WI-W vs SCO-W, Women's T20 World Cup: Taylor, Matthews, Alleyne guide West Indies to nervy win over Scotland
Stafanie Taylor with her Player of the Match award (Source: Getty Images)
Published - 19 Jun 2026, 12:37 AM• Read time - 6 mins
Match overview
A counterattacking knock from Stafanie Taylor, followed by spirited spells of bowling from Hayley Matthews and Aaliyah Alleyne, guided West Indies to their second consecutive win in the ongoing Women's T20 World Cup as they scraped past Scotland by just seven runs in match No. 12.
Playing at Headingley in Leeds, Scotland, invited Windies to set a total on the board. The Women in Maroon got off to an ordinary start in the powerplay after opener Qiana Joseph was caught brilliantly by Katherine Fraser at the deep midwicket fence in the fifth over. Next one to fall was the Windies skipper Matthews, as she was cleaned up by Fraser on the penultimate ball of the eighth over.
Windies received some respite when Deandra Dottin (14 off 16) and Shemaine Campbelle (36 off 26) added 35 for the third wicket. But Dottin was stumped in the 13th over as she tried to up the ante. Campbelle and Chinelle Henry also fell in the next nine deliveries as Scotland tightened their grip on the game.
Just when it seemed that the West Indies innings was soon to unravel, former captain Taylor got into the act and played a breathtaking cameo. Taylor initially added 37 runs for the sixth wicket alongside Jahzara Claxton and then stitched a 31-run partnership with Jannillea Glasgow to resurrect Windies.
Taylor wound down the clock and played a few sumptuous strokes to bring the West Indian supporters at the venue back to life. She smacked four boundaries and three maximums in a 19-ball 47* at a strike rate of 247.36 and guided Windies to 153.
Scotland began strongly, in pursuit of their target, with openers Darcey Carter and Fraser tearing into the West Indian bowling attack. Carter went after Dottin in the second over and smashed her four three boundaries to make her intentions clear.
With the game gradually slipping away, Matthews summoned her experience and cleaned up Fraser with a flatter delivery to bring Windies back into the hunt. Fraser's wicket opened the floodgates as Scotland slumped from 51/1 in 5.1 overs to 74/5 in 10.4 overs.
Unfazed by the fall of wickets around her, Carter carried on and scored a remarkable half-century under pressure. She added 63 valuable runs for the sixth wicket alongside Ailsa Lister (33 off 25) and gave Scotland a real sniff in the 18th over. Matthews lobbed the ball towards Dottin to bowl the 18th, but 'the World Boss' looked clearly out of sorts.
Struggling to get her line right, Dottin bowled three consecutive wides and then got smacked on the off-side for two boundaries on the second and the fourth deliveries of the over. The magnitude of the occasion got to Dottin. She started tearing up, and her teammates had to rush to calm her down.
With 22 needed off the final two overs, Matthews entrusted Alleyne with the responsibility to close it out, and the right-arm seamer didn't disappoint. Carter fell on the first ball of the over, becoming the first of Alleyne's three victims of the evening. Alleyne then castled both Lister and Kirstie Gordon on the fifth and the final deliveries to end the Scottish hopes.
17 proved too many for Scotland in the last over as they could only manage nine and suffered their first defeat of the tournament.
Top run-scorer of the Match
|
Player |
Team |
Runs |
Balls |
Fours |
Sixes |
Strike Rate |
|
Darcey Carter |
Scotland Women |
59 |
62 |
8 |
0 |
95.16 |
Top wicket-taker of the Match
|
Player |
Team |
Overs |
Maiden |
Runs |
Wickets |
Economy |
|
Hayley Matthews |
West Indies Women |
4 |
0 |
19 |
3 |
4.75 |
Player of the Match
Stafanie Taylor
The former West Indies skipper proved yet again why she is considered one of the most reliable and the go-to player in tense moments. Taylor's counterattacking innings knocked the wind out of Scotland's sails and made Windies believe that they had a defendable total on the board.
Turning Point
There were two turning points in the game. Stafanie Taylor's 19-ball 47 was the first one of those as it snatched the momentum from Scotland's corner for the first time in the evening. The second one came in the form of Katherine Fraser's wicket in the sixth over. Fraser's wicket led to a major batting collapse and pushed Scotland behind in the chase.
What did the captains say:
Winning Captain, Hayley Matthews (West Indies women):
"Very very close game, glad we got over the line. I thought they bowled some really good areas, cramped for room. Myself and others struggled for options. Really looking to make a difference. Was really good to see [Taylor], different role for her, knows what to go to when under pressure. We noticed spin was probably key. Campbell sick since this morning. Dottin wants to put her hand up and do it for the team. Because she cares so much... It was good to see everyone around her."
Losing Captain, Kathryn Bryce (Scotland women):
"At the start of the day, would have taken chasing that 150 total. We probably let it slip towards the end. We've been really on it with our lines and lengths, but had a knock-on effect with the fielding when we slipped... [Openers] were fantastic up top, took on the game, set us up... We've played a lot of good cricket. Clever with the pace off, we struggled through the period to get a boundary. It means so much. The pain people are feeling right now shows how much they care... Will be special when we reflect back on it."
