Henry says middle order key for Windies women
ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) — All-rounder Chinelle Henry is confident West Indies Women can pull off a win and level the CG United One-Day International (ODI) series against New Zealand on Thursday, following their five-run loss in the first match.
And she says key to this will be the middle order.
“We started off well with the bat but I think for us now, it’s about getting through those middle overs better where the spinners come on,” said Henry whose 83-run partnership with Kyshona Knight helped rebuild the West Indies innings in Monday’s first match after Stafanie Taylor, Captain Hayley Matthews and Shabika Gajnabi fell in the middle overs.
Noting that the Caribbean side lost some quick wickets in the middle, she stressed that was where the improvement had to come from.
“As a batting unit we need to rotate those middle overs a little bit better, pick up some more singles, of course…
“I think once we can dominate those middle overs as a batting team we will be scoring 230 plus runs for the remainder of the two games. And I think going out there, the fight that we showed as a team, as a bowling unit, if we keep doing that going forward then there’s no doubt we will level the series and then, of course, go on to win the series,” opined the right-handed batsman at a virtual press conference ahead of Wednesday’s game.
On Monday, in a match reduced to 35 overs per side due to wet conditions at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, West Indies batted first and posted 168 for 7. However, when bad light ended play abruptly the visitors were 159 for five off 33 overs — five runs ahead on Duckworth-Lewis-Stern.
In that game Henry scored 44 runs, including four fours off 34 balls, and also took one wicket.
She said her aim is to put in a performance like that each time she takes up the bat.
“As an all-rounder in this team now, an established all-rounder batting at number seven, if I could get 30 plus runs every match consistently [and], being the opening bowler, getting wickets consistently for this team then I think personally that will help my cricket stats and also help the team’s performance going forward,” Henry said.
