WI Women’s coach encouraged by young players’ performance

BASSETERRE, St Kitts:

With the West Indies Women having wrapped up their T20I series against Bangladesh Women with a win in the second match, assistant coach Damien Wright has hinted that the younger and more inexperienced players might play a bigger role in the final game on Friday.

Qiana Joseph scored her second T20I half-century, Deandra Dottin blasted a boundary-laden 49, and captain Hayley Matthews chipped in with 27 as the West Indies trounced the visitors by 106 runs to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.

However, 24-year-old Shabika Gajnabi and Jannillea Glasgow, with only 23 T20Is between them, also impressed, with the former hitting an unbeaten 24 from 12 balls, while Glasgow scored 14 at a run a ball.

Speaking during a post-match interview, Wright said, with the series already won, he expected some of the younger players to get an opportunity.

"It was a wonderful game. We really had to respond after the first game, and I thought the girls were fantastic tonight. It was a really good performance.

"... I think you might see a few changes in the next game now that the series is taken care of, I think you'll probably see a few changes in that batting order," Wright said.

"Gajnabi was fantastic. She has had limited opportunities but, to see her come out and play so freely like that, she did a great job, and I thought Glasgow was terrific as well.

"So, the more we see of that, the more encouragement we're going to get to give them more opportunities, which is what we want to see," he added.

- CMC