DEITZ...They are incredibly passionate about playing for the West Indies and give everything.
file
Though the outcome at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup wasn’t what they wanted, West Indies head coach Shane Deitz praised his team’s commitment and resilience to push beyond circumstances and prove competitive throughout the tournament.
Deitz’s commendation came after his team fell just shy of contesting another final, as they lost their semi-final contest by eight runs short to New Zealand in Sharjah on Friday.
Despite being plagued with injuries throughout, as Stafanie Taylor fought through a recurring knee issue, all-rounder Deandra Dottin was restricted from bowling early due to concerns about a side strain, and Chinelle Henry took a hit to the face during the semi-final game, the Caribbean side showed grit and determination, much to their coach’s delight.
“It’s been a pretty emotional few days for us. After a huge win over England, emotions were high, and we had to regroup quickly. I think the girls managed that well. They are incredibly passionate about playing for the West Indies and give everything, both body and soul, every time they step onto the field. It’s hard not to be emotional after seeing that commitment,” Deitz said.
He singled out Taylor for her commitment to brave her injury in the semifinal.
“The medical team did a fantastic job managing her condition. Every day, she was battling pain, but her determination was remarkable. Today, she looked better than she had for weeks. It was a mind-over-matter for her, and even though she couldn’t get us over the line, she gave everything for the team. We all respect and thank her for that,” Deitz declared.
While they didn’t make the final, Deitz took heart from their overall showing as they topped Group B and knocked out England, one of the world’s most dominant teams, in the first round. This, after bouncing back from a crushing 10-wicket loss to South Africa in the tournament opener.
“Over the last 12 months, we’ve been working on a style of cricket that suits the West Indies. We’ve been developing a way to play with our flair and confidence, something that’s been a hallmark of West Indies cricket for a long time,” he said.
“We don’t want to rely on other teams making mistakes; we want to dominate on our terms. We’re still in the process of building, but we’ve made significant strides. By the time the next T20 World Cup comes around in 2026, we’ll be ready to take on the world again,” Deitz added.
Bangladesh tour match ends in rain-affected draw against West Indies Select XI
The touring Bangladesh side and the West Indies Select XI played to a draw in their two-day tour match at the Coolidge Cricket Ground on Monday. Rain disruptions and a dominant display by Bangladesh’s bowlers on the second day ensured the match ended without a result.
Resuming from their overnight score of 5 for 1 in response to Bangladesh's first-innings total of 253-7, the West Indies Select XI struggled to find their footing. The hosts were restricted to 87-9 in just 27.4 overs, with only Kimani Melius (23), Justin Greaves (20), and Daniel Beckford (19) reaching double figures.
Bangladesh's bowlers were relentless, led by Hasan Murad, who delivered a remarkable spell, taking three wickets for just one run. Hasan Mahmud and Taskin Ahmed chipped in with two wickets apiece, ensuring the West Indies XI could not mount a significant challenge.
On Sunday, Bangladesh’s innings was anchored by contributions from Jaker Ali (48), Mahidal Islam (41), and 31 each from Litton Das and Mominul Haque. The visiting team posted a competitive 253-7 despite tight bowling from Jair McAllister and Chaim Holder, both finishing with figures of 2-48.
While the match provided valuable preparation for Bangladesh, the rain-affected nature of the contest limited opportunities for extended play. The touring side will take heart from their bowlers’ performance, while they prepare to face the West Indies senior team.
Australia race to seven-wicket win to whitewash Pakistan
Australia signed off on their T20I series against Pakistan in style after racing to a seven-wicket win with almost nine overs in hand in Monday's third match.
The hosts had already sealed a series success thanks to Spencer Johnson's five-for in Saturday's second match, and any hopes Pakistan had of taking a consolation win were dashed by a dismal performance with the bat in Hobart.
Pakistan were bundled out for just 117 as Aaron Hardie finished with figures of 3-21 and Johnson (2-24) and Adam Zampa (2-11) also dismissed two apiece for Australia.
Babar Azam's knock had put Pakistan in a decent position at 61-1 through six overs, but when Haseebullah Khan handed Matthew Short a simple catch off Zampa's spin ball, the wickets began to tumble with ease.
Pakistan's next five wickets fell for just 31 further runs, with seven of their batters finishing in single figures and four managing one run or fewer, with Babar (41) the only batter to score above 30.
Australia lost Short and Jake Fraser-McGurk early but Marcus Stoinis took any jeopardy out of the chase by scoring an unbeaten 61 runs off 27 balls, with his stand including five fours and five maximums.
Stoinis was unwilling to hang around, smashing Haris Rauf for 22 runs in an over to take Australia to the brink.
He then hit Shaheen Shah Afridi for 19 in the penultimate over as the hosts got the job done with 52 balls remaining.
Data Debrief: Quick and easy for Stoinis
Australia could have taken their time after being set such a paltry target, but Stoinis was determined to put on a show for those present at the Bellerive Oval.
Only twice has he bettered his knock of 61 in T20Is – versus New Zealand in 2021 (78) and against Oman at the World Cup earlier this year (67*). His strike rate of 225.92, while ruthless, falls some way short of his T20I best of 327.77 versus Sri Lanka in 2022 (59 off 18).
Pakistan's Babar, meanwhile, is now second on the all-time list of T20I run scorers with 4,192 to his name, having overtaken Virat Kohli. Only Rohit Sharma (4,231) is ahead of him.
Buttler delighted England have 'winning habit back' despite fifth-match washout
Jos Buttler is pleased to have England's "winning habit back" after securing a 3-1 T20I series win over West Indies, with the final match abandoned due to rain.
England had opted to bowl and the hosts reached 44-0 through Evin Lewis (29) and Shai Hope (14) after five overs before the downpour began in St Lucia.
Despite ground staff's attempts to clear the surface, the match was abandoned, with England claiming the win, having lost the ODI leg of the tour 2-1.
The tourists had won the first three T20Is, with the West Indies earning a consolation on Saturday in a high-scoring clash. Despite not finishing their final white-ball assignment of 2024, Buttler was delighted with the work his side have done this week.
"We're delighted with the series win. We've played some brilliant cricket," Buttler said.
"I've been happy with how we've started games, setting the tone with the powerplay wickets, as we've seen from Saqib being named player of the series. We've had lots of different guys chipping in at various times, so I'm really pleased for everybody.
"The fast-bowling department is looking good, and they all bring something different with their variety, so it's exciting for English cricket to have that.
"I enjoyed it [being captain without keeping], I felt like I had a bit more time, and it was nice to be out there running around and closer to the bowlers. I got everything I wanted to out of doing that.
"It's great to have the winning habit back."
West Indies struggled to carry over their ODI form into the T20I series but were looking to restore some pride in the final match, having impressed in the fourth. Captain Rovman Powell is now hoping they can find some consistency.
"It's been a tough series and credit Jos Buttler and his team, who came to these conditions and dominated. Having said that, we played good cricket in patches but not in long enough periods," he said.
"I think we always, as a batting group, use a template, but that didn't work in our first few games. As a team, we need to assess faster. It took us two or three games. The bowling group needs to sharpen up in a few areas.
"It's always a problem with the Caribbean cricketers, we always wander off when we are not playing for West Indies. It's a treadmill, and we don't spend time together. We have to keep our communication with players and ensure they are ready to go."
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
