Bristol, June 27 (IANS) Ireland won the toss and elected to bowl against West Indies in their final group stage match of the Women’s T20 World Cup at the County Ground on Saturday. Ireland have made one change to the playing XI, with Jane Maguire replacing Lara McBride.

The match is crucial for West Indies as a win will secure a spot in the semifinals after a strong group-stage performance that has resulted in three victories from four matches. Their only loss came against unbeaten hosts England. Hayley Matthews will again be key to the Caribbean team’s hopes, having excelled with both bat and ball throughout the tournament.

Shemaine Campbelle has been the West Indies’ most reliable batter with 150 runs. Chinelle Henry’s unbeaten half-century against England showcased the strength of the middle order. Aaliyah Alleyne and Matthews have taken eight wickets each, while spinners Afy Fletcher and Karishma Ramharack have provided solid control in the middle overs.

On the other hand, Ireland will play for pride after four straight losses dashed their semifinal hopes. Captain Gaby Lewis has led the way with 128 runs, while all-rounder Orla Prendergast has made an impact with 118 runs and five wickets. Aimee Maguire is Ireland’s top wicket-taker with four.

After winning the toss, Ireland skipper Gaby Lewis said, “We’ll have a bowl first. Looks like a good pitch, and we’re hopefully going to chase the runs down. A lot of learning came close against NZ, and obviously, there have been some disappointments. Just about composure in those critical moments. One change. McGuire comes back in.”

While after losing the toss, the West Indies skipper, Hayley Matthews, said, “It looks a little bit slow (the pitch), watching the previous match. Not a bad idea to go there and get some runs. Always knew England was going to be a challenging match. They’ve been the best team in this group. We feel we haven’t hit our best as a team. Coming into this competition, we’re exactly where we wanted to be. It’s just about getting the expected job done. One change. Ramharack out, Qiana Joseph back in.”

Playing XIs:

West Indies: Hayley Matthews (c), Qiana Joseph, Shemaine Campbelle(wk), Stafanie Taylor, Deandra Dottin, Chinelle Henry, Jahzara Claxton, Jannillea Glasgow, Aaliyah Alleyne, Afy Fletcher, Ashmini Munisar

Ireland: Amy Hunter (wk), Gaby Lewis(c), Orla Prendergast, Rebecca Stokell, Leah Paul, Alice Tector, Louise Little, Arlene Kelly, Aimee Maguire, Cara Murray, Jane Maguire

–IANS

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