Bristol, June 26 (IANS) A semifinal spot will be at stake for West Indies when they face Ireland in their final Group B match of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 at the County Ground in Bristol on Saturday.

West Indies have had a great tournament, winning three games in four, the only blemish an unbeaten England at Lord’s. Hayley Matthews’s charges will look to continue where they left off against Ireland,and confirm their spot in the final four.

Shemaine Campbelle has been a rock at the top of the order with 150 runs in four innings, whereas Chinelle Henry’s half-century not out against England has thrown light on the middle order’s strength.

West Indies have been very dependent on Aaliyah Alleyne and her captain Matthews, as both of them bagged eight wickets, with spinners Afy Fletcher and Karishma Ramharack also proving effective.

Meanwhile, Ireland have been unfortunate and are the only team that have lost four games in a row. Skipper Gaby Lewis has led from the front, with 128 runs under her belt; meanwhile, Orla Prendergast’s all-round performance-making 118 runs and taking five wickets – has proved crucial. Among the Ireland bowlers, Aimee Maguire has proved to be the deadliest, with four scalps.

The pitch here in Bristol seems to be a very interesting battle between the batter and the bowler.

However, the past three matches here at this World Cup have seen the team batting second winning all the matches.

Seamers might find some movement initially but as the match progresses batting might become easy. Under the prevailing clear skies, the West Indies are very much fancied for this encounter but an upset win is well within Ireland’s reach to sign off their campaign.

When: June 27, Saturday at 7:00 PM IST

Where: Bristol County Ground, Bristol

Where to watch: The West Indies vs Ireland clash will be broadcast on Star Sports Network and live streaming on JioStar.

Squads:

West Indies:

Hayley Matthews (c), Chinelle Henry, Deandra Dottin, Stafanie Taylor, Afy Fletcher, Aaliyah Alleyne, Shemaine Campbelle, Ashmini Munisar, Karishma Ramharack, Jannillea Glasgow, Jahzara Claxton, Qiana Joseph, Zaida James, Mandy Mangru, Shawnisha Hector

Ireland:

Gaby Lewis (c), Ava Canning, Christina Coulter Reilly, Alana Dalzell, Georgina Dempsey, Amy Hunter, Arlene Kelly, Louise Little, Aimee Maguire, Lara McBride, Cara Murray, Leah Paul, Orla Prendergast, Rebecca Stokell, Alice Tector

–IANS

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