BASSETERRE – West Indies Women produced another dismal batting performance as Australia Women swept their One Day International series with an emphatic nine-wicket victory in St Kitts Thursday.
The home side’s decision to bat first after winning the toss for the first time in the three-match series made little difference, as they were skittled out for 136 in 35.4 overs at Warner Park, with Player-of-the-Match Alana King grabbing five wickets.
Led by an unbeaten half century from Player-of-the-Series Phoebe Litchfield, Australia them raced to 137 for one in 19.4 overs to complete a series whitewash.
It brought an end to the visitors’ white-ball tour, which saw them win all six matches, having also swept the preceding T20I series.
The Windies made two changes, handing a debut to Shunelle Sawh and including Realanna Grimmond in exchange for Qiana Joseph and Shemaine Campbelle.
Joseph’s absence saw Deandra Dottin promoted to opener, and along with captain Hayley Matthews added 38 runs in just under six overs.
Dottin looked in good nick, scoring 22 off 19 balls, before she edged a delivery from pacer Lucy Hamilton and was caught at first slip by Litchfield.
Her dismissal opened the floodgates, with the Windies losing their next four wickets for just 40 runs.
Sawh scored just three runs from 16 balls before driving Nicola Carey into the hands of gully, and Stafanie Taylor was caught behind after scoring five to leave the score 56 for three.
King then got in on the act by claiming the prized scalp of Matthews, caught at point for 32, and two balls later she also had Jannillea Glasgow caught at the same position for a duck.
Chinelle Henry tried her best to keep the innings together in an unbeaten knock of 42 off 54 balls, but apart from Grimmond with whom she shared a 37-run partnership for the sixth wicket, none of the other batters scored more than five as King ran through the lower order.
King finished with figures of 5-19 from her 10 overs while Ashleigh Gardner took 2-29.
Australia then wasted little time in chasing down their target, with openers Voll and Litchfield adding exactly 50 for the first wicket.
Spinner Ashmini Munisar gave West Indies some hope when she had the former caught for 23, but Litchfield and Ellyse Perry shared an unbroken 87-run partnership in 11 overs to help the Aussies romp to a predictable victory.
CMC
Summarised scores
WEST INDIES WOMEN 136 in 35.4 overs (Chinelle Henry 42 not out, Hayley Matthews 34, Deandra Dottin 22, Realeanna Grimmond 20; Alana King 5-19, Ashleigh Gardner 2-29).
AUSTRALIA WOMEN 137-1 in 19.4 overs (Phoebe Litchfield 68 not out, Ellyse Perry 33 not out, Georgia Voll 23).
Toss: West Indies Women elected to bat.
Result: Australia Women won by nine wickets to sweep the three-match series 3-0.
Player-of-the-Match: Alana King.
Player-of-the-Series: Phoebe Litchfield.
Umpires: Lauren Agenbag, Maria Abbott.
TV Umpire: Candace la Borde.
Reserve Umpire: Jacqueline Williams.
Match Referee: Reon King.
