LAHORE (Kashmir English): West Indies women missed the World Cup qualification by the barest of margins with having a net run rate of 0.63 against Bangladesh’s 0.64.
In their last league match against Thailand at the Gaddafi Stadium here on the final day of the qualifying tournament on Saturday, the Caribbean side required to reach the 167 runs target off 10.1 overs in order to earn a better net run-rate than what the Bangladesh women achieved but it took them 10.5 overs just to shatter their hopes of qualifying for the ICC 2025 event by a margin as minuscule as 0.01 on the net run-rate scale.
Bangladesh became the eighth and last team to qualify for the ICC Women’s World Cup 2025 scheduled to be played in India later this year.
Pakistan remained unbeaten throughout the recently-concluded Women’s World Cup Qualifier to also earn a spot in this year’s mega event. They beat Thailand in their last match on Thursday to qualify for the ICC Women’s World Cup.
The West Indies missed the World Cup spot just by a fraction despite having impressively beaten Thailand by six wickets in their last league match on Saturday.
In case of West Indies win in the last league match against Thailand, Bangladesh and the West Indies have had to compete on net run-rate.
Keeping in view the same, the West Indies women played impressively fast innings to chase the target of 167 runs set by Thailand in just 10.5 overs, at a jaw-dropping run-rate of 15.50, yet their effort fell short by a whisker.
West Indies needed to chase 167 in 9.6 overs – or win with a six that would take them to 172 in 11 overs.
Matthews scored 70 from 29 balls with 11 fours and two sixes in a remarkable knock, which also saw her record the second-fastest half-century in the history of women’s ODIs from just 21 balls.
She and Qiana Joseph (26 off 12) quickly piled 81 for the opening wicket in just 5.3.
By the end of the ninth over, West Indies women needed 31 off the 10th over – but could only manage 20 from it, reaching 3-156.
That left West Indies women facing scenario B – score 10 runs in five balls or less to level scores, then win it with a six.
A wicket, a boundary and two singles then had them on 4-162 after 10.4 overs, leaving experienced former captain Stafanie Taylor needing to run a two to level scores, then win it with a six.
But she cleared the rope next ball to win it in 10.5 overs – and was left shattered when she realised the miscalculation, with the West Indies’ final score of 4-168 leaving their NRR 0.013 behind Bangladesh’s.
2022 World Cup semi-finalists
The 2022 semi-finalists, West Indies, will now miss the ODI World Cup for the first time since 2000, while Bangladesh have made it to the eight-team tournament for a second time.
Pakistan and Bangladesh, the two qualifiers, have now joined hosts India, New Zealand, Australia, England, South Africa and Sri Lanka.
