England captain breaks down as West Indies’ miraculous net run rate heist knocks them out of Women’s T20 World Cup
The West Indies players waited patiently on the sidelines when Aaliyah Alleyne punched a low full toss from Sophie Ecclestone through the covers. When the ball beat the fielder, they charged onto the field like kids in a candy store, offering everything for free. It was their victory against England in 14 T20Is and first away from home in 10 years. But who cares about the stats? At that time, all the Windies women knew that they were in the semi-finals of the Women’s T20 World Cup 2024.
It looked near-impossible even till first innings of their last Group B match against England. They were up against the only unbeaten team of the tournament apart from Australia and they needed to beat them by a solid net run rate to qualify for the semi-finals. And did exactly that.
Qiana Joseph and Hayley Matthews guided the West Indies into the semi-finals for the first time since 2018. 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 Matthews and Joseph’s dazzling batting performance.
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 did not know what hit them. When the West Indies players were celebrating like there was no tomorrow, England captain Heather Knight could not control her tears. Her teammates tried their best to console her, but the grief in their eyes hardly managed to pull it off.
How West Indies knocked England out
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.
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