Caribbean pride pinned on Windies ladies

May 14, 2010 Sports

Hosts play N/Zealand today in Women’s semi-final

By Sean Devers in St Lucia
In association with Leisure Inn & Carib Beer
The Australians beat India by 7 wickets in yesterday Women’s semi-finals in St Lucia to book a place in Sunday’s Final at Kensington Oval in Barbados.
With the Male team badly hammered in their last game against Australia to be knocked out of the competition, Caribbean pride is now pinned on the Windies ladies who play New Zealand today from 16:00hrs in their semi-final clash for a place in Sunday’s Women’s final of the 2010 T/20 World Cup.
West Indies beat South Africa and England before losing to Australia in their preliminary round games in St Kitts and Merissa Aguilleira, who said before the competition began that her team will do better than their male counterparts, is confident of going all the way.
“New Zealand is a tough team and we know we have to play hard cricket but we are confident of doing well and making the people of the Caribbean proud. We are enjoying this and we aim to go all the way,” Aguilleira said.
A West Indies win today against a team which lost to England in last year’s final in England, could go a long way towards gaining the type respect for the Women’s game in the West Indies the ladies deserve and Stafanie Taylor yesterday called on the West Indies fans to throw their support behind the Windies ladies as they did for the Men’s team by filling up the ground today and providing moral support throughout the Caribbean.
Teenager Deandra Dottin scored the first female 20/20 century in the preliminary rounds in St Kitts and broke Chris Gayle’s 50- ball record of the fastest 20/20 ton by 5 balls and although the Bajan, who won three gold medals in the 2007 Carifita games registered first ball ducks in her next two innings, she remains a major danger for New Zealand today.
The 41-year-old Pamela Lavine is one of the better batters in Women’s world cricket and along with Taylor, the talented Britney Cooper, Stacy-Ann King, Shanel Daley, Juliana Nero and Guyanese teenager Shemaine Campbell will want to put runs on the board for the Regional team.
The versatile Campbell can bowl her leg-spin and also keep wicket while her fellow Berbician Tremayne Smartt will hope for an opportunity to bowl under lights at the International level today.
Off-spinner Anisa Mohamed leads the bowling attack while Kirbyina Alexander could also play a key role with the ball for the hosts.
New Zealand, which became the first team to win a 20/20 International match (Male or Female) when they beat England in 2004, got though India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan on the road to today’s final and should provide a tough battle for the home girls today.
Australia take on defending champions Pakistan in the last Male semi-final from 11:30hrs today for a spot against England on Sunday in Barbados.