Best of Windies still to come, says Moseley
KOLKATA, India (CMC) — West Indies Women assistant coach Ezra Moseley believes the best is yet to come from the Caribbean side’s batting, and hopes it can click in Sunday’s final of the Women’s Twenty20 World Cup against nemesis Australia.
Playing in Thursday’s semi-final against New Zealand Women in Mumbai, West Indies Women rattled up 143 for six and then bowled superbly to defend the total, and come away with a six-run win.
Moseley said, based on the quality in the batting unit, West Indies Women had the ability to score in excess of 143.
“I’m not certain that our batting has really clicked yet. We are better than 140 on a good pitch,” the former West Indies fast bowler said.
“And I am hoping that Deandra (Dottin) and the captain (Stafanie Taylor) and the others could really chip in and give us a big total in the final that we can defend if we bat first.”
Taylor has been the most consistent batsman in the series with scores of 40, 40, 35, 47, and 25 in her five innings in the tournament.
The remainder of the batting unit has been inconsistent, however, and Britney Cooper’s career-best 61 in the semi-final was the first half-century in the tournament for the Windies Women.
Moseley said Cooper had played well despite carrying a niggle.
“She played well. The coach Vasbert Drakes said he was going to send her at number three, and she really batted well although she was carrying a slight side strain,” Moseley noted.
The semi-final win saw the Windies Women finally break their jinx and reach the final of a Twenty20 World Cup for the first time, after bowing out at the final four stage at the previous three tournaments.
Moseley said Thursday’s win had been inspired by Cooper’s half-century coupled with tenacious bowling.
“Britney Cooper has not really done a lot with the bat in this series. She came good … and it was good to see, but I thought to the bowling, most of them kept their nerves and did the business for West Indies, ” Moseley added.