WI miss out on Women’s World Cup by 0.01 run-rate

ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier, Lahore

Thailand 166 (46. 1 overs): Chantam 66 (98); Fletcher 4-20

West Indies 168-4 (10. 5 overs): Matthews 70 (29)

West Indies won by six wickets

West Indies have failed to reach the Women’s World Cup for the first time in 25 years after finishing their qualifying games 0. 01 behind Bangladesh on net run-rate.

After restricting Thailand to 166, West Indies needed to chase their target down in 10 overs to overhaul second-placed Bangladesh’s net run-rate advantage.

They made a blistering effort but fell just short, reaching 156-3 after 10 overs – the highest powerplay total in women’s ODIs.

Hayley Matthews’ side completed victory on 168-4 just five balls later to finish level with Bangladesh on six points. However, West Indies ended with a net run-rate of 0. 63, meaning Bangladesh squeezed through on 0. 64.

West Indies began the final day of qualifying in third position in the table, with only the top two teams advancing to this autumn’s 50-over World Cup.

Matthews kickstarted the brave attempt with a 21-ball fifty – the second-fastest in women’s one-day internationals – before she was dismissed for 70 from 29 balls.

Elsewhere, Pakistan won all five of their matches to qualify comfortably, while Bangladesh will also compete at the eight-team tournament.

Scotland and Ireland failed to qualify.

The World Cup, which starts on 29 September and runs for around a month, is being hosted by India, with Australia defending the title.

West Indies memorably beat England in last year’s T20 World Cup to reach the semi-finals, but defeats by Scotland and Pakistan in their opening matches of these qualifiers meant they had to win all of their remaining games, and still rely on other results to swing net run-rate in their favour.

The match against Scotland proved decisive, a tense 11-run defeat where captain Matthews scored an unbeaten century and took four wickets but had little support from her team.

With the tournament taking place in India, Pakistan’s qualification means that the International Cricket Council (ICC) will adopt a hybrid hosting model.

As part of India men’s agreement to play in this year’s Champions Trophy, all of their matches were played in the United Arab Emirates rather than in Pakistan, where the tournament was originally due to be hosted in its entirety.

In turn, the Pakistan Cricket Board only accepted this hybrid model if they could guarantee that their sides – male and female – would not be required to play in India during the 2024-2027 ICC event cycle.

The likely location for Pakistan’s matches – a minimum of seven – will either be in the UAE again, or Sri Lanka.

Political tensions mean the two countries have not faced each other outside of men’s major tournaments since 2013, while India have not played in Pakistan since 2008.