… WI take on England Women in ICC World Cup race

WEST Indies Women captain Stafanie Taylor says that her team aim to win all matches against their English counterparts in the ICC Championship race for qualification spots for the 2017 ICC World Cup tournament.

Both teams will renew battle for top honours in the 3rd One-Day International at Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica today.
All results in the final three matches of the five-match series will provide either team with claims to vital points as they build towards being in the top four teams overall when the Championship Division tournament comes to an end.
Currently, West Indies are in second position on 20 while England are third on 19 points with reigning ICC World Cup champion Australia heading the overall standings on 30 points.
After West Indies Women’s morale-boosting 38-run victory over England in the second ODI at the Trelawny Stadium, Florence Hall; Taylor declared that: “We want to win all the games. That’s our aim. That’s what we are working towards.”
“We and England are pretty much close, we know it’s not going to be easy. I think if we work hard, we will definitely get some points,” added the Jamaican all-rounder who took over the mantle of leadership of the WI Women team from Trinidadian Merissa Aguilleira last year.
Aguilleira has been the team’s regular wicketkeeper and one of the most experienced players. But she missed the last match and Shemaine Campbelle did ’keeper duties. StacyAnn King had replaced Aguilleira in the 2nd ODI.
However, it was bowlers Deandra Dottin and Afy Fletcher who in tandem demolished their English counterparts and set the stage for a battle royal in the ICC Women Championship title race.
England had won the First ODI by five runs at the Trelawny Stadium, Florence Hall, Jamaica on Saturday (last weekend) but the West Indians bounced back with a dramatic 38-run win in the second ODI on Monday (October 10).
West Indies bowlers did a great job to restrict the tourists to 149 all out in 50 overs. Barbadian all-rounder Dottin captured three important wickets when she removed opener Tammy Beaumont, Georgia Elwiss and the prized wicket of England new captain Knight.
In the second ODIs between the two teams at the same venue on Monday, West Indies batters, except for skipper Stafanie Taylor (56) and Dottin (21) to a lesser extent; did not cope with left-arm spinners Alexandra Hartley (4 for 31) and newcomer Sophie Ecclestone.
In the 3rd ODI today, the WI batters would need to apply themselves with greater resolve and produce bigger personal scores that will boost the team’s overall total.
The English team is very competitive but the WI bowlers have shown that they are capable of defending decent totals.