Thailand promises to continue attacking ways, despite first-up defeat to West Indies

Women’s T20 World Cup: Thailand 78 for 9 (Nannapat Khoncharoenkrai 33, Naruemol Chaiwai 13, Talyor 3-13) lost to West Indies 80 for 3 (Stafanie Taylor 26*, Shemaine Campbelle 25*, Soraya Lateh 1-21) by 7 wickets with 20 balls remaining

A spirited Thailand has gone down in their first match of the Women’s T20 World Cup 2020 to the West Indies by seven wickets.

After winning the toss and electing to bat, Thailand only managed to post 79 for 8 from their 20 overs, with 19-year-old wicket-keeper batter Nannapat Khoncharoenkrai top-scoring with 33.

Naruemol Chaiwai was the only other Thai batter to break double figures, with 13.

West Indies captain Stafanie Taylor was player of the match, taking 3 for 13 from three overs, also anchoring the chase with 26 not out.

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The chase wasn’t all plain sailing for the 2016 World Champions. After losing three wickets in the space of 2.3 overs to be 27 for 3, number three Shemaine Campbelle was adjudged LBW by Australian umpire Claire Polosak from the bowling of Chanida Sutthriang.

After discussing it with partner Taylor, who admitted after the match that she had not seen the ball strike the right hander, Campelle left it until the last two seconds on the clock to review the decision.

After beating the bat to strike the back leg, Suttiruang’s prodigious swing was also taking the ball past leg stump, and as such Campbelle remained at the crease. Playing in her 100th T20 International, the 27-year-old from Guyana finished on 25 during the unbeaten half-century partnership with skipper Tayor.

Thailand gave themselves every chance of defending the low total, with tight bowling and some electric fielding, including a direct hit runot from Chaiwai throwin down the bowler’s end stump from short third man, and Suleporn Laomi whose quick gather and throw to wicketkeeper Koncharoenkai found Deandra Dottin short.

Soraya Lateh was the first Thai bowler to take a wicket in World Cup when the left-arm orthodox spinner slid one through the defences of Hayley Matthews, who was attempting to force the ball into the legside.

Despite Thailand’s struggles with the bat – of the nine times they played shots attempting to clear the infield they lost 4 wickets for only 8 runs – when asked about this by Emerging Cricket at the post-match press conference, Nattaya Boochatham said Thailand would not be changing their plan.

“That intent is not really going to change. It might get stronger, be more aggressive, but take the smarter option, find the four on the ground, hit it hard on the ground, and stick to our basic plans of rotating the strike,” said Boochatham who finished with figures of 0-9 from 3.4 overs of off-spin, after falling for 2 opening the innings.

Besides Stafanie Taylor’s three-wicket haul, all five other West Indies bowlers took one Thai wicket each.

Thailand’s next match is on Wednesday against England. The match at Canberra’s Manuka Oval starts at 3pm local time (4am GMT).