Yeh cricket ka woh pal tha jab barish ne match ko chhota kar diya, aur phir bhi West Indies Women ne South Africa Women ke khilaaf apni chhaap chhodi. Qiana Joseph ki shandaar 60 runon ki paari ne sabka dil jeet liya, jabki Tazmin Brits aur Nadine de Klerk ki mehnat South Africa ke liye kaafi nahi rahi. Aaiye, is match ka jashn manate hain, iske peeche ki kahani dekhte hain, aur yeh bhi jaan lete hain ki kaise West Indies ne apni himmat se yeh jeet haasil ki, lekin saath hi cricket ke us anishchit roop ko bhi yaad rakhte hain jo hamesha naye chunauti laata hai.
Cricket ka khel kabhi kabhi barish ke kaaran adhoora reh jaata hai, aur yeh match bhi usi ka ek udaaharan tha. June 11, 2025 ko Barbados ke Three Ws Oval mein khela gaya yeh pehla ODI barish ke kaaran 34 overs tak seemit ho gaya. South Africa ne pehle batting karte hue 232/9 ka score banaya, jismein Tazmin Brits ke 57 aur Nadine de Klerk ke 42 runon ne unki innings ko sanbhala. Lekin West Indies ki bowling, khaas kar Aaliyah Alleyne (2-35) aur Karishma Ramharack (2-44) ne South Africa ko bade score tak nahi jaane diya. Jab West Indies ne chase shuru kiya, toh barish ke baad target 180 runs ka ho gaya, aur yahan Qiana Joseph ne apna jadoo chala diya.
Joseph ki batting dekhkar yaad aata hai 2019 Women’s T20 World Cup ka woh lamha jab West Indies ki Stafanie Taylor ne Australia ke khilaaf 59 runs ki paari kheli thi, lekin team haar gayi thi. Us waqt bhi West Indies ek underdog thi, aur aaj bhi woh South Africa jaisi majboot team ke saamne chhoti si team hi maani jaati hai. Joseph ne 58 balls mein 60 runs banaye, jismein 10 chauke aur 1 chhakka shamil tha. Unki opening partner Hayley Matthews (40 runs) aur Stafanie Taylor (30 runs) ne bhi saath diya, aur West Indies ne 4 wickets se jeet haasil ki. Yeh jeet DLS method ke tehat aayi, lekin isne West Indies ke hausle ko buland kar diya.
X par is match ke baare mein kaafi charcha hui. @wiplayers ne tweet kiya, “West Indies Women WON the 1st ODI vs South Africa by 4 wickets (DLS) 🎊🥳🎉” aur scorecard bhi share kiya. Ek aur user, @_hypocaust, ne likha, “A comfortable victory for West Indies 180/6 (32.0), as they scored 52 off 39 against an errant South Africa after the restart.” Yeh posts batate hain ki fans kitne excited the, aur West Indies ki yeh jeet unke liye ek bada mauka tha apne aap ko saabit karne ka.
South Africa ki baat karen toh Tazmin Brits ne shandaar half-century banayi, aur woh doosri teji se 1000 ODI runs poore karne wali South African woman bhi bani. Lekin unki team ke bowlers, khaas kar Ayanda Hlubi (3-50) ke alawa, West Indies ke batsmen ko rok nahi paaye. Nadine de Klerk ne bhi 42 runs banaye, jo yaad dilata hai 2022 Women’s World Cup mein South Africa ke khilaaf New Zealand ke khilaaf Shabnim Ismail ki us mehnat ko, jab unhone akeli dam par team ko sambhala tha. Lekin is baar South Africa ke liye yeh koshish kaafi nahi thi.
Yeh match West Indies ke liye ek nayi shuruaat jaisa tha. England ke khilaaf 0-3 se ODI series haarne ke baad, aur usse pehle T20I series mein bhi whitewash ka saamna karne ke baad, West Indies Women ke liye yeh jeet ek taaza hawa ka jhonka thi. Barbados ke is maidaan par, jahan 2007 Men’s World Cup ka final khela gaya tha, West Indies ne apne ghar mein ek baar phir apni taaqat dikhayi. Qiana Joseph ki yeh paari unke career ka ek yaadgaar pal ban gaya, aur isne team ke baki khiladiyon ko bhi inspire kiya hoga.
Lekin cricket ka khel hamesha ek chunauti laata hai. Joseph ki dismissal ke baad West Indies ne 21 runs mein do aur wickets kho diye, aur 127/4 par woh thodi si dabav mein aa gayi thi. Barish ne yahan unki madad ki, kyunki target chhota ho gaya, lekin yeh bhi sochne wali baat hai ki agar match poora hota toh kya hota? South Africa ke bowlers, jaise Ayanda Hlubi, ne dikhaya ki woh wapas laut sakte hain. West Indies ke liye yeh jeet toh badi hai, lekin series abhi baki hai, aur South Africa jaisi team kabhi bhi palatwar kar sakti hai. Yaad hai 2017 Men’s Champions Trophy ka woh semi-final jab South Africa ne Pakistan ke khilaaf wapas aakar jeet haasil ki thi? Aisa hi kuch is series mein bhi ho sakta hai.
Is jeet ke bawajood, West Indies ko apni consistency par kaam karna hoga. Joseph, Matthews, aur Taylor jaisi khiladiyon par bahut zyada nirbhar hona team ke liye khatarnak ho sakta hai. Agar baki khiladi bhi saath denge, toh West Indies Women 2025 Women’s ODI World Cup mein bhi kuch kamaal kar sakti hai. Lekin filhaal, yeh jeet unke fans ke liye ek chhota sa jashn hai, aur Joseph ki yeh paari ek aisi kahani hai jo cricket ke chhote-chhote maidaanon se nikal kar bade sapne dikhati hai. Phir bhi, cricket ka yeh khel humein hamesha yaad dilata hai ki aaj jeetne wale kal haar bhi sakte hain, aur is series ka agla match shayad ek nayi kahani likhe.
