DHAKA, Bangladesh, CMC – West Indies Women’s captain Merissa Aguilleira has described her side’s semi-final loss to Australia as “heartbreaking” but says the team must use the disappointment as a learning moment and try to bounce back.
The Caribbean side limited the defending champions to 140 for five from their 20 overs but then came up short by eight runs at the Shere Bangla Stadium. It was the third straight occasion the Windies Women had reached a T20 World Cup semi-final before losing. “I wouldn’t say it is a setback. There’s still faith and you need faith to get to the next level. After coming back from [the tour of] New Zealand – it was a really hard tournament down there – and we knew we needed something we could hold on to and faith is something we had going for us,” said Aguilleira.
“We came here and we played good cricket and it was a bit heartbreaking that we couldn’t carry it on to the next level. There’s a lot of faith still in us and we believe in ourselves and we believe in our ability and that we’re going to come back and come back stronger.”
Winning the toss and batting, Australia were staring at an ordinary total at 99 for five at the end of the 16th over, before Alyssa Healy’s breezy, unbeaten 30 from 21 balls, gave them impetus at the end.
Opener Elyse Villani had earlier top scored with 35 from 32 balls while captain Meg Lanning got 29 from 22 deliveries.
“Coming in here we knew we were playing the World champs so they weren’t going to give up their position just like that. We knew it would have been a tough game. Australia have been top of the table form ever since and we are pretty much developing,” Aguilleira pointed out.
“I think they got about 20 runs too many. Most of the times we have teams in certain positions and we just let them loose, and I think that is an area we need to look at. We had them under control at a respectable total but that’s an area we need to look in to a little bit and see what we can do about it.”
A 73-run, third wicket stand between Deandra Dottin (40) and Stacey-Ann King (36 not out), then put the Windies on course for victory but their run rate stalled late on and they never recovered.
With 14 required from the final over, the West Indies failed to find the boundary and surrendered meekly.
“We believe we could have chased the total with the potential of the players we have there. We fell short by eight runs and that’s really difficult [to accept] but after all, these things happen and it is how you learn from it and that’s what will make you a better team,” Aguilleira noted.
“I still believed we could have pulled it off. The game wasn’t out of our hands. We had Stacey-Ann who was set and ready to go and she can definitely get the ball over the boundary. But things happen. It’s cricket and you have find it somehow to move on, even though it’s really disappointing for us.
“We know what we have, we know the potential in each and everyone of us. It’s now to go back to the drawing boards and see what we can do to reach the next level.”
