The West Indies had to chase 142 to qualify for the semi-finals of the International T20 Cup for the first class since 2018, a target which Matthew then said would have “bit his hand off” for the first time in the sport.
It seems that José was simply in a bad mood.
“When we walked into the locker room at halftime, I looked at her and said, ‘What’s wrong with you? You look upset.’ She said, ‘I’m ready.’
“She’s always up for it, lad. And it’s great to have characters like that inside the dressing room, especially as a West Indies team who are probably always going to be the underdogs. We’d like to have opponents within the team and she or he is a splendid example of that.”
José didn’t just fight. He beat England into submission.
England, who had beaten the West Indies in their previous 13 matches dating back to 2018, had entered the tournament as runners-up with their vast resources and unbeaten record in the group stage.
Joseph, 23, had already shown his versatility, opening the batting in the first game (a 10-wicket loss to South Africa) before falling below Taylor to the No. 3 spot as the West Indies overcame Scotland. She next took on a floating role, featuring at number 6 against Bangladesh, but was not required as the West Indies won by eight wickets.
When we look at the people within this team, a lot of times we would just hear ‘Deandra, Hayley or Staf will be making presentations’, but one thing we can say we’ve started to see this year is that others are really stepping up.
Hayley Mateos
Against England, Joseph blasted her way to a career-best 52 off just 38 balls with six fours and two sixes as she and Matthews led the West Indies to the highest powerplay of the tournament so far with 67 not out. lose.
It was not until mid-innings that the duo learned they needed to reach the target in 19 overs to finish ahead of South Africa at the top of Group B in net run rate. West Indies got the job done on the last ball of the 18th over, Aaliyah Alleyne breaking through covers to find the boundary off Sophie Ecclestone and close an innings built by Joseph and Matthews.
The duo shared a 102-run stand off just 74 balls with Matthews, who played his best innings so far with 50 for 38, his first half-century against England, after scores of 10, 8 and 34.
It was Matthews who took control from the start, smashing 14 runs off Lauren Bell, the most runs conceded in the first over of a match in this World Cup.
Like his captain, Joseph missed a boundary, two off Nat Sciver-Brunt’s three balls, no less. He then attacked the England spinners, driving Charlie Dean over midwicket for six and then hitting consecutive fours off Ecclestone behind and over square leg.
Joseph was also lucky, barely clearing the fielders a couple of times and then being bowled by Sophia Dunkley in the 6th over, Alice Capsey in the 31st over all three times by Maia Bouchier. He reached his first fifty off just 34 balls, the quickest against England in the T20 World Cup.
Joseph was part of West Indies’ T20 World Cup squad in 2018 as a 17-year-old, largely as a left-arm spinner, but her ball-striking has improved markedly in recent times, propelling her to move up in the order.
Earlier this year, she played primarily as an opener in an away series against Pakistan, which the West Indies won 4-1, and was used as a pinch-hitter in a series won 2-1 in Sri Lanka.
Despite those results, the West Indies were not expected to do so well here, possibly due to a well-documented lack of resources compared to countries like India and England, who are now off the list.
“I feel like a lot of the population wrote us off by participating in this event,” Matthews said. “The way we’ve been able to proceed in our cricket, especially after the start we had against South Africa, we’ve just bounced back against Scotland, against Bangladesh.
“We haven’t beaten England in about six years. As far as I can remember, the last time we beat them was in 2018, but everyone came here with faith and fight, and that shows what we can do as a West Indies team.” . “Many people who face us know that if we have something, it is a lot of heart and a lot of fight, and today we have shown it.”
That said, Dottin was instrumental in setting the tone of the match with some great fielding at the start of England’s innings and also bowled for the first generation of the campaign, taking 1 for 16 in 3 overs.
“When we look at the people within this team, a lot of times we would just hear ‘Deandra, Hayley or Staf will be making presentations,’ but one thing we can say we’ve started to see this year is that others are really stepping up.” Matthew stated. “Karishma [Ramharack] with 4 for 17 against Bangladesh]last game, Qiana Joseph in this game, and that will make us more and more dangerous.”
By beating their team, the West Indies stay clear of favorites Australia in the semi-finals and will face unused Zealand on Friday in Sharjah. Australia will play South Africa in Dubai on Thursday. And Matthews used to be sure that the entire Caribbean would be behind her crew.
“Honestly, we probably don’t have it like the rest of the time,” he said. “At home in the Caribbean, sometimes we don’t have facilities and many of our girls come from very humble backgrounds. Being given this opportunity to go out, represent their nation and make a living from it, each person, it changes their life.
“Throughout the West Indies, I think many islands may always be against any option, but the one thing that unites all of the West Indies is cricket and the fervor that the population has for the sport is great, it just brings together our entire area as one for a generation.
Valkerie Baynes is a normal dooker, women’s cricket, on ESPNcricinfo
