Australia Women v West Indies Women World T20 Preview – Final
The West Indies has certainly relied on its star allrounders. Taylor has scored 187 and taken eight wickets, while Dottin has chipped in with 111 runs and seven wickets. With Mohammed struggling for wickets, the other spinners have stepped up. Afy Fletcher has seven, at a superb economy-rate of 4.58, while Shaquana Quintyne has taken six.
The team has also been proactive when it comes to the batting order. After the six-run loss in the semifinal, Suzie Bates, New Zealand’s captain, spoke of how surprised she had been to see Cooper come in at No.3. She struck 61 from 48 balls to set up the game for the West Indies.
“In T20s, you have to be flexible,” said Taylor. “You only have 20 overs. Depending on what the situation is, you see which batter is suited for that. And I think that helped us in the last game. We needed somebody to give us a push, and [Cooper] did just that. Everyone would have been surprised. That was a fantastic knock by her.”
Her side will need more of the same in the final, against a team it has never beaten in eight previous matches in this format, including the last time the teams met in a bilateral series in Australia in late 2014. And with the two teams trading places at the top of the ICC Women's World Championship table over the past year in the lead up to the 50-over World Cup in 2017, the results here could add a new dimension to the rivalry.
Despite the many winners’ medals it has stashed away, there’s been no drop in Australia’s hunger or its knack of turning it on when most required.
“There’s no doubt that we like winning as a team,” said Lanning. “Each tournament is very different, so it’s hard to compare the last three to the build-up to this game. We’re a very competitive side and anything we do, we love to win and want to win. The hunger in the side is as good as it’s ever been, and we can’t wait to get out there and take on West Indies tomorrow.”
For the West Indies, who has got to this stage after three straight semifinal defeats – two of them to Australia (2012 and ’14) – the key is to not let the occasion get to it. “We’re very much excited,” said Taylor. “It’s the first final for us, and I know there are going to be some nerves around. We just have to embrace it, try to be calm and composed, and just go out there and fight for it.”
Teams
Australia (likely): Meg Lanning (capt), Elyse Villani, Alyssa Healy (wk), Alex Blackwell, Ellyse Perry, Jess Jonassen, Beth Mooney, Erin Osborne, Megan Schutt, Kristen Beams, Rene Farrell.
West Indies (likely): Stafanie Taylor (capt), Hayley Matthews, Britney Cooper, Deandra Dottin, Stacy-Ann King, Merissa Aquilleira (wk), Shemaine Campbelle, Shaquana Quintyne, Afy Fletcher, Anisa Mohammed, Shamilia Connell.