West Indies pulled off a historic win in the ongoing ICC T20 Women’s World Cup match to qualify for the semi-finals. The English Team coming into the tournament as one of the favourites was knocked out. West Indies ended a 13-match losing streak and topped Group B to set up a semi-final of the T20 World Cup.
This is the second instance where England has been eliminated during the knockout stage of the T20 World Cup, the previous one being 2010. England won its first three matches. However, due to a lower Net Run Rate, South Africa was able to qualify for semis. West Indies’ win was all the more remarkable as veteran batter and former captain Stafanie Taylor was down with a knee injury. They started on an aggressive note with the opening pair scoring 67-0 within the power play. Hayley Matthews and Qiana Joseph rose to the occasion and scored the bulk of the 142-run target. Matthews playing in her 100th T20 match scored a half-century and Joseph scored a career-best 52.
England’s performance lacked momentum. The best contribution came from Nat Sciver-Brunt, without major contributions from the rest of the order. The English team faced a blow when mid-way through the innings captain Heather Knight retired hurt with a tight calf on 21. Her absence cost dearly to the English team, as it became increasingly difficult to deal with West Indies’ aggression.
West Indies will face New Zealand in the semi-final on Friday.