West Indies Women

This also reflects an increase of three players over the 15 women who were offered contracts for the 2020-21 season, a decision that CWI said reflects the continuation of their investment into Women’s and Girls cricket as they aim to strengthen and widen the talent pool as well as encourage greater participation into the women’s game.

CWI’s Lead Selector for Women’s and Girls cricket, Ann Browne-John revealed that all the players who were on contract last year have been retained for the new contract period.

The evaluation period for the 2021-22 contracts covered performances and statistics from April 1, 2020, to March 31, 2021 (this was also supported by statistics from the previous 2019-2020 evaluation period). This allows for all players to be appraised immediately after the evaluation period and provides a notice period before new contracts on July 1, 2021.

West Indies Women’s contracted players 2021-2022 Season:

Aaliyah Alleyne, Shemaine Campbelle, Shamilia Connell, Britney Cooper, Deandra Dottin, Afy Fletcher, Cherry Ann Fraser, Sheneta Grimmond, Shawnisha Hector, Chinelle Henry, Qiana Joseph*, Hayley Matthews, Anisa Mohammed, Chedean Nation, Kaysia Schultz*, Shakera Selman, Stafanie Taylor.

CWI’s Lead Selector for Women’s and Girls cricket, Ann Browne-John revealed that all the players who were on contract last year have been retained for the new contract period.

“The last contract period did not see many international matches as we only played five (5) T20I matches against England. Despite this, the contracted players were able to keep themselves fit and match ready. It was, therefore, the fairest decision to return all fifteen to contract,” she said.

“Additionally, it is really positive that three new development contracts have been awarded for the upcoming year. This will allow the requisite focus to be placed on these young players as they continue to progress their careers. There has been a lack of left-arm orthodox bowlers in the region, therefore Joseph and Schultz will hopefully help fill this void; with Joseph also bringing her left-hand batting skills which is also limited in the region. Hector is one of the bright young fast bowlers who has been bowling with great aggression in the past few training camps.”

CWI’s Director of Cricket Jimmy Adams said the developing players, who were offered contracts, got them on merit.

 “I am delighted for all the players who have been awarded central contracts, especially those who are new to the contract list. We saw fit to expand the list of retained players by awarding additional development contracts to three young players who the selectors strongly recommended for inclusion.”

The West Indies Women are currently in Antigua for their second high-performance camp of the year under newly appointed Head Coach Courtney Walsh.

Experienced right-handed/wicketkeeper batter Natasha McLean makes a return to the West Indies Women’s team since she last played the five-match T20I series against England in Derby in 2020. However, Shemaine Campbelle, initially named in the 17-member squad has unfortunately been ruled out of the full eight-match white ball Series with an injury.

“The CG United ODI Series against New Zealand is another opportunity to continue to build the team. The panel once again has blended developing and senior players," said Lead Selector Anne Brown-John.

"Unfortunately, Shemaine Campbelle has been ruled out of the series through injury. While this is a blow to both the batting and wicket-keeping departments, it allows the upcoming wicket keepers to showcase their talent. It is hoped that particularly the batters will use this CG United ODI series to get some big scores which will boost confidence.”

West Indies Women’s squad for 1st and 2nd CG United ODIs: ​ Hayley Matthews (Captain),​ Aaliyah Alleyne,​ Shamilia Connell,​ Afy Fletcher,​ Shabika Gajnabi,​ Chinelle Henry, ​ Kyshona Knight, ​ Natasha McLean,​ Chedean Nation,​ Karishma Ramharack,​ Shakera Selman (Vice-Captain), ​ Stafanie Taylor and Rashada Williams.

Cherry-Ann Fraser, Sheneta Grimmond and Jannillea Glasgow are the reserves.

Newly appointed captain Hayley Matthews leads the squad which sees the return of the experienced Natasha McLean.

The squad was selected with the consideration of performances in the recently concluded Skyexch 6ixty and the Massy Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) tournaments.

A match-day squad of 13 players will be selected ahead of each CG United ODI.

The CG United ODI Series is scheduled for September 16, 18 and 22 with matches starting at 9.30 am local time, 8.30 am Jamaica time. The T20 Internationals (T20Is) are scheduled for September 25 to October 6. All of the T20Is will start at 1.30 pm local time, 12:30 pm 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.

Mandy Mangru and Kaysia Schultz have also joined the players in Antigua for a 10-day training camp led by Head Coach Courtney Walsh.

“The New Zealand series is very important on the women’s cricket landscape not only because it starts a new cycle, but also because it is part of the preparation leading towards the T20 World Cup in South Africa,” said CWI’s Lead Selector for women’s cricket, Ann Browne-John.

“With a few senior players unavailable at this time, for different reasons, like the experienced Anisa Mohammed, Kycia Knight and recently retired Deandra Dottin, the selectors were still able to get a blend of senior and developing players including Under-19 player Jannillea Glasgow and returning players Natasha McLean and Sheneta Grimmond.

“Ultimately, we believe that captain Hayley Matthews, in her first series, will have a promising squad of players to start building with.”

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 squad: Hayley Matthews (captain), Aaliyah Alleyne, Shemaine Campbelle, Shamilia Connell, Afy Fletcher, Cherry Ann Fraser, Shabika Gajnabi, Jannillea Glasgow, Sheneta Grimmond, Chinelle Henry, Kyshona Knight, Natasha McLean, Chedean Nation, Karishma Ramharack, Shakera Selman, Stafanie Taylor and Rashada Williams.

Match schedule

All matches at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium

 CG United ODI Series

Friday 16 September: 1st CG United ODI, 9:30 am Eastern Caribbean/8:30 am Jamaica Time

Sunday 18 September: 2nd CG United ODI, 9:30 am Eastern Caribbean/8:30 am Jamaica Time

Thursday 22 September: 3rd CG United ODI, 9:30 am Eastern Caribbean/8:30 am Jamaica Time

T20I Series

Sunday 25 September: 1st T20I, 1:30pm Eastern Caribbean/12:30pm Jamaica time

Wednesday 28 September: 2nd T20I, 1:30pm Eastern Caribbean/12:30pm Jamaica time

Saturday 1 October: 3rd T20I, 1:30pm Eastern Caribbean/12:30pm Jamaica time

Tuesday 4 October: 4th T20I, 10:00am Eastern Caribbean/9:00am Jamaica Time

Thursday 6 October: 5th T20I, 1:30pm Eastern Caribbean/12:30pm Jamaica time

 ​

“On behalf of all here at CWI, I want to congratulate Deandra on what has been an outstanding career covering almost a decade-and-a-half, during which time she has contributed immensely to Barbados and West Indies cricket. Her outstanding achievements on the field of play are a testament to her dedication, commitment and hard work which were the hallmark of her approach to the game. We wish her all the success possible in her future endeavours,” said CWI Director of Cricket Jimmy Adams.

Courtney Walsh, West Indies Women’s Head Coach said, “Deandra is one of the most athletic and dynamic players in the history of Women’s cricket and I want to take this opportunity to congratulate her on what has been 14 years of performance excellence for the West Indies. During my time as Head Coach, I have been able to see her brilliance up close on the field, and she always gave it everything.”

Dottin made her international debut in Ireland in June 2008 and was a fixture in the team in both One-Day Internationals and T20 Internationals since. She played 143 ODIs and 124 T20Is for West Indies. She is a three-dimensional player as a powerful batter, brisk medium-fast bowler and livewire in the outfield, which enabled her to quickly rise to be rated among the best allrounders in the history of the women’s game.

In One Day Internationals (ODIs) she made 3,727 runs, with a top score of 150 not out and took 72 wickets with best figures of 5-34. In T20 Internationals (T20Is) she made 2,681 runs with two memorable centuries and also took 62 wickets with best figures of 5-5. Her finest hour came when she was part of the West Indies team which defeated Australia to win the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup title in Kolkata in April 2016. She also had one of the most memorable feats in cricket history which catapulted her to stardom when she made her maiden T20I century – 112 not out off 45 balls against South Africa in St. Kitts in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2010.

Cricket West Indies (CWI) and the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA) announced in a joint statement on Friday that they are reviewing their policies following allegations of sexual harassment within the West Indies Women’s team during the 2020 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in Australia.

The Women’s ODIs form part of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Women's Championship, while the Tests will be part of the 2023-2025 ICC Men’s World Test Championship.

The Women’s T20 International Series will bowl off at the North Sydney Oval with two matches scheduled for Sunday, October 1st, and Monday, October 2nd, culminating with the third match at Allan Border Field in Brisbane on Thursday, October 5th.

Following the T20I Series, the West Indies Women will gear up for the ODI series, which commences on Sunday, October 8th, at Allan Border Field, before heading to Melbourne for the final two matches at the Junction Oval on Thursday, October 12th, and Monday, October 15th.

Hayley Matthews, the captain of the West Indies Women, expressed her excitement about the upcoming tour.

“We are looking forward to this opportunity to play against Australia as part of the ICC Women's Championship cycle. We look forward to putting up a strong fight, as we’ve been working hard to refine our skills and strategies. I’m sure the fans are going to see some entertaining cricket,” she said.

The West Indies Women will first be playing their next international fixtures against Ireland Women in June and July before heading to Australia, with the schedule for the Ireland Tour of the West Indies to be announced shortly.

The West Indies Men’s tour of Australia will start with the Test Series, playing for the Sir Frank Worrell Trophy, named in honor of the former West Indies captain and icon. The first Test will be played at Adelaide Oval on 17-21 January 2024. The second Test will be a day/night match using the pink ball at The Gabba in Brisbane from 25-29 January.

Following the Tests, the West Indies will play three day/night ODIs at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (Friday, February 2nd), the Sydney Cricket Ground (Sunday, February 4th) and the Manuka Oval, Canberra (Tuesday, February 6th). The three T20Is will be at the Blundstone Arena in Hobart, Tasmania (Friday, February 9th), the Adelaide Oval (Sunday, February 11th) and the Perth Stadium (Tuesday, February 13th).

MATCH SCHEDULES

Women’s Tour

1st October: 1st T20I at North Sydney Oval, Sydney

​2nd October: 2nd T20I at North Sydney Oval, Sydney (night)

​5th October: 3rd T20I at Allan Border Field, Brisbane (night)

8th October: 1st ODI at Allan Border Field, Brisbane

​12th October: 2nd ODI at Junction Oval, Melbourne

​15th October: 3rd ODI at Junction Oval, Melbourne

Men’s Tour

17th-21st January: 1st Test at Adelaide Oval, 10.00am

25th-29th January: 2nd Test at Gabba, Brisbane (day/night)

2nd February: 1st ODI at MCG, Melbourne (day/night)

4th February: 2nd ODI at SCG, Sydney (day/night)

6th February: 3rd ODI at Manuka Oval, Canberra (day/night)

9th February: 1st T20I at Blundstone Arena, Hobart (night)

11th February: 2nd T20I at Adelaide Oval, (night)

13th February: 3rd T20I at Perth Stadium, (day/night)

“Please accept this letter as my formal retirement from the senior Women’s West Indies team effective 1^st July 2022,” she wrote in a letter to Cricket West Indies.

Dottin, one of the most destructive players in world cricket, cited mainly the environment around the team for her sudden retirement.

“This announcement has come with much contemplation as cricket has always been a passion of mine. However, when the fire burns out, one has to take time to reassess their commitment,” said the 31-year-old.

“There have been many obstacles during my cricket career that I have had to overcome, however, the current climate and team environment has been non-conducive to my ability to thrive and reignite my passion,” she added.

The Barbadian then expressed gratitude towards Cricket West Indies, saying “I am appreciative of the opportunities afforded to me and I have ruminated on my decision over a period of time. Playing for the West Indies and representing the region has been an honor.”

“During my 14 years as a player, I have trained at my best and grown as a player physically, mentally and emotionally. It is the combination of this growth that has assisted me in reflecting on what is truly important to me. With much sadness but with out regret, I realize that I am no longer able to adhere to team culture and team environment as it has undermined my ability to perform excellently.”

Dottin ends her international career having played 143 One-Day Internationals and 126 T20 Internationals since her debut in 2008.

She scored 3727 runs at an average of 30.54 with three hundreds and 22 fifties in ODIs and 2697 runs at an average 25.93 with two hundreds and 12 fifties in T20Is.

Deandra Dottin once again demonstrated why she is regarded as one of the most explosive players in women’s cricket as she delivered a stunning performance in the first T20I against Bangladesh.

In a heartfelt letter to CWI, Dottin expressed her enthusiasm to return to the game.

"Representing West Indies in international cricket has always been a matter of great pride and passion for me. After a period of reflection and thoughtful dialogue with various parties within Cricket West Indies, including Cricket West Indies President, Dr. Kishore Shallow, I am pleased to inform you that I am eager to return to the game that I love, and contribute my utmost to the West Indies women’s team across all formats, with immediate effect," she said.

She continued, "I am confident that my experience, maturity, and skills will add value to the team as it has done in the past, and I am prepared to furnish my best efforts in every match and training session to ensure the team’s winning trajectory in international cricket. Moreover, I am enthusiastic about mentoring younger players and contributing to the overall development of women's cricket in our region."

CWI Director of Cricket, Miles Bascombe, welcomed Dottin's return, acknowledging her talent and potential impact on the team.

"Deandra is a player of immense ability and experience. We are pleased with her decision to return to international cricket and be eligible for selection. There is no doubt that she could add significant value to the West Indies Women's teams," he said.

Dottin, who will lead the Trinbago Knight Riders women’s team for the third consecutive year in the upcoming WCPL tournament, last played for West Indies in 2022. She has played 270 international matches across the ODI and T20I formats. In 2010, she scored the first Women’s T20I century. Last month, MCC awarded Dottin with Honorary Life Membership of the club.

West Indies Women will have a camp in August 2024. The players will also be engaged in the CPL next month.

The next international assignment will be the T20 World Cup in Bangladesh from October 2-19 later this year.
​

Dottin, who has been out for eight months following surgery, is among the 15-member team that will be led by Stafanie Taylor, who also back from injury.

In 2016, the West Indies Women won their first-ever ICC World Cup as part of a famous World Cup-winning trifecta with the West Indies Men’s team and West Indies U19s.

Head of the CWI Women’s and Girls’ Selection Panel, Ann Browne-John, said the team was a good mix of new and experienced players.

“The World Cup squad continues to show a blend of experience and young emerging players. It is boosted by the return of Captain Stafanie Taylor who was out of the T20 series against India through injury,” she said.
“We are also pleased to welcome back Deandra Dottin who made such a big impact on international cricket in the past few years until she was sidelined by injury. The two experienced fast bowlers Connell and Selman who have also been on the injured list are now are back in the squad.

“Lee Ann Kirby returns to the team after an extended absence but she has shown herself to be a prolific scorer. In addition, the introduction of the young fast bowler Cherry Ann Fraser is ideal for the Australian pitches which are generally fast with some bounce. The team has the experience and talent to excel at the World Cup.”

The West Indies Women will play Pakistan in three warm-up matches in Brisbane ahead of the official start of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.

The first group match of the tournament will be played against Thailand on February 22 in Perth, followed by Pakistan on February 26 in Canberra, England on March 1 in Sydney and the final group stage match against South Africa on March 3, also in Sydney.

FULL SQUAD: Stafanie Taylor (Captain), Anisa Mohammed (Vice-Captain), Deandra Dottin, Hayley Matthews, Chedean Nation, Lee-Ann Kirby, Britney Cooper, Shemaine Campbelle, Chinelle Henry, Afy Fletcher, Shamilia Connell, Shakera Selman, Sheneta Grimmond, Cherry-Ann Fraser, and Aaliyah Alleyne.

Below is the Windies Women's World Cup schedule:

West Indies vs Thailand February 22, WACA, Perth

West Indies vs Pakistan February 26, Manuka Oval, Canberra,

West Indies vs England March 1, Sydney Showground, Sydney

West Indies vs South Africa March 3, Sydney Showground, Sydney.

Semi-Final 1 & 2 March 5, Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney

Final March 8, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne

Player-of-the-Match Dottin, who hit 18 fours and two sixes in her 146-ball innings, got support from Hayley Matthews, who scored 57 and took three wickets for the West Indies. Together they put on 119 runs for the third wicket after the West Indies had lost Rashada Williams for 15 and Captain Stafanie Taylor for six to leave the visitors on 72-2.

Dottin would also share in a 44-run fourth-wicket partnership with Shemaine Campbelle, who made 23.

Left-arm spinner Anan Amin returned figures of 5-35 for Pakistan.

Chasing 254 for victory, Pakistan were in early trouble at 51-3 after Shakera Selman removed Sidra Ameen for two and Ayesha Zafar for 17 and Anisa Mohammed took the wicket of Muneeba Ali for 28.

However, Kainat Imtiaz (24) and Iram Javed (40) shared in a 57-run partnership and Aliya Riaz and Captain Sidra Nawaz, stitched together a sixth-wicket partnership of 43, to keep the West Indies bowling at bay.

However, they were unable to score freely and fell well behind the required rate of scoring as Hayley Matthews 3-31 and Selman 2-35 tightened the screws. Riaz was eventually run out for 46, effectively ending any chance of a victory as the hosts ended on 208-9.

By her normal standards, Dottin has had an average start to the tournament with the bat, scoring just 43 in two matches.  An abundance of caution in regard to a recent shoulder injury also means the player has not bowled a lot of overs either.  Despite that, however, Dottin has a knack for showing up when her team needs her.

On Wednesday, with England off to a solid start in pursuit of a below-par West Indies score of 225 for 6, Dottin flew high, at full stretch and with one hand, to pluck a hard cut shot from opener Laura Winfield-Hill out of the sky and give the team a crucial breakthrough.

In the team’s first match, against New Zealand, with the hosts needing just six in the last over Dottin, who had not bowled for the whole match, demanded the ball and promptly took two wickets and effected a run out to secure a dramatic win for the team.

“Deandra is one of the persons that set a high standard for herself in whatever aspect of the game she plays…I think that was a crucial moment in the game,” Mohammed told members of the media.

“Deandra is a game-changer, whether it is with bat or ball or in the field.  It was a spectacular catch and I know we can expect more from Deandra.”

West Indies Women posted 230-6 from their 50 overs, with Thailand Women replying with 79 all out in 36.3 overs.

The West Indies Women owed their score to Deandra Dottin, who scored 101 and Hayley Matthews, who contributed with 57.

 Onnicha Kamchomphu took 2-26 while Suleeporn Laomi returned figures of 2-37.

Thailand was never in the hunt, despite Chanida Sutthiruang’s 37.  Sornnarin Tippoch was the next best scorer with nine as Shakera Selman took 2-1 and Aaliyah Alleyne 2-9 proved too much for the opposing batters.

Naturally, Head Coach Courtney Walsh was pleased with the outcome ahead of the first match on November 23 against Ireland.

“It was good to get in a practice match in Zimbabwe to get accustomed to the conditions. The ladies went out and did what was required,” he said.

“Deandra and Hayley had good knocks, so it’s good to see the runs continuing from over from Pakistan. We gave all the bowlers a chance to get a feel of the pitch here in Zimbabwe. It was important to get match practice as Papua New Guinea pulled out so we are short one game.”

Walsh believes winning the series against Pakistan 3-0 and overwhelming Thailand will boost the confidence of his players.

“Once you keep winning you’re going to keep having confidence. We left Pakistan pretty confidently and it’s important to keep that momentum and not taking anything for granted,” he said.

“Obviously, this was just a practice game but the win is important for team morale and then we have a few days before we start the competition, so it’s good to get that win under our belts.”

The West Indies Women will continue their training schedule for the next three days before they bow into World Cup qualifying action.

Dottin top-scored with 73 from 87 balls to help the Windies chase down their target of 160 to defeat Ireland by six wickets.

After captain Stafanie Taylor won the toss and elected to field first, the West Indies bowled out Ireland for 159 in 43 overs.

Anissa Mohammed was the pick of the bowlers for the Caribbean side, taking 3-40 from her 10 overs.

She was supported by Hayley Matthews who took 2-20 from her 10.

Shamilia Connell took 2-33 from her 10 and Taylor took 2-15 from her 3 overs.

Gaby Lewis top-scored for the Irish with 36 from 58 balls.

The Windies Women then needed only 39.3 overs to chase their target with Dottin getting 73 and Taylor finishing not out on 41.

The West Indies and Sri Lanka both have two points, having won their first game, with the Windies at the top of the group due to a superior net run rate.

Those two will face off next on Saturday.

Deandra Dottin and captain Hayley Matthews delivered dazzling performances to power West Indies Women to a dominant eight-wicket victory over Bangladesh Women in the opening T20I at Warner Park on Monday.

For the third time in four tosses, England won and elected to bat first against the West Indies. Shamilia Connell set up the opening over of the first match, with Aaliyah Alleyne making the breakthrough in the second over when she had Danni Wyatt caught behind for a duck.

Connell bowled the third over, once again setting up the tense situation for Alleyne to capitalize. Alleyne did not waste it as she once again teamed up with wicketkeeper Shemaine Cambelle to have England’s top scorer from the last match Nat Sciver caught behind for 6.

Karishma Ramharack playing in her first match of the series had opener Tammy Beaumont trapped LBW, while attempting a reverse sweep. For the first time in the series, England had less than 70 runs on the board after ten overs.

However, a bit of sloppy fielding and bad line and length allowed England to claw their way back to a demanding total. Amy Jones top-scored for the hosts with 55 after being dropped on 2 by Lee Ann Kirby, followed by her captain Heather Knight with 42 as England finished their innings on 166 for 6. Aaliyah Alleyne was the best West Indies bowler, taking 2 for 25 from her four overs.

For the first time in this series, Deandra Dottin was dismissed for single digits in the first over of the match, when she was bowled by Katherine Brunt for 4. Shemaine Campbelle joined Lee Ann Kirby and the pair started a cautious rebuild of the innings despite a required run-rate of 8.36 per over.

Kirby was bowled by Sciver for 4 with the score on 26 in the third over. Aaliyah Alleyne and Chedean Nation held a sixth-wicket record partnership of 38 runs for the West Indies against England Women, surpassing the previous record of 30 between Shanel Daly and Britney Cooper, which stood since 2010.

However, this partnership was not enough to sustain the innings. It was soon over when the West Indies finished their innings on 122 for 9. Nation was the highest runs-scorer with 30, followed by Alleyne with 15. Bowling for England, Sarah Glenn finished with 2 for 15 from three overs, while Katherine Brunt had 2 for 21 from her allotted four overs.

England scored 166 for 6 from their 20 overs and the West Indies Women made 122 for 9 from their 20 overs.

Batting first, England was led by Natalie Sciver, who scored a game-high 90 from 96 balls, amassed 307-7 from their 50 overs. Sciver and Dani Wyatt shared in a fifth-wicket partnership of 103 in just under 17 overs that took the match beyond the reach of the West Indies Women. Wyatt contributed 68 to the mammoth total.

Tammy Beaumont (33) and Amy Jones (30) also made useful contributions.

Chinelle Henry was the best of the West Indies bowlers taking 3-59. Afy Fletcher took 2-66.

The West Indies Women were never able to cope with the demand of scoring more than six runs an over and unable to form useful partnerships, were bowled out for 165 in 40.3 overs. The exception was a 70-run second wicket partnership between Kycia Knight and Rashada Williams that produced a respectable 70 runs. Both were dismissed for 39 and 34, respectively.

Captain Hayley Matthews, who retired hurt early on, returned to score 34 for the home side.

Charlie Dean took 4-35 and Kate Cross 2-27 for the victors.

Matthews lamented her team’s inability to stick to the game plan.

"Both facets of the game (batting and bowling) we didn't do what we wanted on a decent and England was able to capitalize on it,” the captain said.

“We're going back to the drawing board and see what we can improve on in the next game. Our power play was pretty good but we let a little too many runs go by in the middle overs. It was good to see the partnership between Kycia and Rashada and I hope we can get a few more of those.”

India, Group A toppers, will face England before Australia take on South Africa, the Group B toppers, in semi-finals starting at 3 pm and 7 pm respectively on Thursday at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

The line-up was confirmed when both the Proteas and West Indies were awarded a point after no play was possible due to rain in the group stage’s final game at Sydney Showground.

India were the only team to emerge from the groups with a perfect record and their clash with England is a re-run of the 2017 Women’s Cricket World Cup final at Lord’s and the 2018 Women's T20 World Cup semi-final in Antigua, both of which were won by Heather Knight’s side.

The winners will go into the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 final, to be played on 8 March, International Women’s Day, at the MCG.

Australia have won the tournament four times and England won the inaugural edition back in 2009.

South Africa won the toss and put the West Indies in to bat and at the time of the first rain delay, West Indies women were 234-3 from 45.3 overs.

Deandra Dottin was not out on a mammoth 150 off 158 balls, with 18 fours and four sixes, and Shemaine Campbelle was the other not-out batter with 7.

Earlier, Hayley Matthews made 51 from 63 balls.

Dottin’s 150 is her third ODI hundred and the second-highest individual score by a West Indian, in Women’s ODIs, after Stafanie Taylor’s 171 off 137 balls against Sri Lanka Women in Mumbai in 2013.

Due to lack of time, the West Indies innings was declared at the same score meaning South Africa had a target of 204 off 29 overs based on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.

The South Africans got to 87-5 off 17.4 overs before the skies opened up once again and caused the match to be abandoned before 20 overs could be completed.

Tazmin Brits got 32 off 37 balls to top score for the South Africans.

The second ODI takes place on Monday.

Matthews was named as the new West Indies Women captain last week, taking over from Taylor who led the team since 2015, winning the Women’s T20 World Cup a year later in India.

“I want to say congratulations to Hayley, an amazing player and person that I have watched grow and improve through the years,” Taylor said in the post.

“I know you will do great in this new role. I have enjoyed playing with you and learning from you over the years and look forward to continued teamwork under your leadership,” she added.

Taylor, who also led the team to semi-final berths in the 2018 World T20 and the 2022 World Cup, reflected on her time as leader.

“I am grateful for the opportunity I have had to lead this incredible team and all that we have accomplished together. It has been seven years of learning and navigating the uncertainties of the game. I’m thankful for the support I have received from my teammates and the management staff through my tenure as captain who have been encouraging and eager to help in carrying out my duties,” she said.

“I’m looking forward to passing the torch and continuing on and doing my best for the team,” Taylor added.