Let the games begin

Stand-alone ICC Women’s World T20 tournament…

– 3 historic matches scheduled today at Providence

By Brandon Corlette
As the warm-up matches concluded, the official matches of the historic Stand-alone International Cricket Council (ICC) Women’s World T20 tournament will bowl off today at the National Stadium, Providence, East Bank Demerara, Guyana.

The first of the three matches that will be played today is scheduled for 11:00h with New Zealand taking on India. In the second match, Australia and Pakistan will battle at 16:00h, while the most-anticipating and final match of the day is scheduled for 20:00h with World T20 champions West Indies playing Bangladesh.
It will be a carnival-like atmosphere today at the National Stadium with well-known Jamaican artiste Shenseea taking the stage from 14:30h at the Grass Mound (party-stand) to entertain the large crowd that is expected to support the Women’s World T20. Transportation will not be an issue as shuttles will be used to transport the die-hard cricket fans in the following areas: Albion, Unity, Mahaica, Corriverton, Rosignol, Soesdyke, Linden, Timehri and Parika. The exact points of pick-up will be publicised.

For individuals who did not have the opportunity to purchase tickets before-hand, the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) office and Providence has tickets on sale from 09:00h to 17:00h daily. Additionally, daily vehicle passes are also available at $1000 each.
Ahead of New Zealand’s first match against India, the white fern’s skipper, Amy Satterthwaite spoke about the importance of their first match in a press conference held at the Marriott Hotel, Georgetown, Guyana. Satterthwaite explained that the teams in Group B are strong and in their match-up against India, they will have to be at the top of their game. The New Zealander added that her team would have to continuously make adjustments to their game since the pitches in the Caribbean, especially Guyana, will suit spin bowling. “We will have to improve on certain aspects of the game since West Indies exposed us in the warm-up match”. In conclusion, Satterthwaite noted that the Kia Super League (KSL) in England and the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) in Australia have nurtured women’s cricket, and New Zealand have had discussions on creating a women’s cricket league.
Meanwhile, the consistent Australian team, who are among the teams favoured to win the tournament, will play Pakistan in the second match of the day. “The conditions have been hot and humid in Guyana, but we have acclimatised quickly since we played cricket in similar conditions on the tour to Malaysia,” the Australian Captain noted. Lanning concluded at the press conference that T20 cricket was expected to change quickly and her team are prepared to play according to the game scenario.