this World Cup. Their woes were enhanced when captain Heather Knight had to retire hurt in the 13th over due to a calf injury, and failed to take the field for the chase, handing skipper duties to Nat Sciver-Brunt.

Sciver-Brunt had led a valiant rescue effort with the bat, top-scoring with an unbeaten 57 from 50 balls after England found themselves 34 for three in the opening seven overs. Even she only narrowly escaped the snare of Dottin: she would have been out leg-before for 26, had West Indies not already burned through their two available DRS reviews; instead, the on-field not-out decision stood.

But with Knight absent, England displayed the same emotion they had shown the last time their skipper went missing during a big tournament (the 2022 Commonwealth Games): rudderless panic. Opener Qiana Joseph threw her bat about and was dropped five times, twice resulting in England fielders palming the ball over the boundary rope. An irate-looking Jon Lewis was seen remonstrating with his players during the 10-over drinks break, but could not prevent Joseph cavorting to a 34-ball 50 shortly afterwards – her first ever in international cricket.

Joseph was finally snaffled in the deep by Danni Wyatt-Hodge, while the captain Hayley Matthews was caught on the rope six balls later, just after bringing up her own half-century. But Dottin took matters into her own hands, slogging 16 runs off Charlie Dean’s next over. She was bowled by Sophie Ecclestone with six runs still needed, but Aaliyah Alleyne finished the job with two boundaries.

Earlier, despite facing down a pair of England openers last seen bossing a 113-run partnership against Scotland, Dottin had been utterly unfazed in the field. She deliberately placed herself in the firing line of Wyatt-Hodge’s favoured cut shot and pouching a good low catch at backward point. Five balls later, she ran out Alice Capsey with a smart pick-up-and-throw to Shemaine Campbelle behind the stumps.

Dottin then demanded the ball from her captain for the first time in this World Cup, and had Dani Gibson caught at cover-point in the penultimate over, as – after Knight limped from the field – England lost a clatter of wickets at the death. This is a player who styles herself as the “World Boss”, an epithet which often seems overhyped, but on Tuesday, as West Indies celebrated the unlikeliest of wins, the moniker seemed apt.

Just two matches now stand between the World Boss and the World Cup. It seems unlikely, but such is the delicious unpredictability of this West Indies side that it can’t be entirely ruled out.