NORTHAMPTON, England – West Indies Women’s coach Sherwin Campbell said his side were upbeat about their chances of winning the third Twenty20 International against England Women on Wednesday, keeping them alive in the series.
The Windies Women suffered an eight-wicket defeat in the first T20I last Saturday at Chester-le-Street before losing the second match by 28 runs on Monday at Manchester to trail 0-2 in the five-match series.
Campbell, the former West Indies opener, said his side was well aware of the enormity of the task that confronted them in the third match.
“It’s going to be a big challenge obviously,” he said. “But they are very confident in their ability to bounce back and to win this match.”
He added: “They have been working very hard over the last few days and they have a good feeling about the match.”
Campbell identified the unusual English conditions as the primary cause for the team’s setback in the series.
“It’s always difficult getting used to the conditions here in England,” he said. “The pitches and the weather conditions are quite different to what they know at home.
“It’s always important to overcome the conditions in England. That’s always half of the job done, and once they can do this, they can be far more competitive.”
He said: “We were quite fortunate when we arrived. The first few days were quite good and we were happy to get good weather.
“But the weather has changed over the last few days. It has become quite rainy and chilly – and it is now really typical English weather. But they have got to get used to it and get in the right frame of mind to get the job done.”
Campbell said the results in the first two matches have not eroded the morale of the team.
“It is still very good,” he said. “We knew where we fell down in the first match and they showed improvement in second game.
“Once we can continue to improve with every game, we will get the results in the end, but this third match will be crucial.”
Windies Women will be boosted for the third match by the arrival of Stafanie Taylor.
The top women’s all-rounder in the World arrived over the weekend, following exams in her native Jamaica.
She joins the teams following an incredible performance in the recent Regional Women’s Twenty20 Tournament, in which she was named Most Valuable Player.
“Obviously, she is the top all-rounder in the World, and she will help to a huge difference to the team,” he said.
“We do not want to use her absence as an excuse because the other players need to step up. But she will add a bit more to both our batting and bowling.”