TAUNTON, England, CMC – West Indies’ misery at the ICC Women’s World Cup increased on Thursday when they produced yet another docile performance against New Zealand Women to lose by eight wickets and crash to their fourth straight defeat.
In what has become the norm during the campaign, the Caribbean side meekly surrendered for 150 all out off 43 overs after being sent in at Somerset County Ground and then watched helplessly as the Kiwis stormed to the target in the 19th over.
Veteran opener Rachel Priest slammed the fastever ever Women’s World Cup fifty en route to a stroke-filled 90 while Suzie Bates struck an unbeaten 40, to take their side to five points and fourth in the eight-team standings.
West Indies, meanwhile, continued bottom without a point with virtually all hope extinguished of making the final four.
Once again, their batting proved shambolic. Kyshona Knight, batting at number seven, top-scored with 42 while tail-ender Afy Fletcher finished on 23 not out and captain Stafanie Taylor and wicketkeeper Merissa Aguilleira both got 20.
They were undermined by off-spinner Leigh Kasperek (3-17) and seamer Lea Tahuhu (3-39) who picked up three wickets apiece.
West Indies’ promises of an improved showing came to nothing as they slumped to 10 for two in the fifth over with Tahuhu removing both openers cheaply.
Left-hander Kycia Knight, who only arrived earlier this week as one of two injury replacements, had a miserable start to her campaign when she edged a low catch behind without scoring in the third over.
St GEORGE'S, Grenada (CMC) — Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne yesterday defended his government's position of the Caribbean Community's (Caricom)'s view on the Cricket West Indies insisting that it has a policy of not interfering “in the internal affairs of institutions and governments”.
Browne, in a statement to the Caribbean Media Corporation ( CMC), said that the governance of West Indies cricket “appears to be an evocative romanticism of a particular Caribbean head”.
Addressing the ceremonial opening of the 38th summit of Caricom leaders here on Tuesday night, the host prime minister and incoming chairman, Dr Keith Mitchell, ardent cricket lover, said cricket, with all its challenges, remains a unique West Indian enterprise worthy of support and promotion.
He said the legacies that have been created by West Indian players on the field, and the voice they have given throughout generations to expressions of West Indian identity, have been well-documented and chronicled through the years.
“So, when we get together to discuss the current challenges of the regional game, it is not merely a case of politicians dabbling in some useless pastime.
“It is, therefore, greatly disheartening to me, and several other colleague heads, that after Caricom had taken common positions to assist in addressing the crisis of West Indies cricket, certain member governments thereafter publicly adopted different positions,” said Mitchell, a former cricketer himself, who once headed the Caricom sub-committee on Cricket.
KINGSTON, Jamaica – The Selection Panel of Cricket West Indies today named the Windies 13-man squad for Finolex Pipes T20 International against India.
The match will be played at Sabina Park on Sunday, July 9. First ball is 10:30 am (11:30am Eastern Caribbean Time).
Experienced opening batsman Chris Gayle has been named in the squad. The left-hander is the highest run-maker for Windies in this format with 1,519 runs (average 35.32, strike rate 145.49), including two centuries. This will be his first T20 International at Sabina Park.
All-rounder Jason Holder is being rested for the match.
FULL SQUAD 26. Carlos Brathwaite (Captain) 77. Samuel Badree 79. Ronsford Beaton 45. Chris Gayle 17. Evin Lewis 93. Jason Mohammed 74. Sunil Narine 55. Kieron Pollard 52. Rovman Powell 7. Marlon Samuels 75. Jerome Taylor 57. Chadwick Walton 60. Kesrick Williams
NORTH SOUND, Antigua, (CMC) – West Indies head coach Stuart Law has hailed Sunday’s sensational win over India but cautioned it was just one step on a long road back for the embattled Caribbean side. The Windies looked down down and out when they stumbled to 189 for nine off their 50 overs batting first in the fourth One-Day International but rallied to bundle out the Indians for 178, and clinch an amazing 11-run victory.
“I believe in these boys. I believe they have got the skill,” the Australian told reporters following the result at the Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium. “We beat Pakistan a couple of weeks ago chasing down 300 and now we’ve defended a reasonably small total against India – two of the best teams in the world we’ve gone on to beat.
You don't always need high quality cricket to provide a nail-biting finish in sport. India and West Indies laid testament to the statement with a dull low-scoring game that somehow ended up to be a humdinger at the finish.
In a game that constantly oscillated between mediocricy and downright doltishness, West Indies sealed the deal with a superb finish to their defence. Defending 16 off the last two overs, Jason Holder and Kesrick Williams gave away just four runs while taking three wickets to help their side keep the series alive. They won the fourth ODI by 11 runs and left the series well poised at 1-2.
Holder was the star performer for the hosts, taking five wickets for 27 runs and putting a wet blanket over India's hopes of a early finish to the game and the series.
Having restricted West Indies to 189 for 9 on a slow pitch at Antigua's Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, India put in a batting performance that would have put the most ardent cricket fan to sleep. Their reluctance to score quickly during the middle overs cost them badly at the end, when a spur of wickets left them with too much to do.
