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At 6 pm on Tuesday, forward of the ultimate group recreation of the Girls’s T20 World Cup — a digital quarterfinal between England and West Indies, if you happen to had scanned the press field and the adjoining commentary rooms, public favour would have been leaning somewhat in England’s favour.
Hayley Matthews and her facet knew that and needed to show the world unsuitable.
Heather Knight’s workforce had gained all three video games thus far, all in Sharjah, and barring a batting blip towards Bangladesh, had a reasonably comfy run within the match. The West Indies had faltered towards Laura Wolvaardt’s South Africa however picked up pace towards Scotland and Bangladesh.
The Windies’ final win over England got here in a four-wicket triumph at Gros Islet within the 2018 T20 World Cup. England was on a roll with simply two losses in 18 video games this season.
It was a three-way battle for the knockouts bracket between England, South Africa and West Indies with the inaugural champion (England) ever so barely forward courtesy of a wholesome Internet Run Charge.
Nevertheless, as veteran broadcaster Daniel Norcross would exclaim as he trudged by means of the exit somewhat flattened, ‘The time bomb went off! The time bomb went off…!”
Earlier, Matthews won the toss and opted to field. Her side would head into this do-or-die fixture without the steely grit of Stafanie Taylor whose injured knee couldn’t deal with the spunk of her spirit anymore. After years of successful video games for the Windies single-handedly, she was relegated to being a twitchy spectator in a neon reserves bib.
For England, that nervy loyalist was veteran pacer Katherine Sciver-Brunt. Sat within the eating room, shortly getting dinner down earlier than her subsequent rotation of commentary, Katherine – whose companion, Natalie made a combating fifty to rescue the English innings – had her eyes pasted on the tv.
When Heather Knight hobbled off with a strained calf, issues bought a bit critical for the English devoted within the room. However the facet’s vice-captain had everybody’s respect for steadying the ship.
Windies legend Ian Bishop, who walked in, grabbed his plate of meals for the evening and walked again to the comms wing, was an image of calm, in distinction. He gently whistled by means of his servings, unbothered. In the event you weren’t following alongside, you wouldn’t say the pair of Sciver-Brunt and Bishop was calling the identical recreation. In hindsight, that visible foreshadowed how the Windies would get the job finished fairly precisely.
“Come on, Natalie!” Katherine cried when her spouse might solely handle a single off the final ball of the innings. England managed 141.
That whole although and the way it was slogged for did South Africa a large favour. The equation for the semifinal grew to become as easy because it might get – this was a direct shoot-out between England and West Indies now, with the Proteas securing the second spot within the group. England’s NRR was set to go beneath South Africa within the occasion of a loss. West Indies was eyeing huge positive aspects in that column with an easy win.
England was with out Knight who wouldn’t take additional half within the recreation attributable to her harm. Natalie took cost. By the way, England ready for this eventuality in Canterbury earlier this yr when Heather sat out a T20I towards New Zealand in preparation for a scenario the place she may be out attributable to harm.
It’s unimaginable to grasp simply how meticulously every little thing was deliberate for. However what England didn’t see coming in its wildest goals is a horror present of a fielding efficiency that will observe over the subsequent hour.
England’s bowlers stored feeding the big-hitting West Indians. Matthews and Qiana Joseph bought off to an explosive begin with the English bowling assault generously gifting them deliveries of their hitting arc.
West Indies’ captain Hayley Matthews celebrates her fifty.
| Picture Credit score:
AP
West Indies’ captain Hayley Matthews celebrates her fifty.
| Picture Credit score:
AP
“You can’t afford to drop six catches. I think we dropped the opening batter (Joseph) six times and she chanced her arm and got away with some good hits. She struck the ball really well. Unfortunately, once they got off to that good start, we weren’t able to create enough pressure in the game to hold them back,” a desolate Jon Lewis, England head coach, would say after the sport.
England supplied some reduction when Danni Wyatt-Hodge lastly caught Joseph off Natalie’s bowling.
England positioned its religion in Sophie Ecclestone, however even a trump card continuously whipped out of your sleeve will tear across the edges. After gifting away only one boundary in three video games, the ace spinner conceded 4 on this recreation. Charlie Dean was taken to the cleaners with 4 sixes smashed off her bowling. Natalie regarded somewhat out of depth as she desperately tried to wrest again management.
From the sixteenth over, it was Deandra Dottin’s time to celebration. The 2 England personnel within the room had had sufficient. Chargers had been aggressively plugged out and luggage had been packed.
For a couple of minutes, writing deadlines had been forgotten. Phrase rely squabbles had been stored apart. The press field became an prolonged stand. Reminiscences of 2016 being mentioned, when the Windies snuck previous the group stage and went on to win the match. Scorecards of the ladies’s workforce had been in comparison with the boys who had been enjoying Sri Lanka on the identical time.
Ecclestone ripped by means of Dottin’s stumps within the 18th over but it surely was too little too late. Solely six runs had been wanted off 18 balls.
The tears had been proper there on the brim for the English facet, with caps being pulled down and foreheads being lined. Aaliyah Alleyne sealed a win with a boundary off a full toss. The second the ball scurried previous the ropes by means of cowl, Ecclestone slowly fell to the bottom. The defeat was imminent for the final eight overs, however the realisation of being knocked out of the match appeared an excessive amount of to take.
She was helped again on her ft by her teammates as they headed to shake palms with the opponent. Each couple of seconds, Ecclestone had her hand to her mouth, unable to course of what had occurred.
England‘s Sophie Ecclestone, left, reacts as they loose to West Indies’ in the course of the ICC Girls’s T20 World Cup 2024 match at Dubai Worldwide Stadium.
| Picture Credit score:
AP
England‘s Sophie Ecclestone, left, reacts as they loose to West Indies’ in the course of the ICC Girls’s T20 World Cup 2024 match at Dubai Worldwide Stadium.
| Picture Credit score:
AP
Taylor, chair-bound all this whereas, limped over to the pitch to rejoice with Matthews, Dottin and the others. Joseph did somewhat jig after being adjudged Participant of the Match.
“Within the West Indies, I think a lot of the islands can always be against each other. But the one thing that does bring the entire West Indies together is cricket. And the passion that the people have for the game is massive. It just brings our whole region together as one for the only time probably,” a happy Matthews mentioned as she mirrored on the sport.
She devoted the win and the workforce’s probability now to dwell to combat one other day to Taylor.
“It hurt Staf a lot to not be playing today. She wants to be out there and wants to be playing. Our win today was for her and to show her that we got your back and we’re going to go out there and do this. I’ve got my fingers crossed that she heals up really, really quickly and can get back out for the next game, hopefully. I know if she can manage, she’ll be out there,” she beamed.
Three days noticed three group-defining video games throughout two venues. It’s a pity that there weren’t 14,000-odd folks watching this one. For all of the clambering a couple of bland group stage with restricted fours and sixes, West Indies positive ended with a spicy send-off to England.
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