Shabnim Ismail has revealed how representing Welsh Fire in The Hundred is helping her fill the void left by her retirement from international cricket.
The pace bowler has been integral to reviving the fortunes of the Cardiff-based side, who finished rock bottom last summer, and powered them to the top of the table with a nerveless hat-trick at the death to see off Birmingham Phoenix on Thursday night.
Ismail is a proven winner in the 100-ball format, having helped Oval Invincibles to the title in 2021 and 2022, but did not shrink from the challenge after being drafted by the struggling Fire and has thrown herself into the task.
The 34-year-old called an end to her South Africa career earlier this year but feels that doing her bit for the principality is helping her find her peak performance.
“When I moved I didn’t really realise it wasn’t just Welsh Fire the club, but Wales the country. I’m so proud to play in the Welsh colours,” she told the PA news agency.
“I’m calling myself an honorary Welshwoman, of course! I’m retired from internationals but I’m lucky that I still get to play for a country. To represent a nation, it almost feels like I’m back with South Africa at a World Cup. It makes me play with my heart on my sleeve and do well for them.
“I was nervous first of all coming into the team but it has been like a family, an amazing welcome. I always say I can only produce the goods and play to the best of my ability when I’m comfortable in the environment and here I know I can speak my mind with no drama, everybody trusts me.”
Ismail certainly had no problem finding her finest form when she conjured a classic finish to defeat the Phoenix in a nail-biter at Edgbaston. Defending four runs from the last three balls of the match she dismissed Tess Flintoff, Erin Burns and Issy Wong. More remarkable than the feat itself, though, was the fact that Ismail did not even realise she had done it.
“I knew exactly what I wanted to do and I told the team I wanted the last five balls. But I was so in the zone I didn’t even know I had a hat-trick,” she said.
“I just didn’t realise it was three in a row, in my head every wicket was a dot ball. I didn’t even hear the crowd initially, but it pumped me up when I did. I think we made the whole of Birmingham angry.”
Welsh Fire now find themselves in the unexpected position of leading the way after two years of under-delivering but, if that is a surprise to some, Ismail called it before a ball had been bowled.
“When I met Breesey (head coach Gareth Breese), I told him ‘we are going to win this’,” she said.
“I told him things will be different this year. He told me ‘baby steps, one at a time’ but I keep telling him we’ve got this. Now we all believe, we know we can do it.”
Deitz wants Windies Women to capitalize on strong positions ahead of World Cup opener- “We have to be dangerous for longer”
Head Coach of the West Indies Women’s team Shane Deitz is looking for his squad to show more killer instinct ahead of their opening game of the 2024 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup against South Africa on Friday.
Deitz spoke to CWI Media after the team’s second Warm-up game, a 35-run defeat at the hands of defending World T20 champions, Australia.
During that game, the team had Australia on the ropes with the ball and then with the bat.
At one point during the Australian innings, the West Indies had them reeling at 44-4 and 59-5 before they eventually made 144-8.
With the bat, the regional outfit were 68-1 in the 10th over before eventually being bowled out for 109.
“We had them on the ropes but we didn’t deliver the killer knockout punch. If we’re going to win this World Cup, that’s what we’ve got to do,” Deitz said.
“We have to have the perfect game. 20 overs with the bat. 20 overs with the ball. When we get in those situations and get on top, we’ve got to nail them,” he added.
Even with the losses to India and Australia in preparation for the World Cup, having the defending champions in those positions means that there is a lot of potential within this group.
To consistently defeat the best teams in the world, you have to maintain that high standard of play for as long as possible throughout the game.
Deitz echoed similar sentiments.
“The results aren’t the be all end all in the practice games. What we want is to play good cricket and we are doing that, just not for long enough. Once we get that longer, we have a chance to scare a few teams at this World Cup,” he said.
“Everyone’s in good spirits and we’ve shown that we’re a dangerous team. We just have to be dangerous for longer. The girls are backing themselves and everyone’s looking forward to the start of this World Cup,” he added.
As for the approach he wants his team to have in this tournament, Deitz wants to take the game to the opposition.
“If we’re going to win this, we’ve got to play attacking cricket. We’ve got to back ourselves and take on the opposition. That’s the mindset we’ve got to continue with,” he said.
Johnson Charles credits positive mindset for stellar performance against Amazon Warriors
St. Lucia Kings opener Johnson Charles attributed his match-winning performance against the Guyana Amazon Warriors on Wednesday night in the 2024 Caribbean Premier League (CPL) to maintaining a positive mindset. Charles, who has been in stellar form throughout the season, top-scored with a blazing 79 from 45 balls, which included eight fours and five sixes. His efforts helped the Kings post a formidable total of 198-5, ultimately securing a 15-run victory via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method.
Reflecting on his performance, Charles emphasized the importance of staying positive, especially when facing challenges from bowlers. “It's all about being positive, having that positive intent. I have been dismissed the most by left-arm spinners, but still, you’ve got to be positive and find ways to score. I am all about that positive intent and getting my team off to a great start,” Charles said.
This season has been Charles’ most successful CPL campaign yet, with the St. Lucian star amassing 445 runs—a career-best. His explosive innings against the Warriors, which featured a commanding opening partnership of 124 runs with skipper Faf du Plessis, was crucial in putting the Kings in a winning position. Charles credited the synergy between him and du Plessis for their success at the top of the order.
“We feed off each other’s energy. We have different styles of play; that gives us a very good understanding, and it also plays with the bowlers' minds,” Charles explained, highlighting how their contrasting approaches have unsettled opposition bowlers.
Charles’ performance not only demonstrated his improved shot-making, but also his adaptability. He acknowledged that the evolution of the game requires constant innovation, both mentally and technically. “The game is evolving, and you’ve got to keep up the pace. Seeing that bowlers are always studying you and always trying to keep you bogged down, it’s all about staying up with the pace. I have been practicing different ways of scoring, whether it’s the switch hit or paddle sweep off the pacers, and it’s going good for me,” he said.
With the Kings now on the cusp of a first CPL title, Charles believes that 2024 could finally be their year to lift the CPL trophy. “This means a lot; for so many years we have been trying. I believe this year is our year. I think we have a very good chance, and it’s our year to win this,” he concluded.
As Charles continues to shine with the bat, his form and positive mindset will be critical as the Kings push for their first-ever CPL title.
St Lucia Kings secure spot in 2024 CPL final after victory over Guyana Amazon Warriors in rain-shortened encounter
Saint Lucia Kings booked their place in the 2024 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) Final with a 15-run victory over reigning champions Guyana Amazon Warriors in a weather curtailed match at the Guyana National Stadium in Providence.
The Warriors will now take on Barbados Royals on Friday with the winner of that match contesting the final with Kings on Sunday.
Winning the toss and batting first proved a wise decision given the forecast and Faf du Plessis led from the front once more for his side. An opening stand of 124 runs between himself and Johnson Charles ensured the Kings posted a challenging total of 198-5 off their twenty overs.
Charles was starting to eye up a three-figure score when he was well caught on the long-on boundary by Keemo Paul off the bowling of Moeen Ali for 79 off 45 deliveries. Du Plessis then fell for a well-made half-century of his own, the Kings captain forced to depart after Rahmanullah Gurbaz held on to an exceptional catch from a firmly hit shot down the ground off Shamar Joseph.
The Warriors bowlers did well to keep the score down to a manageable target with Moeen Ali once again being the standout performer with the ball, figures of 2/24 off his four overs showcasing all his experience.
In response, the Warriors had reached 106-4 at the end of the 13th over before the persistent drizzle turned into heavier rain and the players were taken off the field by the umpires. Unfortunately for the 2023 CPL champions it then did not relent meaning that they were behind the required run rate on DLS calculations when the match was called off over an hour later.
Still requiring 92 runs off the remaining 42 deliveries when the weather intervened the Warriors would have still fancied their chances of hauling down the total with a well-set Shimron Hetmyer looking dangerous with 37 off 18 balls and with Moeen Ali having just joined him.
Hetmyer had just opened his shoulders to hit four sixes in quick succession off Noor Ahmad and Roston Chase, despite this injection of runs the Warriors were comfortably behind the required DLS score of 121 when the rain decisively intervened.
The Warriors will have a chance of setting up a re-match with a victory over Barbados Royals in the final eliminator match on Friday evening. Saint Lucia Kings will await either side in Sunday’s final with an inaugural CPL title very much in their sights.
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