It was the kind of match that leaves you breathless, where mathematics and momentum waltz in a frantic finale. Even though the West Indies Women did not punch their ticket to the ICC Women’s World Cup, head coach Shane Deitz says he could not be prouder of the spirit, fight, and sheer audacity his team showed when it mattered most.

"The run chase was unbelievable,” Deitz said, as he reflected on the Caribbean side’s valiant bid to sneak past Bangladesh and grab the last qualification spot for the global showpiece later this year in India.

"The girls went about it and played some unbelievable shots. It just shows how talented our players are," he added.

Indeed, the West Indies’ six-wicket win over Thailand was emphatic, but it was a game within a game. It was not just a victory but a race against numbers, specifically, Bangladesh’s superior net run rate of 0.639. West Indies, who started the match with -0.283, needed a miracle, and they nearly pulled it off.

After being set 167 to win, they needed to reach that target within 10 overs to boost their net run rate high enough. As the 10th over concluded, they sat on 156-3—a mere 11 runs short—but all was not yet lost.

If they could reach 172 inside 11 overs, they would have sneaked ahead of Bangladesh. However, the 11th over began with heartbreak, as Chinelle Henry, who had lit up the innings with a blazing 48, fell on the second ball. Aaliyah Alleyne arrived with calm nerves and smacked a four and a single to hand the strike to veteran Stafanie Taylor.

At that point, West Indies need a four and then a six—no more, no less. Taylor, ever the composed presence, launched the fifth delivery over long-on, but as the ball sailed into the stands, celebration turned to dismay as that six came too soon.

By virtue of that, West Indies won the match at 168-4 but missed the net run rate target by the slimmest of margins as they finished at 0.626, behind Bangladesh’s 0.639.

"It’s just a shame that it came down to that. If you look at the whole tournament, which we will assess, there were periods of the tournament where we didn’t do well, and that’s when it comes down to that last ball. But tonight, the girls fought hard all the way, and that little run chase there was absolutely phenomenal. So power to them for that," Deitz shared.

That said, Deitz beamed with pride at the fact that his team's shortfall was by no means meek. He pointed out that Matthews’ fiery 29-ball 70, Henry’s brutal strokeplay, and Fletcher’s crafty 4-wicket spell, among others, underscored what the Caribbean side is capable of. 

“We’ll regroup and assess everything tonight, and we're going to improve in our ODI cricket moving forward for the future. But I’m really proud of the girls. They didn’t give up and hopefully all the supporters back home will be proud of them too," the Australian ended.