Saint Lucian Makes Vital Contribution as Windies Women Dominate Second T20I

West Indies Women ended a nine-match T20 International losing streak against India in emphatic fashion on Tuesday, thrashing their hosts by nine wickets at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi, Mumbai, and levelling their three-match series 1-1.

Saint Lucian Qiana Joseph helped fuel the chase, making up for fielding lapses. The 23-year-old from Gros Islet stunned the Indians with a knock of 38 from 22 balls at the top of the innings, as the Maroon Warriors chased 160 for their first win against this opponent since 2016.

With six fours and two sixes, Joseph helped the regional team to 66-1 in 6.4 overs, nearly doubling India’s score at the same stage. Captain Hayley Matthews took over from that point, ending with an unbeaten 85 from 47 deliveries to complete a fine all-round display. Matthews, Joseph’s opening partner with the Barbados Royals, hit 17 fours.

Shemaine Campbelle contributed 29 not out off 26 balls, and Deandra Dottin’s fireworks remained dry in the dugout. The West Indies had 26 balls yet to face when they hit the winning runs in the 16th over, fittingly a Matthews four.

The visitors still need to do better in the field, but their bowling on Tuesday was better than in the opening match on Sunday, which they lost by just seven runs. 

“We probably knew we did not do as well as we wanted to do in the first game. We went back and analysed,” said Matthews. “The girls were really hungry to turn things around and it showed in the way we started.”

The Windies Women got the new ball to move, and despite a few untidy overs, largely kept the lid on their opponents with tight lines and timely wickets. Four bowlers had two wickets each as India were held to 159-9 in their 20 overs.

Dottin did the early damage and ended up with 2-14 from her four overs. Chinelle Henry (2-37 from four overs) helped close things out, along with Matthews (2-36 from four). After a bumpy start, Afy Fletcher (2-28 from three) also played a crucial role.

Despite not taking a wicket, Karishma Ramharack was again hard to get away, yielding only 19 runs from her three overs.

Smriti Mandhana hit 62 for India before Matthews claimed her wicket in the 14th over. By that time, the hosts were four wickets down, and two more fell soon thereafter. Richa Ghosh hit 32, but she was one of only four Indian women in double figures.

“Smriti was playing a great knock but we felt if we could finish off well, we could keep them to a respectable total,” Matthews noted. “Kudos to players like Dottin. We felt 160 was around par, we were happy with what they got in the end. Felt they got 10 runs too many more than what we would have liked, but it felt like a chaseable target.”

Dottin added: “It feels really good. We always like to come from behind, I guess. We reflected on what went wrong, what we needed to do, and tried to stick to the basics. The girls, I guess, are feeling really good. The determination that we have, we don’t like losing and we were hungrier and wanted it more. We do not stress on the negative result but always try to go forward positively and win the next game.” 

She said Joseph’s performance was “absolutely brilliant”. 

“And we encourage her to keep doing what she is doing and keep hitting those big sixes,” Dottin added.

Nerissa Crafton made her debut, but neither batted nor bowled. Zaida James was also in the playing XI. It is the first time as many as three Saint Lucians have been included in a regional team at any level since 2004.

The decisive third match will be played on Thursday morning at the same venue.