Date – Saturday, 22nd February 2020
Time – 2 pm (Local Time), 11:30 am (IST)
Venue – WACA, Perth
With the tournament well and truly underway with the hosts Australia completing their first match against India, we will see Group B in action. This group comprises of England, South Africa, West Indies, Pakistan, and Thailand. England seems to be the favorites to progress to the knockouts but it is not as straightforward to determine the other team to qualify, which makes this group very interesting. West Indies have had a storied history in the tournament winning the 2016 edition and South Africa has had a strong performance in their recent tour of New Zealand. Pakistan and Thailand round out the Group.
West Indies seems to have a lot going for them in such tournaments as is evident in their tournament history. Barring the 2009 edition where they could not progress beyond the group stage, they have qualified for the knockouts ever since. They have crowned the champions in 2016 along with the men’s team and have been runners-up on two occasions. They made a semi-final appearance twice as well. However, it is back to ground zero as they start this edition with what looks like a relatively easy outing against Thailand.
Thailand, on the other hand, has risen phenomenally and will be playing in such a global tournament for the first time in their lives. As such, they would just be happy playing at this level without any baggage of expectations lying with them. They will be looking to gain match practice against some top sides and building on their skills learning from this experience, without looking too far ahead. Having said that, without any expectations behind them, they can play with freedom and look to cause an upset or two.
West Indies Vs Thailand – Head-to-Head
West Indies haven’t competed against Thailand at any stage, so it will be interesting to see what the teams bring to the field when playing against each other.
Form Guide
West Indies – LLLLL
Thailand – LWWWW
(Last 5 completed matches)
In the current form, West Indies have had a torrid time in this format with two tough series against Australia and India at home. In the recent series against India, they lost on five successive occasions to concede the series 5-0. However, they were not playing the tournament at full strength with a few big names missing from their team sheet. When they back in the side for this tournament, they will expect to do well, starting from their match against Thailand.
Thailand last played a T20I during the World T20 Qualifiers and they showed that they can compete at a global level. They won each of the three matches in the group stage, progressing to the semi-finals and the finals to earn a qualification for this tournament. Their only loss in their last 5 matches came against Bangladesh in the finals of the Qualifiers.
In spite of their good run ahead of the tournament, one should be aware that the quality of the West Indian attack is much superior when compared to the teams they played in the Qualifiers. West Indies, remain strong favorites to win the match.
Teams
West Indies Squad – Stafanie Taylor (captain), Aaliyah Alleyne, Shemaine Campbelle (wicket-keeper), Shamilia Connell, Britney Cooper, Deandra Dottin, Afy Fletcher, Cherry-Ann Fraser, Sheneta Grimmond, Chinelle Henry, Lee-Ann Kirby, Hayley Matthews, Anisa Mohammed, Chedean Nation, Shakera Selman
Led from the front by a very able Stafanie Taylor, the West Indian side is packed with match-winners. Stafanie Taylor has been exceptional in this tournament in the past is among the top run-getters and wicket-takers in the history of the tournament. She is supported by Deandra Dottin who also has a good record in this tournament. Her powerful strikes can change the momentum in her side’s favor very quickly.
Much depends on these 2 players in building a launchpad of the batting unit. Hayley Matthews has also been a very important member of the side and has made quite a few contributions while batting. The bowling line-up is led by two experienced fast bowlers, Shamilia Connell and Britney Cooper. Anisa Mohammed is their most prolific spinner and is also among the top-wicket taker in the format.
Thailand Squad – Sornnarin Tippoch (captain), Nattaya Boochatham, Naruemol Chaiwai, Nattakan Chantam, Onnicha Kamchomphu, Rosenan Kanoh, Suwanan Khiaoto, Nannapat Koncharoenkai (wicket-keeper), Suleeporn Laomi, Soraya Lateh, Wongpaka Liengprasert, Phannita Maya, Ratanaporn Padunglerd, Thipatcha Putthawong, Chanida Sutthiruang
The Thailand team also has a bit of experience at the T20I level with 10 of their 15 players having played at least 30 T20Is. Naruemol Chaiwai and Nattakan Chantam, Somnarin Tippoch and Nattaya Boochatham form the batting core and have scored half-centuries in this format. Chanida Sutthiruang and Suleeporn Laomi are their main bowlers.
Players to Watch out for
Stafanie Taylor (West Indies) – West Indian skipper and all-rounder has been very consistent for her country. She is experienced, having played 100 T20Is to date and is the second-highest run-scorer and the highest wicket-taker in the World T20. She played a crucial role in bringing the title home in 2016. This time again, she will look to start on the right foot as they try to win the trophy back again.
Deandra Dottin (West Indies) – West Indies’ high-flying batter will surely look to dominate the bowlers again as she has done in the past. She is known for brisk starts and can unsettle the bowlers with her powerful strikes. She has scored the fastest century in Women’s T20Is. She is also a handy bowler as she has shown in this tournament with the best figures ever in Women’s T20I – 5 wickets taken for just 5 runs. Against a relatively inexperienced side, she will look to dominate the proceedings again.
Shamilia Connell (West Indies) – West Indian pace-spearhead may not have many wickets to show in T20Is yet. However, her pace can hurry the Thailand batters considering the WACA track. It remains to be seen what she can extract out of the surface.
Pitch & Conditions
The match is being played at the WACA, which has traditionally favored fast bowlers with a lot of bounce and carry. Although no Women’s T20I has been played on this ground yet, there have been 21 Women’s Big Bash League matches played here out of which 7 has been won by the teams batting first and 14 by the teams batting second. Whoever wins the toss, will like to field first on this ground and try chasing down the target.
The temperature in Perth will be 22 degrees to 30 degrees Celsius, with a thunderstorm predicted in the morning. A cloudy sky is expected. Both will help in assisting bowlers and will reinforce the captain’s decision on fielding first after winning the toss.
We are expecting a cracker of a match. Do join us on Twitter for all the updates.