MOUNT MAUNGANUI (AFP) – Pace bowler Shamilia Connell collapsed while fielding for the West Indies at the Women’s Cricket World Cup in New Zealand yesterday and was taken from the ground in an ambulance.
It was not immediately clear what happened to the 29-year-old but she was able to walk to the ambulance and team-mate Hayley Matthews said that “we believe she’ll be alright”.
“Obviously it’s a bit worrying to see her go down like that but she’s a fighter,” said Matthews.
The incident came in the latter stages of a gutsy West Indies fightback that saw them edge Bangladesh by four runs.
Matthews produced a player-of-the-match performance to bowl a career-best 4-15 and spare the West Indies’ blushes after Bangladesh dismissed them for 140-9 at Mount Maunganui.
The win puts the West Indies ahead of hosts New Zealand, India and defending champions England in the race for a top-four semi-final berth alongside favourites Australia and South Africa.
But Bangladesh threatened to blow the tournament wide open when their spinners ripped through the West Indies’ batting line-up.
The modest target of 141 proved too much however for the tournament debutants, who fell four runs short with three balls to go in the final over.
“How our bowlers started was incredible but I’m pretty disappointed with the batting,” said captain Nigar Sultana, Bangladesh’s joint top-scorer with 25 runs.
