WI Women vs Aus Women 3rd T20i: Can WI Women Fix Their Batting in Time?

The Windies have been unable to string together an entire innings with all its best elements in either of their two matches; as a result, the third T20I vs Australia feels like an opportunity for the West Indies to prove they can be competitive.

This third T20I will take place at Arnos Vale Ground in St Vincent on March 23 and at approximately 4:00 AM IST for fans in India, as they will be consuming this match from their sleep-deprived eyes over chai.

Specifically, the first two T20I matches featured Australia scoring 164 runs and winning each match by margins of victory of 43 and 17 runs, respectively, against the West Indies. For the West Indies, they were able to score 121/6 in the first match and raise their score to 147/4 in their second match, thanks to a solid performance from Hayley Matthews scoring 56 runs and Deandra Dottin not out with 39 runs.

However, the West Indies do not need a miracle to win; rather, they simply need to create a solid batting sequence of innings. Specifically, the West Indies should focus on a calmer powerplay, more intelligent middle overs strategies against the leg spin, and a finishing burst that begins at the 16th over of the match as opposed to waiting until the 20th over of the match.

That being said, can they put these pieces together one time? The answer is yes, and they have demonstrated enough throughout their respective innings to have reason to believe that this is not a mismatch. The main problem here lies with the fact that Australia’s best asset in the T20 format is being able to make your almost-good innings look as though it is just a normal day at the office for them.

In the third T20I match between the West Indies and Australia, there will be a chance for the West Indies to break the mould and do something different to upset that routine. As the World Cup draws closer, it is expected that Australia will use this series to experiment and rotate their players, yet for Australia, they are consistently performing at a much higher baseline level than the rest of the competition within this series.The West Indies’ game plan has to take the information learnt regarding how to chase 164 at Arnos Vale and use that to create their “stability” when they chase runs.

An example of how Australia has played using the “164”, and two innings, the two innings were quite different, but they both reached a point of 164.

In the 1st T20I, Australia were behind on the scoreboard after losing early wickets, with 79 scored by Beth Mooney off 55 balls, and support by Ellyse Perry (36 runs off 32 balls). However, despite Australia experiencing quiet patches, they finished on 164 runs for 6 wickets.

In the second match the innings started with scoring much quicker, with 54 runs scored in the power-play with Georgia Voll (39 runs off 23 balls) and Mooney smashing runs. Phoebe Litchfield made 35 runs off 25 balls, and Ellyse Perry batted 42 runs off 28 balls. Towards the end of the innings, WI managed to claw back and restricted Australia to 164 runs for 5 wickets.

The number 164 is an important number as it helps to dictate the pace of the game. At Arnos Vale, 165 runs isn’t an unreachable target, but losing 2 overs at any point in the innings can hurt your chances of chasing it down quickly.

WI Women vs Aus Women 3rd T20

Why Windies are Having a Batting Slump

“Batting slump” does not mean all batters are struggling to hit the ball. It also means that the innings does not flow properly.

1) During the powerplay the WI did not show any clarity. In match 1 the WI’s innings started steadily, and then stalled when the Australian spin bowlers came in. In the 2nd match the WI were 26/1 after 6 overs, so they spent the rest of the chase trying to “catch up” instead of “keeping up”. If you do not have the appropriate mindset when you are chasing against Australia, you will find it very difficult to do so.Excellent fielding to stop doubles, consistent bowling to keep the stumps in play and waiting for frustration shots at their opposition.

2. The spin exam has been in effect during the middle overs. Alana King has been outstanding with 5 wickets in 2 matches and Georgia Wareham has taken on her role as a controllable and wicket-taking spin bowler. What makes King a threat is not only her ability to turn the ball but also her ability to change both pace and length to make the batsman hit across the line of the ball.

3. In the early stages, the West Indies have checked a couple of boundaries, before promptly losing a wicket just after creating the momentum to keep scoring boundaries. Dottin fell for 0 in the first T20I and after that, the innings went from being able to finish strongly, to that wasn’t possible anymore. In the second, Matthews looked like she was going to make an innings that could get to 100, until she was run out at 90/2 in 12.1 overs. The West Indies needed 75 to finish off, but when Matthews was run out, it changed what would have ordinarily been a target of 75 in 8 overs, to a target of 90 with Australia still having their best overs.

4. The last eight overs of the innings have been short and too late.

In fact, Dottin’s 39 off 28 was a good innings, but it still left the West Indies 17 runs short. The last 8 overs of an innings that include a burst at the end (starting at over 19) look great on the highlights reel but ultimately lose games.

The solution is not overly complicated for the West Indies. They simply need to establish a strategy to achieve runs at the end of the innings which starts as soon as they get to 16 overs with wickets in hand, even if they need to be more aggressive during the earlier dilapidated part of the innings – to avoid having to scramble them into the last part of the innings.

Matthews and Dottin

The Difference Between Competing and Chasing Shadows.

If the West Indies succeed in this match, then their innings will almost certainly move through the players Matthews and Dottin with Taylor being the glue that keeps everything together.Matthews has scored a team-high 67 runs in the series and her 56 runs scored in the second T20I showed she is in good form with the bat; she was able to access the straight boundary, identify the balls to slog-sweep and maintained her composure until she was dismissed.

Dottin has two roles; she has taken four wickets with her bowling, and she has provided finishing strength with her bat, as evidenced by her 39 not out in the second T20I. The West Indies should maximise Dottin’s contributions to the team by providing her with an opportunity to perform with the bat at 14 overs instead of waiting until 18 overs.

Taylor plays a key role in the team’s batting line-up, even if it doesn’t appear that way. Her innings of 28 in the first game and 22 in the second game demonstrate that she is still very capable of having a calming influence on a chase. The West Indies do not need Taylor to score her runs at 140 strike rate; they just need her to play a supporting role by playing 25-30 balls, allowing Matthews and Dottin to go hard.

This batting strategy can be simplified:

Matthews targets the overs where Alana King is not bowling, while Taylor absorbs pressure and stabilises the chase.

Dottin has the green light to attack after the 14th over.

The team still requires the contribution of one more batter. Qiana Joseph had a great start in the first T20I, scoring 45 runs, and she could be the third batter in this strategy but must avoid dismissals which Australia can create through their tight infielders (known as “hard hands”).

Australia’s Spin Pressure

King, Wareham and a Run-Denial Field

Australia have created their bowling roster for this type of playing surface.The strategy for the Windies needs to go beyond simply attacking the Australian spinners, so just hitting them as hard and as often as possible won’t work for this group either. They must keep the ball controlled and play late when it’s coming down. The sweep shot should only be used to collect runs, it shouldn’t be regarded as an act of desperation. Rotating the strike frequently will prevent King from bowling three balls that are dead, followed by a wicket ball; something that has plagued other teams facing both King and Wareham (one being King and the other Wareham).

As Indian fans experienced during the slow nights of the Women’s Premier League, there was the possibility of a leg spinner bowling a 6-0-18-2 in which the team chasing just never recovered, whereas Australia have two leg spinners and excellent boundary riders allowing them to execute very similar performances.

Arnos Vale – What It Is Showing Us

The Same Venue, Same Lesson

All three T20 matches will be played at Arnos Vale and the first two T20 Matches have already demonstrated how the Pitch is responding to the batsman. A score of 165 has been considered to be a strong first-inning total.Although the surface may not be completely flat, it is true that for capable hitters, they will be able to hit through the line during the initial phase of innings (i.e., “the power play”) and find gaps when the ball starts gripping. The West Indies have bowled competently against Australia as they have restricted them to totals of 164 on two occasions. The only factors preventing them from getting the win have been when they allow for quick bursts of momentum to the opposition — for example, the 54-run power play in the second match, and the partnership between Mooney and Perry in the first match.

On the other hand, the Australian batsmen have adapted very well to the pitch conditions that have been conducive to success against spin bowler; they have played with intelligence rather than carelessness, and as a result, they have set up their bowling strategy to take wickets during the middle overs rather than simply attempting to defend their total. Australia have already demonstrated that they have the ability to make changes to their line-up based on the outcome of the previous matches so far in the series (e.g., since they currently lead the series two-nil) as they were able to sit Ashleigh Gardner out of the second match. This provides Australia with the added depth they have in their squad to rotate players in and out of the team without compromising their ability to win games (i.e., “biting”).

The West Indies can do the same, in terms of giving a younger batter an opportunity, but more than likely will want to maintain consistency to someday be able to put an entire innings together. A larger consideration in terms of selection will be the strategy; how many overs do they want to give their best wicket-takers early in the innings? Dottin leads the team in wickets taken this series with a total of four. If she is not chosen to open the bowling line-up, she should be brought on to bowl by the third over, which Matthews can do in the power play if a right-handed batter is trying to hit a big score.”Afy Fletcher’s leg-spin is essential during middle overs, and her fielding positions need to be from a catching ring, with a slip included instead of a defensive ‘please miss’ approach.”

West Indies must strive to keep Australia from reaching 50 runs in six overs. If they can limit their scoring to around 40 runs after the powerplay, the target of 164 could potentially be 150-155, which completely alters the destination of the Chase for both teams.

To win this match

against Australia, the West Indies need to have an easy-to-read scoreboard:

They need to keep Australia under 160 or successfully chase down 165 by having one solid partnership of 100 runs or more and a score of around 40 runs at the end of the innings.

Following this game plan for the West Indies is a very specific process for today’s T20I match.

Batting Game Plan

During the Powerplay phase, shoot for a score of 38-45 runs at the end of the Powerplay period with a maximum of one wicket lost.

During overs 7-15, continue to stay with the ‘one boundary per over’ rule against all non-King overs and keep the run rate high (90-100 runs).

During overs 16-20, ensure two batters with hitting ability (preferably Matthews or Dottin) are still batting and have at least one batter left so the final five overs are not a one-person show.

Bowling Game Plan

With the new ball, bowl short and at the stumps of Mooney and do not offer fullness to Voll.

For the middle overs, bowl King-style and back at Australia and have Fletcher and Matthews bowl fast and hit at the same line that stifles the slog sweep.

At the closing stages of the innings, bowl to the longest boundary and rely on good catching.

If the West Indies manage all of these simple yet necessary fundamentals of the game, they will finally turn their ‘better’ efforts into a ‘good enough’ score against the Australian Women’s T20I team in the 3rd T20 International.

Key Notes to Remember

In the initial two games, Australia has posted scores of 164, which they have successfully defended by comfortable margins. The scores by the West Indies were 121/6 (defeated by 43 runs) and 147/4 (defeated by 17 runs).

The best performance from the West Indies while attempting to chase was during the time of Hayley Matthews, 56 off 41 and Deandra Dottin with 39 not out off 28, respectively. The powerplay started slowly, with a total of 26 runs for one wicket lost after six overs.

The Australian edge in this series has been created primarily because of their spin attack. Alana King has five wickets in two matches and Wareham has ties up runs in the middle overs.

The leading run-scorer for Australia at this point is Beth Mooney, with 96 runs, with Ellyse Perry close behind at 78 runs. Therefore, the game plan in this early part of the innings must target one of these two batters with the new ball.

For those viewers in India, the match can be viewed live sometime in the early hours on March 24 (around 4:00 AM IST) as the game will be played on the evening of March 23 in St. Vincent.

Wrap Up

The West Indies batters do not need to change their batting technique to succeed in this match; they must keep their innings at a higher level for longer. They can accomplish this by having a more beneficial powerplay, eliminating as many stalled overs during the leg-spin bowling period, and having a clear strategy for finishing the innings when the panic time begins.

Australia will be Australia as they are disciplined, athletic, and brutal when it comes to match pursuing areas. If the West Indies can make this 10-over stretch their best 20-over stretch during the 3rd T20 International WI Women vs Aus Women, they will achieve a score that reflects the competitive nature that we have already witnessed.