LAHORE, Pakistan – In a finish that will haunt the West Indies Women for years to come, their dreams of competing in the 2025 ICC Women’s World Cup were shattered in a blaze of boundaries and brutal arithmetic.
Despite a breathtaking run chase against Thailand, the regional side missed qualification by a mere four deliveries, with Net Run Rate (NRR) proving their ultimate undoing.
Needing to overhaul Thailand’s 166 all out in 46.1 overs in just 10.1 overs to outstrip Bangladesh on NRR and secure the final qualification spot, the West Indies Women responded with firepower and flair—reaching 168 for four in 10.5 overs. The chase was valiant. The heartbreak, immeasurable.
Margins and Mathematics: When points weren’t enough
The two teams—West Indies and Bangladesh—ended the tournament tied on six points, but the Caribbean outfit’s NRR of 0.626 fell just shy of Bangladesh’s 0.639.
It was an agonizing end, especially considering that the Windies bowlers allowed Thailand’s last four wickets to add a crucial 81 runs—a cushion that ultimately tipped the balance.
“We knew what we had to do, and we came out swinging,” said a disappointed but proud Hayley Matthews post-match. “It hurts, but I’m proud of the way the team fought.”
Matthews and Joseph ignite Gaddafi with blazing start
After Pakistan’s dominant seven-wicket win over Bangladesh earlier in the day opened the door to qualification, Matthews won the toss at Gaddafi Stadium and elected to field—knowing that only a massive margin of victory would suffice.
Thailand’s openers offered early resistance, reaching 64 for one, before a triple threat of Afy Fletcher (4-20), Aliyah Alleyne (3-41), and Ashmini Munisar (2-15) sparked a dramatic collapse to 85 for six. But the West Indies were left frustrated by Natthakan Chantham’s gutsy 66, which powered Thailand to a competitive 166.
Still, the Windies had one job left: 167 runs in 10.1 overs—a near-impossible task that they embraced with fearless urgency.
The Hayley hurricane: Blistering 70 in 29 rocks Lahore
What followed was a dazzling display of power-hitting rarely seen in women’s ODIs. Matthews launched into a breathtaking assault, plundering 70 from 29 balls, laced with 11 boundaries and two sixes. She and Rashada Williams (26) tore into the Thailand attack, taking 63 runs in the first four overs and sparking belief.
Matthews reached her half-century in just 21 deliveries, treating medium pacer Chanida Sutthiruang to a trio of boundaries in the fifth over. When she fell in the seventh over, West Indies were 105 for two—well ahead of the run rate, but increasingly tight on time.
Race against the clock: Drama to the final delivery
With 21 needed off the final three balls to stay alive in the tournament, the task moved beyond even the explosive abilities of Stafanie Taylor, who managed a towering six but couldn’t stop the clock from running out. The Windies reached 168 for four in 10.5 overs—just four balls too late.
“We gave it everything,” said Taylor. “We were swinging for the fences, but today wasn’t our day.”
When every run mattered: The cruelty of Net Run Rate
Net Run Rate, often a footnote, became the final judge. And while Pakistan did their part by beating Bangladesh, it wasn’t enough. West Indies needed not only to win, but to obliterate the target—and they almost did.
But “almost” doesn’t earn a plane ticket to the World Cup.
