The recent failure of the West Indies Women’s team to reach the 50-over ICC Cricket World Cup to be held in India later this year is a huge disappointment.

The Hayley Matthews-led West Indies team performed way below par early in the tournament, losing to Scotland and hosts Pakistan.

They followed up with hard-fought victories over Ireland and Bangladesh. Then, in their final game against Thailand they chased down 166 in 10.5 overs to miss out on a World Cup spot by what statisticians calculated at 0.013 on net run rate.

We believe that while the regional team’s failure to qualify was upsetting, the players should also be hailed for their back-to-the-wall fight that very nearly got them over the line.

It’s also useful to remember that in October last year our women stunned the cricketing world by conquering England to reach the semi-final of the Twenty20 World Cup.

On the men’s side, regional cricket followers are nodding their heads in approval at a good spread of encouraging individual performances in a four-day tournament deservingly won by Guyana Harpy Eagles.

Batsmen, in particular, did well, giving all-format coach Mr Darren Sammy and his support cast food for thought, as they look to the coming of the Australians in mid-year for a three-Test series and white-ball cricket.

Weather permitting, a South Africa ‘A’ tour of the Caribbean next month will provide yet more opportunities for individuals to raise their hands ahead of the Australian tour.

At the development level, the crucial regional Under-15 tournament embracing Easter Week in Antigua apparently went well. Barbados won all five games to successfully defend their title. Jamaica finished fourth but can take heart from having tied on points with second- and third-place Guyana and Trinidad Tobago. Tie-break considerations decided the second, third, and fourth spots.

Also, Cricket West Indies on Friday began its West Indies Breakout League, aimed at improving and expanding the pool of “emerging” players available for T20 cricket. Its sustained success is crucial since it caters to talented young players, most of whom will not get into Caribbean Premier League (CPL) teams, packed as they are with established stars from the region and wider world.

It’s a development this newspaper has consistently advocated. To be very clear, the CPL, which targets a global television audience, is in no position to nurture regional domestic talent in the comprehensive fashion that’s needed.

It will be very important for the quality of cricket in the Breakout League to be attractive enough to maintain the interest of television audiences regionally, and further afield.

Finally, we believe a thumbs-up is in order for entrepreneurs Messrs Atishai Mansingh and David Henriques who, we are told, have partnered with the Jamaica Cricket Association in developing an indoor cricket facility dubbed Cricket Cave, at Sabina Park.

We hear that this facility under the George Headley Stand will be the first of its kind “under lights” to be installed in Jamaica — facilitating training as well as entertainment.

According to the Caribbean Media Corporation: “Beyond training, Cricket Cave is designed to be a social hotspot, featuring a lounge area where fans and players can relax and ‘lyme’ in a cricket-themed environment.”

We believe it’s an indicator that while cricket in Jamaica is under extreme pressure it remains alive and kicking.