Windies use nine bowlers to start final stretch of World Cup preparation
West Indies 104 for 2 (Matthews 82*, Taylor 10*; Canning 2-16) beat Ireland 103 all out (Prendergast 25, Paul 21; Joseph 3-8) by 8 wickets
The West Indies began their Women’s International tri-series involving Pakistan and Ireland by defeating the hosts by 8 wickets in the opener in Dublin on Thursday.
Hayley Matthews dictated the chase of 104. The Windies captain was majestic in a signature knock, smashing 82 unbeaten runs from 44 balls, seeing the Caribbean side to victory at 104 for two.
Matthews cleared the ropes three times while carving 11 boundaries as West Indies raced home with 51 deliveries to spare.
Deandra Dottin (3) and Qiana Joseph (6) both fell cheaply to Ava Canning (2/16) with Windies 35 for two in the sixth over before Stafanie Taylor (10*) joined Matthews, and the pair shared in a 37-ball 69-run unbroken stand to seal the win.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) has announced the 15-member squad selected to compete at the 2026 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in England and Wales from June 5 to July 5.
CWI, in a media release, revealed that "the squad was selected following extensive evaluation by the selection panel and team management unit, with careful consideration given to the tactical and technical requirements for impactful and consistent performances in English conditions."
"Building on months of preparation and analysis, significant emphasis was placed on assembling a group capable of maintaining aggressive scoring rates throughout the innings, adapting to both seam and spin bowling, and executing consistently under pressure in varying conditions across England and Wales," the statement continued.
West Indies Women’s Squad for Tri-nation Series & ICC World Cup
A column by West Indies captain Hayley Matthews for the ICC:
Failing to qualify for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup last year hit us hard. Everyone who was there certainly felt it, and we don’t want to go through a feeling like that again.
Now we are back at a competition we reached the semi-finals in two years ago, and we have belief. We have matured from the experience of missing out and while we still retain the sting of that recent disappointment, it is matched by the excitement of attending an international showcase and the glow of a decade-old triumph.
I definitely think that when you look at our team and how players have grown, like Chinelle Henry and some of the other youngsters that we have within the group that are able to make an impact in certain points of the game, I definitely feel that we have a stronger team than we did then.
It's about us showing up, having our plans in order and being really prepared. Once we do that, we have a good chance of progressing well.
For ten months, the game moved on without him, but with this summer’s home series fast approaching, fast bowler Alzarri Joseph is ready to lace up his bowling shoes and once again represent the senior men’s team.
Joseph was ruled out of competitive action for the latter part of 2025 due to a lower back injury. However, just 72 hours after rejoining his teammates, the 29-year-old is already showing signs of settling back in following his lengthy spell on the sidelines.
Eager to make his return to international cricket, the pacer has stepped up his preparation during the ongoing high-performance white-ball camp at Coolidge Cricket Ground as he works his way back into selection contention.
“It feels good, obviously had a bit of a layoff through injury so it’s good to be back playing and playing with the squad,” Joseph shared. “It’s been good, a bit challenging but good because I feel a bit stronger, feel a little bit fitter so I think I’m going well so far.”
Red Force 260 & 267 (Lewis 122, Jangoo 48; Permaul 4-14) beat Harpy Eagles 247 & 139 (Anderson 41, Savory 24; Hinds 3-20) by 141 runs
The Trinidad and Tobago Red Force have returned to the summit of regional red-ball cricket for the first time since 2006, dethroning three-time defending champions Guyana Harpy Eagles in the final of the West Indies Championship on Wednesday.
Four captivating days of cricket culminated in the Red Force seamers dismantling the Harpy Eagles to earn an authoritative 141-run victory at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua and Barbuda.
With three full sessions available to get 280 runs on a pitch showing minimal deterioration, the Harpy Eagles would have fancied their chances of claiming a fourth successive title. To do so, however, they needed to see off the very obvious new-ball threat that is Jayden Seales.
A challenge they failed, as the West Indies pacer helped peg them back with the early wickets of Matthew Nandu (0) and Tevin Imlach (16), on either side of the fall of Tagenarine Chanderpaul, who was bowled by Anderson Phillip for one to leave Guyana 32 for three.
