Stafanie Taylor navigated a huge scare at the hands of Scotland as West Indies scrapped their way to a second win of the Women’s T20 World Cup.

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.

A spirited half-century by just-turned 21-year-old opener Darcey Carter while battling a leg injury took Scotland close to victory in the face of a nervy performance with the ball and in the field from West Indies. She shared half-century partnerships with Latherine Fraser and Ailsa Lister, but Hayley Matthews’ 3 for 19 in four overs, which included 13 dot balls, gave her side just enough hope to hold onto and Aaliyah Alleyne’s  three wickets in the 19th over stifled Scotland just as they threatened to take the match away once more.

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 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, 83m maximum over deep midwicket to give West Indies’ bowlers plenty to defend.

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 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 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.

Sarah Bryce dropped a tough chance behind the stumps off Campbelle, on 28 when she walked past a Fraser delivery which deflected off the keeper’s gloves and ran through fine leg 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 scampering 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.

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. Carter appeared to hurt her leg while trying to work a Matthews delivery down the leg side and she received a life 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.

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. That sparked a collapse of four wickets for seven runs in the space of two overs. Matthews removed Kathryn for a second-ball duck, miscuing to mid-off and 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, apparently feeling unwell, to be replaced by substitute wicketkeeper Mandy Mangru. Carter and Lister stuck at their task, however, in the face of some wayward bowling and clumsy fielding as the tension started to show on West Indies. Dottin, playing her 150th T20I, sent down three wides in a row to start the 18th over then, after two fours in three balls to Carter, she broke down in tears. Her team-mates rallied round her and she managed to concede just one more run.

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, they scraped home as Joseph removed Slater and Fontenla in the space of three balls right at the end.

SCORES:
West Indies Women  153 for 6 in 20 overs (Qiana Joseph 13, Hayley Matthews 14, Shermaine Campbelle 36, Deandra Dottin 14, Jahzara Claxton 16, Stafanie Taylor 47*; Kathryn Bryce 1-30, Rachel Slater 1-23, Katherine  Fraser 2-34, Kirstie Gordon 1-36) beat Scotland Women 146 in 20 overs (Darcey Carter 59, Katheryne Fraser 20, Ailsa Lister 33; Aaliah Alleyne 3-11, Hayley Matthews 3-19, Afy Fletcher 2-16, Qiana Joseph 1-29) by seven runs

[Cricinfo]

Thirty-five people have been killed after gunmen struck Niger’s largest airport on Thursday, officials say – the second attack in less than five months.

Residents in the predominately Muslim country told the BBC they had just finished their morning prayers when explosions and gunshot sounds rang out from Diori Hamani international airport, located in the capital, Niamey.

Niger’s defence ministry said the fatalities comprised 22 assailants, 11 soldiers, and two civilians.

On Thursday evening, Al-Qaeda affiliate Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin [JNIM]  claimed responsibility for the attack.

Niger has been fighting an Islamist insurgency for a decade and in January, an organisation linked to the Islamic State group claimed responsibility for an attack on the same airport.

Thursday’s violence settled by mid-morning and security forces have since launched a manhunt for any remaining attackers.

Lawalli Tsalha, who lives near the airport, which also hosts a military base, told the BBC: “We finished our prayer at about 05:50 (04:50 GMT) and shortly afterwards we heard a loud bang – like something had exploded, perhaps a tyre.

“It was only a little later that we realised what was happening.”

Authorities said alongside the 22 attackers that were killed, another four were wounded. They added that 20 suspects had been arrested.

A large cache of weapons including RPG-7 launchers, AK-47 rifles, explosives, grenades, communications equipment and thousands of rounds of ammunition were also reportedly seized.

Armed local residents joined the manhunt, though witnesses told the BBC that security personnel attempted to stop civilians getting involved.

One resident, who did not wish to be named, said: “The attackers mixed in with the local population, so finding them was not easy. Civilians picked up machetes and sticks to defend themselves and to strike anyone they did not recognise who came their way.”

The airport vicinity had been locked down on Thursday afternoon, with security forces searching vehicles entering and leaving the area.

African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf “strongly condemned” the assault and praised Nigerien forces whose actions “made it possible to repel the attack and secure the airport facilities.”

Diori Hamani international airport is one of Niger’s most sensitive security installations, serving as both a civilian aviation hub and a military base.

It also hosts facilities linked to the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), which comprises Niger and its neighbours, Mali and Burkina Faso.

All three countries are run by juntas which came to power in part because of a failure to deal with years of jihadist violence in the region.

In January’s attack on the airport, four military personnel were injured and 20 attackers were killed, Niger’s defence ministry said.

At the time, the head of Niger’s military government, which has been in power for three years, thanked Russia for its help in foiling the attack. Abdourahamane Tiani also accused the presidents of France, Benin and Ivory Coast of backing those responsible.

He did not give details of what help Russia had provided, or provide any evidence to support his accusations against the other countries.

In recent weeks, authorities in Niger have demolished neighbourhoods near the airport, citing “terrorist risks”.

They have also extended the airport’s perimeter fence and installed more than 350 surveillance cameras, AFP reports.

[BBC]