HARARE, Zimbabwe (CMC):
Teenager Eboni Brathwaite scored the fastest-ever T20I half-century by a West Indies woman to propel her side to a dominant eight-wicket victory over Zimbabwe Women in the second T20I yesterday.
The 17-year-old opener needed just 20 balls to reach her fifty, with her boundary-studded innings powering the Windies Women to 108 for two in just 9.1 overs in pursuit of the home side’s 106 for seven at Takashinga Sports Club.
Brathwaite’s achievement eclipsed Deandra Dottin’s mark against Australia in 2009, when she reached the half-century milestone in 22 deliveries. It also matched Pakistan’s Nida Dar for the fifth-fastest half-century in women’s T20I cricket.
The victory handed West Indies Women a commanding 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
Chasing a below-par target, Brathwaite began in explosive fashion, striking Nomvelo Sibanda for two sixes in the opening over.
The Windies lost Jahzara Claxton for four, bowled by Kudzai Chigora, to slip to 27 for one at the end of the third over.
However, Brathwaite showed no signs of slowing down. The right-hander hammered off-spinner Nyasha Gwanzura for three sixes and a four at the start of the fourth over, which yielded 23 runs, to race to 42 off just 16 deliveries.
She brought up her half-century in the sixth over with two runs off left-arm pacer Christine Mutasa.
Two balls later, Brathwaite launched Mutasa for a massive six but fell on the following delivery for a superb 57 off 23 balls, an innings that included six sixes and three fours, with the score on 69 for two in the sixth over.
Realeanna Grimmond then made an unbeaten 23 from 16 balls, with two sixes and two fours, and shared an unbroken 39-run partnership with Stafanie Taylor as the Windies cruised past their target with 65 balls to spare.
Earlier, Zimbabwe Women squandered a promising start after being sent in to bat.
Openers Kelis Ndhlovu, who made 25, and Beloved Biza, who top-scored with a run-a-ball 35, combined with Chipo Mugeri-Tiripano, who scored 25, to guide Zimbabwe to a comfortable 78 for one in the 13th over.
However, once Claxton had Biza caught behind, the home side’s innings unravelled. Zimbabwe managed just 28 runs from the final seven overs while losing six wickets.
Claxton was the pick of the West Indies bowlers with figures of 3-14.
