West Indies captain Hayley Matthews and head coach Shane Deitz praised Deandra Dottin’s resilience after the veteran all-rounder recovered from a medical emergency to play a crucial knock, even as the Caribbean side’s ICC Women’s T20 World Cup campaign came to an end with a semi-final defeat to Australia.
West Indies were put under pressure after Australia’s bowlers recovered well from a brisk start to restrict the scoring rate through the middle overs as they finished on 125/7. While the Caribbean batters struggled to maintain momentum, Dottin’s late assault ensured they finished with a total that at least gave their bowlers something to defend.
The build-up to the match had been far from ideal. Dottin was forced off the field after collapsing during the national anthems before eventually returning to bat, a moment that visibly unsettled the West Indies camp. Matthews admitted the incident was frightening for the players, given Dottin’s importance to the side, but said her comeback reflected the character that has defined the all-rounder’s career.
“Yeah, I think it was probably a bit scary for some of us. She’s obviously a massive player for us, so whenever you see her go down. So, to see her pretty much almost passing out like that after the anthem was a bit scary. But yeah, just a bit of a medical emergency. But at the same time, it shows how much of a fighter she is in the way that she was able to come back out and not only come back out but try to throw a few punches at the Aussies as well, speaks a lot about her character.”
Dottin came in when West Indies were at 83/6 and smashed unbeaten 26(16) including four boundaries and took the total to 125/6. The uncertainty surrounding Dottin’s availability also influenced Matthews’ own approach at the crease. The skipper revealed she found herself balancing the need to accelerate with the possibility that one of her most experienced teammates might not be able to bat, ultimately leaving her caught between attack and caution.
Despite reaching the last four, Matthews felt West Indies never quite produced the complete performance they were capable of throughout the tournament, pointing to inconsistency as one of the defining features of their campaign.
“Maybe a bit of both. I feel like we did not have our best game or play to our full potential for the entire tournament. We felt like our great game could have looked a lot better than that, but we weren’t able to execute, I think, in any of the matches. A full team performance to pull together, really, really good, yeah, performance by everyone, I guess.”
Head coach Shane Deitz echoed that assessment, believing West Indies made a positive start with the bat before Australia’s disciplined bowling attack gradually took control. He felt his side struggled to build partnerships or maintain scoring momentum during the middle overs, leaving too much work for the finishers despite a spirited late flourish.
“Yeah, obviously we got off to a pretty good start the first few overs, but they pulled it back well and bowled smart and, you know, we couldn’t get any momentum. And then at the end, we got a few together, so we’ve got a half-decent score we can try to defend.”
Deitz also explained the decision to recall experienced off-spinner Karishma Ramharack in place of Ashmini Munisar, believing her experience and wicket-taking ability gave West Indies their best chance against Australia’s formidable batting line-up. He added that the pitch had not played as quickly as expected and felt early wickets would have been crucial to putting Australia’s middle order under pressure.
The West Indies coach reserved special praise for Dottin, whose determination to return after the medical scare embodied the fighting spirit that has made her one of the team’s most influential players.”Yeah, she’s a tough character, so it’s hard to keep her down. So I hope she’ll come out and maybe chip in a wicket or two as well.”
Australia eventually completed the easy chase to secure their place in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup final, ending West Indies’ impressive run in the competition. While the defeat marked a disappointing finish, the Caribbean side left the tournament with another semi-final appearance and renewed belief, with Dottin’s courageous return serving as one of the defining moments of their campaign.
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