How many times will you see a batter break down in tears after hitting a six to win a match, reaching 168 in 10.5 overs in a One Day International, no less? Stafanie Taylor, a former T20 World Cup-winning captain for West Indies, timed a lofted straight drive so well off Phannita Maya that it cleared the fielder at long-on and went for six. The match was over. West Indies had overhauled the target. But as Taylor turned toward the West Indies dugout, arms spread out, it began to sink in. Captain Hayley Matthews, among others, had her hands on her head. She slowly started walking out in tears. Taylor sank to her knees, sobbing. A win with 235 balls to spare, but it wasn’t enough, under the most bizarre of circumstances.
Before the emotions came the math. Thailand had posted 166 after batting first at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. West Indies had to chase 167 in 10.1 overs. But given how Net Run Rate calculations work, they also had the option of hitting a four from 166 to reach 170 in 10.4 overs, or hitting a six from 166 to reach 172 in 11 overs. Any of these scenarios would have seen them qualify for the World Cup. At the end of the 10th over, they had reached 156. So, Plan A was out the window. After 10.4 overs, they were on 162, meaning they needed to hit a four and a six, in that order. But Taylor’s six off 10.5 meant West Indies, ironically, fell short.
Bangladesh, who had lost to Pakistan just a while earlier, finished with 3 wins and 6 points, and a Net Run Rate of 0.639. West Indies also finished with 3 wins and 6 points, but a NRR of 0.626.
One of the CRAZIEST finishes I have seen. West Indies missed the first window of qualification in 10.1 overs to overhaul 167. But could have still made it with a 6 from 166 in 11 overs. From 162, they needed to hit 4, then 6… but Stafanie hits a 6! Tears for WI. No World Cup. pic.twitter.com/z87fjuuR7t
— Vinayakk (@vinayakkm) April 19, 2025
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It was especially cruel on West Indies skipper Matthews. Chasing the near impossible, she had given her side a flying start along with Qiana Joseph. There was, of course, only one way to bat in this scenario, needing to score at more than 16 runs per over from the word go. Matthews smashed a 29-ball 70, with 11 fours and 2 sixes. When she was caught off Chanida Sutthiruang’s bowling, the walk back to the dugout betrayed her immense disappointment. But Chinelle Henry, who displayed her big-hitting capabilities during the recent Women’s Premier League, kept hopes alive with a 17-ball 48. It wasn’t to be after all.
For Matthews, the tournament started and ended with heartbreak, despite her heroic efforts. In the tournament opener against Scotland, it was a one-woman show: she first picked up a four-wicket haul and then suffered through physical distress while batting. She had to be stretchered off the field on 99, but her side lost the ninth wicket immediately after. So she came back to bat, dragged her side to the brink with an unbeaten 114, but was left stranded at the non-striker’s end as Scotland won by 11 runs. A win that day could, eventually, have made all the difference.
Earlier in the tournament, Fatima Sana-led Pakistan booked their place at the 2025 World Cup, with an 87-run victory over Thailand at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Thursday. Their win confirms that the eight-team tournament will be played in a hybrid model as they can’t travel to India.
On Saturday, Pakistan completed their campaign with five wins out of five matches as they beat Bangladesh by 7 wickets and with 63 balls to spare. Bangladesh started the final set of round-robin matches with a 2-point and Net Run Rate cushion over West Indies but managed to post just 178/9 in 50 overs. Pakistan then chased down the target in 39.4 overs, riding on half-centuries by opener Muneeba Ali and the in-form Aliya Riaz. The margin of defeat meant West Indies had a glimmer of hope, only for it to be taken away from them by the barest of margins. A difference of 0.013 on the Net Run Rate table, to be precise.
