Deitz hails batting revival and gives passing grade to his WI side

BREADY, Ireland (CMC):West Indies Women have emphatically exorcised the demons of their World Cup semi-final heartbreak, completing a comprehensive 3-0 series whitewash over Ireland at Bready with a display of ruthless, all-round cricket that has head coach Shane Deitz proclaiming his side is back to its best.After a gruelling 10-week tour that ended in the crushing disappointment of a semi-final loss, the Windies women have responded in the only way champions know how, by dominating every facet of the game against a spirited Irish outfit.For Deitz, the series was less about the opposition and more about his own team rediscovering its identity, particularly with the bat.“I think we played pretty good cricket throughout the whole series,” Deitz told CWI media following the final victory. “We talked about batters stepping up and making big hundreds, and now Hayley (Matthews) made two, and Stafanie (Taylor) made two. Young Grimo (Releanna Grimond) made 90. We had some other contributions along the way. So the batters did a really good job. That’s where we struggled in ODI cricket recently.”The numbers are staggering. In a three-match series, the West Indies amassed two double-centurions in Matthews and Taylor, with the veteran duo each notching a pair of massive hundreds.Grimond’s fluent 90 at the top of the order further underscored a batting unit that has clearly turned a corner after recent struggles in the 50-over format.Deitz was equally pleased with the bowling attack, which operated with precision on surfaces that offered little assistance to the bowlers.“Pretty good batting conditions,” he acknowledged. “We talked about just being consistent and making them hit our best ball more often, and I think the bowlers did a pretty good job with that as well. We had some new opening bowlers and some different roles in the team. So yeah, the players really stood up and fought hard as well the whole time.”The series will also be remembered for the excellent batting of Stafanie Taylor, who surpassed 10,000 international runs during the tour. This milestone, Deitz believes, is merely a stepping stone for the West Indies’ greatest-ever player.“Mate, 10,000 runs is a lot of runs,” Deitz said, struggling to contain his admiration. “And mate, I think since I’ve been with the team for three years, she’s in the best form I’ve seen. She scored a great hundred against Australia in St. Kitts a few months ago, and then two hundreds here, and she’s gone from strength to strength.”When pressed on how much more the 35-year-old has left in the tank, the coach was unequivocal.“I reckon she’s got at least another 5,000 in her,” he declared. “But what an amazing player, a legend of world cricket, obviously a legend of West Indies cricket, and lucky we’ve got her in our team, and such a great person as well, on and off the field. So congratulations to her, and she deserves everything she gets.”With the series in the bag, the squad will now enjoy a brief respite before shifting focus to the upcoming Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL), a vital opportunity to sharpen T20 skills, and then to a crucial tour to Zimbabwe.“We’ve had a 10-week tour, so we have a few weeks’ break,” Deitz explained. “And we’ve got the WCPL coming up, which is a great chance for the girls to practice their T20 skills. So we’ll do a bit of prep for the WCPL, and then we’ll go to Zimbabwe, which will be a really good tour and a great chance to get some wins on the board.”The coach is eyeing nothing less than a clean sweep in Harare, viewing the Zimbabweans as a team the Windies must put away with authority.“Obviously, they’re new to, particularly, the ODI side of the Women’s Cricket Championship, so it’s a really good chance for us to make sure we leave there with three good wins and play some really, really good cricket,” Deitz said.“And some great fields and great ovals there in Harare and a few other places that are fantastic international grounds, so a great chance for the girls to play some really good cricket.”