West Indies Women’s captain Hayley Matthews beamed with pride as she reflected on her team’s stunning nine-wicket victory over India in the second T20 International at the Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai on Tuesday.
The win not only leveled the three-match series 1-1 but also marked West Indies' first T20I victory over India since the 2016 World Cup—a milestone Matthews believes signals a new chapter for her team.
Sciver’s side know a win at the Showground would almost certainly put them into the semi-finals, marking a significant comeback since their opening defeat to South Africa in Perth.
But the all-rounder feels a tough test is in store when they face the 2016 champions, despite Stafanie Taylor’s side failing to hit their straps Down Under - edging out Thailand before losing to Pakistan.
England themselves have been far from perfect, particularly with openers Amy Jones and Danni Wyatt struggling for form, prompting Sciver to rein in expectations of a comfortable victory.
“I think the pressure of these two games has brought the best out in us,” she said. “We’ve had two pretty clinical performances and put things right that we didn’t do well against South Africa.
“You don’t know what you’ll get from West Indies on the day. The two games they’ve had probably makes them more dangerous. We’ll have to be on our game.
“It’s a tight turnaround, I’m not sure how much training we’ll be doing. We’ll have a review meeting so we know what we need to know about their batters and bowlers ahead of the game.
“It’s hard when batters have a run when they don’t get as many runs as they want to, really. It’s hard to keep putting yourself out there and keep going for the shots that are your strengths.
“I thought Danni did that well against Pakistan and tried to get a few away. She got some luck, which is helpful when you’re feeling a bit out of form.
“I’m hoping that between now and Sunday she can rethink or just take her mind off it.”
For West Indies, meanwhile, there’s no room for anything less than clinical cricket.
Women’s T20 World Cup champions just four years ago, expectation follows Taylor’s charges at every turn but they have flattered to deceive with two far-from-perfect performances to date.
Victories over both England and South Africa are likely required if they are to reach the last four, but belief is still evident for a team that knows they have plenty more to offer.
“It’s about putting partnerships together, believing in themselves and being able to handle the situation as it comes,” said coach Gus Logie.
“Hayley Matthews, Deandra Dottin – these are the people you expect to do well. The captain has been getting scores, but we just haven’t got big scores to put pressure on the opposition.
“It’s do-or-die. The players know that if you win you can go through, but lose and you go home. The onus is upon everyone to dig deeper and produce the performances which they know they can.
“They have done well against England and South Africa in past World Cups, they know they can beat them.
“There’s nothing in the stars that say we can’t make the semi-finals so we have to believe we can.
“The approach will have to be positive and that’s what we’re looking at.”
Despite a narrow defeat in the preceding T20I series, West Indies women’s captain Hayley Matthews remains upbeat about her team’s chances heading into the opening One-day International (ODI) encounter of their three-match series against India on Sunday.
Matthews, like she did after the 1-2 loss in the T20 series, again emphasized the importance of adaptability, confidence, and execution, especially in this longer format.
First, Dottin smashed an impressive seven sixes as well as three fours on her way to a top score of 69 off 48 balls to help the Barmy Army post 163-6 from their 20 overs after losing the toss.
Bangladesh’s Rumana Ahmed chipped in with 37 as Scotland’s Kathryn Bryce took 2-24 off her four overs for the Warriors.
Dottin’s form with the bat then carried over to the bowling crease where she bowled three economical overs, conceding just nine runs and picking up a pair of wickets including that of current West Indies captain Hayley Matthews who made 28.
Bryce top scored with a 26-ball 45 as the Warriors were dismissed for 146 from their 20 overs.
West Indies Women were left ruing another underwhelming batting display as India, powered by Deepti Sharma’s all-round brilliance, secured a five-wicket victory in Vadodara to complete a 3-0 ODI series sweep on Friday.
Despite valiant efforts from Chinelle Henry (61) and Shemaine Campbelle (46), whose 91-run fourth-wicket stand briefly revived the innings, the visitors managed only 162 runs as Sharma snared six wickets for 31 runs.
West Indies Women’s Head Coach Shane Deitz believes the upcoming series against Bangladesh will serve as an important benchmark for the team’s progress as they prepare for future challenges.
