West Indies registered a 48-run victory over New Zealand at the Brabourne Stadium in their Super Six encounter of the 2013 ICC Women’s World Cup.

After a dismal performance by the top and middle orders, Shanel Daley and Anisa Mohammed gave the West Indies a decent total to defend against New Zealand with a 37-ball 45 run partnership late in the innings. Tremayne Smartt claimed three wickets early on to keep the game balanced.

The pacer claimed Frances Mackay in the second over, and a bit later followed up with the wickets of Sara McGlashan and Sophie Devine off successive overs to leave New Zealand on 47 for three. Although No.3 bat Suzie Bates tried to take the innings forward with Katie Perkins at the other end, their partnership ended for 29. And seven runs later Stafanie Taylor dismissed Nicola Browne, while Bates (30) handed a return catch to Anisa Mohammed.

Still requiring 125 runs, NZ faced an uphill task and with Rachel Priest and Kate Broadmore yet to get off the mark, the match leaned in favour of the West Indies. The Caribbean women continued to stem the flow of runs and struck at regular intervals. While Dottin claimed Broadmore, Taylor broke the budding partnership between Priest and Morna Nielsen as they threatened to cover lost ground. Lea Tahuhu who replaced Nielson followed her back to the hut after scooping the ball back to Dottin. Priest who had held up one end until then, was run out for 36 to end the NZ innings for 159.

Earlier, left-arm pacer Sian Ruck struck in her first over to remove Natasha McLean and 34 runs later trapped opener Kycia Knight leg-before, after New Zealand elected to bowl first. But Taylor and Kyshona Knight added 37 runs, before Nielsen ended the partnership. Kyshona’s mistimed hit off Nielsen was caught safely by Tahuhu at mid-on, and couple of overs later, Taylor edged the ball to the wicketkeeper to return for 49. With the mainstay of their batting line-up back in the dressing room, Deandra Dottin still managed to get things going for her team. She opened her account with a boundary to extra cover and followed up with two more on either side of the wicket in the next. And later she lofted the ball over mid-wicket for the only six of the innings. Nielsen finally claimed Dottin as she swept the bowler to Ruck at square-leg to walk back for 27 off 21 balls.

After her departure, the West Indies struggled. Shemaine Campbelle who had joined Shanel Daley in the middle found her herself well short of her crease as a direct hit from mid-wicket by Browne dislodged the bails. And Shakera Selman lost her stumps to Bates. But Mohammed, who then joined Daley at the crease, scored at a quick pace. The duo guided the West Indies to a respectable total. However, with three balls left, Daley was caught at long-on by Browne.

Brief scores: West Indies 207/9 in 50 overs (S Taylor 49, S Daley 37, A Mohammed 31*, M Nielsen 3/27, S Ruck 2/32) beat New Zealand 159 all out in 44.3 overs (R Priest 36, S Bates 30, T Smartt 3/39, D Dottin 2/11) by 48 runs

Player of the Match: Anisa Mohammed for her all-round performance.