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Published : Oct 16, 2024 15:25 IST , DUBAI – 6 MINS READ
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West Indies’ players celebrate their win against England during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 match at Dubai International Stadium. | Photo Credit: AP
At 6 pm on Tuesday, ahead of the final group game of the Women’s T20 World Cup — a virtual quarterfinal between England and West Indies, if you had scanned the press box and the adjacent commentary rooms, public favour would have been leaning a little in England’s favour. 
Hayley Matthews and her side knew that and wanted to prove the world wrong. 
Heather Knight’s team had won all three games so far, all in Sharjah, and barring a batting blip against Bangladesh, had a fairly comfortable run in the tournament. The West Indies had faltered against Laura Wolvaardt’s South Africa but picked up speed against Scotland and Bangladesh. 
The Windies’ last win over England came in a four-wicket triumph at Gros Islet in the 2018 T20 World Cup. England was on a roll with just two losses in 18 games this season. 
It was a three-way battle for the knockouts bracket between England, South Africa and West Indies with the inaugural champion (England) ever so slightly ahead courtesy of a healthy Net Run Rate. 
However, as veteran broadcaster Daniel Norcross would exclaim as he trudged through the exit a little flattened, ‘The time bomb went off! The time bomb went off…!”
Earlier, Matthews won the toss and opted to field. Her side would head into this do-or-die fixture without the steely grit of Stafanie Taylor whose injured knee couldn’t handle the spunk of her spirit anymore. After years of winning games for the Windies single-handedly, she was relegated to being a twitchy spectator in a neon reserves bib.  
For England, that nervy loyalist was veteran pacer Katherine Sciver-Brunt. Sat in the dining room, quickly getting dinner down before her next rotation of commentary, Katherine – whose partner, Natalie made a fighting fifty to rescue the English innings – had her eyes pasted on the television. 
When Heather Knight hobbled off with a strained calf, things got a bit serious for the English faithful in the room. But the side’s vice-captain had everyone’s respect for steadying the ship. 
Windies legend Ian Bishop, who walked in, grabbed his plate of food for the night and walked back to the comms wing, was a picture of calm, in contrast. He gently whistled through his servings, unbothered. If you weren’t following along, you wouldn’t say the pair of Sciver-Brunt and Bishop was calling the same game. In hindsight, that visual foreshadowed how the Windies would get the job done quite accurately. 
“Come on, Natalie!” Katherine cried when her wife could only manage a single off the last ball of the innings. England managed 141. 
That total though and the manner it was slogged for did South Africa a giant favour. The equation for the semifinal became as straightforward as it could get – this was a direct shoot-out between England and West Indies now, with the Proteas securing the second spot in the group. England’s NRR was set to go below South Africa in the event of a loss. West Indies was eyeing big gains in that column with a straightforward win. 
England was without Knight who would not take further part in the game due to her injury. Natalie took charge. Incidentally, England prepared for this eventuality in Canterbury earlier this year when Heather sat out a T20I against New Zealand in preparation for a situation where she might be out due to injury. 
It’s incredible to realise just how meticulously everything was planned for. But what England did not see coming in its wildest dreams is a horror show of a fielding performance that would follow over the next hour. 
England’s bowlers kept feeding the big-hitting West Indians. Matthews and Qiana Joseph got off to an explosive start with the English bowling attack generously gifting them deliveries in their hitting arc. 
West Indies’ captain Hayley Matthews celebrates her fifty. | Photo Credit: AP
“You can’t afford to drop six catches. I think we dropped the opening batter (Joseph) six times and she chanced her arm and got away with some good hits. She struck the ball really well. Unfortunately, once they got off to that good start, we weren’t able to create enough pressure in the game to hold them back,” a desolate Jon Lewis, England head coach, would say after the game. 
England offered some relief when Danni Wyatt-Hodge finally caught Joseph off Natalie’s bowling.
England placed its faith in Sophie Ecclestone, but even a trump card constantly whipped out of your sleeve will tear around the edges. After giving away just one boundary in three games, the ace spinner conceded four in this game. Charlie Dean was taken to the cleaners with four sixes smashed off her bowling. Natalie looked a little out of depth as she desperately tried to wrest back control. 
From the 16th over, it was Deandra Dottin’s time to party. The two England personnel in the room had had enough. Chargers were aggressively plugged out and bags were packed. 
For a few minutes, writing deadlines were forgotten. Word count squabbles were kept aside. The press box turned into an extended stand. Memories of 2016 being discussed, when the Windies snuck past the group stage and went on to win the tournament. Scorecards of the women’s team were compared to the men who were playing Sri Lanka at the same time. 
Ecclestone ripped through Dottin’s stumps in the 18th over but it was too little too late. Only six runs were needed off 18 balls.
The tears were right there at the brim for the English side, with caps being pulled down and foreheads being covered. Aaliyah Alleyne sealed a win with a boundary off a full toss. The moment the ball scurried past the ropes through cover, Ecclestone slowly fell to the ground. The defeat was imminent for the last eight overs, but the realisation of being knocked out of the tournament seemed too much to take. 
She was helped back on her feet by her teammates as they headed to shake hands with the opponent. Every couple of seconds, Ecclestone had her hand to her mouth, unable to process what had happened. 
England‘s Sophie Ecclestone, left, reacts as they loose to West Indies’ during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 match at Dubai International Stadium. | Photo Credit: AP
Taylor, chair-bound all this while, limped over to the pitch to celebrate with Matthews, Dottin and the others. Joseph did a little jig after being adjudged Player of the Match. 
“Within the West Indies, I think a lot of the islands can always be against each other. But the one thing that does bring the entire West Indies together is cricket. And the passion that the people have for the game is massive. It just brings our whole region together as one for the only time probably,” a pleased Matthews said as she reflected on the game.
She dedicated the win and the team’s chance now to live to fight another day to Taylor. 
“It hurt Staf a lot to not be playing today. She wants to be out there and wants to be playing. Our win today was for her and to show her that we got your back and we’re going to go out there and do this. I’ve got my fingers crossed that she heals up really, really quickly and can get back out for the next game, hopefully. I know if she can manage, she’ll be out there,” she beamed. 
Three days saw three group-defining games across two venues. It’s a pity that there weren’t 14,000-odd people watching this one. For all the clambering about a bland group stage with limited fours and sixes, West Indies sure ended with a spicy send-off to England. 
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