West Indies captain Hayley Matthews was left frustrated and engaged in a heated exchange with on-field umpires as the third umpire Nimali Perera had adjudged her caught behind despite ‘clear gap’ between bat and ball.
The incident took place in the fourth over of West Indies’ run chase against England in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 clash at Lord’s, London. Hayley went for a cut shot against Linsey Smith but missed. The West Indies captain wasn't given out and England opted for a review. Hayley admitted that she heard a sound while there was a gap between bat and ball. The review confirmed both, the gap and there was a spike on the snicko (the edge detection technology).
As Hayley was given out, she was furious and had a heated conversation with the on-field umpires Eloise Sheridan and N Janani. Disappointed by the decision, she left the field dismissed for a 17-ball 14.
After her dismissal, West Indies managed to post 148/5 despite Chinelle Henry's unbeaten 30-ball 51, losing the match by 38 runs. In the post-match press conference, Hayley raised questions about the decision but respects the third umpire's final call.
"When I cut at the ball, I heard something which I thought was probably my bat handle or something like that, and I immediately went to the on-field umpires and told them that I heard a noise,” Matthews said.
"I felt like you could have seen a clear gap between bat and ball, but at the same time, [TV umpire] has got to work with the technology that there is, and she saw a spike, and at the end of the day, I'm going to have to respect that."
Of late, the snicko technology has been under the scanner. In the Men's Ashes 2025-26, Australia's left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc had called for the technology to be scrapped as Jamie Smith was adjudged not out in the Adelaide Test.
West Indies lose, England into semifinals
This is West Indies' first defeat of the ongoing tournament. Meanwhile, Charlotte Dean-led England registered their fourth win on the trot in Group B and booked a berth in the semifinals. The hosts are first to confirm a seat in semifinals. For England, Danni Wyatt-Hodge scored 65 runs from 42 balls. Later, Heather Knight's 26-ball 43 and cameos from lower order helped England post 186/7.
With the ball, Lauren Bell and Sophie Ecclestone were clinical and picked up a wicket each as well. Skipper Charlotte bagged a couple of wickets for 31 runs.
How West Indies can qualify for the semifinals?
West Indies' net run rate (NRR) took a hit after their loss to England. They need a win against Ireland on June 27 to book their semifinal spot. If they lose to Ireland, New Zealand and Sri Lanka will have a chance to make it to semifinals on the basis of NRR. West Indies would hope that England continue their unbeaten run and defeat New Zealand in their last group stage encounter.