The Women’s T20 World Cup of the West Indies got a major lift when they qualified to the semi-finals, causing brilliant performances by Qiana Joseph and Hayley Matthews. Since the team has not had a place in the semi-finals since their 2018 home championship, they displayed their power in a very important match against England and won the match for the first time in history.
West Indies Secures Semi-final Spot After Five Years
It was the second time that the West Indies got through to the semi-finals since the ICC T20 Women’s World Cup 2018. The team has over time been reconstructing itself from seasons of erratic performances; this victory best seized the amount of improvement they have made.
West Indies gave a hustle batsman ship by Qiana Joseph, 23-year-old, and Hayley Matthews, the Caribbean team’s captain, took over and chased the target of 141 set by England Women with 12 balls and six wickets still remaining in the bank.
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The hosts, England, are the side that found themselves on the receiving end of the damaging 224-run rout that gave the West Indies their first loss to this team since the 2018 World Cup.
Qiana Joseph’s Game-Changing Performance
Qiana Joseph was the standout performer who gave the West Indies a good chase through her innings. Joseph started the game as an opener and supported with a good knock of 52 runs off 38 balls that paved the way for an easy run chase. This aggressive approach was in assistance with Matthews that fuelled the West Indies to carry home the victory.
Jokingly, it was planned that Joseph would not even bat at all, let alone higher up in the order of the line-up. Set to open in the last West Indies one-day match against Bangladesh, where she batted at No. 6, she was promoted to the role of opener when Stefanie Taylor, the team’s premier all-rounder, was injured.
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The decision to promote Joseph paid off brilliantly; she outplayed Matthews in the shootout and was extremely confident for the majority of the match. Joseph smashing 50 balls off 34 came out in its crease play, where she used her brain and muscles to hit the leather.
In the knock, she hit two sixes and several boundaries, which are indicative of a young cricketer given the chance on the international stage. This half-century was not only her first in a T20I but also the quickest against England by a West Indies batter in this format.
Hayley Matthews: The Dependable Captain
West Indies’ captain Hayley Matthews has been a great strength for this team since her debut in the team either as a player or a captain. In this match, Matthews scored 50 off 38 balls, as she is always willing to perform well in important games.
Her relationship with Joseph was most prolific, as they produced a hundred-run partnership and put the West Indies in the dominant position right from the start of the chase. Matthews, who is a stroke maker and a capable bowler herself, looked the part and played from a position of confidence and stability to make full use of a struggling England bowling attack.
From the opener deliverance of Lauren Bell, she scored 14 runs and laid the foundation for which the West Indies started their aggressive chase. Her good and consistent hitting, together with being able to rotate the strike, meant that after her exit, the lower order was not under excessive pressure in terms of run rate.
A Century Stand That Put England on the Back Foot
A special mention should be made of the Cliodynamics tandem of Qiana Joseph and Hayley Matthews. Combined, they put together 102 runs off 12.1 overs, and the England bowlers suffered the music. Each of the openers came hard on the English team and set the tone, which the English could not be able to reverse.
West Indies went on to reach 67 for no loss in the Power Play stage, which itself was an improved record compared to what England had set earlier in the tournament. Joseph and Matthews were alert to the fact that England could not catch well and thus spilt catches several times, allowing the Windies batters to get on with the task of piling up plenty of runs on the board.
England’s Struggles with Bat and Ball
This game was a very important match for both teams, but especially for England, which has shown not its best side. Their innings never really started to roll after being asked to bat first on an excellent wicket.
This shows that the top-order players proved hopelessly weak, as only two scoring strokes were possible in the first half of the power play. On the other hand, the West Indies’ openers had made 11 fours and two sixes before the end of the first six overs.
Fielding Mishaps Hurt England’s Chances
This match could have been England’s biggest upset, and it can be, largely attributed to their poor fielding display. S slip-ups allowed the West Indies more overlaps that it did not overlook. Qiana Joseph was one of those beneficiaries of England’s lapse on missed chance; she was dismissed twice, once by Sophia Dunkley in the field and then by Alice Capsey.
Deandra Dottin’s finishing touches
After the elimination of Joseph and Matthews, the West Indies required a decent finish to get across the line. Deandra Dottin, who had retired from international cricket for this tournament, was instrumental in the final stretch.
Playing a brilliant knock, Dottin hit 27 off 19, with two boundaries and two BIG ones, ensuring her team continued the momentum and took the match to a comfortable win.
Dottin is proving to be an all-rounder as well as a key player in the West Indies team, and her performance in this match dampened the Arnolds’ spirited performance.
West Indie’s Consistent Bowling Performance
West Indies’ batting department was under the headlines; however, the bowlers also did well for their side. The team bowled out two wickets in the Power Play for the third successive match, which is now a routine for the side on the way to the finals.
Any Fletcher was especially great with the ball taking figures of 3 for 21 to slow England down. She blunted the English batting line with her. Sharman Mukand’s ability to extract turn and bounce troubled the English batters, and she got good assistance from Qiana Joseph, who effectively made a catch.
Looking Ahead: West Indies Eye the Finals
Thus, the victory consolidates the right of the West Indies to be among the main contenders for winning the T20 World Cup tournament. A combination of young and experienced players on their side, fearlessness while batting, along with stable consistency in the bowling department, make them a competitive side for any team.
If they are to progress into the semi-finals, the West Indies will definitely want to keep the momentum going and build up from this victory. Fiona and Matthews have so far led the way on how the remainder of the WAP dilemma would be handled, and with players such as Deandra Dottin and Fletcher on debut, the unit seems well driven to counter the odds of the WAP.
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