Women's T20 World Cup 2023
The West Indies Cricket were defeated by England by seven wickets in their Women's T20 World Cup match on Saturday at Boland Park in Paarl. England's batters easily handled a potentially difficult target. England quickly won with 5 point 3 overs to spare despite needing to make 136 runs to win. Setting the tone early, opener Sophia Dunkley pounded out 34 off 18 balls before being caught by Chinelle Henry off her own bowling.
The West Indies India fast bowler continued to hold on to a full-throttle drive. In temperatures as high as 38 degrees Celsius, West Indies opted to bat. They scored 135 for seven, with captain Hayley Matthews hitting 42 off 32 balls, including eight fours.
After winning the toss, West Indies captain Hayley Matthews elected to bat first and took the initiative in helping West Indies get off to a quick start with some outstanding shots. However, Taylor struggled to get his bat on the ball at the other end and eventually left the game after only scoring three runs off of fifteen balls.
Shemaine Campbelle, who replaced Matthews at number three, batted well after that, but the big blow came when Matthews was dismissed in the 11th over after playing a solid knock of 42 off 32 balls. After she was dismissed, the run-scoring slowed down, but West Indies still managed to reach 135 runs thanks to Campbelle's 34 and some helpful little contributions from the lower middle order.
Hayley Matthews is a talented cricket player, but her batting lineup needs to contribute more. West Indies will always have a chance when Matthews is in top form, and her 42 from 32 balls made sure the game was close.
The captain will be hoping that Taylor can regain her mojo, as the 31-year-old appeared to be playing with a year's worth of inactivity as she labored through the first few overs.
Because of their excellent fitness, England was able to enjoy their run-chase after fielding in temperatures that were close to 40 degrees Celsius while the sun beat down on the nearby hills. Although Amy Jones took a fine catch while standing up to the stumps, their fielding will need to improve as the game progresses. The largest payday in England Women's Cricket history is about to start, and they have a good chance of winning this competition as well.
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