WOMEN’S T20 SERIES

BY: KAYLA KARIM 

Cricket fans will have a chance to see all of the ICC Women’s World T20 2018 games for the first time ever this year. This is also the first time that the tournament will be separated from the men’s event after the International Cricket Council announced that the tournament will have live broadcasts in more than 200 countries around the world.

The ICC Women’s World Twenty20 is the sixth edition of the tournament, the first hosted by England in 2009. In the past, there were only eight participants in the first three Women’s T20, which expanded to ten teams in 2014.

Guyana and St. Lucia will host 10 teams over a 16-day tournament that kicked off last week and will conclude with the final game on November 24^th in Antigua. The participating teams are divided into two groups. South Africa, Bangladesh, West Indies, England, and Sri Lanka are a part of Group A; and Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, and India are in Group B. The top two from each of the groups will head to the semi-finals.

Defending champions, West Indies had their first matchup Saturday and will have a five-day break until their next game against the South Africa Women in St. Lucia. The West Indies, who are well known for playing entertaining and dominating cricket, will look to achieve no less than a championship this year, especially with the help of Stafanie Taylor. West Indies captain, Stafanie Taylor is one of the most experienced players in women’s cricket, a definite asset to the West Indies team with excellent batting and bowling stats having the highest batting average of 41.82.

Another player that is expected to be significantly impressive is Hayley Matthews. The vice-captain and right-handed opener were only 18 years old when the West Indies won the tournament in 2016. Now at 20 years old, she is ranked second in the T20 rankings, behind West Indies captain Stafanie Taylor.

England, who is another favourite in the tournament, start their contest in St. Lucia. England’s captain, Heather Knight will hope to lead the team to a victory, England’s first since 2009, with her batting skill. Knight scored two half-centuries in her last 10 T20 innings during her time in the Women’s Super Cricket League in England. 

Australia is also going into the tournament as a favourite for this year having been ranked no. 1 by the International Cricket Council. The three-time winner Australia are a strong team in Group B with right-handed batter, Ashleigh Gardner leading the way.

Yet to win a World T20 Final, India will compete for the title in their opener against New Zealand. India, who is more familiar with the longer format of a 50-over game, have not been very competitive in the World T20 failing to win over five attempts, their best result being a semi-final appearance in 2009 and 2010. However, 29 year old, captain Harmanpreet Kaur, is looking to lead this squad to a victorious turnout with her aggressive and poised style of play.

Underdogs Sri Lanka will need consistency to be successful in the 2018 World T20. Sri Lanka has only won more than one match once in 2016 and is yet to appear in the knockout rounds of the tournament. Trying to turn their record around, Sri Lanka’s captain Chamari Atapattu goes into the tournament considered to be one of the most destructive batsmen in the women’s game who knows how to perform on a big stage.

All matches will be played at either, Guyana National Stadium in Providence, Guyana or Darren Sammy Cricket Ground in Gros Islet, Saint Lucia followed by the finals at Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in North Sound, Antigua.