WELLINGTON, New Zealand (CMC) — West Indies Women’s hopes of a semi-final spot were left hanging by a thread after rain forced a no-result in their all-important final group stage game against South Africa here Thursday.

Needing full points to remain firmly in the battle for one of three top four spots, West Indies were forced to share the two points as rain allowed only 65 deliveries at Basin Reserve, in a contest already reduced to 26 overs per side.

West Indies lie third in the standings on seven points, with unbeaten leaders Australia on 12 and second-place South Africa on nine, already through to the semi-finals.

However England and India, fourth and fifth, respectively, on six points, have one game left and both can still overtake West Indies in the table.

“The girls are still in good spirits, we always have that never-say-die attitude,” all-rounder Deandra Dottin said afterwards.

“We look at things as, ‘Yeah, we had a good start to the tournament,’ but we look at it as like, ‘Everything happens for a reason.’

“So it’s not the result that we wanted but we can only control what we can actually control at the time.

“It’s just to look forward and just take the positives from here; and the tournament is still playing so all isn’t lost yet.”

Winning the toss and opting to bat following a four-hour delayed start, West Indies had reduced South Africa to 61 for four after nearly 11 overs when the rain returned to end the game prematurely.

Mignon du Preez, who smashed a half-dozen fours in an unbeaten 38 off 31 balls, was leading South Africa’s fightback after seamer Chinelle Henry’s three-wicket burst crippled the innings at 22 for four in the sixth over.

Henry, who finished with three for 19 from her five overs, claimed the first wicket in the second over of the innings when Dottin dived low to her left at point to pull off a stunning catch which sent back Laura Wolvaardt for three.

Fast bowler Shamilia Connell followed up in the next over, getting Lizelle Lee to sky to Karishma Ramharack at short mid on for nine; and Henry grabbed her second in the fourth over when Captain Sune Luus scooped to her opposite number, Stafanie Taylor, at point to depart for one.

When Tazmin Brits perished in the sixth over, slicing an aerial catch to Ramharack at cover off Henry, South Africa were in disarray, but du Preez dominated a 39-run, fifth-wicket stand with Marizanne Kapp (5 not out) to stabilise the innings.

West Indies will now await the outcome of England’s clash with Bangladesh and India’s against South Africa on Saturday, before knowing if they will be heading home early.

Scoreboard

SOUTH AFRICA WOMEN

L Lee c Ramharack b Connell 9

L Wolvaardt c Dottin b Henry 3

T Brits c Ramharack b Henry 1

*S Luus c Taylor b Henry 1

M du Preez not out 38

M Kapp not out 5

Extras (w4) 4

TOTAL (4 wkts, 10.5 overs) 61

Did not bat: C Tryon, +T Chetty, S Ismail, A

Khaka, T Sekhukhune

Fall of wickets: 1-10 (Wolvaardt), 2-14 (Lee),

3-17 (Luus), 4-22 (Brits)

Bowling: Connell 4-0-18-1 (w2), Henry

5-0-19-3 (w2), Dottin 1-0-9-0, Matthews

0.5-0-15-0.

WEST INDIES WOMEN – S Taylor (captain),

D Dottin, R Williams, H Matthews, +S

Campbelle, C Nation, K Knight, A Fletcher, C

Henry, S Connell, M Ramharack

Result: No result.

Points: South Africa Women 1, West Indies

Women 1

Toss: West Indies Women

Umpires: Ahmed Shah Pakteen, Sue Redfern

TV umpire: Kim Cotton