Sarina Wiegman conceded England were "a little too sloppy" during their narrow 2-1 win over South Africa.

The Lionesses got back to winning ways following their 4-3 defeat by Germany last time out, with first-half goals from Leah Williamson and Grace Clinton putting them in control at the Coventry Building Society Arena.

However, South Africa halved the deficit 10 minutes into the second half, as Thembi Kgatlana pounced on Williamson's error before racing away and slotting past Mary Earps.

England subsequently endured a nervy finish to see out the victory, and Wiegman knows her players must improve. 

"I thought after the first half, it would be more straightforward," she told ITV. "We played well in the first half, we had some stronger moments. We were a little too sloppy, but we created some chances from corners. We scored a very good goal.

"Second half, we got there, but we were a little sloppy. They were smart on the counter-attack, and it was hard for us.

"We need to keep trying, keep playing football, keep playing forwards. At the moment in transition, they really jumped on us. [We must] talk about it and move forward."

Clinton grabbed her second goal in just four caps when she nodded in Maya Le Tissier's cross, and the Manchester United midfielder hopes she did her chances of featuring more frequently no harm.

"It was a tough game, South Africa are a great team," she added. "We expected them to be tough, and we dealt with their individual qualities.

"It is a good night for me. I'm nice and confident, and I'm happy to be there. Everyone wants to play for England, for their country. I want to stay confident and keep getting goals."

Georgia Stanway said it is “inevitable” that England will plateau after their huge success and that they need to reinvent themselves moving forward.

After a 30-game unbeaten run under Sarina Wiegman at the beginning of her tenure, the Lionesses suffered their first defeat in April last year.

The Lionesses were crowned Euro 2022 champions and reached the Women's World Cup final in Australia.

However, results have been hit-and-miss, including a disappointing Nations League campaign that saw Team GB miss out on qualification for the Paris Olympics. 

England's 4-3 defeat to Germany, the visitors' first game under new manager Christian Wuck, was another reminder of the progress other teams on the continent are making.

Stanway, who scored twice at Wembley last week, said maintaining such a high level of consistency was almost impossible, but said her team must remain difficult to beat. 

"When the expectation is continuous we are probably not able to live up to it. I think it's inevitable that at some point you are going to plateau," said Stanway.

"We have been with Sarina [Wiegman] for four years now so we will get to a point where we can't continuously win because teams will figure us out.

"That's where we have to work together to reinvent ourselves - change a little bit of tactics, bits here and there, and get the one up on the opposition again.

"As much as teams are evolving, we also have to evolve."

England are back in action when they face South Africa in a friendly on Tuesday, their first meeting on home soil. 

The Lionesses have won 19 of their last 21 games when hosting an opponent for the very first time (D1 L1), scoring 96 goals and conceding just four times across those matches.

But the game offers the possibility of going three games without a win under Wiegman for a second time, with Stanway and her team-mates aiming to put things right. 

"Facing adversities is normal. The Germany game was interesting. We couldn't get control but it was an opportunity to keep growing," she added.

"Outside media think us having a good game is the result. We need to become performance-driven.

"Playing for England is another level. We drive the standards, need consistency in emotion and set an example. People forget we lost a lot of big characters.

"Myself, [Ella] Toone and Alessia [Russo] were born in 1999. We're not experienced leaders yet but I'm only 25. I’m also trying to learn every day."

England confirmed that Lauren James has withdrawn from the squad for their upcoming friendlies against Germany and South Africa.

James was named in Chelsea's starting line-up for their Women's Champions League win over FC Twente, but was replaced by Johanna Rytting Kaneryd after the warm-up after sustaining a calf injury.

Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor revealed ahead of the Blues' 5-2 victory over Tottenham that the 23-year-old is expected to be out of action for the next five to six weeks. 

It serves as a bitter blow to both Chelsea and England, with James having been in fine form since the beginning of last season. 

Since the start of the 2023-24 campaign, only Manchester City duo Khadija Shaw (28) and Lauren Hemp (27) have registered more Women's Super League goal involvements than James (17 - level with Alessia Russo). 

James' influence on games goes beyond goals and assists in the WSL, with her 36 completed dribbles since the start of last season a total only bettered by Rytting Kaneryd (37) among her team-mates.

However, England manager Sarina Wiegman does not plan on calling up a replacement for James, with the Lionesses boasting several replacements already in their ranks. 

Jamaican Jacqueline Williams is set to serve as the fourth umpire for what will be an historic ICC Women’s T20 World Cup final as South Africa and New Zealand hunt their first hold on the title.

In fact, neither South Africa nor New Zealand have won the Women's ODI World Cup either. However, South Africa will be playing in their second successive final after losing to Australia in the 2023 showpiece.

Williams, who has achieved some historic feats along the way in her officiating career, will work alongside Nimali Perera and Claire Polosak, who will umpire their first final. Anna Harris will act as the third umpire.

GS Lakshmi has been selected as the match referee for the final in Dubai.

Perera stood in the semi-final between Australia and South Africa earlier in the tournament, having also officiated last year’s semi-final between Australia and India.

Claire Polosak is a highly experienced umpire, with Sunday marking her 64th career women’s T20 international, and the 2024 final marks the first time she will oversee an ICC World Cup final.

Polosak was one of the on-field umpires during the 2023 edition of the Women’s T20 World Cup semi-finals in South Africa, as well as this year’s semi-final between West Indies and New Zealand in Sharjah.

The final will take place at Dubai International Stadium.

Officials: On-field: Nimali Perera & Claire Polosak; Third: Anna Harris; Fourth: Jacqueline Williams; Referee: GS Lakshmi

South Africa stunned defending champions Australia to reach the final of the Women's T20 World Cup with a nine-wicket win in Dubai.

Anneke Bosch hit an unbeaten 74 from just 48 balls – including eight fours and one six – as South Africa successfully chased down a target of 135 with 16 balls in hand in what was a repeat of the 2023 final.

Ayabonga Khaka had earlier struck out two as South Africa limited Australia to 134-5, with five of the six bowlers used by the Proteas conceding 25 runs or fewer.

South Africa leaked 40 runs in the final four overs as Australia desperately attempted to up the ante after a slow run in the middle overs.

But any fears they would not be successful in their chase were soon allayed by Bosch.

After opener Tazmin Brits was bowled clean by Annabel Sutherland for 15 in the fifth over, Laura Wolvaardt made a composed 42 off 37 deliveries in support of the imperious Bosch, who smashed Megan Schutt's ball for four to end the encounter on an emphatic note.

Data Debrief: Brilliant Bosch the difference

Bosch's previous best figure at this tournament was a knock of 25 versus Bangladesh last time out, but she reeled off the best total by any player at the 2024 edition on Friday.

Her knock surpassed the score of 62 recorded by England's Maia Bouchier against Scotland, though Bouchier's strike rate of 182.35 did better Bosch's 154.16.

South Africa are now into their second final in this competition, having previously gone down to Australia on home soil last year. They will face either West Indies or New Zealand, who go head-to-head in Friday's second semi-final.

Sarina Wiegman believes that Paris Saint-German's Mary Earps will face competition from Chelsea's Hannah Hampton for the England number one shirt.

Earps has endured a difficult start to life in France since her move from Manchester United ahead of the new season.

She conceded five goals across their Women's Champions League qualifying defeat to Juventus and was subsequently dropped for the Parisiens' next two league matches. 

Hampton, meanwhile, has been in fine form for Chelsea in the Women's Super League, keeping two clean sheets as the Blues remain perfect under Sonia Bompastor. 

Only Manchester United's Phallon Tullis-Joyce (100%) has a higher save percentage than Hampton (90%) in the league this season. 

Earps earned her 50th Lioness cap in a 2-1 European Championship qualifier defeat to France in June, though Hampton has seen her tipped for a starting spot at the tournament where England will look to defend their crown.

"You bring this message as if she's not a starting player for PSG and I think she is," Wiegman said.

"She's the number one goalkeeper. There's competition there, too. She started this weekend. I think moving to France, of course, she's adapting to a new situation.

"Unfortunately, they didn't qualify for the group stage in the Champions League which is a disappointment for them, for Mary and for us too, because we want to see her in the Champions League.

"So that's not the start I think she had hoped for but still, we know what she brings for us and we also know there's a huge competition going on between her and Hannah, and Anna also coming in."

Wiegman announced her 25-player squad for their upcoming friendlies against Germany and South Africa in preparation for Euro 2025, which takes place in Switzerland.

Aston Villa's uncapped defender Lucy Parker was introduced into the ranks, while Lotte Wubben-Moy and Lauren James return after missing July's qualifiers. 

Goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse retains her place in the squad, and Aggie Beever-Jones and Jessica Naz also remain, having moved across from the Under-23 squad.

Manchester City's Chloe Kelly, who scored the winning goal in the 2022 final, was also included despite falling out of favour under Gareth Taylor.

Full squad

Mary Earps (Paris Saint-Germain), Hannah Hampton (Chelsea), Anna Moorhouse (Orlando Pride); Mille Bright (Chelsea), Lucy Bronze (Chelsea), Jess Carter (Gotham), Alex Greenwood (Manchester City), Maya le Tissier (Manchester United), Esme Morgan (Washington Spirit), Lucy Parker (Aston Villa), Leah Williamson (Arsenal), Lotte Wubben-Moy (Arsenal); Grace Clinton (Manchester United), Fran Kirby (Brighton), Jess Park (Manchester City), Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich), Ella Toone (Manchester United), Keira Walsh (Barcelona); Aggie Beever-Jones (Chelsea), Lauren Hemp (Manchester City), Lauren James (Chelsea), Chloe Kelly (Manchester City), Beth Mead (Arsenal), Jess Naz (Tottenham Hotspur), Alessia Russo (Arsenal).

After an undesirable start to their Women’s T20 World Cup campaign, West Indies Women’s captain Hayley Matthews is hopeful that her team can turn around their fortune and possibly challenge for a spot in the semi-final.

Matthews’ optimism follows their 10-wicket hammering by South Africa in their opening fixture in Dubai on Friday.

In that contest, Matthews believes her team failed to properly acclimatize to the conditions, as they mustered a meagre 118 for six in their 20 overs. South Africa, led by half-centuries from Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits, then made light work of the target at 119 without loss in 17.5 overs.

However, with Scotland being the Caribbean side’s next assignment on Sunday morning, Matthews says they will have to pick up the pieces and bounce back.

 “Obviously a pretty disappointing game (against South Africa). Firstly, not scoring enough runs on the board, and we would have liked to have taken a few wickets and at least put up a bit more of a fight in the second innings,” Matthews said.

“But with a game in two days’ time, we’re going to have to get things back together quickly and pick up the pieces and go again,” she added.

Reflecting on the outcome against South Africa, Matthews felt her team was undone by challenging conditions.

“It’s pretty hot here in Dubai. I’d probably have to say the hottest place I’ve ever played cricket or even been, and that’s someone coming from the West Indies. It’s definitely been some difficult conditions. We’ve been here for about two weeks, thankfully, and we’ve been able to acclimatise as much as we possibly can to conditions like this,” Matthews shared.

She continued: “I think we came down here expecting some pretty good wickets. We’ve camped here quite a bit when we went to Pakistan in April, and we tend to spend some time down here training, so we knew what the ICC Academy grounds were like, and those were pretty decent wickets early.

“It wasn’t a bad wicket. South Africa showed you can really bat on a wicket like that and even us in parts. Stafanie Taylor was able to take charge of the game as well throughout the middle. I don’t think the conditions surprised us too much. We probably just didn’t adapt to them as well.”

Matthews also addressed concerns surrounding Zaida James, who was hit in the face, and Taylor, who appeared to be cramping and had difficulty running between the wickets.

“For Zaida, it was pretty much just a knock on her face. I think the seam might have hit her in the face, so she was in a bit of discomfort. There’s a bit of swelling around her jaw, but she’s a tough girl, so hopefully it’s just one of those knocks that you get on the field, and hopefully she’ll be able to be out on the field for the next match,” Matthews noted.

The West Indies Women’s team endured a disappointing start to their ICC Women’s T20 World Cup campaign, falling to South Africa Women by 10 wickets in their Group B opener in Dubai on Friday. South Africa's captain, Laura Woolvaardt, won the toss and opted to bowl first, a decision that quickly paid off as the West Indies struggled from the outset.

The West Indies were reeling at 32-3 by the seventh over, with early dismissals of captain Hayley Matthews (10), Qiana Joseph (4), and Deandra Dottin (13). Former captain Stafanie Taylor tried to steady the innings with an unbeaten 44 off 41 balls, but her efforts were not enough to build any significant partnerships as wickets continued to fall around her. Contributions from Shemaine Campbell (17) and Zaida James (15) offered little resistance, and the team managed to post a modest total of 118-6 from their 20 overs.

South Africa’s bowlers were in fine form, with Nonkululeko Mlaba leading the attack, taking 4-29 with her slow left-arm spin. Marizanne Kapp provided strong support, claiming 2-14 as the West Indies struggled to accelerate.

In response, South Africa made light work of the chase, reaching 119-0 in 17.5 overs without losing a wicket. Woolvaardt anchored the innings with an unbeaten 59 off 55 balls, including seven fours. Her opening partner, Tazmin Brits, was equally effective, scoring 57 not out from 52 deliveries, striking six boundaries as they capitalized on a lacklustre West Indies bowling attack.

The defeat serves as a stark wake-up call for the West Indies, who will need to regroup quickly if they are to advance in the tournament. Their next match in Group B will be crucial as they seek to bounce back from this disappointing start.

Final scores in the match were West Indies Women 118-6 (20 overs) and South Africa Women 119-0 (17.5 overs), with South Africa securing a dominant victory in their opening game.

The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 officially kicked off in style on Wednesday with the Captains’ Day at the Dubai International Stadium, bringing together all 10 team captains on the eve of the ninth edition of the tournament.

A special panel session featuring all 10 captains took place during the Captains’ Day, hosted by Melanie Jones, which showed fans a glimpse into the lives, strategies, and aspirations of the captains.

Australia Captain Alyssa Healy: “There are 10 teams sitting on the stage here today that deserve to be here and have a real shot of winning this World Cup. You don't come here to defend a title; that's not what a World Cup is about, you come here to win it, so we're here with that approach, and I'm excited to get underway.

“Our pool is quite a tricky one. We’ve got to get past a lot of these teams to be able to lift the trophy, and it's a challenge we're excited for.”

West Indies Captain Hayley Matthews: “You play all year long preparing, and this is obviously the pinnacle of where you want to be as a team and where you want to be competing.

“Every series you play, every training session you have is towards that goal of a World Cup, so [preparation] definitely is a long process, and I think one as a West Indies team we've had in our sights for a very long time. So yeah, just hoping for some success.”

Bangladesh Captain Nigar Sultana: “Yeah, [shifting the event from Bangladesh] was pretty disappointing initially. But the thing is we're very professional. Now we are here, and we are going to play this, and we are pretty fortunate that we will do something that is going to help all the fans and the families and friends to get cheered.

“I'm expecting a lot of spectators, because in Sharjah there are a lot of Bangladeshis there. And playing in this kind of event, I think more people will come watch us and support.”

Scotland Captain Kathryn Bryce: “Yeah, I think we just really want to compete in this competition. We've played some fantastic cricket in the qualifiers and leading up to it, so I think, we just want to go out there and do ourselves justice on that stage and put in some good performances against these teams.”

India Captain Harmanpreet Kaur: “I think that is something we keep learning every day. Because when you win, sometimes you feel, OK, that is something I have achieved. But at the same time, next day when you go, you may make small mistakes. And I think that is part of the game. And I think learning is something which is never going to stop; every day is a learning day. Every day I'm going and learning and getting experience from every game. Yeah, I think people around me are helping me; they are working hard to make our team go at that level where we want to be. I am happy with where our team is, like how our team is working hard to achieve small, small things.”

England Captain Heather Knight: “I think captaincy is always a constant challenge. I don't think you need that freshness as a captain. You've always been challenged in different ways and trying to learn little tricks and trying to grow in everything you do. But I think as you're there more, you learn to get your messages across in slightly different ways using the people around you. I've got through a few coaches as well, so that kind of helps freshen things up. And obviously, the team's constantly evolving, which is a place where you're obviously keeping things fresh and finding different ways to say things.”

Pakistan captain, Fatima Sana: “I will try to enjoy myself, express myself and back myself as well (as captain). Actually, our whole management is supporting me, and they told me that you just take a brave decision on the field, so just try to do this, be calm and just do whatever you want.”

New Zealand Captain Sophie Devine: “I think that's been the great thing about the women's game is the development and it's what's happened off the field I think that's helped achieve that. In terms of the quick bowlers you've seen the girls become more professional and what they've been able to do in the gym is starting to see bowlers hitting 120kms and more which it makes for a challenge. It's always exciting to be coming up against that but I think it just shows the development of the women's game that those sorts of skills continue to improve.

“We've got a number of young fast bowlers coming through. And again, their development has been massive the last 12–18 months so certainly looking forward to seeing what sort of bowlers they can turn into.”

South Africa Captain Laura Wolvaardt: “I think obviously last year was great, but we're just looking to take it one game at a time. Obviously a very difficult pool, but hopefully we can make semi-finals and then anything can happen from that.

“It's obviously a bit different now. I think most players who have played in the team have never played under anyone besides Hilton (Mooreng). But Dillon (du Preez), who's taken over, has been with us for four or five years. So, he still knowshow things were and where we’re headed. And we've actually got a batting coach and a fielding coach now this season for the first time officially as well, so everything just feels really well organized at the moment. It's been great just getting a lot of information from a lot of different coaches, even just to have the extra hands at training and to have specific groups doing specific things has been awesome. We’re looking forward to this tournament.”

Sri Lanka captain, Chamari Athapaththu: “We are coming with underdog tag all the time. So, we don't have any pressure. I don't want to take too much pressure on my shoulders and my teammates' shoulders. But we keep it simple. I have a very young team, so we have a few seniors as well. I hope we can continue our best performance, because we've been playing really good cricket the last 16 months. This is a different format and different conditions, so we have to start again, fresh days. So, keep it simple, one ball one time, one game one time.”

The World Cup which will see 23 matches held over 18 days in the two host cities of Dubai and Sharjah, promises to entertain and inspire a new generation of cricket fans while serving as a transformative platform for women's cricket.

The battle to reach the top of the ICC Women’s T20I Player Rankings is closer than ever ahead of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024.

With the tournament set to get underway on Thursday in the United Arab Emirates, 10 countries will battle for supremacy to be crowned world champions on October 20.

However, while full focus will be on powering their respective teams to glory, some players will also have their eyes on topping the ICC batting, bowling, and all-rounder rankings come the end of the month.

Just 22 points currently separate the top five batters, with West Indies captain Hayley Matthews leading the charge to become the first non-Australian in three years to reach the summit. But, she will have to get past Australia’s Beth Mooney and Tahlia McGrath to do so.

Mooney currently heads the standings at 757 points, nine ahead of her compatriot and former number one McGrath. Mooney showed why she is the one to beat with an impressive 30-ball half century in Australia’s warm-up match against England last week.

Matthews is a further two points behind in third with a career-high 746, with India’s Smriti Mandhana also in contention on 743, while Laura Wolvaardt is also close to the leaders on 735.

Big performances from any of the top five could shake up the individual standings with so little to choose between each player.

There are six countries represented in the top ten, with Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu being just nine points off the 700-point barrier, while New Zealand pair Suzie Bates and Sophie Devine are ninth and tenth, respectively.

Bangladesh captain Nigar Sultana makes it seven countries in the top 13 batters, as she is the first female Bangladesh batter to accrue over 600 points.

Where the all-rounder ranking is concerned, Matthews is large and in charge there with a comfortable 109-point lead over Australia’s Ash Gardner thanks to her total of 524.

The top six all-rounders all hail from different nations, with India’s Deepti Sharma and New Zealand’s Amelia Kerr both just below the 400-point threshold.

Sri Lankan Chamari Athapaththu is the only other all-rounder above 300, with 330, while Pakistan’s Nida Dar rounds out a top six, demonstrative of the diverse strength with bat and ball set to be on show at the upcoming T20 World Cup.

Meanwhile, the bowling rankings are similarly hotly contested, with just 12 points between first and fourth. England’s Sophie Ecclestone leads the way with 757 points, but she is just two ahead of India’s Deepti Sharma.

The top four are all spinners, with Pakistan’s Sadia Iqbal on 750 points and England’s Sarah Glenn a further five back on 745.

Indeed, 13 of the top 15 ranked bowlers are spinners, with Renuka Singh Thakur and Lauren Bell the only seamers amongst that group. Thakur is fifth with 722 points, 35 off the summit.

Bell is 11th on 676 points and is one of four England bowlers in the top 15, alongside Ecclestone, Glenn, and 13th-placed Charlie Dean.

Only Australia has more bowlers in the top 20, with five; Ash Gardner leads the way for the defending champions in ninth place, while Georgia Wareham’s form has helped her climb six places into 14th.

There are eight nations represented in the top 20. Sri Lanka’s Inoshi Fernando leads those looking to break the 700 mark this month with 691 points in seventh, while Bangladesh’s Rabeya Khan is 10th with 677.

West Indies captain Hayley Matthews and all-rounder Deandra Dottin are among players from across the globe that have welcomed the ICC’s landmark decision to offer equal prize money between men’s and women’s competitions.

Matthews, Dottin, and others hailed the move by the sport’s governing body, which came ahead of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup, scheduled to get underway in the United Arab Emirates on Thursday.

The tournament winners will receive US$2.34 million after the final on October 20, with the runners-up receiving US$1.17 million as part of a total prize pot of just over US$7.95 million.

That represents an increase of 225% from last year’s edition and makes cricket the only major team sport to have equal prize money for its men’s and women’s World Cup events.

The significant moment in cricket history has been met with acclaim from players ahead of the start of competition on Thursday, with Bangladesh set to take on Scotland at Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

“It puts a lot of respect on the game. As women and as professional cricketers, we go out there and work super hard every day, just as hard as the men do,” Matthews said ahead of their opening match on Friday.

“We are all on the world stage the same way so to get equal prize money is a huge thing. Hopefully we can see more stuff like that being done and going across the board all the way,” she added.

West Indies, who won the tournament in 2016, welcomed back Deandra Dottin into the international fold after two years away, and the legendary all-rounder was pleased to see the ICC lead the way on tournament prize money.

“It is really good to see. Change is good, it just goes to show that women’s cricket is getting taken seriously, which is a great thing. This shows we are going forward in the right direction, and we are being more respected in that area,” Dottin noted.

Bangladesh seamer Jahanara Alam is among those hoping to be in action in the opener, and the 31-year-old believes the move to equal prize money will have a long-lasting impact on the sport.

"This is inspiring for us. I believe this will be motivating and inspiring for the next generation. It is good for us as we will get financial support,” Alam reasoned.

“Parents in Bangladesh who don't want to let their daughters take up sports and only want them to study for a job or business will be inspired by this and will be motivated to send their daughters to play cricket,” she opined.

Bangladesh’s captain, Nigar Sultana, believes the move represents the broader positive changes happening within women’s cricket.

"Money is always motivating. This is a good thing, and in women's cricket, we are seeing that a lot of changes are made. That is happening in Bangladesh as well. For the whole team, it looks like if we can do well, we can achieve good things in life. So from that point of view, it really makes us happy,” Sultana stated.

The tournament will see 10 teams vying for supremacy. Australia are defending champions, having won a year ago in South Africa.

South Africa were runners-up last year and begin their campaign against West Indies in Dubai on Friday.

Another poor performance with the bat resulted in another embarrassing loss for the West Indies Women, this time by 10 wickets against South Africa in the ongoing Tri-Nation Series in East London on Wednesday.

Batting first, the West Indies Women crawled to 97-6 from their 20 overs. As has become the norm, the Caribbean women struggled early slipping to 29-4 in the 10^th over with Rashada Williams (1), Britney Cooper (10), Shermaine Campbelle (1) and Shenetta Grimmond (5) all back in the hutch.

Captain Hayley Matthews and Shabika Gajnabi stitched together 61-run partnership but it took 53-balls to achieve. Gajnabi off the first ball of the final over for 33 with Matthews following two balls later for a top score of 34.

Tumi Sekhukhune was the best of the South African bowlers with 2-24.  Nonkululeko Mlaba returned miserly figures of 1-7 from her four overs.

Where the West Indies Women struggled, South Africa’s Women seemed at ease cruising to 98-0 from 13.4 overs. Tasmin Brits was unbeaten on an even 50 at the end while her opening partner Laura Wolvaardt was not out on 42.

Indian Captain Harmanpreet Kaur and opener Smriti Mandhana starred to lead India to a 56-run win over the West Indies in the South Africa Women’s T20I Tri-Series at Buffalo Park in South Africa on Monday.

An unbroken 115-run third-wicket partnership off 70 deliveries from Smriti Mandhana and Captain Harmanpreet Kaur helped India post 167-2 off their 20 overs after winning the toss and batting first.

The first wicket came in the final over of the first powerplay when wicket-keeper Rashada Williams took a sharp catch off the bowling of Karishma Ramharack to remove Yastika Bhatia for 18 with the score on 33.

Mandhana and Harleen Deol then came together and put on a further 14 runs before an eventful ninth over. A Deol boundary brought up India’s fifty before she was trapped in front for 12 by Shanika Bruce one ball later. This brought Kaur to the crease and the pair never looked back.

Mandhana brought up her 20^th T20I fifty with a boundary off Shabika Gajnabi in the 16^th over and smashed a six off Afy Fletcher in the 19^th over to bring up India’s 150.

In the final over, Kaur brought up her ninth 50 in T20Is.

In the end, Mandhana hit 10 fours and one six on her way to an unbeaten 74 off 51 deliveries while Kaur finished with 56 off 35 with eight fours.

Shanika Bruce took 1-25 from her four overs for the Windies.

Despite losing only four wickets in their chase, the West Indies fell well short of their target, finishing 112-4 from their 20 overs.

Shemaine Campbelle top-scored with 47 while captain Hayley Matthews got 34 not out for the Caribbean side.

In a change at the top of the order, Rashada Williams, who batted at three in the first game against South Africa, opened the innings alongside Britney Cooper.

The West Indies lost their first wicket in just the second over when Cooper was dismissed by off-spinner Deepti Sharma for a first ball duck. In another change, Campbelle joined Williams at the crease.

Williams was next to go as she became Sharma’s second victim for eight to leave the Windies 20-2 in just the fourth over. Shabika Gajnabi came in at four.

At the end of the first powerplay, the Windies only managed 25 runs. The second ball of the seventh over saw the demise of Gajnabi for three off the bowling of Rajeshwari Gayakwad.

Captain Matthews then joined Campbelle in the middle and the two batted as well as they could given the team’s awful first powerplay.

They brought up their 50-partnership in the 14^th over and looked set to bat through the remaider of the innigs before Campbelle’s 57-ball knock finally ended in the 18^th over when she was caught brilliantly on the boundary by Amanjot Kaur off the bowling of Radha Yadav.

Deepti Sharma took 2-29 from her four overs while Rajeshwari Gayakwad and Radha Yadav took 1-16 and 1-10 from four overs, respectively.

Scores: India Women 167-2 from 20 overs, West Indies Women 111-4 from 20 overs.

India now has two wins from as many games in the Tri-Series while the West Indies have now lost their first two games. The West Indies will next play South Africa on Wednesday. South Africa won the first clash between the two by 44 runs on Saturday.

West Indies Women’s captain Hayley Matthews is adamant that the team must find a way to put more runs on the board after another disappointing showing at the crease, this time against South Africa in the tri-series on Saturday.

The loss marked the 9th match in a row for the regional team, who last tasted victory in a win over New Zealand in September.  Against South Africa, the team’s now familiar struggles at the crease came to the fore.

After holding the South Africans to 141 on a slow pitch, the West Indies could not get to triple digits as they were dismissed for 97.  Perhaps even more concerning was the team’s collapse from 32 without loss to 67 for 6.

“It’s clear we don’t score enough runs.  Not being able to put it together with big enough partnerships and get enough big scores, which is something we definitely need to win the big games that are crucial,” Matthews, who top scored for the team with 23 from 35 balls, said.  

“At the same time we have a lot of injuries, at the moment, with a lot of our key batters out but we are hoping we can get some more runs on the board in future games with the team that we have,” she added.

Ahead of the World Cup the team could be bolstered in the batting department by the return of star all-rounder Stafanie Taylor.  Taylor is close to returning from injury but not yet available for selection.

West Indies Women pace bowler Shamilia Connell grabbed two wickets on a productive return to the team’s line-up, but that did little to prevent a dominant 44-run win for South Africa in the women’s tri-series on Saturday. 

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.