England made a shock exit from the T20 World Cup on Tuesday evening after a rampant West Indies handed them a six-wicket defeat, chasing down their 142-run target in 18 overs – a margin of victory so substantial that they leapfrogged South Africa on net run rate to top Group B.

The win means West Indies now progress to the semi-final on Friday against New Zealand at England’s expense, while South Africa will have to face the reigning champions, Australia, in the other semi-final on Thursday.

It is West Indies’ first T20 win against England since 2018 – the same year they last reached the semi-finals of a global tournament – but recent form mattered not a jot for the Carib­bean underdogs who managed the feat even with one of their leading players, Stafanie Taylor, out injured.

This win was master­minded instead by Deandra Dottin – the player who unexpectedly reversed her two‑year retirement from ­international cricket in July. On Tuesday night, England were left wishing she had not ­bothered, after her electric ­fielding – three catches, a run-out and the wicket of Dani ­Gibson – and 27 runs clobbered off 19 balls sealed their place on the plane home.

England’s 141 for seven always felt underwhelming at the Dubai ground where three teams have scored 160 or more in this World Cup. Their woes were enhanced when the captain, Heather Knight, retired hurt in the 13th over with a calf injury and failed to take the field for the chase, handing skippering duties to Nat Sciver-Brunt. Knight struggled to hold back tears after the match.

“It was bad timing for me, and tough to watch,” she said. “West Indies came at us really hard and put us under the pump.”

Sciver-Brunt had led a valiant rescue effort with the bat, top-scoring with an unbeaten 57 from 50 balls after England had been 34 for three in the opening seven overs. Even she only narrowly escaped the snare of Dottin: she would have been out lbw for 26 had West Indies not already burned through their two available reviews; instead, the on-field not-out decision stood.

But with Knight absent, England displayed the same emotion they had shown the last time their captain went awol during a big tournament in the 2022 Commonwealth Games – rudderless panic.

The West Indies opener Qiana Joseph blindly threw her bat about and was dropped five times, twice resulting in England fielders parrying the ball over the boundary rope. Jon Lewis was seen remonstrating with his players during the 10-over drinks break, but could not prevent Joseph cavorting to a 34-ball 50 shortly afterwards – her first in international cricket.

“I rarely go on the field after a drinks interval, but I went on today to remind them about what we’re all about as a cricket team,” Lewis said. “I could see after six overs, a lot of the players starting to drift off. It wasn’t helpful to have our captain off the field – there was a lot more discussion on the field than would normally happen. I’m gutted and Heather will be really frustrated because she cares so much about English cricket and this England team.”

Joseph was finally snaffled in the deep by Danni Wyatt-Hodge while the captain, Hayley Matthews, was caught on the rope six balls later, just after bringing up her own ­half‑century. But Dottin took matters into her own hands, slogging 16 runs off Charlie Dean’s next over.

Earlier, despite facing down a pair of England openers last seen bossing a 113-run partnership against Scotland, Dottin had been utterly unfazed in the field. She deliberately placed herself in the firing line of Wyatt-Hodge’s favoured cut shot, and pouched a good low catch at backward point.

Five balls later, she ran out Alice Capsey with a smart pick-up and throw to Shemaine Campbelle behind the stumps, before chipping in again with a wicket as England crumbled at the death. This is a player who styles herself as the “World Boss”, an epithet which often seems overhyped but on Tuesday, as West Indies celebrated the unlikeliest of wins, the moniker seemed apt.

Two matches now stand between the World Boss and the World Cup. It seems unlikely, but such is the delicious unpredictability of this West Indies side that it cannot be entirely ruled out.