![[JUGRAJ SINGH]](https://www.unp.me/data/avatars/m/123/123038.jpg?1591210006){kind=avatar}
It would be safe to assume that Stafanie Taylor's all-round show has inspired her team to its maiden World Twenty20 title. The 24-year-old captain has lead the side in both batting and bowling departments topping the charts fortournament's highest run-getters with 246 runs and finishing fourth on the best bowlers' list with 8 scalps. Taylor registered scores of 35 or more in five of her six innings in the tournament. It was her two-wicket over accounting for both set batters Amy Satterthwaite and Sara McGlashan in the crucial semifinal against New Zealand that helped West Indies seal the game and book a berth in their first-ever final.
In the summit clash, her 120-run opening stand with Hayley Matthews set the platform for their successful run-chase of 149. Unlike previous editions, the ladies from the Caribbean didn't slip up at crucial junctures, an aspect that was down largely to Taylor's bold and imaginative captaincy.
Charlotte Edwards (England)
Charlotte Edwards, without an iota of doubt, was the most consistent batter of the 2016 edition. Edwards amassed 202 runs, the second highest tally in the tournament, at an astounding average of over 50 in five outings. Apart from a rare failure against India in Dharamsala, the 36-year-old contributed at least 30 to England's total on all other four occasions. In their last league game against Pakistan, the English skipper scored more than 50 per cent ofteam's runs 77 out of 148 to set the platform for a massive win that helped England romp into semis without dropping a league game.
Suzie Bates (New Zealand)
Although an opener, Suzie Bates's purple patch was too crucial a contribution to be ignored. Leading from the front, Bates carried the New Zealand batting with an average of over 36. The captain not only provided herteamwith ideal starts, but also converted them into substantial scores on almost all occasions. She finished as the fourth best run-scorer with a tally of 183 under her belt, and her quickfire knock of 82 that demolished Ireland at Mohali, remains thetournament's highest individual score.
Sophie Devine (New Zealand)
Bates's deputy Devine merits a spot in the best XI for reasons more than one. A destructive No. 3 bat, Devine doubled up as a handy medium pacer providing crucial breakthroughs, especially at the death. She was an integral part of the trio that lead New Zealand's batting throughout thetournament, with 120 runs at an astonishing strike-rate of 138. Her triple strikes in the game against South Africa helped New Zealand finish unbeaten in the group stage, while her four-for in the semifinal put the breaks on West Indies' run-rate before her run out in the chase New Zealand turned the game back in the favour of the Caribbean unit.
Meg Lanning (Australia)
With 201 runs in six games, captain Meg Lanning-led Australia's batting charge in their 2016 World T20 campaign. After a top-order collapse, Lanning combined with her former skipper Alex Blackwell for a 52-run stand, contributing a 19-ball 30 in the process, to deny South Africa an upset win. Her knock of 55 at one-down in the semifinal against England propelled theteamto a competitive 132 and their fourth successive final. It was her 77-run stand with Elyse Villani, enroute to 49-ball 52, that set Australia on course for a commanding total of 148 in the final, albeit in a losing cause.
Deandra Dottin (West Indies)
She started her World T20 campaign with a second-ball duck against Pakistan, but got back into groove soon after, to finish as West Indies' third-best run-getter in the mega event with 129 runs in six innings, and also bagged 9 wickets. Female Chris Gayle, by her own admission, Deandra Dottin, along with her skipper Stafanie Taylor formed the fulcrum around which the West Indies' batting revolved. When all else failed, it was Dottin who joined hands with her skipper to put up the 77-run stand at Mohali to guide theteamto a respectable 114 against India. Introduced into the attack early, she dented India's hopes with the crucial wicket of Veda Krishnamurthy with the very first ball. When the skipper tossed the ball to her for the final over, Dottin held her nerve and defended just nine picking two wickets in the process to script a thrilling victory in their must-win final league encounter. Her accurate throw that found Sophie Devine way short of her crease, in their semifinal against New Zealand, proved to be the turning point of the game that helped West Indieswomenbreak their semifinal jinx. An exceptional last over in the final against Australia for one run and a wicket restricted them to 148 for 5.
Rachel Priest (New Zealand, Wicketkeeper)
With three 25-plus scores in five outings, Rachel Priest neatly justifies her selection in theteamof thetournamentas the most consistent wicketkeeper. Behind the stumps, Priest affected six dismissals three catches and as many stumpings. But it were her contributions with the bat up front that helped New Zealand off to solid starts. Her standout innings was the quickfire knock of 34 in the 58-run opening stand with Suzie Bates that set the tone for New Zealand's 104-run chase against defending champions Australia in Nagpur.
Leigh Kasperek (New Zealand)
On conditions where spin made all the difference, it was Leigh Kasperek, New Zealand's Scottish import, who emerged as the tournament's best off spinner. Despite a forgetful outing in the all-important semifinal against eventual winners West Indies, Kasperk finished with the highest wickets 9 at the end of the league stages. It was her three-wicket spell that triggered the Australian collapse in their league game, ensuring that the White Ferns top the group with an unbeaten record.
Sune Luus (South Africa)
Legspinner Sune Luus' 5 for 8 best bowling figures in thetournament's short history was one of the very few high points of South Africa's otherwise disappointing World T20 campaign. A brilliant fielder off her own bowling, as the Irish skipper admitted, Luus held onto a smart return catch from Isobel Joyce to break her flourishing 44-run stand with Clare Shillington that brought South Africa back into the game. Robyn Lewis and Laura Deanly's wickets off successive overs never allowed Ireland to revive their chase and Luus registered her maiden five-for in the format by dismissing Kim Garth and Lucy O'Reilly in the final over of the game.
Anam Amin (Pakistan)
Anam Amin's four-for was instrumental in putting the breaks on the West Indies batting which boasts of some of the best power-hitters in their ranks. Amin got Hayley Matthews out in the powerplay overs, and later got rid of skipper Taylor when she seemed to be reviving the Caribbean innings with a 35-run stand alongside wicketkeeper-bat Merissa Aguilleira. Her costliest over was the final one which yielded seven runs but her twin strikes to dismiss Shemaine Campbelle and Shamilia Connell ensured there were no fireworks in the end as West Indies were wrapped up for a below-par 103. Amin finished as Pakistan's best bowler with 7 wickets at an economy of 4.86.
Afy Fletcher (West Indies)
One of the most reliable spinners in West Indies' ranks, Afy Fletcher bagged 7 wickets in five games. In one of the closest games that West Indies played, her three-wicket spell in the middle-overs against England led to a game-changing batting collapse. Fletcher got rid of well-set Tammy Beaumont, Sarah Taylor and Heather Knight in successive overs of her spell as England slipped from a comfortable 63 for 1 to 79 for 4 before Natalie Sciver pulled an unlikely victory off the last ball.
Notable Absentees:Hayley Matthews (West Indies), Elyse Villani (Australia), Erin Bermingham (New Zealand), Megan Schutt (Australia), Chamari Atapattu (Sri Lanka), Harmanpreet Kaur (India), Dane van Niekerk (South Africa) and Anya Shrubsole (England).
In the summit clash, her 120-run opening stand with Hayley Matthews set the platform for their successful run-chase of 149. Unlike previous editions, the ladies from the Caribbean didn't slip up at crucial junctures, an aspect that was down largely to Taylor's bold and imaginative captaincy.
Charlotte Edwards (England)
Charlotte Edwards, without an iota of doubt, was the most consistent batter of the 2016 edition. Edwards amassed 202 runs, the second highest tally in the tournament, at an astounding average of over 50 in five outings. Apart from a rare failure against India in Dharamsala, the 36-year-old contributed at least 30 to England's total on all other four occasions. In their last league game against Pakistan, the English skipper scored more than 50 per cent ofteam's runs 77 out of 148 to set the platform for a massive win that helped England romp into semis without dropping a league game.
Suzie Bates (New Zealand)
Although an opener, Suzie Bates's purple patch was too crucial a contribution to be ignored. Leading from the front, Bates carried the New Zealand batting with an average of over 36. The captain not only provided herteamwith ideal starts, but also converted them into substantial scores on almost all occasions. She finished as the fourth best run-scorer with a tally of 183 under her belt, and her quickfire knock of 82 that demolished Ireland at Mohali, remains thetournament's highest individual score.
Sophie Devine (New Zealand)
Bates's deputy Devine merits a spot in the best XI for reasons more than one. A destructive No. 3 bat, Devine doubled up as a handy medium pacer providing crucial breakthroughs, especially at the death. She was an integral part of the trio that lead New Zealand's batting throughout thetournament, with 120 runs at an astonishing strike-rate of 138. Her triple strikes in the game against South Africa helped New Zealand finish unbeaten in the group stage, while her four-for in the semifinal put the breaks on West Indies' run-rate before her run out in the chase New Zealand turned the game back in the favour of the Caribbean unit.
Meg Lanning (Australia)
With 201 runs in six games, captain Meg Lanning-led Australia's batting charge in their 2016 World T20 campaign. After a top-order collapse, Lanning combined with her former skipper Alex Blackwell for a 52-run stand, contributing a 19-ball 30 in the process, to deny South Africa an upset win. Her knock of 55 at one-down in the semifinal against England propelled theteamto a competitive 132 and their fourth successive final. It was her 77-run stand with Elyse Villani, enroute to 49-ball 52, that set Australia on course for a commanding total of 148 in the final, albeit in a losing cause.
Deandra Dottin (West Indies)
She started her World T20 campaign with a second-ball duck against Pakistan, but got back into groove soon after, to finish as West Indies' third-best run-getter in the mega event with 129 runs in six innings, and also bagged 9 wickets. Female Chris Gayle, by her own admission, Deandra Dottin, along with her skipper Stafanie Taylor formed the fulcrum around which the West Indies' batting revolved. When all else failed, it was Dottin who joined hands with her skipper to put up the 77-run stand at Mohali to guide theteamto a respectable 114 against India. Introduced into the attack early, she dented India's hopes with the crucial wicket of Veda Krishnamurthy with the very first ball. When the skipper tossed the ball to her for the final over, Dottin held her nerve and defended just nine picking two wickets in the process to script a thrilling victory in their must-win final league encounter. Her accurate throw that found Sophie Devine way short of her crease, in their semifinal against New Zealand, proved to be the turning point of the game that helped West Indieswomenbreak their semifinal jinx. An exceptional last over in the final against Australia for one run and a wicket restricted them to 148 for 5.
Rachel Priest (New Zealand, Wicketkeeper)
With three 25-plus scores in five outings, Rachel Priest neatly justifies her selection in theteamof thetournamentas the most consistent wicketkeeper. Behind the stumps, Priest affected six dismissals three catches and as many stumpings. But it were her contributions with the bat up front that helped New Zealand off to solid starts. Her standout innings was the quickfire knock of 34 in the 58-run opening stand with Suzie Bates that set the tone for New Zealand's 104-run chase against defending champions Australia in Nagpur.
Leigh Kasperek (New Zealand)
On conditions where spin made all the difference, it was Leigh Kasperek, New Zealand's Scottish import, who emerged as the tournament's best off spinner. Despite a forgetful outing in the all-important semifinal against eventual winners West Indies, Kasperk finished with the highest wickets 9 at the end of the league stages. It was her three-wicket spell that triggered the Australian collapse in their league game, ensuring that the White Ferns top the group with an unbeaten record.
Sune Luus (South Africa)
Legspinner Sune Luus' 5 for 8 best bowling figures in thetournament's short history was one of the very few high points of South Africa's otherwise disappointing World T20 campaign. A brilliant fielder off her own bowling, as the Irish skipper admitted, Luus held onto a smart return catch from Isobel Joyce to break her flourishing 44-run stand with Clare Shillington that brought South Africa back into the game. Robyn Lewis and Laura Deanly's wickets off successive overs never allowed Ireland to revive their chase and Luus registered her maiden five-for in the format by dismissing Kim Garth and Lucy O'Reilly in the final over of the game.
Anam Amin (Pakistan)
Anam Amin's four-for was instrumental in putting the breaks on the West Indies batting which boasts of some of the best power-hitters in their ranks. Amin got Hayley Matthews out in the powerplay overs, and later got rid of skipper Taylor when she seemed to be reviving the Caribbean innings with a 35-run stand alongside wicketkeeper-bat Merissa Aguilleira. Her costliest over was the final one which yielded seven runs but her twin strikes to dismiss Shemaine Campbelle and Shamilia Connell ensured there were no fireworks in the end as West Indies were wrapped up for a below-par 103. Amin finished as Pakistan's best bowler with 7 wickets at an economy of 4.86.
Afy Fletcher (West Indies)
One of the most reliable spinners in West Indies' ranks, Afy Fletcher bagged 7 wickets in five games. In one of the closest games that West Indies played, her three-wicket spell in the middle-overs against England led to a game-changing batting collapse. Fletcher got rid of well-set Tammy Beaumont, Sarah Taylor and Heather Knight in successive overs of her spell as England slipped from a comfortable 63 for 1 to 79 for 4 before Natalie Sciver pulled an unlikely victory off the last ball.
Notable Absentees:Hayley Matthews (West Indies), Elyse Villani (Australia), Erin Bermingham (New Zealand), Megan Schutt (Australia), Chamari Atapattu (Sri Lanka), Harmanpreet Kaur (India), Dane van Niekerk (South Africa) and Anya Shrubsole (England).
![[JUGRAJ SINGH]](https://www.unp.me/data/avatars/s/123/123038.jpg?1591210006){kind=avatar}
