WELLINGTON, New Zealand, CMC – West Indies Women’s bowling coach Corey Collymore believes a defeat like the one to Pakistan Women had always been on the cards, especially with the Caribbean side failing to resolve their inconsistency with the bat.
Favoured to beat Pakistan on Monday in Hamilton, the Stafanie Taylor-led unit once again produced a feeble effort in a contest reduced to 20 overs because of a five-hour rain delay at the start, and crashed to an eight-wicket defeat.
The loss was their third in six matches after starting the tournament with successive wins over New Zealand and reigning champions England.
“I honestly think we were struggling all tournament. I think it’s finally caught up with us. We didn’t bat well enough [against Pakistan] and at some stage if you keep playing like that it will catch up with you,” said Collymore, a former frontline Test seamer for West Indies.
“I think even from that first game [against New Zealand], we didn’t get consistent performances from our batters and you know in 50-over cricket, you’re always talking about one batter batting right through, or two or three batters getting scores.
“And even that game [in which] Hayley (Matthews) got a hundred [against New Zealand], I think Deandra (Dottin) got a score [against India] and one game the captain got a score [and] another game (Shemaine) Campbell got a score.
“So [we] haven’t been putting consistent performances together as a batting group.”
Opener Matthews (226) has been the only West Indies batsman to pass 200 runs at an average of 37 while middle order batsman Shemaine Campbelle has gathered 177 runs courtesy of two half-centuries, at an average of 35.
However, despite scoring a half-century, Dottin has averaged only 27 and most disappointing of all, Taylor has managed only a single fifty in scraping 103 runs, while averaging 17.
It means West Indies now lie fourth on six points and have found themselves in a mad scramble for the remaining three semi-final places, with unbeaten leaders Australia already through.
South Africa, who West Indies face in their final group stage game here Thursday at the Basin Reserve, are second on eight points while India are third on six.
England and New Zealand, both of whom have had disappointing campaigns, are outside the top four on four points each.
Collymore said West Indies’ final game would be a critical one.
“We’ve got two days that we need to sit down, have a chat and discuss how we’re going to go,” he said.
“One more game is still another World Cup game and is still another international game, so you have to go in it with a positive mindset and look to win the game.”
