Deandra Dottin’s four for 22 killed New Zealand’s momentum throughout their batting innings as Georgia Plimmer top scored with 33 to see the White Ferns post 128 for nine.

The Windies never got going as Eden Carson ran through the top order before a late flurry from Dottin gave her side hope.

New Zealand rode the pressure to ensure a new name will be on the trophy as they take on South Africa in the final on Sunday.

Having chosen to bat, New Zealand made a slow start, reaching the end of the fourth over at 16 without loss.

Chinelle Henry had the rare honour of bowling her four overs in a row restricting the White Ferns to 24 from her 24 deliveries before the increasingly reliable Karishma Rahmarack came into the attack.

She lived up to her billing as she dismissed Suzie Bates for 26, tying the veteran in knots to clean bowl her and leave New Zealand at 48 for one.

Plimmer looked to be the aggressor as she hit a six just over the tall Henry who lost the ball in the lights.

The same happened to Henry two balls later but this time she was forced off the field for a concussion assessment.

The disruption rocked New Zealand more than the Windies as Amelia Kerr departed the very next ball for Dottin’s first wicket, with Plimmer stumped five deliveries later to leave the White Ferns at 69 for three at the beginning of the 13th over.

The new partnership of Devine and Brooke Halliday took 12 runs off the last five balls of Afy Fletcher’s over, doing the same off Aaliyah Alleyne to move into a commanding position.

But Dottin again brought the scoring to a halt as she bowled Halliday for 18 and had Maddy Green caught to see the White Ferns slip to 102 for six.

Rosemary Mair was next to depart as Dottin got her fourth and New Zealand lost four wickets for just eight runs with three overs to go.

Izzy Gaze rebuilt well to see New Zealand make it to 128 for nine before Hayley Matthews and Qiana Joseph began their chase patiently.

Joseph then went big with two fours off Carson, but the young spinner had the final say as Joseph was bowled for 12.

Shemaine Campbelle also fell to Carson to see Windies end the powerplay at 25 for two, seven runs behind where the White Ferns had been at the same stage.

West Indies struggled to kick on with the fit-again Stafanie Taylor becoming Carson’s third wicket as the women in maroon reached 10 overs for only 48.

Captain Hayley Matthews could not hit a Lea Tahuhu delivery cleanly and instead her swipe dropped into the grateful hands of Kerr to leave the chase up to the dangerous Dottin.

But the ‘World Boss’ was initally kept quiet with the bat, as the required run rate rocketed to over nine an over, and had two slices of luck to keep her in the middle.

Dottin was dropped by Mair on nine before the smallest of edges was missed by the White Ferns.

Further dropped catches came in between a stunner from Maddy Green to reduce Windies to 63 for five in the 14th over.

Three mammoth sixes from Dottin were reminders that the West Indies were not out of it but Kerr roared back dismissing the all-rounder for 33 from 22 balls.

Dottin’s departure signalled the end of West Indies chances as they were left needing 15 from the final over as Bates’ first World Cup over in eight years ensured New Zealand’s safe passage into Sunday’s final.

New Zealand v West Indies – Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

New Zealand 128/9 in 20 overs (Georgia Plimmer 33, Suzie Bates 26; Deandra Dottin 4/22, Afy Fletcher 2/23)

West Indies (Deandra Dottin 33, Afy Fletcher 17 not out; Eden Carson 3/29, Amelia Kerr 2/14)

Result: New Zealand win by eight runs

With thanks to the ICC

Both openers hit rapid half-centuries, with Joseph finishing on 52 and Matthews 50, as the 2016 champions easily reached their target of 142 with two overs to spare and knock England out in the process.

Nat Sciver-Brunt hit an unbeaten 57 to help set the West Indies 141 to win but it was not enough in the face of a dazzling batting performance from Matthews and Joseph.

The West Indies progress from Group B alongside South Africa courtesy of both sides boasting superior net run rates than England, with all three teams finishing on six points.

The West Indies topped the group and will play New Zealand on Friday while Australia take on South Africa in the first semifinal on Thursday.

England felt their way into the innings, but openers Maia Bouchier and Danni Wyatt-Hodge soon found an early groove, with a boundary apiece in the opening four overs.

But the West Indies quickly brought that nascent partnership to an end as Deandra Dottin took a superb catch off Hayley Matthews’ bowling to dismiss Wyatt-Hodge for 16.

The West Indies kept up the pressure with the wicket of Alice Capsey (1) just five balls later thanks to more impressive fielding from Dottin.

This time she produced a terrific throw directly into Shemaine Campbelle as England tried a quick single to secure a run out with Capsey well out of her ground.

Two quick wickets rapidly swung the momentum towards the West Indies, and the dismissal of Bouchier (14) only continued that trend as England were reduced to 34 for three after the opener looped one to extra cover off Afy Fletcher.

But England were able to steady the ship through the experienced pair of Nat Sciver-Brunt and captain Heather Knight, who stymied the West Indies attack while keeping the scoreboard ticking over nicely.

Knight led from the front with 21 off just 13 balls but was then retired hurt in the 13th over.
Replacement Amy Jones looked to continue where Knight left off but was dismissed for seven when she found the hands of Dottin at backward point with a sliced shot off Fletcher.

It was almost two wickets in two balls, but new batter Charlie Dean was put down Chedean Nation. Dean was caught just under two overs later for five runs having helped guide England past the 100-mark, as Fletcher took her third wicket of the match thanks to captain Matthews pouching a comfortable catch at cover.

All the while, Sciver-Brunt kept England quietly ticking over and brought up her half-century with two boundaries in an over.

Dani Gibson and Sophie Ecclestone both added seven each before falling late on, with Ecclestone hitting a six in the final over to help England push to a final total of 141.

The West Indies made a lightning-fast start in response, with Matthews hitting 14 from the first over including a six from just the second ball of the innings.
Her opening partner Qiana Joseph began in similarly emphatic fashion with a four from her first ball as the West Indies powered to 44 from the first four overs.

England were not without their wicket chances despite West Indies’ rapid scoring, with Capsey dropping Joseph on 31 Mas West Indies brought up 50 in 27 balls.

The partnership of Matthews and Joseph continued to keep up their heavy scoring and took full advantage of any mistakes in the field, with Joseph hitting another six through the hands of Bouchier.

Joseph then brought up her first international T20 fifty and then took the West Indies past 100 before finally falling for 52 from 38 balls as she was caught by Wyatt-Hodge on the boundary off of Sciver-Brunt just one ball after surviving another catch chance.

Captain Matthews then brought up her half-century and then fell to Sarah Glenn just two balls later on 50 from 38.

The pair of quick wickets proved to slow down the West Indies attack, but Deandra Dottin and Shemaine Campbelle were able to keep their side moving towards the target.

Campbelle was run out for five as West Indies closed in on victory before Dottin was bowled by Ecclestone two balls later but her quickfire 27 left her side needing just six runs to win.

Aaliyah Alleyne got four of those from the first ball she faced before she finished off the chase with 12 balls to spare to cap a remarkable victory for West Indies.

The West Indies and South Africa have also confirmed their places at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 along with hosts England, thanks to their top three finish in the group stage, while Australia, New Zealand, and India made it from Group A.

Apart from the top six teams in this tournament, the next two highest ranked teams in the Women’s T20I rankings as of October 21, 2024, will also qualify. The remaining four teams will qualify through a global 10-team qualifier.

West Indies v England, Dubai International Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

England 141/7 from 20 overs (Nat Sciver-Brunt 57, Heather Knight 21; Afy Fletcher 3/21, Hayley Matthews 2/35)

West Indies 142/4 from 18 overs (Qiana Joseph 52, Hayley Matthews 50; Sarah Glenn 1/20, Sophie Ecclestone 1/21)

Result: West Indies win by six wickets

Semifinal lineup:

Semi Final 1 – Australia (A1) v South Africa (B2) on 17 Oct in Dubai

Semi Final 2 – West Indies (B1) v New Zealand (A2) on 18 Oct in Sharjah

With thanks to the ICC

Karishma Ramharack restricted Bangladesh each time they looked to kick on, taking four for 17 as they set the Windies 104 to win.

An injured Stafanie Taylor batted valiantly to take West Indies to the verge of winning before Deandra Dottin sealed it with two huge sixes.

Bangladesh were put into bat and started nervously with Dilara Akter unsettled by two deliveries from Chinelle Henry before crunching her for the first four of the match to show attacking intent. Shathi Rani immediately followed up with a four of her own off the first ball from Hayley Matthews, but the promising partnership ended at just 18 runs after Shathi was stumped by Shemaine Campbelle off the bowling of Ramharack.

Two overs later, Ramharack’s return to the attack again brought a wicket as Dilara departed for 19 with Bangladesh ending the powerplay on 33 for two. By the ninth over, Bangladesh were facing the choice between stick or twist and captain Nigar Sultana Joty made the decision up against Afy Fletcher.

Two runs off the first ball was followed by back-to-back fours before Deandra Dottin failed to get her fingers fully under a diving catch with Nigar on 13. The skipper made the Windies pay with a final boundary to take 14 off the over, and at the halfway stage Bangladesh were on target for their highest score at a T20 World Cup at 58 for two.

Campbelle was consistently in the game and almost had a second stumping but her take to dismiss Nigar was judged to have been in front of the stumps. The resulting no ball was smashed for four to add insult to injury before Ramharack got a third wicket in her third over as Sobhana Mostary was out for 16 having moved to 96 runs for the tournament – the joint third-best at this World Cup.

Bangladesh were rocked as Fletcher took two in two balls to reduce them to 75 for five with the same happening in the final over as Nigar departed for 39 to Rahmarack, as the Tigers reached 103 for eight.

Bangladesh would have been buoyed by the complete spin dominance among West Indies’ wicket takers however, taking wickets proved an issue for Bangladesh as Matthews and opening partner Taylor compiled 48 runs for no loss in the powerplay.

Taylor was showing clear discomfort having injured herself with some heroic fielding early in Bangladesh’s innings and they were then struck by their own injury worry as Nigar required treatment on her knee before she could continue.

After that stoppage, the breakthrough finally came through Marufa Akter who clean-bowled Matthews for 34 from 22. A second wicket could have come eight balls later, but Sobhana could not hold onto a shot from Taylor who survived on 23.

Taylor added four runs to her score before she retired hurt and Dottin came out to bat with Windies needing 31 to win with 60 balls remaining.

Dottin sensed the chance to get the victory wrapped up quickly and took it with two sixes in three balls to set up an exciting clash with England on Tuesday.

Scores in brief

Bangladesh v West Indies, Sharjah International Stadium, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

Bangladesh 103/8 in 20 overs (Nigar Sultana 39, Dilara Akter 19; Karishma Ramharack 4/17, Afy Fletcher 2/25)

West Indies 104/2 in 12.5 overs (Hayley Matthews 34, Stafanie Taylor 27; Marufa Akter 1/20, Nahida Akter 1/22)

Result: West Indies won by eight wickets

With thanks to the ICC

Following a 10-wicket defeat to South Africa, the West Indies responded in style, beating Scotland by six wickets.

They restricted the Scots to just 99 batting first and then chased down that total inside 12 overs for a win that boosts both their confidence and their net run-rate.

Scotland won the toss and elected to bat, but lost Saskia Horley in the second over off Hayley Matthews for 11.

Chinelle Henry put the squeeze on with back-to-back maidens, with the first of those a wicket maiden as she bowled Sarah Bryce for two.

Ailsa Lister survived drops off successive deliveries, and she and Kathryn Bryce rebuilt, adding 46 for the third wicket before Lister finally departed for 26.

She was caught off Afy Fletcher, who got Priyanaz Chatterji LBW for two in two balls although she could not complete the hat-trick.

Fletcher then added the all-important wicket of Bryce for 25, leaving Scotland on 76 for five with five overs remaining.

Darcey Carter provided an unbeaten 14, but two more wickets in the final over saw the Scots finish up just short of three figures on 99 for eight.

Requiring exactly 100 to win, the West Indies lost Stafanie Taylor in the first over, while Matthews never really got going, departing for a 19-ball eight off the bowling of Chatterji.

Qiana Joseph showed plenty of intent, batting at No.3, but saw another partner go as Shemaine Campbelle was caught and bowled by Olivia Bell for two.

Joseph continued to attack, eventually falling for 31 off just 18 balls, Bell again taking the wicket. That left the West Indies on 59 for four, with 41 required from 11.4 overs.

Those runs came quickly as Deandra Dottin and Chinelle Henry hammered 42 off just 20 deliveries – with the former finishing off the match in a hurry as she smashed two sixes either side of a four off Abtaha Maqsood to seal victory.

The win takes the West Indies to the top of Group B, for now at least, with games against Bangladesh and England to come.

Scores in brief

Scotland v West Indies at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Scotland 99 for eight in 20 overs (Ailsa Lister 26, Kathryn Bryce 25; Afy Fletcher 3/22, Chinelle Henry 1/10)

West Indies 101 for four in 11.4 overs (Qiana Joseph 31, Deandra Dottin 28 not out; Olivia Bell 2/18, Priyanaz Chatterji 1/15)

Result: West Indies won by six wickets

With thanks to the ICC

Chasing 119, the opening pair of Wolvaardt (59) and Brits (57) both looked in complete control to seal victory with 13 balls to spare without the loss of a wicket for the 2023 runners-up.

Nonkululeko Mlaba and Marizanne Kapp both impressed with the ball to restrict the West Indies to 118 for six, vindicating the decision to bowl first after winning the toss.

Kapp struck early to take the key wickets of Hayley Matthews (10) and Deandra Dottin (13), while Mlaba ripped through the middle order to quell hopes of a West Indies comeback in the middle overs.Stafanie Taylor’s unbeaten 44 was crucial in dragging her side to a respectable first innings score, but it was not enough to prevent South Africa claiming a crucial victory in Group B.

West Indies started steadily but were dealt an early blow with the loss of captain Matthews in the third over.

Opening partner Qiana Joseph was given a reprieve an over earlier after she was dropped on zero by Chloe Tryon but there was no such fortune for Matthews.

The West Indies skipper looked in confident mood with 10 runs from 11 balls early in the contest but was caught behind off Kapp after wafting at a short ball outside off.

Joseph (4) followed shortly after to leave West Indies 18 for two after five overs, with the opener clean bowled by Mlaba.

Deandra Dottin then tried to steady the ship on her return to international cricket and looked to do just that with two fours in her first three balls as West Indies tried to rally with the powerplay behind them.

But Dottin fell for just 13 as Kapp claimed her second wicket of the match to leave West Indies reeling at 32 for three after seven overs.

Taylor and Shemaine Campbelle combined to steady the ship before Mlaba struck to dismiss Campbelle (17) and Chinelle Henry (0) in successive balls.

Aaliyah Alleyne (8) was Mlaba’s next victim thanks to an impressive catch from Tazmin Brits at cover point but Taylor continued to dig in, hitting an unbeaten 44 from 41 balls alongside a useful 15 from Zaida James to haul West Indies to 118 for six.
South Africa responded in serene fashion with the bat, as Wolvaardt and Brits dominated at the crease.

Both opened up with boundaries in the opening over in a fitting sign of what was to come, with Wolvaardt sitting on 24 off 18 balls by the end of the powerplay to leave her side 36 without loss.

The pair continued their rate to reach the halfway stage with 51 required, a total they reached with steady comfort with Brits hitting more of the boundaries through the middle overs.

The pair shared 13 boundaries in total in an imposing performance with the bat to cap a comprehensive victory for South Africa.

Scores in brief

West Indies v South Africa, Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

West Indies 118 for six from 20 overs (Stafanie Taylor 44, Shemaine Campbelle 17; Nonkululeko Mlaba 4/29, Marizanne Kapp 2/14)

South Africa 119 for none from 17.5 overs (Laura Wolvaardt 59 not out, Tazmin Brits 57 not out; Aaliyah Alleyne 0/11, Qiana Joseph 0/9)

Result: South Africa win by 10 wickets

With thanks to the ICC

Bidding to build on their win over Ireland, Windies opted to bat and posted a below-par 116-6 at Boland Park in Paarl.

Skipper Hayley Matthews took key Pakistan wickets early and late in the innings to inspire her side to a dramatic victory.

Matthews and Rashada Williams flayed 15 from the bowling of Aiman Anwer in the fourth over but navigated the powerplay in cagey fashion.

Matthews perished late in the powerplay when she tried to lift Fatima Sana over the midwicket boundary but only found the hands of Sidra Ameen.

It was a massive wicket that sparked wild celebrations but not a flurry of scalps as Shemaine Campbelle joined Williams and the pair put on 40 at a run-a-ball.

The second-wicket stand came to a tame end when Williams offered a simple return catch to the outstanding Sadia Iqbal to depart for 30.

Chinelle Henry muscled two boundaries but was trapped in front by Nida Dar for 11 and Campbelle went in the next over, smartly stumped by Muneeba Ali.

Nida Dar bowled Aaliyah Alleyne in the penultimate over, her 125th T20I wicket, making her the joint-leading wicket-taker in the history of the format.

Pakistan began cautiously in reply to 116-6 and it was Windies game-changer Matthews who got the breakthrough, dismissing the dangerous Muneeba Ali for five in the fourth over.

Matthews was at the heart of the action again two balls later when she took a sharp catch at midwicket to account for Sidra Ameen, with Pakistan 15 for two.

The experienced pairing of Bismah and Nida then embarked on a measured partnership that rarely got out of first gear until the latter whipped Henry to the midwicket fence in the 13th.

Nida looked to go aerial again in the next over but was deceived in the flight by Afy Fletcher and caught at extra cover by Karishma Ramharack, with 57 runs still required.

Pakistan have been by some distance the best finishers at this tournament and Aliya Riaz began to free her arms.

But she lost the stabilising influence of Bismah who was given out LBW on review after mistiming a reverse sweep off the bowling of Matthews.

Aliya and Fatima needed 18 from the final over and they took 13 from Shamilia Connell’s first four balls with some brilliant hitting, before Aliya chopped on to her own stumps to dramatically end Pakistan’s hopes.

Scores in brief    

West Indies beat Pakistan at Boland Park, Paarl by three runs

 West Indies 116 for 6 in 20 overs (Rashada Williams 30, Shemaine Campbelle 22; Nida Dar 2/13, Fatima Sana 1/10)

 Pakistan 113 for 5 in 20 overs (Aliya Riaz 29, Nida Dar 27; Hayley Matthews 2/14, Karishma Ramharack 1/18)

Player of the Match: Hayley Matthews (West Indies)

With thanks for the ICC

With India faltering at 43 for three chasing 118, the sorcerer and the apprentice combined as skipper Harmanpreet Kaur and 19-year-old Richa Ghosh put together an assured 72-run stand to carry them over them line.

Kaur was not there to see the chase through to its conclusion but Ghosh was, finishing things off in with a boundary as India reached the finish line with 11 balls to spare.

Opting to bat first, the Windies innings was barely underway before the first wicket fell, as Hayley Matthews was dismissed with the first ball of the second over.

It was a dream start for seamer Pooja Vastrakar, who claimed the scalp of the Windies captain after she looked to cut a delivery which was perhaps a touch short.

Shemaine Campbelle joined Stafanie Taylor at the crease and the pair battled through a tough couple of overs before flexing their destructive muscles.

Campbelle kickstarted the innings with a divine pull shot and Taylor had also found her rhythm by the time Rajeshwari Gayakwad joined the attack, with both batters sweeping the left-armer to the rope.

Despite rotating her bowlers from over to over, a second wicket was not forthcoming for India captain Kaur, as the Windies passed 50 in the tenth over of the match.

The pair added 73 before Campbelle fell looking to reverse sweep Deepti Sharma, and Taylor joined her back in the pavilion just three balls later after a genius review from Kaur.

Things went from bad to worse for the Windies when Chinelle Henry was run out for just two as the innings suddenly threatened to peter out.

But Chedean Nation and Shabika Gajnabi arrived to steady the ship, carrying the team past 100.

There were no late fireworks however, as Sharma returned with an exemplary display of death bowling to restrict the 2016 winners to 118 while becoming the first Indian to take 100 T20I wickets.

Shafali Verma made some early inroads following the interval, slapping a couple of fours through the covers in a productive first over.

She and the returning Smriti Mandhana needed a slice of good fortune to help them on their way, with both openers edging to the fence.

The introduction of Karishma Ramharack proved a turning point, with the off-spinner taking the crucial wicket of Mandhana before skipper Matthews dismissed Jemimah Rodrigues caught and bowled an over later.

Verma’s fun then came to a close when she hooked Ramharack to Afy Fletcher in the deep, but despite the flurry of wickets, India managed to stay ahead of the required rate.

Kaur and Ghosh gave themselves time before wrapping up the win in double quick time, though Kaur would fall with India four runs short of the target.

Young Ghosh was especially impressive, continuing the solid form she showed in India’s win at the ICC Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup.

Scores in brief

India beat West Indies at Newlands Cricket Ground, Cape Town by six wickets

West Indies 118 for 6 in 20 overs (Stafanie Taylor 42, Shemaine Campbelle 30; Deepti Sharma 3/15, Pooja Vastrakar 1/21)

India 119 for 4 in 18.1 overs (Richa Ghosh 44 not out, Harmanpreet Kaur 33; Karishma Ramharack 2/14, Hayley Matthews 1/12)

Player of the Match: Deepti Sharma

With thanks to the ICC

They also suffered three defeats at the start of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022 before bouncing back to reach the final.

Knight will be leading her side for a third time in T20 World Cups and their campaign begins tomorrow at 15h00 local time in Paarl.

“With T20 World Cups, we have learned previously, you don’t have enough time to make any slip-ups,” she said. “And obviously, we didn’t start particularly fast in that last World Cup in Australia, so it’s been a key focus for us all the time any series that we start.

“We want to really start fast, hit the ground running and almost go over the top in how we want to do things.

“We’ve talked about having a clear plan about how we want to do things, and being really brave with it.”

England previously faced the West Indies in a five-match series last December, with Knight’s side strolling to a clean sweep.

However, the Windies will be able to call on more of their experienced players and Knight knows they will be a force to be reckoned with.

She added: “It’s really important that we don’t think too much about that five-match series, I think this is quite a tough game for us.

“We’ve had a lot of success against them recently so we have to see it as a completely fresh game.

“The main thing that we’re going to do is do things how we want to do them. We’ll obviously have slightly different plans for different players, but I think our mentality wants to be about doing what we do best and then shifting slightly if we need to.”

The West Indies will be led by Hayley Matthews, the hero of the 2016 final when the Maroon Warriors won their only title.

Matthews took over from long-serving skipper Stafanie Taylor last year and has looked to bring the team forward in her own way.

The all-rounder said: “I think over the last couple of months it has been quite challenging, but with those challenges, I was able to learn a lot myself.

“I think with any team, we’ve tried to help shift the culture a little bit, to really try to take on a bit more professionalism about our game.”

Taylor is facing a race against time to be fit, but Matthews is able to call on experienced players like Chinelle Henry and Britney Cooper.

“It’s going to be really good for us that we can get out there and have a strong group of players to pick from.

“The prospect of Staf, hopefully, coming back in that first game tomorrow is going to be something really good to see.

“We’ve had a couple of injuries over the last couple of weeks, but we know that we can go there, hopefully with a much stronger side and put on a good performance.”

With thanks to the ICC

This was a historic moment for the team, as it was the first time, we had won a major ICC Women’s tournament. Nevertheless, we now have a renewed hunger to get our hands on the trophy once again. With many new faces, as well as many of the experienced core making up the squad, everyone is gearing up to get going again in yet another year’s edition.

As a team we have big aspirations of playing a high level of competitive cricket. One of the main objectives we have is to expectantly showcase our improvements upon our first-round exit from the tournament in 2020.

We’ve had time to regroup and make developments to both our individual and team game which can hopefully assist us in creating some upsets, to take us along a path to the finals. In a contentious tournament like this, we believe consistent performances are vital to a successful run. As a result, we believe a confident run can also bring about the breakout of budding talent within the squad.

Heading into this tournament, our immediate preparation has been very strategic and calculated. It has given us the opportunity to acclimatize to the conditions in South Africa, an entire month early. This comes through our Tri Nation series against India and the hosts themselves, who are both world class opponents going into a tournament like this.

South Africa has a reputation for having good cricketing conditions and is known for producing fast, bouncy pitches that assist fast bowlers but can also have a bit in it for the spinners as well. The ball tends to come on to the bat nicely, making it a good place for batters to score runs. The teams that are able to adapt to the conditions in South Africa and make the most of the pitches will have an advantage. I can tell the fans to expect some high-scoring matches, but also, don’t be surprised if there are some low scoring games, due to bowlers liking the conditions here.

Getting back into us, however, when you hear the West Indies, you think of a unique sense of Caribbean energy and vibrancy, which we take pride in bringing with us whilst out on the park.

At the moment, our squad comprises a mixture of experience and youth, providing balance to the charismatic aura of our team. Our bowling has proven to be our strength over the past year, which when paired with our exciting fielding, can help us to rally close games. With dependable veterans, like Shakera Selman, Afy Fletcher and Stafanie Taylor leading the way with the ball, there is always a shot at defending almost any total set.

With that being said, small totals have now become much harder to defend on a regular basis. Women’s T20Is have come a long way in recent years and the standard of play has improved significantly. The game has become more competitive, with more teams having the ability to beat any other on a given day, and the gap between the top and bottom has narrowed.

The introduction of more T20 leagues and more opportunities for women to play professional cricket has helped to improve the standard of play. The increasing popularity of the game has also led to more investment in women’s cricket, which has helped to improve facilities and provide better support for players.

The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup has also helped to raise the profile of the game and showcase the talents of the best players from around the world. The tournament has been held every two years since 2009 and has grown in popularity and prestige. With all things considered, my hope is that we, the West Indies Women can give a good account of ourselves and our talents and make our region and families proud by winning another world title.

Lead photo shows Hayley Matthews in 2022

With thanks to the ICC

Charlie Dean will recall this match with pleasure. She celebrated her 22nd birthday on December 22, 2022 and at one point had an analysis of 2-2 off 2 overs. Will she be altering her lucky number?

At last the series came to an end. After three ODIs and four T20s, both teams might have been forgiven for thinking of other things, perhaps even Christmas.

But first a fifth and final T20 beckoned. Could the Windies finally wrestle a win from the ashes of a losing tournament? The answer was a resounding NO, England dismissing them for their lowest ever total in T20s, a whole 16 runs short of their previous mark (59-9).

Courtney Walsh had been introducing new young hopefuls (18 and 19-years-old), but none of them could turn a game, despite their obvious promise. The pity is the performances of the senior players couldn’t show them the way. They may be looking over their shoulders now, as the visitors inflicted their longest losing run ever on them.

The Windies have a tri-series in January with India and S Africa, but the coming U19 World Tourney will prove more useful for Walsh and his staff as they continue their rebuild.

By the half-way stage the Windies had descended to 28-6. The lower order did a shade better, helped in the knowledge that they had to hang around to use up all the overs available. They failed by 3.4 overs.

Djenaba Joseph was the only batter to reach double figures (11). By the twelfth over (35-8) the bowlers had already achieved four maidens.

Heather Knight’s captaincy was masterful throughout; she set two slips for her quicks and even for Dean. Attack! was the dish of the day.

The Reply

The English openers will be annoyed at the two wickets that fell, Danni Wyatt in particular departing when one shot short of the target. For the first time in the series Sophia Dunkley didn’t reach double figures, misreading Hayley Matthews’ slower ball. All the same, the 14.3 overs left unused rank as an all-time record for them.

Once more the bowlers didn’t help their cause. In the 5.3 overs completed, they offered five wides while five fours were struck.

Though the series was so one-sided, it had its uses for England. Jon Lewis had a first glance at his options; players old and young made advances, led by Charlie Dean with her eleven wickets. Such was England’s bowling dominance (Davies 3-2, Davidson-Richards 3-5, Dean 2-8, Sciver 1-4) that Sophie Ecclestone almost looked like a fill-in bowler – almost. She took only three wickets in the series but was as mean as ever, causing batters to misread line, length and speed of delivery.

So the Caribbean tour finished as an 8-0 drubbing, leaving the hosts a million miles from their glory days of 2016 as world champions.

Result:

West Indies 43 (16.2 overs)
England 44-2 (5.3 overs)
England win by 8 wickets

Player of the Match: Freya Davies (2.2-1-2-3)
Player of the Series: Charlie Dean (11 wickets in her first T20 series)

Teams:

West Indies:
Hayley Matthews (captain), Aaliyah Alleyne, Djenaba Joseph, Rashada Williams, Shabika Gajnabi, Trishan Holder; Kyshona Knight, Afy Fletcher, Cherry-Ann Fraser, Sheneta Grimmond, Karishma Ramharack

England:
Sophia Dunkley, Danni Wyatt, Nat Sciver, Heather Knight (captain), Amy Jones, Alice Davidson-Richards, Maia Bouchier, Sophie Ecclestone, Charlie Dean, Issy Wong, Freya Davies