Walsh to shuffle batters ahead of final women's ODI vs NZ

WEST INDIES women’s head coach Courtney Walsh said there is a possibility his batting line-up for Sunday’s third and final One-Day International series match against New Zealand women will be shuffled to bolster their chances of victory.

The maroon slumped to their second straight defeat at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua on Thursday as the Kiwis snagged a series-win, by two wickets.

Batting first, WI made 169/9 from 50 overs before New Zealand raced to 171/8 in 40.1 overs.

The top order has not yet clicked and Walsh does not rule out giving captain Hayley Matthews an opportunity to bat higher up. Having lost both ODI matches, Walsh needs to change his tactics as the regional team chases precious points toward the ICC Women’s Championship and eventual qualification to the 2025 ODI World Cup.

“I think we didn’t play to our best in both games. For this game, I thought we didn’t bat as well as we know we could or should have batted. And we didn’t put enough runs on the board in the beginning.

“It’s not about just turn up and play we need to win one of these games to get some points. It’s a bit of a concern we’re getting all the runs at the back end,” he said.

Walsh believes a couple of changes to the batting line-up can increase their chances of victory but will also provide his batters with a platform heading into the five-match T20 series against the Kiwis, which bowls off on Wednesday. For the past two matches, Matthews batted at number five, scoring two and 46 respectively.

“It’s something I’m going to look at. We need points so we have to try to win the last game. It’s trying to see what the best batting order we can get going into the last game to try and give us the best chance to win,” he added.

“Heading into the T20 series, I’m going to look at all the possibilities and what’s best. If it means Hayley opening in the next (ODI) game to get her going for the T20, it’s something I can look at and will have a discussion with her to see how she feels.

“If we have to shuffle around a few people to get the best order for the next game, I would never rule that out.”

On losing veterans Deandra Dottin, who recently retired from international cricket, and former skipper Anisa Mohammed (six-month break), Walsh said they plan to increase their player pool, in an effort to discover new talent moving forward.

“We have to look at more regional games and get more territories involved,” he closed

Scores:

WEST INDIES WOMEN 169 for nine off 50 overs (Hayley Matthews 46, Chinelle Henry 30; Eden Carson 3-31)

NEW ZEALAND WOMEN 171 for eight off 40.1 overs (Maddy Green 48, Lauren Down 33, Brooke Halliday 24; Karishma Ramharack 3-22)