West Indies Women to host NZ in eight-match series
ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) — West Indies Women will host New Zealand Women for the first time in nearly a decade when the two teams meet in three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and five Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) starting next month.
The three ODIs will run from September 16-22 with the T20 Internationals scheduled for September 26 to October 6. All matches will be played at the Vivian Richards Cricket Ground.
“I am very happy that we will be hosting New Zealand in the West Indies. They are a very competitive team, and this will make for a great series for our team,” said Head Coach Courtney Walsh.
“As it comes just after we’ve had the Women’s regional tournaments and the Women’s CPL, it will be a great fillip for our players.
“We are currently holding another specialist camp including some new players, and after the Women’s CPL we will have a second camp in Antigua. So we should have enough cricket before the New Zealand Series starts.”
New Zealand are ranked fifth in ODIs — one spot above West Indies — and lie third in T20 Internationals, two spots above the Caribbean side.
On their last tour of West Indies in 2014, they lost all four ODIs but came away with a 2-1 win in the three-match T20I series.
In their last meeting during the one-day World Cup last March, West Indies pulled off an unlikely victory.
“Every series that we play we want to win, and we will be playing a positive brand of cricket,” Walsh said.
“We will also have an eye on the T20 World Cup around the corner. So, this will give the squad a chance to showcase all their skills, and also give us, the coaching staff, a chance to look at what depth we have.”