Dottin says women’s team maturing

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – More batters in the West Indies Women’s squad are pulling their weight and once they continue doing so in the third and final match of the One-Day International (ODI) series against South African Women on Thursday, the Caribbean side can emerge with a series win, opening batter Deandra Dottin suggested today.

The regional squad is heading into the last match with a 1-0 lead, having won the second game in the super over, on the heels of the opening match ending in a no-result due to rain. It means they cannot end the series with a loss, only a draw or win.

With the women on the cusp of possible victory, Dottin said they are in a good mental space and ready to deliver.

She said the performances in the last match, in particular, demonstrated that the West Indies women had been maturing as a team.

“It’s good to see that there are different individuals that are actually playing a part in terms of scoring and chipping in with a couple runs, and it’s not mainly pressure on one person. The girls are in a good space so I think that we just need to continue what we are doing,” she said.

“To be honest, I’m very pleased. Before, when I got out or Stef [captain Stafanie Taylor] got out, fans would have thought ‘well, that’s the end of it’ but now I think that we have actually matured as a team together and other players know their role,” the right-handed dynamo added.

The in-form Dottin made special mention of some of her teammates who supported her as she dominated the super over to secure the victory in the second game on Monday.

“You have a Chinelle Henry, a Chedean Nation who chipped in the last game, and also Shakera Selman held her nerve as well, in terms of bringing the game to an actual tie for us to have another go at it in the super over. It’s very pleasing to see and it’s very heart-warming,” she said.

West Indies Women had appeared all but beaten in that match after slumping to 83 for six in the 21st over, despite Dottin’s top score of 37. However, a 54-run, seventh-wicket stand between Nation and Player-of-the-Match Henry put West Indies Women back into the contest.

After Henry and Shamilia Connell fell to successive deliveries at the start of the 32nd over, Nation put on 21 for the ninth wicket with Selman to get West Indies Women within three runs of their target before perishing. Selman pinched a single at the end of the 37th to draw the scores level but was then dismissed lbw.

Once in the super-over, Dottin stamped her authority, getting 19 runs from the first five deliveries before her partner Hayley Matthews hit the final ball over mid-wicket for six, to leave the visitors defending 25 runs and eventually winning the match.

Thursday’s day/night encounter begins at 2 p.m. local time (8 a.m. Eastern Caribbean Time/7 a.m. Jamaica Time). (CMC)