The Windies Women open their campaign tomorrow at 2:30am local time against Ireland in Harare and Taylor has warned against underestimating their opponents.
“That’s one thing you don’t want to do. Everyone’s here to win the competition. We’re not here to take any team for granted. We’re here to play hard cricket and come out on top,” said Taylor.
With the West Indies Women having completed a 3-0 series sweep against Pakistan prior to their arrival in Harare, Taylor says she hopes the team can carry their momentum into the tournament.
“I think we had a good series against Pakistan so I would love to see us continue where we left off from there. We’ve been playing some good cricket and getting some really good scores from our top players and even the lesser batting line up," she said.
Taylor concedes, however, that even with the team entering the qualifiers in good form there are still areas that need improvement.
“In our batting, it’s running the first one hard, turning twos into threes. In bowling, bowlers need to get early wickets and eliminate the wides,” she said.
The captain also provided some insight into the confidence of the team coming off some good results before the tournament.
“The morale is pretty good, especially seeing batters getting runs. I think that’s something that we’ve been working on because we’ve been relying on the bowling department for quite some time now so it’s really nice that the batters have been scoring those runs,” she said.
The West Indies other group games will be Saturday, November 27th against Sri Lanka and Monday, November 29th against the Netherlands with both matches beginning at 2:30am local time.
The Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifiers feature nine teams divided into two groups.
West Indies Women are in group A alongside Ireland, Sri Lanka and The Netherlands while group B comprises Pakistan, Bangladesh, Thailand, Zimbabwe and the USA.
Papua New Guinea were also supposed to be in the field but had to withdraw after a Covid-19 outbreak within the team before boarding their flight to Zimbabwe.
The top three teams from each group will advance to the Super 6 phase and the top three teams at the end of that phase will qualify for the 2022 World Cup alongside Australia, India, New Zealand, South Africa and England.
The regional team shocked the cricket world after defeating heavily favoured Australia in the 2016 final. The 28-year-old Windies skipper has freely admitted that reflecting on the unexpected triumph years later still fills her with a sense of pride and is eager to replicate it.
“I have played a lot of games over the years but the memories of India 2016 stand out so much,” Taylor told the ICC Cricket.
“Looking back on it, I’m just hoping that we can replicate it again this year – both the feeling that we had as a team and the impact that individual players had on the tournament from start to finish,” she added.
“Four years ago was a perfect storm for us. We really wanted to win, and I think we left all we had on the field throughout the tournament, especially in the final against Australia.
“This time around, we just need to do that again, play our game and push until the last ball to see how far that can take us. Winning the title and bringing the trophy back to the West Indies would be success for us.”
The West Indies Women will hope to emulate the feats of the men’s team who are two-time winners of the competition.
England triumphed in the match by a massive 142 runs after amassing 307 in addition to the loss, however, the ICC match referees imposed the sanction after the West Indies were found to be two overs short of the target after time after allowances were taken into consideration.
West Indies Women’s team captain Hayley Matthews pleaded no contest to the charges and as such there will be no need for a formal hearing.
Based on Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to minimum over-rate offences, players are fined 20 per cent of their match fee for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time.
It was a good night for England’s skipper Heather Knight who batted superbly to lead them to their third successive victory.
With a number of well-timed strokes on both sides of the wicket, she made 43 off 27 balls. Earlier opener Sophia Dunkley set the platform with the top score with 44 off 31 balls to lead England to 157-6 off their 20 overs.
In the second half Charlie Dean was the nemesis for the home side as she returned figures of 4-1-19-4 to put a pause on the West Indies victory charge. West Indies were at one stage 103-3 in the 14thover – with 53 needed off six overs – but Dean delivered a winning spell when she dismissed key batters and West Indies finished at 140-8 off their 20 overs.
The key wicket was skipper Hayley Mathews who played some powerful shots in 35 off 31 balls before she was stumped by Amy Jones off Dean. Matthews looked good touch much to the delight of her fans in the stands with six boundaries – which included two classic extra cover drives.
The innings was revived in the middle overs by Rashada Williams and Trishan Holder, on debut in front of her home crowd.
Williams hit five fours in a top score of 38 off 29 balls and looked capable of pulling off a remarkable win. She was, however, trapped leg-before at a crucial stage of 138-7 at the end of the 19th over. The 19-year-old Holder overcame a nervous start to blossom with some attractive shots as she made a run-a-ball 21 in a stand of 40 with Williams.
Despite the loss, West Indies Women's head coach, Courtney Walsh was pleased with the team's performance.
“The effort we've shown in the last two games, in particular this one, is very pleasing. It's also good that we've got some youngsters around who are showing the fight,” he said.
“We're trying to create a different team culture and approach and learning is taking place all the time. It's a loss in terms of the series but I am pleased with what I am seeing with the bigger picture of what lies ahead for the tri-series and World Cup.
Another action-packed match-up is expected on Sunday when the teams meet for the fourth contest on this series. West Indies will need to bounce back in their bid to get a victory over the visitors. First ball is 6pm (5pm Jamaica Time).
Joseph, the 20-year-old left-arm spinner from St Lucia, was the leading wicket-taker for the West Indies Women with five wickets in the four ODI matches she played at an average of 19.40 and economy rate of 3.38.
Speaking to the media late last week, Walsh lauded Joseph’s performance during the series.
“Obviously, Qiana has played before but it’s the first time we were looking at her to play the role she did and she did it in both competitions; very, very satisfying,” Walsh said.
“We haven’t had a left-arm spinner for quite some time, most teams struggle against that or have that in their set up, so from a coaching perspective, it was something I had been very keen to have a look at and she has answered the right questions.
“She did well, it was very satisfying with her performance and how she went about it so it is definitely something to work on to give us those options with the bowling.”
Grimmond, the 23-year-old right-arm off-break bowler from Guyana, played in just two matches in the ODI series but four wickets at an average of 13.00 and an economy of 3.66.
“Grimmond came into the last two games and did well in the last game from a bowling perspective, so that is also another good question answered,” he said while also singling out Trinidadian Karishma Ramharack for praise on the strength of her best bowling figures of 3-8 in the T20 series.
“Ramharack did well in the T20 in the game she played and won Player of the Match, so these are some of the positive signs, what is lacking is the consistency and that is what we have to work on and which we will keep working on,” Walsh said.
“We want them to execute more consistently and once that is happening then it will give us more chances of winning games.”
Matthews, having opened the innings, was the leading scorer for the West Indies with 30 that were restricted to 93-9 from their 20 overs.
Shakibi Gajnabi contributed 19 while Kyshona Knight scored 16 and Chinelle Henry, 13, but the West Indies Women were unable to get the score beyond 100 in another abject performance with the bat.
Fran Jonas was the leading wicket-taker for New Zealand with 3-16. Suzie Bates 2-5 and Eden Carson 2-14 also played key roles in helping to restrict the home team.
Needing 94 for victory, Matthews tormented the batters while taking the first four New Zealand wickets with just 20 runs on the board. However, Moddy Green scored an unbeaten 49 and with Lauren Down put together a 38-run fifth-wicket stand that got New Zealand back on course.
Down was eventually dismissed by Afy Fletcher for 15, leaving Green and Hayley Jensen to take New Zealand to 94-5 and victory with eight balls to spare.
Jensen remained not out on eight at the end.
Matthews ended with 4-12 while Fletcher finished with figures of 1-12.
The Barbadian smashed 69 from 59 deliveries but the West Indies were restricted to 116 for 6 chasing 164 for victory. No other batter got into double figures for the West Indies.
Chasing a target 24 runs more than they have ever made in a T20 match in England, the West Indies struggled early against England’s bowlers. Hayley Matthews (3) and Stafanie Taylor (8) went cheaply as Katherine Brunt, who gave up just eight runs from her four overs; Natalie Sciver and Anya Shrubsole aided by pace and swing kept things tight.
Despite Dottin’s best efforts to accelerate the scoring rate by midway the innings, the West Indies needed 12 runs an over. After 11 overs, the West Indies were 49 for 2, and staring defeat in the face needing 115 from just 54 balls.
From there, Dottin went into full attack mode smashing Shrubsole for a six over long-on and four down to backward square. However, she and Lee-Ann Kirby were involved in a comical mix up that resulted in Kirby being run out for 7 to leave the West Indies at 61 for 3.
By the time Sophie Ecclestone bowled Dottin midway the 19th over, victory was well out of reach.
Eccelstone finished with 2 for 19 while Natalie Sciver ended with 2 for 16.
Earlier, England won the toss and chose to take first strike.
Opener Tammy Beaumont, the Player of the Match, scored a brilliant half-century that helped England to their winning total. Beaumont’s runs came off just 49 balls and included nine fours and a massive straight six as England racked up 163 for 8 from their allotment of 20 overs.
The West Indies Women were guilty of wayward bowling as England raced to 49 for 1 during the Powerplay and at one point looked as if 180 was in the offing.
Heather Knight, who scored 25 from 17 balls and Amy Jones, 24 from 16, helped push the score along helped by undisciplined bowling from Aaliyah Alleyne who gave up 25 runs from her two overs.
However, Shakira Selman 3 for 26, Stafanie Taylor 2 for 34, and Hayley Matthews 2 for 25 helped keep the score in check. Selman and Matthews took crucial wickets near the end as England lost their last five wickets for 31 runs from the final five overs.
However, by then the match was well beyond the West Indies.
The second game of the five-match T20 Vitality Series is to be played on Wednesday.
In just her fourth international, the 24-year-old Williams once again showed enterprise with an impressive innings of 42, but the home team were limited to 150-9 off their 50 overs chasing 185-6 made by South Africa, who were asked to take first strike
This result means the visitors have a 4-0 lead in the five-match series. The final match will be played on Sunday at the same venue.
West Indies Women were in early trouble at 19-2 in the seventh over but made a recovery through Williams who added 29 for the third wicket with Deandra Dottin (22). Williams then helped add 22 for the fourth wicket with Hayley Matthews (14) and 41 for the fifth with left-hander Kycia Knight (15).
Williams set up anchor with four fours off 90 balls and when she was run out in the 39th over, West Indies Women were 115-5 and facing a required run rate of nearly seven runs per over, which proved to be too much in the end.
South Africa captain and leg-spinner Dane van Niekerk finished with 3-23 to be named the CG Insurance Player-of-the-Match.
Earlier in the day, sent in after an early morning shower, South Africa Women stumbled initially but recovered to reach their eventual target thanks to an unbeaten 65 with five fours from Mignon du Preez, 30 from Tazmin Brits and 28 from keeper Sinalo Jafta.
They lost the in-form Laura Wolvaardt for one with as many on the board in the second over but rebuilt through Brits who put on 35 for the second wicket with Lara Goodall (8) and a further 21 for the third wicket with skipper van Niekerk (20).
Brits, who struck four fours, perished in the 20th over with South Africa Women on 57-3 but the experienced du Preez anchored three key stands to frustrate the home side.
Firstly, she posted 31 for the fourth wicket with van Niekerk, then added 30 for the fifth with Chloe Tryon (12) before putting on 63 for the seventh with Jafta.
West Indies bowlers again did a good job with Captain Anisa Mohammed taking two wickets, while seamer Cherry-Ann Fraser was steady, taking her first wicket on debut.
In pursuit of England’s target of 151, the West Indies were at 71 for 1 at around the halfway point of the runs chase. The team was anchored by a 61 run top-order partnership between captain Stafanie Taylor and Deandra Dottin.
Once Dottin was dismissed lbw, however, Taylor followed two overs later and a rapid collapse saw the team eventually all out for 104. In the last 6.1 overs, the team nosedived from 72 for 1, to 96 for 8.
“For this format of the game, the intensity is very important. We had that early on with that significant partnership between Deandra and Stephanie of 60-odd that really kept that momentum going,” Colley explained following the match.
“During that middle period, however, we actually dipped in terms of our intent and moved away from that intensity around scoring boundaries and that obviously led to us losing some momentum toward the end. We needed to keep going to stay on pace with the required rate,” he added.
Even before that, however, the team must certainly be regretting not doing a bit better with the ball. Having reduced England to 96 for 6, they let it slip in the last bowling five overs, and a 150-target was always going to be a tough task.
"In this game, we were able to pull things back in the middle. Our spinners did well to pull back in the middle. The last five overs was really what cost us, they scored 50 runs in the last five and that pushed them past a score we were looking at.”
West Indies Women will have to play catch up in their three-match T20 International series against India as they fell to a 49-run defeat in the first encounter at the Dr. DY Patil Sports Academy, Navi Mumbai, on Sunday.
The match, which featured a record aggregate of 341 runs between the two teams, saw the visitors unable to chase down India’s imposing total of 195-4, as they only mustered 146-7 in their 20 overs.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) confirmed that the three CG United One-Day Internationals (ODI) and five T20 Internationals (T20I) will be played at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium.
The CG United ODI Series is scheduled for September 16, 19 and 22 and matches will start at 9.30 am local time, and 8.30 am Jamaica time. The T20Is are scheduled for September 26 to October 6.
All of the T20Is will start at 1.00 pm local time, midday Jamaica time, other than the 4th T20I on Tuesday, October 4 which will start at 10.00 am local time, 9.00 am Jamaica time.
For the CG United ODI Series, West Indies will be looking to build on the progress after reaching the semi-finals of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in New Zealand earlier this year.
The team will then look to the five T20I matches as part of their preparations for the 2023 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa in January.
Courtney Walsh, West Indies Women’s Head Coach, welcomed the tour and said they will have a keen eye on the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.
“I am very happy that we will be hosting New Zealand in the West Indies. They are a very competitive team, and this will make for a great series for our team. As it comes just after we’ve had the Women’s regional tournaments and the Women’s CPL, it will be a great fillip for our players,” Walsh said.
“We are currently holding another specialist camp including some new players, and after the Women’s CPL we will have a second camp in Antigua.
“In addition, the lead selector was with the West Indies U19 Women’s team for their series in Florida and has identified some exciting prospects to consider. So, we should have enough cricket before the New Zealand Series starts. Every series that we play we want to win, and we will be playing a positive brand of cricket. We will also have an eye on the T20 World Cup around the corner. So, this will give the squad a chance to showcase all their skills, and also give us, the coaching staff, a chance to look at what depth we have.”
All eight matches will be streamed live on the Windies Cricket YouTube channel. Live ball-by-ball scoring will also be available on the www.windiescricket.com Match Centre.
FULL MATCH SCHEDULE
CG United ODI Series
Friday 16 September: 1st CG United ODI, 9:30 am Eastern Caribbean/8:30 am Jamaica Time
Monday 19 September: 2nd CG United ODI, 9:30 am Eastern Caribbean/8:30 am Jamaica Time
Thursday, 22 September: 3rd United ODI, 9:30 am Eastern Caribbean/8:30 am Jamaica Time
T20I Series
Monday 26 September: 1st T20I, 1:30 pm Eastern Caribbean/12:30 pm Jamaica time
Wednesday 28 September: 2nd T20I, 1:30 pm Eastern Caribbean/12:30 pm Jamaica time
Saturday 1 October: 3rd T20I, 1:30 pm Eastern Caribbean/12:00 pm Jamaica time
Tuesday 4 October: 4th T20I, 10:00 am Eastern Caribbean/9:00 am Jamaica Time
Thursday 6 October: 5th T20I, 1:30 pm Eastern Caribbean/12:00 pm Jamaica time
Cricket West Indies made the announcement on Tuesday.
The decision comes only after cricket operations and medical officials from CWI and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) held detailed discussions and agreed that all local and international logistics and medical protocols would follow those established and successfully implemented for the West Indies Men’s tour to England earlier this year.
The players and staff will remain in a bio-secure environment for the duration of the tour, with all matches being played “behind closed doors” at the Incora County Ground, Derby.
“We are delighted to be able to confirm this tour and re-start our Women’s programme. It has been a real challenge to put everything in place at short notice but knowing that our Women’s team will be hosted in the same bio-secure environment as our Men’s team, following all the established protocols, has enabled us to confirm the tour in under two weeks since we first spoke to the ECB about the potential opportunity,” said CWI CEO Johnny Grave.
“We are very proud to have restarted Men’s International cricket with the ECB and its great that we can now bring back Women’s International cricket too.”
CWI has sought the relevant approvals within the Caribbean, including seeking permission from the various Governments to facilitate the movement of players and support staff using private charter planes as well as conducting medical screenings and individual COVID-19 testing for all members of the touring party.
The five-match series will replace England’s scheduled series against India and South Africa after both those teams were unavailable to travel due to COVID-19.
The full schedule is as follows:
Monday September 21: 1st Vitality IT20, England v West Indies (Sky Sports)
Wednesday September 23: 2nd Vitality IT20, England v West Indies (Sky Sports)
Saturday September 26: 3rd Vitality IT20, England v West Indies (Sky Sports, BBC)
Monday September 28: 4th Vitality IT20, England v West Indies (Sky Sports)
Wednesday September 30: 5th Vitality IT20, England v West Indies (Sky Sports)
The third IT20 on Saturday September 26 will be simulcast live on the BBC and Sky Sports; the first-time women’s international cricket in the UK has been on free-to-air television since the 1993 Women’s World Cup final.
This will be the first time two ICC ranked women’s teams will play a bilateral series since the worldwide lockdown as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Both teams last played each other at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Australia, where England defeated the West Indies by 46 runs.
West Indies star all-rounder Deandra Dottin became the first player to be sold and the second most expensive in the mini-auction for the 2025 Women's Premier League (WPL), as she was purchased by the Gujarat Giants for a staggering INR 1.7 crore (approximately US$200,000) in Bengaluru on Sunday.
The 33-year-old cricketer brings a wealth of experience to the shortest format of the game, having played 132 WT20Is with a tally of 2,817 runs, including two centuries and 12 half-centuries.
The Windies and Aussies have become fierce competitors over the last two editions of the tournament. The regional team made international headlines after stunning the heavily favoured Australians at the 2016 edition in India, to claim their first world title.
The Australians, however, returned the favour by beating the West Indies in the semifinals of the tournament, in the Caribbean in 2018, before going on to claim a fourth title. In five days’ time, the Australians will begin a campaign they hope will culminate in them claiming a fifth on their home soil. Mohammed believes it is the perfect opportunity for the Windies to play spoilers.
"We've come to win this World Cup and take it back from Australia," Mohammed, whose 118 wickets makes her the most successful T20I bowler of all time, told ICC Cricket.
"It would be nice to spoil the party. They spoiled ours, so it would be nice to return the favour,” she added.
"Australia have been doing really well. They recently played in the tri-series and came out on top, but we've been working hard ourselves.”
The Windies will begin the tournament against Thailand on Saturday, with defending champions Australia bowling things off on the previous day.
Batting first, the West Indies Women crawled to 97-6 from their 20 overs. As has become the norm, the Caribbean women struggled early slipping to 29-4 in the 10th over with Rashada Williams (1), Britney Cooper (10), Shermaine Campbelle (1) and Shenetta Grimmond (5) all back in the hutch.
Captain Hayley Matthews and Shabika Gajnabi stitched together 61-run partnership but it took 53-balls to achieve. Gajnabi off the first ball of the final over for 33 with Matthews following two balls later for a top score of 34.
Tumi Sekhukhune was the best of the South African bowlers with 2-24. Nonkululeko Mlaba returned miserly figures of 1-7 from her four overs.
Where the West Indies Women struggled, South Africa’s Women seemed at ease cruising to 98-0 from 13.4 overs. Tasmin Brits was unbeaten on an even 50 at the end while her opening partner Laura Wolvaardt was not out on 42.
