Windies Women end World Cup on losing note
BRISTOL, England (CMC) — West Indies Women squandered the ideal opportunity to end their disappointing ICC World Cup campaign on a high when they crashed to a 92-run defeat to hosts England Women in their final match here yesterday.
The Caribbean unit, led by the exceptional leg-spinner Afy Fletcher, managed to restrict England to 220 for seven off 50 overs at the Gloucestershire County Ground, but their batsmen let them down badly and they collapsed to 128 for nine, slumping to their fifth defeat in seven matches.
Opting to bowl, the Windies spinners did the job on a slow, turning pitch, and only Captain Heather Knight with a top score of 67 and Tammy Beaumont, 42, managed to show enterprise.
Laura Marsh, batting at number nine, chipped in with a valuable unbeaten 31, while veteran Jenny Gunn scored 24 not out.
Fletcher was excellent, taking three for 33 from her 10 overs, while off-spinner Anisa Mohammed also proved stingy, conceding just 32 runs from her 10 overs.
In their turn at the crease, West Indies got 29 from teenaged opener Hayley Matthews and 23 from Chedean Nation, but no other player passed 20 in yet another concerning display with the bat.
Seamer Natalie Sciver took three for three from four overs, but it was left-arm spinner Alex Hartley, with one for 25 from her 10, and off-spinner Laura Marsh, with one for 26 (BBC) from 10 overs, who put the squeeze on the innings.
West Indies ended the tournament sixth on four points from their last two victories over Pakistan Women and Sri Lanka Women, with all three teams along with fifth-placed New Zealand Women suffering elimination.
England ended top of the standings on 12 points, reigning champions Australia Women finished second also on 12 points but with an inferior net run rate, while India Women were third on 10 and South Africa Women fourth on nine.
Already eliminated after losing their opening four games, West Indies entered their contest playing for pride, but once again let themselves down with ordinary cricket — especially over the second half of the game.
