Who is Qiana Joseph? 5 interesting facts about the West Indies opener who starred vs England in the Women's T20 World Cup 2024

West Indies opener and spin-bowling all-rounder Qiana Joseph set the stage ablaze with her match-winning half-century against England in a must-win game for the Windies, sending them to the top of Group B and into the semi-finals.

The southpaw rode her luck, surviving a couple of dropped chances, but showed terrific intent right from the start. The West Indies had their backs to the wall, chasing 142 to qualify for the semi-finals, but Hayley Matthews and Joseph came out flying and never stopped till they got out.

Joseph smashed everyone with clean, fearless ball-striking, eventually getting dismissed after a 38-ball 52. She'll look to carry this form into the semi-finals as the West Indies look to extend this stellar run even further.

On that note, let's learn more about the West Indies' new star in the making.

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#1 She made her international debut at the age of 16

Qiana Joseph seems to finally be delivering on the promise she has shown since her debut for the West Indies in July 2017. As a 16-year-old, the all-rounder debuted in the 2017 ICC Women's ODI World Cup in a game against South Africa, playing that match as a pure bowler.

However, her first international match wasn't a great experience as the West Indies suffered a humiliating defeat, getting bowled out for just 48 by South Africa, who then chased the target down in 6.2 overs. Joseph couldn't pick up a wicket and fell for a duck in that match.

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#2 She won the WCPL 2024 under Hayley Matthews' captaincy

Qiana Joseph shares a close bond with her national team captain Hayley Matthews. Matthews is the captain of the Barbados Royals, the most successful team in the Women's Caribbean Premier League. The team finished runners-up in the inaugural edition in 2022, before winning back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024. Joseph was an integral part of the team that won in 2024.

She starred with the ball, picking up six wickets in five matches at an economy rate of just 4.75, finishing the tournament as the sixth-highest wicket-taker.

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#3 Her match-winning half-century against England is her first across formats

Qiana Joseph may not have caught the attention of the average cricket fan before her whirlwind half-century against England. Her numbers with the bat in both ODIs and T20Is were pretty lackluster before this outing. She hadn't scored a half-century in either format.

However, the team management recognized her potential and ensured that they utilized it to the best effect, and the result was out there for everyone to see.

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#4 Qiana Joseph started as a left-arm pacer

The 23-year-old all-rounder started her career as a left-arm pacer, slowly rising up the batting order. Joseph also switched to become a left-arm spinner between 2021 and 2022, successfully returning to the national setup in that role after some solid domestic performances.

She then solidified her credentials as a batter in the Windies' tour of Pakistan earlier this year, also doing a decent job with the ball.

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#5 Joseph smashed a 29-ball 36 against Australia in a warm-up match before this World Cup

Qiana Joseph did show some warning signs about what a dangerous player she could be when she arguably produced the best batting performance for the West Indies in their warm-up match against Australia.

Chasing 145, it did seem like the West Indies would struggle, but Qiana Joseph allayed those fears, confidently taking on one of the best bowling attacks in the world and getting the Windies off to a flying start.

While the innings collapsed after her dismissal in the 10th over with the score at 68, she showed plenty of potential as an opener, and the management will be glad to see her shine in the future.