The victorious captain of West Indies Women – Hayley Matthews says the bowlers did a pretty good job pegging New Zealand back at regular intervals, and felt it was a good wicket to bat on. She admits they fell a bit behind the rate, but says having wickets in hand and a set batter was crucial. She heaps praise on Campbelle, calling her innings fantastic and noting how emotional she gets given how much heart and fight she plays with, adding that she stuck with it despite struggling at one stage. On doing it without Taylor and Henry, she says it means a lot, since people tend to associate West Indies with just a handful of names, so seeing someone like Aaliyah Alleyne step up with the ball gives the team a lot of confidence. She adds that once those players are back, the side’s potential is limitless. On her own fitness, she says she’s fine, just a bit of cramp. When asked about Taylor and Henry, she reveals that they’re being monitored day by day and weren’t too far off, so there’s hope they could be back for the next match. On Campbelle, she says she kept telling her they needed to up the run rate, and even though it wasn’t quite working, the team trusted her fully, knowing the longer she batted, the easier things would get. She adds that Campbelle has a lot of self-belief and kept reassuring her that things would come good eventually. On being asked what this win means for their qualification chances, she says it’s really exciting, and the vibes are high, but stresses this is a World Cup, and they can’t afford to lose focus. With Scotland up next, she says they can’t take anyone lightly and need to stay sharp, enjoying the celebration without getting complacent.
