West Indies Women

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.”

Bangladesh Women secured a dominant 60-run win over West Indies Women in the second One-Day International at Warner Park in St. Kitts on Tuesday to tie the three-match series at 1-1.

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.

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.

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.

West Indies all-rounder Chinelle Henry has been named among the players to watch at the upcoming ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier, which bowls off on Wednesday in Pakistan.

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.

West Indies captain Hayley Matthews is brimming with confidence ahead of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2025, as she declared belief that her team has what it takes not only to top the tournament but to book their spot at the global showpiece later this year in India.

After winning the toss and choosing to bat, South Africa all-rounder Marizanne Kapp scored a shot-filled 55 from 43, a total that included 5 fours.  

Kapp who came into the line-up following the early dismal of opener Anneke Bosch, a set-back for the team at 27 for 1, went on to anchor the majority of the innings.

Following the dismissal of South Africa’s other opener Laura Wolvaardt, Kapp was joined by Sune Luus and the pair put together a key 63-run stand off 53 balls for the third wicket.  Luss made 30 from 26.

On a slow surface, a spin-heavy Windies did manage to restrict the South Africans to a competitive 141 for 5 but Connell, who recently returned from injury, was the pick of the Windies bowlers with 2 for 17.

In response, the Windies poor batting form, particularly of late, continued to be cause for concern.  They collapsed from 32 for 0 to 67 for 6.  Thanks in large part to Masabata Klaas who took three of those six wickets. The bowler, in fact, found herself on a hat-trick in the tenth over when she removed West Indies captain Hayley Matthews and Shabika Gajnabi in back-to-back deliveries.

Matthews, who made 23 from 35, Britney Cooper (15), Shemaine Campbelle (11) and Connell (15) were the batters to get into double figures but all failed to carry on.  Masabata ended with figures of 4 for 21.

The West Indies will look to break their T20 international losing streak when they face India Women on Monday.

Chasing 137 for victory after the West Indies made 136 for 6 from their 20 overs, Connell and Alleyne combined to restrict Pakistan to 126 for 6 despite an unbeaten 45 from Ayesha Naseem and 24 not out from Fatima Sana.

Together, the pair mounted an unbroken seventh-wicket partnership of 69 from 45 balls, rescuing Pakistan from a precarious 57-6.

Connell did the early damage bowling both openers, Javeria Rauf and Captain Javeria Khan for 5 and 7, respectively, with only 14 runs on the board. Hayley Matthews made it 23 for 3 when she dismissed Muneeba Ali for 9.

Connell took her third when she bowled Nida Dar for 9.

Alleyne then bowled Aliya Riaz for 8 and Iram Javid for 11 as Pakistan slipped further to 57-6 in the 13^th over.

However, that would be the last of the success for the West Indies Women who toiled in vain while trying to break the partnership between Naseem who hit two fours and a six in her 33-ball knock.

At the other end, Sana proved just as difficult to dislodge as she scored her runs from 21 deliveries.

Connell returned 3-21 while Alleyne took 2-23.

Earlier, the West Indies got their total courtesy of an opening stand of 65 between Matthews and Deandra Dottin, who scored 32 and 31, respectively.

Both openers were dismissed in the space of two balls as the West Indies Women slipped from 65-0 to 67-2. Captain Stafanie Taylor went for 11 with the score at 93 and the scoring slowed.

Kyshona Knight scored 23, Chedean Knight, 14, and Kycia Knight 15, helping the West Indies closed on 136 for 6.

Dar was tight taking 2-15 and Sana took 2-32.

CWI announced early this week that the contracts of Walsh, Robert Samuels and Corey Collymore were not renewed and that they were looking at recruiting new coaches for the West Indies Women, who have struggled for form for the past three years.

Walsh took over from Gus Logie in October 2020. Under his charge the West Indies Women won seven out of 24 T20Is and 11 of 32 ODIs. The team lost 15 consecutive T20 matches and made it to the semi-final of the ICC Women 50-over World Cup in 2022.

However, during T20 World Cup in South Africa, West Indies failed to qualify for the knockout round after winning two matches - against Pakistan and Ireland - in the group stage.

Notwithstanding, Walsh while a guest on Mason & Guest radio show in Barbados on Tuesday, Walsh said he was surprised when he was told that his contract was not going to be renewed.

"I was surprised at the time when I was told, but it was a job, and I was employed until the end of last month when I was told the contract won't be renewed," Walsh said.

"The timing was very surprising. I would have much preferred to have known earlier, but that's not my call. I got a message to call him [CWI director of cricket Jimmy Adams] and I called him, and he told me the contract won't be renewed."

Walsh also revealed that he was disheartened by the news that the Samuels and Collymore had also suffered a similar fate as he believes the players were showing signs of progress.

"I was also disappointed to find out that the other coaches were not going to be reinstated, as well. I thought we were making some strides with the girls and the pool of players we had at the time,” Walsh said.

“We suffered injuries to players at some crucial times, but we still fought through it, and I felt the coaches worked really hard in trying to get the best team we could on the park in tough times.”

It will be the first face-to-face assignment for Head Coach Courtney Walsh and the squad that he intends to transform into world-beaters once more.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) has been working closely with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Sport in Antigua & Barbuda to orchestrate logistics and agree on the safety protocols for the commencement and duration of the camp.

All players and support staff were tested twice before their arrival into Antigua. The players and support staff will train and live in a bio-secure bubble for the duration of the camp, during which they will undergo four more tests.

The camp from January 9 to February 1, kick starts the year’s activities for the Women’s team, a feature of which will be the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Women’s World Cup Qualifiers, due to take place in Sri Lanka in July.

“It’s very gratifying that the camp can take place during this challenging Covid-19 period, as the players are excited about getting down to work,” said Walsh.

“We have a good mixture of youth and experience coming into the camp and I’m especially looking forward to working with some of the younger talents we have coming through.”

Coach Walsh will be joined by an experienced team of qualified coaches including former West Indies players Robert Samuels and Corey Collymore and the camp will be also overseen by High-Performance Manager, Graeme West.

“Also on the coaching side, we have Samantha Lynch joining us and she did her Level 3 coaching certification training at the same time as me, so I know her very well,” said Walsh.

“This camp will be a good experience for her, and I expect her to quickly become an asset to the team. Also, we have Steve Liburd who went to England with the team last September, to help with the fielding, and Ryan Austin to focus on our spinners. I think we have a good blend of players and coaches and I’m looking forward to a great camp.”

Meanwhile, world-class performers Stafanie Taylor, Deandra Dottin, Hayley Matthews, Anisa Mohammed and Shakera Selman are among the key players in the squad that also features new blood.

Japhina Joseph, for example, a right-handed batter from St. Vincent and The Grenadines is the newest member to be invited to the training camp. She impressed the selectors during the CWI Under-19 tournament in 2019. All-rounder Qiana Joseph from the Windward Islands makes a return to the training squad along with teenager Steffi Soogrim from Trinidad and Tobago.

FULL SQUAD:

Aaliyah Alleyne, Reniece Boyce, Shemaine Campbelle, Shamilia Connell, Britney Cooper, Deandra Dottin, Afy Fletcher, Cherry-Ann Fraser, Shabika Gajnabi, Sheneta Grimmond, Shawnisha Hector, Chinelle Henry, Qiana Joseph, Japhina Joseph, Kyshona Knight, Hayley Matthews, Natasha McLean, Anisa Mohammed, Chedean Nation, Karishma Ramharack, Kaysia Schultz, Shakera Selman, Steffi Soogrim, and Stafanie Taylor.

TEAM MANAGEMENT UNIT: Courtney Walsh - Head Coach, Robert Samuels - Assistant Coach, Corey Collymore - Assistant Coach, Ryan Austin – Assistant Coach, Steve Liburd - Assistant Coach, Samantha Lynch - Assistant Coach, Neil Barry – Physiotherapist, Shayne Cooper – S&C Coach, Amanda Johnson - Mental Skills Coach, Gary Belle – Team Analyst, Sheena Gooding – Team Manager, Naasira Mohammed – Media & Content Officer.

The FairBreak Foundation, renowned for promoting gender equality through its Women's Invitational T20 tournaments, has successfully hosted two ICC-sanctioned events in Dubai (2022) and Hong Kong (2023). The new partnership with CWI marks the first collaboration between FairBreak and an ICC Full Member Board, underscoring a shared commitment to advancing women's cricket.

CWI Chief Executive Officer Johnny Grave expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership: “We are pleased and enthusiastic to be the first ICC Full Member Board to partner with FairBreak. One of the new strategic objectives of CWI has been to achieve parity between women and men in cricket by 2027, and we believe that this partnership will allow us to showcase the talent and potential of female cricketers in the West Indies while promoting inclusivity and gender equality within the sport.”

Cheryll Rogers, FairBreak Chief Executive Officer, echoed this excitement: “We are delighted to partner with CWI and bring the support of FairBreak to the communities of the Caribbean. It has been my pleasure to bring FairBreak up to a new level for women’s cricket. Our aspiration is to partner with cricket boards and charities to uplift community cricket as well as create new pathways into the women’s professional game. The new FairBreak team and their commitment to the highest standards of safety and governance are setting a gold standard for the environment in which we invite players to play. Our tournaments will now be held in the best stadiums in the world, including the West Indies. A truly unique opportunity.”

A key element of this partnership is FairBreak’s investment in grassroots cricket programs. These programs will benefit and inspire future generations of female cricketers across the Caribbean. Additionally, the partnership will engage local coaches, match officials, and other support personnel in upcoming FairBreak Invitational T20 Tournaments, providing them with invaluable experience and exposure.

The partnership also aligns with CWI's strategic objective of achieving gender parity in cricket by 2027. By collaborating with FairBreak, CWI aims to promote inclusivity and gender equality within the sport, showcasing the talent and potential of female cricketers in the West Indies.

This groundbreaking partnership between CWI and the FairBreak Foundation represents a significant step forward for women's cricket in the Caribbean. With plans to host future FairBreak Invitational T20 Tournaments in world-class stadiums, including those in the West Indies, the partnership promises to provide unparalleled opportunities for female cricketers and further the development of women's cricket in the region.

During Walsh's tenure, which started in October 2020, he oversaw Home and Away Series wins to Pakistan and secured a semi-final spot in the 2022 ICC Women's 50-over Cricket World Cup. 

CWI Director of Cricket Jimmy Adams said “We are very grateful for the contribution of Courtney and his technical team over the past two and a half years and we wish them all the best going forward. CWI remains committed to our international women's programme and will now be focusing on recruiting a new Head Coach and technical support team. ​ An interim technical support team will be put in place during the recruitment period.”

Further information on the recruitment process will be provided in the coming weeks with the coaching roles being critical for the development of women’s cricket in the West Indies. In recent years, CWI has significantly increased investment into the women’s game at every level focusing on deepening the talent pool within the Caribbean and producing the next generation of West Indies Women’s players.

The camp sees the return of veteran leg-spinner Afy Fletcher, following her year-long maternity leave, while teenagers, Zaida James from St. Lucia and Jannilea Glasgow from St. Vincent and the Grenadines have again been included in a senior West Indies Women’s camp.

Britney Cooper, Shabika Gajnabi, and Shawnisha Hector have all been ruled out by the CWI Medical Panel for medical reasons.

“The players will undergo medical and physical testing before the final squad of 18 are selected to travel. It is good to have Afy Fletcher back into the setup. Unfortunately, three players, Britney Cooper, Shabika Gajnabi, and Shawnisha Hector have been ruled out of selection consideration for medical reasons,” said Anne Browne-John, CWI Lead Selector for Women’s cricket.

Browne-John also commented on the emergence of the youngsters in the team.

“What is very promising for us at CWI is the inclusion of teenagers Jannilea Glasgow and Zaida James. They’ve been a part of the senior team camps before and also played in the first-ever West Indies Women’s A-Team home series against Pakistan Women last year. Their inclusion is a continued step in the developmental pathways we have established to grow women’s cricket in the region,” she added.

The selection of the final 18 players, who will travel to South Africa, will be announced at the conclusion of the camp.

The full squad for the camp is as follows: Aaliyah Alleyne, Reniece Boyce, Shemaine Campbell, Shamilia Connell, Deandra Dottin, Afy Fletcher, Cherry-Ann Fraser, Jannilea Glasgow, Sheneta Grimmond, Chinelle Henry, Zaida James, Qiana Joseph, Kycia Knight, Kyshona Knight, Mandy Mangru, Hayley Matthews, Anisa Mohammed, Chedean Nation, Karishma Ramharack, Kaysia Schultz, Shakera Selman, Stafanie Taylor, Rashada Williams.

These decisions were made at the first CWI Board of Directors meeting following the election of the new President Dr. Kishore Shallow in March. Dr. Shallow said the decision represented more progress for the women’s game in the region as the organisation continues its investment to ensure further growth and development. Achieving equality in women’s cricket is a key initiative in CWI’s strategic plan, and this new investment will contribute to increasing the appeal of the women’s game. CWI has worked closely with the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) to put the new policy in place.

Dr. Shallow said: “On International Women’s Day earlier this year, Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley and I, among other things, deliberated over the inequalities in sports. Today, it is pleasing to support champions like Prime Minister Mottley to tilt the scales in leveling the playing field.”

Dr. Shallow added: “The women’s game in international cricket continues to evolve, and CWI must keep apace and, where possible, lead. Introducing these policies and adding a second female to the board as an independent director are monumental strides in the right direction.”

Wavell Hinds, President and CEO of WIPA said: “We welcome this move by CWI in the quest to achieve greater equality within our work environment among our cricketers. We look forward to achieving similar goals in our ongoing negotiations on the renewal of our MOU for another four-year period.”

As part of the commitment towards achieving equality for Women’s players, a new committee has also been approved by the CWI Board of Directors – the Women's Cricket Transformation Committee. This Committee will act in an advisory capacity to CWI’s Director of Cricket and the wider organization.

The Committee’s remit will include but not be limited to recommending strategies geared towards increasing the interest and participation of women and girls in the sport, as well as proposing cricket competitions, events, and pathways that foster competitive women’s and girls’ cricket.

The West Indies Women will be playing their next international fixtures against Ireland in June and July with the schedule to be announced shortly. Following this, they will have a tour of Australia in October where they will play three One-Day Internationals and three T20 Internationals.

In recent years, CWI has committed significant resources towards the development of women’s cricket at all levels and especially the High-Performance pathway.  CWI has also hosted several skill-specific camps to develop the women’s talent pool and is due to launch the Women’s Academy later this year to ensure the next generation of players have a world-class system in place to aid their professional development on and off the field. 

Deitz, 48, is a former first-class player who represented South Australia as a wicket-keeper/batsman in 66 first-class matches between 1998 and 2008. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the position, having been coaching at the professional and international levels for over a decade. He was the Head Coach of Bangladesh Women team and is currently the Head Coach of the Netherlands Women.

Johnny Grave, CWI’s Chief Executive Officer said: “We are pleased to announce Shane as our new West Indies Women’s Head Coach following a robust global recruitment process. Shane is well equipped for the role having coached extensively in both the Men’s and Women’s game, in his native Australia, as well as other parts of the world. He is dynamic, energetic, and is very familiar with the requirements of the women’s game. He brings the right skills and experience to drive the team and the women’s game in the West Indies forward.”

Shane Deitz said: "I am very honoured to have the opportunity to coach the West Indies Women’s team. West Indies cricket both men and women have a great history of success whilst playing entertaining cricket and my aim is to continue with that formula. The team has a great blend of world class senior players and some talented younger players which is a good starting point to build from. We have a lot of work to do though as reality is we are behind the top few sides in the world and we need to bridge that gap and become competitive again to challenge for World Cups in the future.”

He added: “I do believe though the nucleus is there to create a world class competitive side and that is what I will aim to do.  The standard of women’s cricket is at an all-time high and we need to strive to reach those heights through good planning, a lot of hard work and then executing on the pitch. I am very excited about that challenge and can’t wait to start working with this talented squad.”

Deitz will start the role in late August ahead of the Women’s CPL and the West Indies Women’s next international assignment, the away tour of Australia in October.