SYDNEY, Australia- The West Indies Women got their tour of Australia off to a winning start with a 4-wicket victory over a New South Wales (NSW) Women's team at Wilson Park.
Batting first, Karishma Ramharack had the NSW ladies spun tightly in her off-spin web along with skipper Hayley Matthews. NSW Women posted 105/9 from their 20 overs, skipper Sammy-Jo Johnson was their top-scorer with 28 followed by Hannah Darlington with 24. Ramharack finished with figures of 3-0-12-3 and Matthews 2-0-7-2.
Shemaine Campbelle led the West Indies Women's run-chase with the bat, as she posted 33 from 34 deliveries which included five boundaries. Skipper Matthews was next best with 24 off 27. Aaliyah Alleyne 19 not out and Zaida James 15 not out took the visitors home to victory in 17.5 overs.
ST JOHN'S, Antigua (CMC) — Cricket West Indies (CWI) President Kishore Shallow has described the regional governing body's relationship with the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) as "extraordinary", after what organisers say has been a successful edition of the Twenty20 tournament.
Shallow, who was elected earlier this year, says the collaboration had resulted in accelerated cricket development across the region, allowing talent to be harnessed and expressed internationally.
"The relationship between the CPL and CWI has been nothing short of extraordinary," he said.
"Together, we continue to elevate Caribbean cricket, showcasing our region's best talent to global markets, honing the skills of emerging talents, while invigorating the spirit of the game among fans.
"The Government of Guyana and other host countries should also be credited for their continued commitment and support of this amazing product," he added.
Former Captain Stafanie Taylor says the West Indies Women will need to emphasize spending time in the middle to have any chance of competing with Australia when the pair lock horns in three T20Is and three ODIs beginning on Sunday at North Sydney Oval.
The team is coming off a pair of home series wins against Ireland in July (2-0 in the ODIs and 3-0 in the T20Is) and will look to take that momentum into Australia.
A big reason for those series wins was the team’s batting. The first ODI saw the hosts bat the full 50 overs to post their second-highest ODI score ever, 297-6, before successfully defending it.
“I’ve been feeling really good for some time. The injury would’ve definitely slowed me down a little bit but it’s nice that I’ve been working hard to get my body back up and it’s been really good,” she said in a press conference ahead of Sunday’s series opener.
“For me, it’s trying to get myself back to the top and spending some time at the crease is going to be crucial because I find that once I’m able to do that, I know runs will come. I just have to believe in myself,” she added.
In June next year, the West Indies, along with the USA, will host their third senior men’s ICC tournament when the cricket world descends upon our region for the ninth edition of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
The West Indies previously hosted the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in 2007 as well as the second edition of the T20 World Cup two years later.
Last week, Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Guyana, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad & Tobago were announced as the seven Caribbean countries that will host matches along with New York, Texas and Florida in the USA.
CEO of Cricket West Indies, Johnny Grave, described the confirmation of the region as hosts as a “big landmark” in a CWI interview last week and is looking forward to inviting the rest of the world to the Caribbean.
“It’s a big landmark for us at Cricket West Indies (CWI) and the ICC because, having this confirmation now that seven of our host countries have made successful bids to host matches means that a lot of the work and detailed planning that we need to do in order to make the most of this huge opportunity to host out third men’s ICC tournament in the West Indies, and this time in partnership with our friends at USA cricket, can start,” he said.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) President Dr Kishore Shallow has described next year’s arrival of the ICC Twenty20 World Cup as “exciting times”, and anticipates positive economic spin-offs for the region.
The Caribbean is poised to host the global showpiece from June 4-30, with matches being played across seven host venues in Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and St Lucia.
The upcoming edition will be the largest ever, with the International Cricket Council (ICC) expanding the complement of teams to 20.
“[These are] exciting times. It’s a great opportunity for the region,” Shallow said.
“Just to put this into perspective: the last World Cup in Australia, you had like 1,500 jobs being created, over US$365 million in terms of economic impact. This is what this means to the region.
