ST JOHN’S, Antigua, (CMC) – Cricket West Indies (CWI) president, Dave Cameron, said West Indies women remained a source of pride for the region, despite their failure to successfully defend their ICC Twenty20 World Cup title.

West Indies played unbeaten on the preliminary round but were eliminated at the semi-final stage when they suffered a heavy 71-run defeat to eventual champions Australia.
“Despite the Windies Women’s loss in the semi-finals, we are extremely proud of the way the women displayed strength of character and were a joy to watch in the field for every single game,” Cameron said.

“From all the feedback I have received, the entire Caribbean is proud of the ladies.”
Australia captured their fourth title when they beat England by eight wickets in last Saturday’s final at the Vivian Richards Cricket Stadium here.

The tournament, the first ICC stand-alone women’s T20 event, was marked by large attendances, especially for the Windies games. The hosts’ final preliminary match against England in Gros Islet attracted in excess of 10 000 while their semi-final was a sell-out.
Overall, the tournament was smoothly executed, drawing praise on Sunday from the ICC chief executive, Dave Richardson.

And Cameron also took note of the efficient manner in which the event had been run by the Local Organising Committee.
“We have shown the world our abilities as a cricketing destination on and off the field of play,” said the Windies cricket chief.

“On behalf of the entire CWI Team, I want to congratulate all the people (operations, technical, marketing, commercial, facilities, security) who participated in the championship, making it the success it has turned out to be.
“We also acknowledge and accept the praises from the International Cricket Council (ICC).”