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• Matthews, Joseph star as Windies Women seal semi-final spot with stunning victory over England

  Qiana Joseph and Hayley Matthews guided the West Indies into the semi-finals of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 with an emphatic six-wicket victory over England.

  Both openers hit rapid half-centuries, with Joseph finishing on 52 and Matthews on 50, as the 2016 champions easily reached their target of 142 with two overs to spare and knocked England out in the process.

  Nat Sciver-Brunt hit an unbeaten 57 to help set the West Indies 141 to win, but it was not enough in the face of a dazzling batting performance from Matthews and Joseph.

  The West Indies progress from Group B alongside South Africa courtesy of both sides boasting superior net run rates than England, with all three teams finishing on six points.

  With the win, West Indies topped the group and will play New Zealand on Friday while Australia take on South Africa in the first semifinal on Thursday.

  England felt their way into the innings, but openers Maia Bouchier and Danni Wyatt-Hodge soon found an early groove, with a boundary apiece in the opening four overs.

  Scores: England 141-7 (20 overs); West Indies 142-4 (18 overs)

  But the West Indies quickly brought that nascent partnership to an end as Deandra Dottin took a superb catch off Hayley Matthews’ bowling to dismiss Wyatt-Hodge for 16.

  The West Indies kept up the pressure with the wicket of Alice Capsey (1) just five balls later thanks to more impressive fielding from Dottin.

  This time she produced a terrific throw directly into Shemaine Campbelle as England tried a quick single to secure a run out with Capsey well out of her ground.

  Two quick wickets rapidly swung the momentum towards the West Indies, and the dismissal of Bouchier (14) only continued that trend as England were reduced to 34 for three after the opener looped one to extra cover off Afy Fletcher.

  

  But England were able to steady the ship through the experienced pair of Nat Sciver-Brunt and captain Heather Knight, who stymied the West Indies attack while keeping the scoreboard ticking over nicely.

  Knight led from the front with 21 off just 13 balls but was then retired hurt in the 13th over.
  Replacement Amy Jones looked to continue where Knight left off but was dismissed for seven when she found the hands of Dottin at backward point with a sliced shot off Fletcher.

  It was almost two wickets in two balls, but new batter Charlie Dean was put down Chedean Nation. Dean was caught just under two overs later for five runs having helped guide England past the 100-mark, as Fletcher took her third wicket of the match thanks to captain Matthews pouching a comfortable catch at cover.

  All the while, Sciver-Brunt kept England quietly ticking over and brought up her half-century with two boundaries in an over.

  Dani Gibson and Sophie Ecclestone both added seven each before falling late on, with Ecclestone hitting a six in the final over to help England push to a final total of 141.

  The West Indies made a lightning-fast start in response, with Matthews hitting 14 from the first over, including a six from just the second ball of the innings.
  Her opening partner Qiana Joseph began in similarly emphatic fashion with a four from her first ball as the West Indies powered to 44 from the first four overs.

  England were not without their wicket chances despite West Indies’ rapid scoring, with Capsey dropping Joseph on 31 as West Indies brought up 50 in 27 balls.

  The partnership of Matthews and Joseph continued to keep up their heavy scoring and took full advantage of any mistakes in the field, with Joseph hitting another six through the hands of Bouchier.

  

  Joseph then brought up her first international T20 fifty and then took the West Indies past 100 before finally falling for 52 from 38 balls as she was caught by Wyatt-Hodge on the boundary off of Sciver-Brunt just one ball after surviving another catch chance.

  Captain Matthews then brought up her half-century and then fell to Sarah Glenn just two balls later on 50 from 38.

  The pair of quick wickets proved to slow down the West Indies attack, but Deandra Dottin and Shemaine Campbelle were able to keep their side moving towards the target.

  Campbelle was run out for five as West Indies closed in on victory before Dottin was bowled by Ecclestone two balls later, but her quickfire 27 left her side needing just six runs to win.

  Aaliyah Alleyne got four of those from the first ball she faced before she finished off the chase with 12 balls to spare to cap a remarkable victory for West Indies.

  The West Indies and South Africa have also confirmed their places at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026, along with hosts England, thanks to their top three finish in the group stage, while Australia, New Zealand, and India made it from Group A.

  Apart from the top six teams in this tournament, the next two highest-ranked teams in the Women’s T20I rankings as of October 21, 2024, will also qualify. The remaining four teams will qualify through a global 10-team qualifier.

• Spin carnage: Debutant Dunith Wellalage grabs 3-9 as Sri Lanka hammer spineless Windies by 73 runs

  West Indies batting frailty against spin bowling was once again at the forefront of a humbling 73-run defeat to Sri Lanka in the second T20 encounter on Tuesday, leaving the three-match series finely poised at one win apiece.

  Chasing 163 for victory, the Caribbean side collapsed to a paltry 89 all out in 16.1 overs — their fourth-lowest total in T20I cricket. It was a dismal batting display, marked by their inability to handle Sri Lanka's spin-heavy attack, which ruthlessly exposed the West Indies' vulnerabilities.

  Only captain Rovman Powell (20), Alzarri Joseph (16), and Sherfane Rutherford (14) managed to break into double figures in Dambullah. The rest of the batting lineup crumbled, as Sri Lanka's spinners, led by debutant Dunith Wellalage, Wanindu Hasaranga, Maheesh Theekshana, and captain Charith Asalanka, tied the West Indians in knots on a turning track.

  Scores: Sri Lanka 162-5 (20 overs); West Indies 89 all out (16.1 overs)

  Wellalage proved especially destructive with 3-9 from his four overs, while Asalanka (2-6), Theekshana (2-7), and Hasaranga (2-32) shared six wickets between them. Seamer Matheesha Pathirana accounted for the other wicket.

  The Caribbean side’s batting implosion was emblematic of a broader struggle — an inability to adjust to the spin-friendly conditions, as their chase was derailed early, with openers Brandon King and Evin Lewis falling cheaply.

  Wickets tumbled rapidly thereafter, with little resistance from Powell and Alzarri Joseph in particular at the backend, as they shared in the team’s highest partnership of 23 runs. The capitulation reflected not only technical flaws but also an apparent lack of composure under pressure, something Head coach Darren Sammy and company will have to address ahead of the decisive game on Thursday.

  While the batting was the primary issue, West Indies also struggled in the field earlier in the match.

  Sri Lanka opting to bat first, made their intentions clear as Pathum Nissanka, who topscored with 54 off 49 balls, and Kusal Mendis (26), went on the charge in a 77-run opening stand.

  Still, West Indies were far from their best in the field, as dropped chances by Roston Chase and Gudakesh Motie, as well as misfields from Alzarri Joseph and Shamar Joseph, allowed Sri Lanka to gain crucial extra runs.

  Nissanka slammed nine fours and a six in his knock, while Kusal Perera chipped in with 24, and Kamindu Mendis contributed 19, as West Indies gradually pulled things back from a more daunting target, which mattered little in the end.

  Romario Shepherd led the bowling with 2-23.

• England's second Test 'in the balance' after day one, says Potts

  Matthew Potts thinks England's second Test against Pakistan is "in the balance" after day one saw the hosts reach stumps on 259-5.

  Kamran Ghulam was the star for Pakistan on his debut, with his sublime knock of 118 pushing them to their tally.

  Jack Leach had taken two early wickets, finishing the day on 2-92, while Potts and Brydon Carse also got in on the action before Shoaib Bashir removed Ghulam late on.

  Playing on the same pitch as the first Test, England's spinners struggled to make an impact compared to the seamers.

  But Potts, playing for the first time since the Sri Lanka series in August after replacing Gus Atkison, remained upbeat about England's performance.

  "We created a lot of chances over the course of the day. The boys stuck at it, and we are pleased where we are with it now," Potts told BBC Test Match Special.

  "You don't tell a score until both sides have batted on it. It appeared to be flatter than we expected. The game is in the balance, a couple of early ones in the morning, and we will see what it is.

  "I think it did spin; slow spin kept a bit low. The lads stuck to the basics really well in some strong heat today. A couple of early wickets in the morning and hopefully we can run through them."