Logie: Windies Women need to shift into 50-over gear

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC):

West Indies Women's coach Gus Logie has backed his side to put Sunday's opening loss to South Africa behind the, and come out swinging in today's crucial second one-day international (ODI) of the three-match series.

The hosts produced a limp performance with the bat, failing to chase down a modest target of 202 and crashing to a 40-run defeat at Kensington Oval.

However, Logie said with much of the preparation having focused on the side's defence of the Twenty20 World Cup title in November, it was now critical they made the adjustment to the requirements of the 50-over format.

"It's just a matter of reinforcing the positives and at the end of the day, hope that the players learn from [Sunday's] experience," the former West Indies batsman said.

"I think the preparation stage was very good, so I don't think that any player can critique the fact that we were well prepared in terms of numbers; of balls hit, time in the nets, and it's evident, when you look at the nine-ten-Jack (tail-enders), the way they shaped - they shaped pretty well - it gives you courage, so I'm sure the top order will take some more responsibility comes Wednesday."

He added: "It's a work in progress. We keep talking about what we're aiming towards. It's a build-up as well, despite the fact [that] it's a competition within itself, but it's a build-up, to what happens later in the tournament in terms of the T20s and certainly the T20 World Cup.

T20 PREPARATION

"A lot of our preparation, I must admit, has seemed to focus a lot more on the T20 World Cup coming up, so we're looking for players to shift a little bit in gear, be a lot more patient - it's 50 overs, a longer version of the game- so it's about spending a bit more time in the middle, but I'm certain that we'll do that come Wednesday."

Windies Women bowled well to restrict South Africa to 201 for nine off their 50 overs, especially after the visitors had cruised to 104 for one in the 28th over.

However, the hosts were then let down by a sloppy batting effort in their run chase with only Shemaine Campbelle, in her first ODI in two years, showing any enterprise with 46.

Logie said the batsmen had failed to apply themselves properly and stressed the importance of senior players taking responsibility.

"I think at the halfway stage we felt really confident that this total was gettable and that we could have chased that down but, unfortunately, it did not work out," Logie lamented.

The series forms part of the eight-team ICC Women's Championship, which serves as a qualifier for the 2021 Women's World Cup in New Zealand.