ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – All-rounder Chinelle Henry is confident West Indies Women can pull out a win and level the CG United One-Day International (ODI) series against New Zealand here today, following their five-run loss in the first match.
And she says key to that will be the middle order.
“We started off well with the bat, but I think for us now it’s about getting through those middle overs better where the spinners come on,” said Henry whose 83-run partnership with Kyshona Knight helped rebuild the West Indies innings in Monday’s first match after Stafanie Taylor, captain Hayley Matthews and Shabika Gajnabi fell in the middle overs.
Noting that the Caribbean side lost some quick wickets in the middle, she stressed that was where the improvement had to come.
“As a batting unit we need to rotate those middle overs a little bit better, pick up some more singles, of course…
“I think once we can dominate those middle overs as a batting team, we will be scoring 230-plus runs for the remainder of the two games. And I think going out there, the fight that we showed as a team, as a bowling unit, if we keep doing that going forward then there’s no doubt we will level the series and then of course go on to win the series,” said the right-handed batsman at a virtual press conference ahead of Wednesday’s game.
On Monday, in a match reduced to 35 overs per side due wet conditions at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, West Indies batted first and posted 168 for 7. However, when bad light ended play abruptly, the visitors were 159 for five off 33 overs – five runs ahead on Duckworth-Lewis-Stern.
In that game, Henry scored 44 runs, including four fours, off 34 balls and also took one wicket.
She said her aim is to put in a performance like that each time she takes up the bat.
“As an all-rounder in this team now, an established allrounder batting at number seven, if I could get 30-plus runs every match consistently [and] being the opening bowler, getting wickets consistently for this team, then I think personally that will help my cricket stats and also help the team’s performance going forward,” Henry said.
