In 70 One Day Internationals (ODIs) her total of 73 wickets puts her at third for the West Indies, behind Stafanie Taylor (142), top wicket-taker Anisha Mohammed (151), but ahead of noted all-rounder Deandre Dottin (69). An even closer look will tell you that Daley achieved her total in much fewer games, with Taylor achieving her total in 126, Mohammed in 122, and Dotin needing 117.
In 68 T20 internationals, the order is much the same, with Daley’s tally of 72 leaving her behind Taylor (94) and Mohammed (111) but above Dottin (61). Again, Daley’s wicket haul has come in fewer games.
With the bat, she has totaled a handy 1001 runs, which is 7th on the list but in fewer matches than everyone else above her, with the exception of specialist batsman Haley Matthews.
Things, however, began to go off track for Daley when she suffered a severe knee injury in 2015, which kept her out of the game for a year. She returned to the sport but never quite seemed to attain the same heights. Following the team’s disastrous showing at the 2017 50-over World Cup, in England, and the loss of her retainer contract, Daley had had enough.
“The World Cup in England, that was a rough, rough tournament. Prior to that tournament, I had just got back, I was trying to recover from my knee injury and all the other things that were happening,” Daley told The Commentators podcast.
“It was a rough tour and I thought about it (leaving the sport) based on everything that was happening…the injury was one of the biggest things that caused me to take some time for myself, maybe it was the right time, maybe it was the wrong time. It was based on how I was feeling mentally and emotionally about cricket, especially in the region, I felt like we weren’t moving forward,” she added.
“With the injury, I wondered what if this happened again, what am I going to do. I felt like an outcast sometimes, even though my teammates supported me to the best of their ability.”
After some time off, Daley, who also spoke up about her difficult battle with depression, is actively looking to get involved with the sport again, whether on or off the pitch. She is, however, discouraged by the lack of opportunity for women, especially when it comes to the Jamaica Cricket Association.
“At the end of the day, we are representing our country. As a female, I personally don’t feel appreciated by the board. When it comes on to women, it’s always some excuse or some other thing.”
The 24-year-old bowling all-rounder has accused Cricket West Indies (CWI) of leaving her to fend for herself after getting injured during a training camp in preparation for the International Cricket Council 50-over World Cup three years ago. Multiple operations and several failed rehabilitations later the player remains not only unable to resume her craft but on occasion has issues with mobility.
CWI CEO Johnny Grave has, however, strongly refuted claims that the organization has not been supportive of the player.
“We have provided enormous financial support and medical support for Shaquana since she got injured back in 2017…we have paid huge sums of money for her to try and get her career back and try and get back to full fitness,” Grave told the Mason and Guest Radio program.
According to Grave, the organisation’s Total and Permanent Disablement policy, which did not exist for the women’s team in 2017 was extended to Quintyne, in light of the injury.
Reid, however, also a former chairman of women’s cricket for the BCA when Quintyne was captain of the team, has also disputed the level of support provided by the CWI and does not believe it went far enough.
“When she got injured in Antigua in March 2017 she was not even taken to a doctor, a clinic, or to a hospital. She got injured and was sent back to Barbados two days after. When she came back to Barbados she was given instructions to see a doctor, that doctor was not even in Barbados. So, she contacted me in all the pain and tears, and I took her to see an orthopedic surgeon,” Reid told the Mason and Guest Radio program.
Reid went on to explain that the player was unable to continue seeing that orthopedic surgeon in Barbados, after the CWI provided recommendations and means for the player to have surgery and treatment in Jamaica. After some relief, the conditions, however, returned and Quintyne then got permission to be treated by the surgeon in Barbados. The player again experienced some relief but after the conditions returned in 2018 was recommended for a third surgery, this time in Canada, on the advice of the Barbadian orthopedic surgeon.
“That is where Cricket West Indies assistance ended. When she came back from Canada in March 2018, with the understanding that in three months’ time she would have returned to Canada for observation and further analysis, Cricket West Indies not agree for her to go,” Reid explained.
“So, she was in pain all of the time until she decided to go back with her own money. In November 2018 she had another operation, all at her expense. She was spending all of her money so she is poor now because she spent all of her money trying to get herself back in condition," he added.
“Right now, as we speak as she put it, her knee has locked up and she is in excruciating pain and she cannot walk, she is crying and immobile.”
The West Indies backed into the semi-finals on the weekend when South Africa defeated India by three wickets, a result that eliminated India and sent the West Indies Women into wild celebrations.
However, looking ahead they have a difficult task ahead of them going up against the unbeaten Australians.
“Going into the game we know the quality team that Australia has but at the same time I don’t feel like there’s any pressure on us,” Matthews said in an interview on Sunday.
“We’re playing against the best team in the world and I think we’ve just got to go out there and play our natural game and have fun on the field. I think we perform better when we go out there and just have fun and enjoy ourselves.”
The team's celebrations after India was eliminated went viral and demonstrated just how important it was for the West Indies Women that they were able to advance to the semi-finals.
“It means a whole lot. I think coming into this World Cup, we were definitely underdogs. No one had us in the semi-finals. To be able to come here and exceed expectations has been amazing. Being able to beat some of the bigger teams, obviously, was massive on our list. Just really happy that we were able to get to the semi-finals,” she said.
Matthews is the Windies leading run-scorer and wicket-taker in the tournament so far with 226 runs and 10 wickets, respectively, and will be expected to play a major role if the Caribbean side are to pull off the upset against the Australian juggernaut on Tuesday.
Taylor’s side managed 116 for 6 in their 20 overs chasing an England total of 163 for 8 set by the hosts who took first strike. England’s match-winning total was due largely to the innings of Player of the Match Tammy Beaumont who scored 62 from 49 balls aided by some wayward bowling from the Caribbean women.
Deandra Dottin led the scoring for the West Indies with a 59-ball 69 but no other made double figures as the West Indies struggled to keep pace with the required rate of just over eight runs an over.
Taylor was not happy with the performances.
“It's not one of our best [performances]. We didn't adapt well to the pitch,” she said.
Tammy batted really well and set the game up nicely for them. Looking back at that, we thought we were always behind and had to gain some momentum going into the batting.”
Taylor conceded that the bowlers and the batters let the team down.
“Some bowlers bowled well in patches but... not the best, really. Deandra batted well, but she needed someone to stay there with her,” said the despondent Windies captain.
“We thought too many dot balls strangled us a bit. We needed to go back to the footage and assess it and see areas we can improve on. We have a training day tomorrow just to fine-tune for Wednesday's game.”
The next match in the five-match series bowls off on Wednesday.
Dottin, who retired from the international game back, reversed her decision last week with the highly anticipated ICC Women’s T20 World Cup on the horizon.
Matthews, currently representing the Welsh Fire in the Women’s Hundred in England, spoke briefly about Dottin’s return in an interview with ESPN Cricinfo last week, highlighting the Trinidadian’s commitment whenever she plays.
“With Deandra, one thing that I can say for sure is that she is someone who, when she steps onto the field, is going to give 100% every single time,” Matthews said.
“That’s something that would be definitely wanted in any team,” she added.
Dottin, 33, has played 143 ODIs and 127 T20Is for the West Indies since her debut against Ireland in June 2008.
She has scored 3727 runs at an average of 30.54 in ODIs with three centuries and 22 fifties and a highest score of 150* against South Africa in January 2022.
In T20Is, Dottin has scored 2697 runs at an average of 25.68 including two centuries and 12 fifties. Her highest score in the format is 112* against South Africa back in 2010. That 38-ball hundred is still the fastest hundred in Women’s T20Is.
As it relates to Dottin’s role when she returns to the line-up, Matthews says she still wants to have some discussions with the team and Dottin herself before she elaborates further.
“I do plan and want to have discussions with her and with the team as well. Obviously, that’s the most important thing for us right now and until I’ve had those conversations I’d prefer not to make any more comments,” she said.
Dottin is set to lead the Trinbago Knight Riders Women in the upcoming Massy Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL).
The West Indies Women’s next fixture will be a T20 World Cup Warm-up match against India on September 28.
Fletcher will take over from fast bowler Shakera Selman who will miss the final two games of the series because of injury.
Fletcher has been a steady performer with the ball during the series, taking three wickets at just 4.3 runs per over. In the CG United ODI Series, Fletcher took four wickets at an economy of 4.11 and an average of 21.75 runs per wicket.
“The final two matches will prove to be very critical to the series as it is poised 2-1 at the moment. It has been an enthralling series with some matches being decided in the final few balls,” said lead selector Ann Browne-John.
“Some of the young players have started to show great development during the series and it is with anticipation that we look forward to their contributions in the final matches.
“Afy is one of the senior players who also is the captain of her regional team as well as being an outstanding international leg-spinner. She will bring the necessary support to the captain at this time.”
The upcoming matches will be played at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium on Wednesday 5 and Thursday 6 October.
The fourth match starts at 10 am local time (9 am Jamaica Time) while the fifth and final match bowls off at 1:30 pm (12:30 pm Jamaica Time).
The series has had three exciting and close-run matches already. West Indies won the first match by one wicket off the last ball, while the visitors took the second match by six wickets with a ball to spare. The White Ferns won the third match, a low-scoring affair by five wickets with eight balls to spare.
After rain interrupted play in Hambantota, the West Indies were set a DLS-adjusted target of 99 runs in 15 overs. The chase was anchored by Stafanie Taylor, who scored an unbeaten 28 off 26 balls, ensuring her team stayed ahead of the DLS-par score throughout the innings.
Captain Hayley Matthews and Taylor got the visitors off to an ideal start, putting together a 44-run opening partnership in just 6.5 overs. Matthews, who scored 29 runs, fell to an arm ball from Sachini Nisansala, but her solid start provided a foundation for the West Indies' chase. Taylor then took control, forming a crucial 18-ball 24-run second-wicket partnership with Shemaine Campbelle, who contributed a quickfire 16 off 13 balls.
Despite the subsequent dismissals of Campbelle, Qiana Joseph, and Chedean Nation, the required run rate remained manageable, thanks to the positive approach of the West Indies batters. Aaliyah Alleyne sealed the victory with three boundaries off Kavisha Dilhari in the penultimate over, extinguishing any hopes of a Sri Lankan comeback.
Earlier in the match, Afy Fletcher played a pivotal role in restricting Sri Lanka to 89 for 4 in 15.2 overs before rain halted their innings. Fletcher's impressive figures of 4 for 23 included crucial wickets that derailed the hosts' innings. Chamari Athapaththu and Vishmi Gunaratne had given Sri Lanka a steady start with a 44-run opening partnership, but their efforts came at a conservative pace, just under a run a ball.
Fletcher's breakthrough came when she spun one past Athapaththu, disturbing her stumps and halting her at 26 runs. Gunaratne, who labored for 24 runs off 35 balls, was trapped lbw by a Fletcher googly in the 14th over. Fletcher's earlier dismissals of Imesha Dulani, who was bowled while attempting a sweep, and Harshitha Samarawickrama, who top-edged a delivery, had already put Sri Lanka on the back foot.
Kavisha Dilhari showed some promise of a late counterattack, scoring 14 not out off just six balls, including two boundaries, but the rain brought an abrupt end to Sri Lanka's innings, leaving them with an incomplete total.
With this victory, the West Indies Women not only leveled the series but also gained crucial momentum heading into the final T20I.
West Indies Captain, Hayley Matthews, starred with a century and a three-wicket haul to lead the West Indies to a 58-run win over Ireland in the first ODI at the Daren Sammy Cricket Stadium in St. Lucia on Monday.
The hosts first posted a respectable 297-6 from their 50 overs, their second highest total ever, after winning the toss.
Matthews was the star of the show, scoring a 106-ball 109, her fourth ODI hundred and first since March 2022. She hit 10 fours and two sixes.
Former skipper, Stafanie Taylor, made her 39th fifty inn ODIs, 55 off 69 balls, in support while Chinelle Henry, coming off injury, hit seven fours on her way to a maiden fifty in ODIs, 53* off 37 balls.
Leg-spinner, Cara Murray, took 3-60 off her 10 overs.
Ireland, despite a crafty 83 from opener Gaby Lewis and 40 from skipper Laura Delany, fell 58 runs short of their target, eventually finishing 239-9 from their 50 overs.
Orla Prendergast also contributed 37 as Matthews provided the goods with the ball for the hosts with 3-53 from her 10 overs.
Spinners Afy Fletcher and Qiana Joseph also chipped in with two wickets, each.
The second ODI will be played on Wednesday.
The Windies lost the toss and batted first, posting 115-9 off their 20 overs thanks to 49 from Aaliyah Alleyne. Amelia Kerr starred with 3-16 for New Zealand.
Then, despite a fighting 27 not out from Hannah Rowe, New Zealand fell agonizingly short of their target reaching 114-9 off their 20 overs. Chinelle Henry led the way with the ball with 3-26 from her four overs.
Player of the Match Chinelle Henry said, “The coaches told us to go out there and be fearless. We wanted more than 115 but that didn’t happen, so we went out there as a bowling unit to get the job done. Going into the second game, we’re obviously looking to improve in both batting and bowling. To see Aaliyah going out at number three and almost getting her maiden T20I half-century showed that we have a lot of depth in the squad, so it’s just for us to keep up that team performance.”
Both teams meet on the weekend for the 2nd and 3rd T20Is, Saturday October 1 at 10:00am and Sunday October 2 at 1:00pm.
Mohammed requested to take a break from the game with immediate effect, after a hectic year of cricket both home and away.
The 33-year old’s decision to take time away from cricket comes with the full support of Cricket West Indies (CWI).
“Anisa has been a true stalwart of West Indies Women’s cricket for over a decade. We at CWI wish her well and will provide any support she may require during this period away from international cricket and look forward to welcoming her back in March,” said CWI’s Director of Cricket Jimmy Adams.
“Cricket has given me all that I have, and I still love it as much as the first day I started playing, therefore this decision was not an easy one for me, especially with the T20 World Cup five months away. However, I must listen to my body and my mind that I need to take time away from the game at this time. This is not a permanent goodbye but rather a see you soon. I wish the team all the best in all their forthcoming series, and I know Hayley will fulfil her role as captain, as I’ve seen her mature and grow as a person and cricketer,” said Mohammed.
Mohammed made her debut for the West Indies at the age of 13 at the Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifiers in Holland in 2003. She established herself as the premier spin bowler for the West Indies Women, going on to become the first cricketer, male or female, to take 100 T20I wickets and ultimately the leading wicket-taker in the format with 125 scalps.
During the series that the West Indies won 3-2 over Pakistan, the Caribbean women benefitted from players like Kyshona Knight and Britney Cooper stepped up with the bat to support Captain Stafanie Taylor and Hayley Matthews, especially in light of Deandra Dottin’s poor form.
On the eve of the series against South Africa, Walsh says he expects even better performances from his players against a tough South African contingent.
“We are looking to execute a lot better than we did against Pakistan. Obviously, South Africa being ranked above us we have to be a lot more consistent than we were against Pakistan, so we will be looking to execute a lot better and improve. We know that they are a decent team and we have to be ready for that,” said Walsh.
He said it was a good sign to see players other than the ‘big three’ step up and wants to see more of that against South Africa.
“That’s the only way we are going to get the team where I think we can compete against the top teams and give ourselves a chance of winning major competitions.
“We have to move away from one or two players consistently getting us out of trouble so it was very good to see all the other players who performed well in the last series and we want that to continue and to try to extend that consistency from them, and once we can complement it with both departments, batting and bowling it will be good for us.
“And then, if we can complete the whole thing when we are in the field it would be excellent. So we just need to keep improving, raising the bar in those areas that we have to. It’s good to see other players putting their hands up and we want to see more of that.”
The West Indies Women were sent in to bat first and they struggled against a disciplined Australian bowling attack, failing to post a challenging total. Wicketkeeper/batter Rashada Williams once again led the team with the bat as she top-scored with a patient 23 off 71 deliveries. Skipper Hayley Matthews was next best with 23 off 17 falling for the second time in series to Kim Garth. Cherry-Ann Fraser provided some late hope at the end of the innings with 19 off 34 deliveries, which included a mighty 6. Annabel Sutherland was the pick of the Australian bowlers, finishing with figures of 4-0-23-3, followed by Tahlia McGrath with 3.4-0-10-2.
In their run-chase, skipper Alyssa Healy ensured her team got their quickly, with a 27-ball 32. Ellyse Perry and Beth Mooney were at the crease when victory was achieved in 15.3 over, on 29 and 11 respectively.
This tour was always viewed as a challenging one for the West Indies Women, aimed to exposing the younger brigade to conditions starkly different from the Caribbean and to compete against the top-ranked side in the world. The main goal was learning and adapting, and in that sense, there were takeaways.
Despite the setbacks in the ODI series, the T20I series had previously highlighted the raw talent and potential the West Indies Women possess. They showed their ability to not only compete but also snatch a world-record win the 2nd T20I against the best in the business.
In the post-match presentation, captain Hayley Matthews reflected on the ODI series. She said, “I think for us we definitely got to find a way for more of our batters to chip in. It's disappointing for many of us, especially throughout the ODI series not being able to get totals on the board. However, we recognize the calibre of the opposition and knew the challenges of this tour. But reflecting upon our performances, we believe we can and should do better.”
The road ahead for the West Indies Women is an exciting one, with away series lined up against Pakistan and Sri Lanka in 2024, but the team's eyes are firmly set on the upcoming ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Bangladesh next September-October.
While the tour's results may not have been in their favour, the lessons learned will undoubtedly serve as a building block for the future. The journey to the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup will be one to watch, with the West Indies Women looking to bounce back stronger.
Match Schedule and Results
1 October: 1st T20I at North Sydney Oval, Sydney – Australia won by 8 wickets
2 October: 2nd T20I at North Sydney Oval, Sydney – West Indies won by 7 wickets
5 October: 3rd T20I at Allan Border Field, Brisbane – Australia won by 47 runs
8 October: 1st ODI at Allan Border Field, Brisbane – Australia won by 8 wickets
12 October: 2nd ODI at Junction Oval, Melbourne – 10:05am local time (7:05pm October 11 Eastern Caribbean/6:05pm Jamaica)- Match abandoned
14 October: 3rd ODI at Junction Oval, Melbourne – 10:05am local time (7:05pm October 13 Eastern Caribbean/6:05pm Jamaica)- Australia won by 8 wickets
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.”
On Monday, Cricket West Indies announced the naming of a 15-man squad, which as expected will be led by Windies Women captain Stephanie Taylor and feature several other experienced players. Joining the likes of Taylor will be the experienced Deandra Dottin, Shemaine Campbell, and Anisa Mohammed who will be headed to her fourth World Cup.
The team, however, will also feature a host of younger players and two uncapped players Kaysia Schultz and Jannellia Glasgow in the reserves. Walsh believes the team’s combination is suited to performing well in all areas.
“We were just trying to get the best combination we thought for the World Cup, so all the tours we had, the camps and thing. All those things were taken into consideration in trying to get as balance an attack as we can in terms of batting, bowling, and fielding as well,” Walsh said.
“We wanted the complete package with regards to batting, bowling, and fielding. The 18 players that we have here is what we as the selectors thought was the best balanced 18, we could take. We have an adequate backup should there be any injuries.”
Batting first, West Indies Women posted 157 all out in 48.4 overs. South Africa Women reached 158-2 in 36.4 overs to achieve victory.
West Indies owed their total to a patient 71 from Deandra Dottin and 37 from Rashada Williams. However, the batters were unable to rotate the strike with any regularity barely getting to three runs an over by the side was bowled out eight balls short of their 50-over allotment.
Shabnim Ismail took 3-31 and Ayabonga Khaka 2-22 to stifle the West Indies batters.
In reply, Lizelle Lee scored an unbeaten 78 and Laura Wolvaardt, a solid 53 as the visitors cruised to victory with 13.2 overs to spare.
Qiana Joseph took the only wickets to fall and finished with figures of creditable figures of 2-24.
Interim Captain Anisa Mohamed pulled no punches in her assessment of the team’s performance in yet another lopsided loss.
"I think the batters need to step up and make some runs for us. 157 runs in a 50-over game... you're only going at three runs per over which is easy pickings for a team like South Africa,” she said.
“I thought Williams and Dottin played really well today but again, they need that support. A couple of others need to step up and stay there with them."
Mohammed added: "A lot of people have been saying that South Africa have gone past us but I keep saying to the team I don't believe that. I believe that we're just not playing our best cricket. Look back at the third T20I and South Africa weren't able to beat us, so if we come out here on a game day and play our best cricket, South Africa is not going to beat us."
The two teams will switch venues to the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground for the remaining two matches on Thursday, September 16 and Sunday, September 19.
The first ball is at 10 am local time (9 am Jamaica Time).
The English batted first and posted 131-8, their lowest total batting first in the series, after winning the toss.
Sophia Dunkley continued her good form this year by top scoring with 35 while Katherine Brunt (24 not out) and Amy Jones (21) also had meaningful contributions against Cherry Ann Fraser’s career best 3-20 and Sheneta Grimmond’s 3-33.
The Windies chase once again fell short as only Captain Hayley Matthews (23), Shemaine Campbelle (17) and Afy Fletcher (14 not out) managed to reach double figures as England needed just 16 overs to bowl out the hosts for 82.
Pacer Lauren Bell was the pick of the bowlers with a brilliant 4-12 from three overs while Sophie Ecclestone and Charlie Dean took two wickets each.
West Indies Head Coach Courtney Walsh still had praises for his players despite the loss.
"I thought restricting them to 131 was a positive for us. We had a couple injuries during the match with Gajnabi unable to return to bat and Campbelle getting cut so we were hampered in that aspect. The bowlers stood out today, they're all showing but the consistency we're working on. Fraser and Grimmond lead with the ball today but Afy and Hayley have been the most consistent for the series. We have one more game to play and we're going to regroup and come with one last push."
West Indies will have one last chance to get a positive result in this series as the two teams return to Kensington Oval for the final encounter on Thursday.
The players returned home to their respective islands last weekend.
“That’s going to be a big challenge,” Walsh told the Antigua Observer.
“We had a break and didn’t get to play as much cricket as we wanted to play for them to get that exposure, so I don’t want to use the words ‘starting over again’, but it is going to be something similar where we are going to have to restart or reset and see how best we can get things going to have everybody clicking again.”
Following the cancellation of the qualifiers that were to be held between November 21 and December 5, the West Indies Women were forced to spend 11 days in quarantine in Oman.
West Indies Women had won their first match against Ireland Women by six wickets.
The 2022 ICC Women’s World Cup gets underway on March 4, 2022, with West Indies Women facing hosts New Zealand at the Bay Oval in Tauranga.
In what could rank as one of their poorest performances of the World Cup, West Indies Women were bowled out for 148 chasing a target of 306, losing by 157 runs via Duckworth/Lewis method in the rain-shortened game.
Only Taylor (48), Matthews (34) and Dottin (34) made any score of note as the West Indies Women wilted under the pressure of the chase and incisive bowling from the Australian attack.
Notwithstanding, the abject performance in the match and in the tournament where after opening with scores of 259-9 and 225-6, the West Indies Women failed to score 200 runs or more for the remainder of the tournament, Taylor was hopeful for the future.
“No one expected us to win the first two games and to be in the semi-finals,” she said after the ended world cup campaign.
“I think the way we played throughout the tournament had been really good. We had some ups and downs and that happens but it’s about learning and I believe we are still learning and I am proud of the way we played. We still have more to go and you’ll see us around again.”
Matthews, who opened the tournament with a brilliant 119 against hosts New Zealand, was the leading scorer for the WIW with 260 runs at an average of 37.14. Shemaine Campbell with an aggregate of 185 runs had the next best average of 30.83.
Deandra Dottin scored 199 runs but averaged just 28.42 while Taylor averaged 21.57 from an aggregate of 151 runs during the tournament.
Matthews was also the leading wicket-taker with 10 wickets in the tournament and was the only West Indies Women bowler in double figures.
Fraser had an impressive 6ixty and Women’s Caribbean Premier League showing with her team, Guyana Amazon Warriors, taking four wickets in each tournament format.
“The CG United ODI Series has been a return to play for the team since their last encounter would have been the World Cup in February to April. Although the team is in the rebuilding process, the first two matches turned out to have very close results, which augers well for the future,” said Lead Selector Anne Brown-John.
“The captain, Hayley Matthews, led from the front with her bowling and batting in the second match. It is also the time to start exposing some of the younger players evident in the fact that Shabika Gajnabi was given the responsibility of batting at number three.
“Another young player, Cherry Ann Fraser has been included in the squad for the final ODI as the panel strives to continue player development and exposure to international cricket.”
The first two matches of the CG United ODI Series have been very close encounters. New Zealand won the first by five runs on the DLS Method and then took the second by two wickets in a nail-biter.
West Indies squad for 3rd CG United ODI: Hayley Matthews (Captain), Shakera Selman (Vice-Captain), Aaliyah Alleyne, Afy Fletcher, Cherry-Ann Fraser, Shabika Gajnabi, Chinelle Henry, Kyshona Knight, Natasha McLean, Chedean Nation, Karishma Ramharack, Stafanie Taylor and Rashada Williams.
The West Indies Women went into the tournament as underdogs but defeated New Zealand and defending champions England in their first two matches to put themselves in a great position to advance to the next round of the competition.
According to Walsh, who spoke with the media on Wednesday, the ladies are feeling good about themselves.
“The girls are very happy. They are in a very good place with those two wins,” Walsh revealed.
“When you beat New Zealand in New Zealand for the first time and then a win against England for the first time in a World Cup game and they are two teams that are ranked above us, obviously you must take some pride in that, so the ladies are very happy with that.”
However, he warned that there is no place for overconfidence so they must work to keep themselves grounded.
“They really worked hard to achieve those victories and it’s going to give us a lot of confidence. The one thing we want to try and do now is to ensure that we don’t get too complacent, just take each game as it comes but we will go into every game with a lot more self-belief and giving it everything that we have,” he said.
Walsh will be hoping his words find fertile ground among his players as they will be coming up against a talented Indian team still smarting from their 62-run defeat to New Zealand on Thursday.
